Stevie Salas (born November 17, 1964) is a Native American guitarist, author, television host, music director, record producer, film composer, and former advisor of contemporary music at the Smithsonian

National Museum of the American Indian The National Museum of the American Indian is a museum in the United States devoted to the culture of the indigenous peoples of the Americas. It is part of the Smithsonian Institution group of museums and research centers. The museum has three ...

Career

Salas was born on November 17, 1964, in

Oceanside, California Oceanside is a city on the South Coast of California, located in San Diego County. The city had a population of 167,086 at the 2010 census. The city is a popular tourist destination, owing to its historic landmarks, beaches, and architecture. ...

, United States. He is of

Apache The Apache () are a group of culturally related Native American tribes in the Southwestern United States, which include the Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Mescalero, Mimbreño, Ndendahe (Bedonkohe or Mogollon and Nednhi or Carrizaleño a ...

ancestry. In 1989, Stevie was credited in '' Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure'' as performing the guitar solo of the character Rufus (played by

George Carlin George Denis Patrick Carlin (May 12, 1937 – June 22, 2008) was an American comedian, actor, author, and social critic. Regarded as one of the most important and influential stand-up comedians of all time, he was dubbed "the dean of countercul ...

) in the closing scene. Stevie's hands were also featured performing the solo, according to the film's end credits. In 1990, Salas released his first solo album ''

Stevie Salas Colorcode ''Stevie Salas Colorcode'' is the debut album by the Native American guitar player Stevie Salas, released in 1990. Colorcode was the name Salas gave to his band. Salas supported the album by opening for Joe Satriani on a North American tour. The a ...

'', opening for

Joe Satriani Joseph Satriani (born July 15, 1956)Prato, Greg"Joe Satriani – Music Biography, Credits and Discography". '' AllMusic''. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved May 28, 2014. is an American guitarist, composer, songwriter, and guitar teacher. Early in his ...

and his 1989 album '' Flying in a Blue Dream''. Salas' music received attention in both Japan and Europe. In 1993, he released ''Stevie Salas Presents: The Electric Pow Wow'', a covers album of songs that inspired Salas as a youth featuring guest artists like

Zakk Wylde Zachary Phillip Wylde (born Jeffrey Phillip Wielandt; January 14, 1967) is an American musician. He is best known as the lead guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne and as the founder, lead guitarist, lead singer, songwriter and producer of the heavy meta ...

, Glenn Hughes, T.M. Stevens, Richie Kotzen and Slim Jim Phantom. Then in 1994, Salas released ''Back from the Living'' in Japan, where his singles "Start Again" and "Tell Your Story Walkin" were released. During this time, he also appeared on the album ''Rats'' by then girlfriend

Sass Jordan Sass Jordan (c. 1962) is a British-born Canadian rock singer from Montreal, Quebec. Her first single, "Tell Somebody," from her debut album of the same name won the Juno Award for Most Promising Female Vocalist in 1989. Since then, she has been ...

. Salas was touring guitarist for Rod Stewart´s

Out of Order Tour The Out of Order Tour was a 1988–89 worldwide tour held by British singer Rod Stewart to promote his album at that time, '' Out of Order''. The tour visited the Americas. It began on July 1, 1988 on San Juan, Puerto Rico and ended on August ...

where he got the inspiration for his book ˝When We Were the Boys˝, a book of memories from touring world stages. In 2001,

Mick Jagger Sir Michael Philip Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is an English singer and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the lead vocalist and one of the founder members of the rock band the Rolling Stones. His ongoing songwriting partnershi ...

hired him as guitarist and music director for Jagger's "Goddess in the Doorway" Tour. Later that year Salas released ''Shapeshifter: The Fall and Rise of Stevie No Wonder''. In 2003, he released ''The Soulblasters of the Universe'', and did his first European Colorcode tour since 1999. From 2006 to 2010, Salas served as music director and consultant for

American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to ...

and 19 Entertainment nurturing Kris Allen,

Adam Lambert Adam Mitchel Lambert (born January 29, 1982) is an American singer and songwriter. Since 2009, he has sold over 3 million albums and 5 million singles worldwide. Lambert is known for his dynamic vocal performances that fuse his theatrical tra ...

