Rock bass virtuoso talks SOA album and Ray Luzier project
Exclusive video interview with FBPO’s Jon Liebman
March 25, 2019
By David Sands
Undisputably one of the heavy hitters of electric bass, Billy Sheehan has an original style of playing that’s been driving rock record sales for decades. In fact, his use of chording, two-handed tapping, right hand “three-finger picking” technique, and controlled feedback in his work has been so influential that ex-Ozzy Osbourne bassist Phil Soussan has referred to him as “the Eddie Van Halen of bass guitar.”
A Buffalo, New York native, the bass virtuoso got his start in the early 1970s performing with the hard rock trio Talas and rose to fame in 1985 playing with David Lee Roth alongside Steve Vai and Gregg Bissonette. Sheehan has appeared on dozens of records over the years, and is particularly known for his work with Mr. Big, Niacin, The Winery Dogs and Sons of Apollo.
FBPO’s Jon Liebman had a chance to sit down with Billy for his fourth interview with us during this year’s Winter NAMM show in Anaheim, California. They spoke of his whirlwind year of touring in 2018, a new version of his Yamaha Attitude bass, the importance of constant practice and what’s coming up with The Winery Dogs and Sons of Apollo this year.
Watch our interview with Billy here!
See Jon’s blog, with key takeaways from this interview, here.
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