Sully Erna

Born Salvatore Paul Erna in Lawrence, Massachusetts, the frontman gained widespread recognition as the lead vocalist of post-grunge outfit Godsmack, whose multi-platinum catalog established the group’s stature. Music entered his life early through his father, also named Salvatore Erna, whose trumpet playing provided the initial spark. At age three Erna took up drums; by eleven he had abandoned sheet music in favor of playing entirely by ear. His first recording contract arrived in 1993 via the band Strip Mind, though the group disbanded shortly afterward. Several years later he decided to move from the drum kit to the microphone and, in 1995, assembled Godsmack—an outfit steeped in the sound of Alice in Chains. Three years after its formation the band issued its self-titled debut, which earned quadruple-platinum certification and propelled both Erna and the group to national prominence.

Outside the band, Erna’s pursuits extended to poker. The multi-instrumentalist entered the World Series of Poker in both 2006 and 2007, outlasting every other celebrity participant on each occasion and finishing 237th among more than 6,000 entrants in the 2007 event. That same year he published the memoir The Paths We Choose, which traces his life through the moment Godsmack secured its recording contract.

Balancing Godsmack’s schedule of touring and recording, Erna still completed a solo album, Avalon, issued by Universal Republic in 2010. A live counterpart, Avalon Live, appeared in 2012 alongside a limited-edition box set that bundled a documentary and assorted memorabilia. Following two subsequent Godsmack releases he returned to solo work, delivering Hometown Life in late 2016.