Jacob Mark "Jake" Pitts (born August 21, 1985) is an American musician and record producer best known as the lead guitarist of rock band

Black Veil Brides Black Veil Brides is an American rock band based in Hollywood, California. The group formed in 2006 in Cincinnati, Ohio and is currently composed of lead vocalist Andy Biersack, rhythm guitarist and violinist Jinxx, lead guitarist Jake Pitts, ...

Musical career

Pitts received his first guitar when he was 10 years old, but he put it away and did not play it again until he was 13. He began listening to

Metallica Metallica is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles by vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...

around this time, because he wanted to recreate their sound. Jake only received lessons for about four months. After this time, he decide to learn on his own. From his Mother, Carolyn, he learned music and harmony theory, who was a classical pianist and composer. Pitts is also influenced musically by rock and heavy metal artists such as

Van Halen Van Halen ( ) was an American rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. Credited with "restoring hard rock to the forefront of the music scene", Van Halen was known for its energetic live shows and for the virtuosity of its lead gu ...

Scorpions Scorpions are predatory arachnids of the order Scorpiones. They have eight legs, and are easily recognized by a pair of grasping pincers and a narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back and always end ...

Paul Gilbert Paul Brandon Gilbert is an American hard rock and heavy metal guitarist. He is the co-founder of the band Mr. Big, and was also a member of Racer X, with whom he released several albums. In 1996, Gilbert launched a solo career, for which h ...

Buckethead Brian Patrick Carroll (born May 13, 1969), known professionally as Buckethead, is an American guitarist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He has received critical acclaim for his innovative electric guitar playing. His music spans severa ...

Randy Rhoads Randall William Rhoads (December 6, 1956 – March 19, 1982) was an American guitarist. He was the co-founder and original guitarist of the heavy metal band Quiet Riot, and the guitarist and co-songwriter for Ozzy Osbourne's first two solo alb ...

Pantera Pantera () is an American heavy metal music, heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas formed in 1981, and currently comprised of vocalist Phil Anselmo, bassist Rex Brown, and touring musicians Zakk Wylde and Charlie Benante. The group's best-kn ...

Black Sabbath Black Sabbath were an English rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. They are often cited as pioneers of heavy met ...

Armored Saint Armored Saint is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1982. Since 1990, the band has consisted of John Bush on lead vocals, Joey Vera on bass, Jeff Duncan (musician), Jeff Duncan on rhythm guitar and the Sandoval ...

, Dio,

Manowar Manowar is an American heavy metal band from Auburn, New York. Formed in 1980, the group is known for lyrics based on fantasy (particularly sword and sorcery) and mythology (particularly Norse mythology and Greco-Roman mythology), as well as ...

Iced Earth Iced Earth is an American heavy metal band formed in Tampa, Florida and currently based in Columbus, Indiana. They were formed in 1984 under the name the Rose, then Purgatory, by guitarist and main songwriter Jon Schaffer and original drummer ...

Darkthrone Darkthrone is a Norwegian extreme metal band from Kolbotn, Akershus. Formed in 1986 as a death metal band named Black Death, in 1991 Darkthrone embraced a black metal style influenced by Bathory and Celtic Frost and became one of the leadin ...

Cannibal Corpse Cannibal Corpse is an American death metal band formed in Buffalo, New York in 1988, now based out of Tampa, Florida. The band has released fifteen studio albums, two box sets, four video albums, and two live albums. The band has had little radi ...

Slayer Slayer was an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California. The band was formed in 1981 by guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman, drummer Dave Lombardo and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya. Slayer's fast and aggressive musical style ...

Avenged Sevenfold Avenged Sevenfold (abbreviated as A7X) is an American heavy metal band from Huntington Beach, California, formed in 1999. The band's current lineup consists of lead vocalist M. Shadows, rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist Zacky Vengeance, ...

Mötley Crüe Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1981. The group was founded by bassist Nikki Sixx, drummer Tommy Lee, lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil. Mötley Crüe has sold over 100 million albums ...