Chris Daughtry Christopher Adam Daughtry (; born December 26, 1979) is an American singer, musician, and actor. He is the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for the rock band Daughtry, which he formed after placing fourth on the fifth season of ''American I ...

, and their respective touring bands for subsequent American tours. Salas began working as host and executive producer of the Canadian Music TV series Arbor Live for APTN. In mid-2009, Salas co-founded with the internet entrepreneur Laurence Dorazio the company Rockstar Solos, LLC which focuses on iPhone and

iPad The iPad is a brand of iOS and iPadOS-based tablet computers that are developed by Apple Inc. The iPad was conceived before the related iPhone but the iPhone was developed and released first. Speculation about the development, operating s ...

gaming and entertainment application development. The first application also called Rockstar Solos became available in the

iTunes Store The iTunes Store is a digital media store operated by Apple Inc. It opened on April 28, 2003, as a result of Steve Jobs' push to open a digital marketplace for music. As of April 2020, iTunes offered 60 million songs, 2.2 million apps, 25,00 ...

in December 2009. The company Rockstar Logic has thousands of downloads to date. In 2009, Salas worked with T.I and

Justin Timberlake Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is one of the world's best-selling music artists, with sales of over 88 million records. Timberlake is the recipient of numerous awards and ac ...

on the song "Dead and Gone", the single eventually reaching #2 on the US Billboard Charts. Later that year, Salas received a Native American Lifetime Achievement Award at the

Native American Music Awards The Native American Music Awards (also known as the NAMAs or "Nammys") are an awards program presented annually by Elbel Productions, Inc., The Native American Music Awards Inc., and The Native American Music Association, a 501(c)(3) non-profi ...

. From 2010 to 2012, he served as the advisor to contemporary music at

. He co-created both the Up Where We Belong-Natives In Popular Culture exhibit and The Living Earth Festival. In 2012 Salas created and is executive producer of Catch The Dream Bios with Adam Beach for APTN with shows airing 2014. Salas is Executive Producer of 'RUMBLE: The Indians Who Rocked the World', a Native American music documentary for

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...

and Super Channel. (2017 Sundance winner for Masterful Storytelling ). Executive Producer and Creator of Dreamcatcher Bios (currently in production). Produced by Rezolution Pictures Montreal Canada for APTN television. Co-Wrote and Produced the new project/band INABA/SALAS with Japanese superstar vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter

Koshi Inaba (born September 23, 1964 in Tsuyama, Okayama) is a Japanese vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter. He is best known as the singer and lyricist of the rock duo B'z, the best-selling music act in their native Japan. He has also had a su ...

for the Japanese record label Vermillion Records. '' Chubby Groove'' album was released on January 18, 2017 and was the #2 album in the country that week, and remained in the top 10 for several weeks after. The album was supported by sold-out Chubby Groove Tour 2017 that played throughout Japan in January/February 2017. The record was certified Gold in Japan on October 4, 2017. On February 15, 2020, Inaba/Salas released their second album, titled ''Maximum Huavo''.

Musical influences

Salas' musical influences are derived mainly from late 60s and 70s

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from Africa ...

music, as well as

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...

. Artists who have influenced Salas as a musician include

James Brown James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, dancer, musician, record producer and bandleader. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th century music, he is often referred to by the honor ...

Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...

Mick Ronson Michael Ronson (26 May 1946 – 29 April 1993) was an English musician, songwriter, arranger, and producer. He achieved critical and commercial success working with David Bowie as the guitarist of the Spiders from Mars. He was a session musici ...

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...

, and

Frank Black Charles Michael Kittridge Thompson IV (born April 6, 1965) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He is best known as the frontman of the alternative rock band Pixies, with whom he performs under the stage name Black Francis. F ...

Discography

Solo career

Studio albums

EPs

Live albums

Compilations

Group projects

Hardware – Stevie Salas with

Bootsy Collins William Earl "Bootsy" Collins (born October 26, 1951) is an American bass guitarist and singer. Rising to prominence with James Brown in the early 1970s, and later with Parliament-Funkadelic, Collins established himself as one of the leading n ...

and

Buddy Miles George Allen "Buddy" Miles Jr. (September 5, 1947February 26, 2008) was an American composer, drummer, guitarist, vocalist and producer. He was a founding member of the Electric Flag (1967), a member of Jimi Hendrix's Band of Gypsys (1969–197 ...

