Do you know the new vocalist in Van Halen?
His name is Gary Cherone. Gary used to be the vocalist of the band Extreme, which existed for 11 years. Who doesn't know that band which had so much success with a simple ballad called "More Than Words"? The owner of that sweet and harmonious voice also has a strong and powerful one. The proof of that is in that other song that was also played on radio stations: "Hip Today", a song from Extreme's last album, "Waiting For The Punchline".
People who knew the band know that Gary brings not only good moments in terms of music, but also good moments of reflection because his songs are intelligently written. His fans share the same opinion. Songs like "Little Girls" which is about relationships between people with great differences of age, make us laugh because of its humor but at the same time it makes us think about the subject. It makes us ask ourselves questions like: aren't we being prejudiced? Another song is "There Is No God" which discusses about atheism. People who know all Extreme albums know that Gary is not the conventional songwriter type.
Another aspect to be clarified to our dear readers is about Gary's voice. As many of you have probably had the opportunity to listen to him singing specially in concerts, his voice is powerful and can reach various timbres. One fact which particularly impressed me was his performance in "Jesus Christ Superstar", a play that took place in Boston at Easter in 1996. This Rock Opera was written by Andrew Lloyd Webber (the same author of "The Phantom Of The Opera" and "Evita") and Tim Rice. "Jesus Christ..." was written in 1961 and had the overwhelming participation of Ian Gilan playing the role of Jesus Christ. In the movies, in 1973, Ted Neelen played the leading role. In the theater, Gary played the role of Jesus in the years 1994 and 1996. Some songs had a different version and this alteration made the Jesus of Gary look extremely humble, almost childish in some moments. In other moments, he showed a sad and anguished Jesus. The set was simple and the cast had great musical talent. Gary acted with his heart. A very personal performance.
Well, Gary's professional experience combined with the talent of the other components of Van Halen, their work is sure to bring us big surprises. We only have to wait and see.
Best wishes,
Carla Moreira da Silva
Belo Horizonte - Brazil, 1997.
"Jesus Christ Superstar, 1996 - Illusions / The Little Prince"
Write me!
Carla Moreira da Silva
Rua Padre Francisco Arantes, 151/Apto. 201
Bairro Vila Paris
30380-730 - Belo Horizonte - MG
Brazil