, and

. Before joining Black Veil Brides, Pitts played lead guitar in the bands the Perfect Victim and 80 Proof Riot. He is a certified

recording engineer An audio engineer (also known as a sound engineer or recording engineer) helps to produce a recording or a live performance, balancing and adjusting sound sources using equalization, dynamics processing and audio effects, mixing, reproduction, ...

and went to Los Angeles Recording School in 2006. He co-produced the fourth

record with

John Feldmann John Feldmann (born June 29, 1967) is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He serves as the lead singer/guitarist of the band Goldfinger. Early life Feldmann grew up in Saratoga, California. He started writing song ...

, along with their fifth record ''

Vale A vale is a type of valley. Vale may also refer to: Places Georgia * Vale, Georgia, a town in the Samtskhe-Javakheti region Norway * Våle, a historic municipality Portugal * Vale (Santa Maria da Feira), a former civil parish in the municipali ...

''. He is working on a new band with his spouse Cory, called Aelonia. He is also producing for other bands such as New Years Day.

Personal life

The song "

Carolyn Carolyn is a female given name, a variant of Caroline. Other spellings include Karolyn, Carolyne, Carolynn or Carolynne. Caroline itself is one of the feminine forms of Charles. List of Notable People *Carolyn Bennett (born 1950), Canadian pol ...

" was written by Pitts about his mother when she was going through a period of illness. On January 18, 2014, his mother, Carolyn, died. He later said that her death scared him and made him start thinking about his health which is why he started working out and eating healthier. Pitts also opened a fitness company called Get Mean Fitness with his friend Matt Yani. Pitts married Cory Logvin, on February 3, 2017.

Awards

*Kerrang! Awards 2011 – Best International Newcomer *Kerrang! Awards 2012 – Best Single "Rebel Love Song" *Kerrang! Awards 2013 – Best Live Band – Black Veil Brides *Kerrang! Awards 2015 – Best Live Band – Black Veil Brides *Revolver Golden Gods 2011 – Best New Band *Revolver Golden Gods 2012 – Best Guitarist "Jake Pitts" *Revolver Golden Gods 2013 – Song of the Year "In the End" *AP Magazine Guitarists of the Year 2013 Pitts and fellow Black Veil Brides guitarist

Jinxx Jeremy Miles Ferguson, (born January 7, 1981) better known by the stage name Jinxx, is an American musician best known as guitarist, violinist, cellist, pianist, songwriter, and composer of American rock band Black Veil Brides. History Jinxx ...

won

Revolver Magazine ''Revolver'' is a heavy metal music and hard rock magazine, published in North America. It has been in print since 2000, and is about both established acts and up-and-comers in heavy music. In the fall of 2017, ''Revolver'' underwent a brand re ...

's Golden Gods Award for "Best Guitarists 2012".

Production

* 2010 – Black Veil Brides (We Stitch These Wounds) – Songwriter * 2011 – Black Veil Brides (Set the World on Fire) – Songwriter * 2013 – Black Veil Brides (Wretched & Divine) – Songwriter / Engineered guitars * 2014 – Black Veil Brides (Black Veil Brides) – Songwriter / Engineer * 2016 - Thrown Into Exile (Safe Inside) – Producer / Writer / Engineer / Mixing / Mastering * 2017 - AELONIA ("The End" single) – Producer / Writer / Engineer / Mixing / Mastering * 2018 - Black Veil Brides (VALE) – Co-producer / Writer / Engineer * 2019 - Aelonia (We Are One) - Producer, Writer, Mixing / Mastering * 2020 - Black Veil Brides (Re-Stitch These Wounds) – Producer / Songwriter / Engineer / Mixing / Mastering * 2020 - Black Veil Brides ("Scarlet Cross" Single) - Producer, Writer, Engineer * 2021 - Black Veil Brides (The Phantom Tomorrow) - Producer, Writer, Engineer

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pitts, Jake Black Veil Brides members 1985 births Living people American heavy metal guitarists American male guitarists