Nicklebag – Stevie Salas with

Bernard Fowler Bernard Fowler (born January 2, 1960) is an American musician. He is known for a long association with The Rolling Stones, providing backing vocals since 1989 and on their studio recordings and live tours. Fowler has been a featured guest vocali ...

Inaba/Salas – Stevie Salas with

Guest appearances

*1986 – George Clinton: ''

R&B Skeletons in the Closet ''R&B Skeletons in the Closet'' is the fourth solo album by Parliament-Funkadelic leader George Clinton. It was released in April 1986 by Capitol Records and was the last album that Clinton would record for the label. Recording sessions for the ...

'' (

Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of note ...

) *1988 –

: '' What's Bootsy Doin'?'' (

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...

) *1988 –

Was (Not Was) Was (Not Was) is an American pop rock group founded in 1979 in Detroit, Michigan, by David Weiss and Don Fagenson, who adopted the stage names David Was and Don Was. Their song catalog features an eclectic mix of pop and rock styles, often fea ...

: '' What Up, Dog?'' ( Chrysalis Records) *1988 –

Eddie Money Edward Joseph Mahoney (March 21, 1949 – September 13, 2019), known professionally as Eddie Money, was an American singer and songwriter who, in the 1970s and 1980s, had eleven Top 40 songs, including "Baby Hold On", "Two Tickets to Parad ...

: '' Nothing to Lose'' (Columbia Records) *1988 –

The Pandoras The Pandoras is an all-female garage punk band from Los Angeles, California with a run from 1982 to 1991. The band is among the first handful of all-female rock bands to ever be signed. From the beginning, the band found a strong following in the ...

: ''Rock Hard'' EP (

Restless Records Restless Records is a record label that was started in El Segundo, California in 1986 by Enigma Records and primarily released alternative, metal, and punk records. Restless also licensed and released records from Bar/None Records, Metal Blade R ...

) *1988 – Phil Cristian: ''No Prisoner'' *1989 –

Shakespears Sister Shakespears Sister is an alternative pop and rock musical duo based in the United Kingdom that was formed in 1988 by singer-songwriter Siobhan Fahey, a former member of Bananarama. Shakespears Sister was initially a solo act, but became a duo ...

: ''

Sacred Heart The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus ( la, Cor Jesu Sacratissimum) is one of the most widely practised and well-known Catholic devotions, wherein the heart of Jesus is viewed as a symbol of "God's boundless and passionate love for mankind". This devo ...

'' (

FFRR Records FFRR Records (sometimes credited as Full Frequency Range Recordings) is a dance music label previously run and founded by English DJ Pete Tong. Originally the dance music label of London Records, FFRR is currently a sublabel of Parlophone, ...

) *1989 – Shakespears Sister: "

You're History "You're History" is a song by British-based pop act Shakespears Sister, released in July 1989 as the second single from their debut album, ''Sacred Heart'' (1989). The song was the first release to present the act as a duo and their first chart ...

" single (FFRR Records) *1989 – Cats in Boots: ''KickedClawed'' *1989 –

The Burns Sisters The Burns Sisters are an American folk music group from Ithaca, New York. The group has performed and recorded with various siblings, most recently consisting of sisters Marie and Annie. They have toured with Arlo Guthrie providing backup vocals ...

: ''Endangered Species'' (Columbia Records) *1990 –

Ronald Shannon Jackson Ronald Shannon Jackson (January 12, 1940 – October 19, 2013) was an American jazz drummer from Fort Worth, Texas. A pioneer of avant-garde jazz, free funk, and jazz fusion, he appeared on over 50 albums as a bandleader, sideman, arranger, and ...

: ''Red Warrior'' (

Axiom Records Axiom was a record label founded by musician Bill Laswell in 1990 with the support of Chris Blackwell, founder of Island Records. History In 1989, Chris Blackwell sold Island to PolyGram, which in 2000 became a subsidiary of Universal Music Grou ...

) *1991 – Mister Fiddler: ''With Respect'' *1992 –

: ''

Racine Jean-Baptiste Racine ( , ) (; 22 December 163921 April 1699) was a French dramatist, one of the three great playwrights of 17th-century France, along with Molière and Corneille as well as an important literary figure in the Western traditi ...

'' (

MCA Records MCA Records was an American record label owned by MCA Inc., which later became part of Universal Music Group. Pre-history MCA Inc., a powerful talent agency and a television production company, entered the recorded music business in 1962 wit ...

) *1992 – Steve Thomson: ''Steve Thomson'' *1992 –

Jeff Healey Band Norman Jeffrey Healey (March 25, 1966 – March 2, 2008) was a Canadian blues, rock and jazz singer, guitarist, and songwriter who attained popularity in the 1980s and 1990s. He reached No. 5 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart with " A ...

: '' Feel This'' (

Arista Records Arista Records () is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. The label was previously handled by BMG Entertainmen ...

) *1993 –

Terence Trent D'Arby Sananda Francesco Maitreya (born Terence Trent Howard; March 15, 1962), who started his career with the stage name Terence Trent D'Arby, is an American singer and songwriter who came to fame with his debut studio album, '' Introducing the Hardl ...

featuring

Des'ree Desirée Annette Weekes (born 30 November 1968), known by her stage name Des'ree (), is an English pop recording artist who rose to popularity during the 1990s. She is best known for her hits " Feel So High", " You Gotta Be", "Life", and " Kiss ...

: " Delicate" single (Columbia Records) *1994 – Sass Jordan: ''Rats'' ( Impact Records) *1995 –

TM Stevens Thomas Michael "T. M." Stevens (born July 28, 1951) is an American bass guitarist from New York City. Stevens has worked with an array of rock, R&B, and pop acts as a session musician, and also leads his own groups and works as a solo performer ...

: ''Out of Control... BOOM!!!'' *1995 – Terence Trent D'Arby: '' Vibrator'' (Columbia Records) *1995 – Red Thunder: ''Makoce Wakan'' *1996 – Cassius Slade: ''Land of Opportun-ists'' *1997 –

Anri , known as , is a Japanese pop singer-songwriter, originating from Yamato, Kanagawa Prefecture. Biography Her debut release was the 1978 ''Oribia o Kikinagara'' (While Listening to Olivia), written by Amii Ozaki. Her song "Cat's Eye" was u ...

: ''Twin Soul'' (

For Life Music is a Japanese record label founded in 1975.Official site
of FLME Inc.'

Sub-divisions

*Güt Records *Anri * ...

) *1997 – TM Stevens: ''Radioactive'' *1997 –

Carmine Appice Carmine Appice ( , born December 15, 1946) is an American rock drummer. He is best known for his associations with Vanilla Fudge; Cactus; the power trio Beck, Bogert & Appice; Rod Stewart; King Kobra; and Blue Murder. He is also Vinny Appice's ...

: ''Guitar Zeus 2: Channel Mind Radio'' *1997 –

Munetaka Higuchi (December 24, 1958 – November 30, 2008) was a Japanese musician and record producer. He is best known as the original drummer of the heavy metal band Loudness, but first rose to prominence as a member of Lazy in the 1970s. Career From a ...

with Dream Castle: ''Free World'' *1998 – Tomoya with 3T: "

Eternal Flame An eternal flame is a flame, lamp or torch that burns for an indefinite time. Most eternal flames are ignited and tended intentionally, but some are natural phenomena caused by natural gas leaks, peat fires and coal seam fires, all of which can ...

" single (

Universal Music Japan , often referred to as just Universal Music Japan or UMJ, is a Japanese subsidiary of the Universal Music Group founded in 1990. It is the largest subsidiary for a foreign company in the country regarding music distribution. The company is resp ...

) *1998 – Taisuke: ''Heavy Pop'' *1998 – Robert Williams: ''Date with the Devil's Daughter'' *1998 – Tokio: ''

Graffiti Graffiti (plural; singular ''graffiti'' or ''graffito'', the latter rarely used except in archeology) is art that is written, painted or drawn on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from s ...

'' ( Sony Japan) *1999 –

Michael Hutchence Michael Kelland John Hutchence (22 January 1960 – 22 November 1997) was an Australian musician, singer-songwriter and actor. Hutchence co-founded the rock band INXS, which sold over 75 million records worldwide and was inducted into th ...

: ''

'' (

V2 Records V2 Records (or V2 Music; V2 being an abbreviation for Virgin 2) is a record label that was purchased by Universal Music Group in 2007 and sold to IASin 2013. In the Benelux, V2 operates separately from PIAS, as the label bought itself out from ...

) *1999 – Glenn Hughes: ''

The Way It Is The Way It Is may refer to: Music * ''The Way It Is'' (Bruce Hornsby album), by Bruce Hornsby and the Range ** "The Way It Is" (Bruce Hornsby song), the title song * ''The Way It Is'' (Glenn Hughes album), or the title song * ''The Way It Is' ...

'' ( SPV/

Nippon Crown is a Japanese record label established as Crown Records on 6 September 1963. It is a spin-off of Nippon Columbia and is owned by karaoke maker Daiichikosho. The record label singles which topped the Oricon Singles Chart are Kaze's "22-Sai no ...

/ Shrapnel Records) *2000 – Takul: ''Nuclear Sonic Punk'' *2000 – Jeff Healey Band: '' Get Me Some'' (

Eagle Records Eagle Records is a British record label, a division of Eagle Rock Entertainment, itself a subsidiary of Universal Music Group. In the United Kingdom, the label's managing director is Lindsay Brown, former manager of Van Halen, while in the Un ...

) *2001 – TM Stevens: ''Shocka Zooloo'' *2002 –

Andy Dick Andrew Roane Dick (born Andrew Thomlinson; December 21, 1965) is an American comedian, actor, musician, and television and film producer. Known professionally as a comic, his first regular television role was on the short-lived but influential ...

: ''Andy Dick and the Bitches of the Century'' *2003 – Chris Catena: ''Freak Out'' *2003 –

Ken Tamplin Ken Tamplin (born December 11, 1963) is an American vocal coach, YouTuber, and former Christian rock performer. Founder of Ken Tamplin Vocal Academy, Tamplin is known for his vocal range and vocal training methods. He has contributed to his ...

and Friends: ''Wake the Nations'' *2004 –

: ''Peace of Mind'' *2005 – OctavePussy: ''Here Are the Results of the Universal Jury'' *2006 –

: ''Friends with Privileges'' (Sony Japan) *2008 – T.I. feat.

: "

Dead and Gone "Dead and Gone" is a song by American hip hop recording artist T.I., featuring American singer-songwriter Justin Timberlake. It was released on January 12, 2009 as the eighth single from T.I.'s sixth studio album, ''Paper Trail'' (2008). Due ...

" single (Atlantic/WEA) *2009 –

Heavy Glow Heavy Glow was a modern American rock band originally from San Diego, California. Formed by vocalist and guitarist Jared Mullins, the band released two albums, two EP's, one single, and three music videos. History Drummer Jared Mullins moved from ...

: "It's Too Late" (StockXChange Music Australia) *2020 – Chris Catena's Rock City Tribe: "Truth in Unity" (Grooveyard Records)

Signature equipment

*LAA Custom Nishi Drive Stevie Salas Signature Overdrive Pedal *Framus Idolmaker Stevie Salas Signature Guitar *The Guyatone Stevie Salas Wah Rocker Pedal

References

External links

*
Stevie Salas biography by Greg Prato, discography and album reviews, credits & releases
at

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

Stevie Salas discography, album releases & credits
at

Discogs Discogs (short for discographies) is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. While the site was originally created with a goal of becoming the la ...

Stevie Salas biography & filmography
at

IMDb IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...

Stevie Salas albums to be listened
as stream on

Spotify Spotify (; ) is a proprietary Swedish audio streaming and media services provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. It is one of the largest music streaming service providers, with over 456 million monthly active us ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Salas, Stevie 1964 births Place of birth missing (living people) Living people American film producers American film score composers American male film score composers American funk guitarists American male guitarists American people who self-identify as being of Native American descent Record producers from California American rock guitarists American session musicians American television personalities American television producers Island Records artists Mass Mental members