Concert
Profile
CACOPHONY等のバンド活動を経て1990年MEGADETHに加入。全世界でアルバムがメガセールスを誇るスーパーバンドへと導き、全盛期を支え、世界中に熱狂的なファンを持つギタリストとなる。
ライブツアーで来日を重ねるうち日本通となり、ワールドツアー中に通信教育で日本語を学ぶ。
「MEGADETH」脱退後、2004年に活動拠点をアメリカLAから東京新宿へ移す。
2005年〜伝説のロックバラエティー番組「ヘビメタさん」(テレビ東京)にメインMCとしてレギュラー出演。国内のヘビーメタルファンだけではなくYouTubeを通して世界のヘビーメタルファンを驚愕させる。2007年〜放送、続編「ROCK FUJIYAMA」は現在でもYouTubeを通して世界各国で反響は続いている。
2006年〜2008年日本鉄鋼連盟イメージキャラクターとなる。
その後、NHK、民放各局のテレビ番組への多数出演、雑誌・新聞での連載、2008年初著書「い~じゃん! J-POP だから僕は日本にやって来た」を出版しベストセラーとなる。同年映画「グーグーだって猫である」に出演し、小泉今日子と共演。スーパーギタリスト&日本好きの唯一無二の存在として才能を発揮しつつ、現在ギタリスト・作曲家・音楽プロデューサーだけに留まらず、国境・業界の枠を越え、イベント・テレビ・ラジオ・CM・映画に出演。
2017年文化庁から日本遺産大使に任命され、内外で日本を紹介する文化活動を行うなどマルチ・アーティストとして活動中!!
2023年2月27日、日本武道館で24年ぶりにMEGADEATHと共演。
After playing in bands such as CACOPHONY, he joined MEGADETH in 1990. He led the band to become a super band with mega-selling albums all over the world, supporting the band in its heyday and becoming a guitarist with enthusiastic fans all over the world.
He became a Japan connoisseur as he visited Japan on live tours, and learned Japanese through correspondence courses while on world tours. After leaving MEGADETH, he moved his base of activities from LA to Shinjuku, Tokyo Japan in 2004.
Since 2005, he has appeared regularly as the main MC on the legendary rock variety show “Heavy Metal-san” (TV Tokyo). And not only astonished heavy metal fans in Japan, but also the world through YouTube. 2007- "ROCK FUJIYAMA," the sequel to the show, is still receiving a great response from all over the world through YouTube.
From 2006 to 2008, he was the image character of the Japan Iron and Steel Federation.
Since then, he has appeared on numerous NHK and commercial TV programs, serialized his work in magazines and newspapers, and published his first book, “Cool ! J-POP: That's Why I Came to Japan” and it became a bestseller. In the same year, he appeared in the movie “Gugu datte Neko de Neko de Aru,” co-starring Kyoko Koizumi. While demonstrating his talent as a super guitarist and one-of-a-kind Japan lover, he is currently not only a guitarist, composer, and music producer, but also appears in events, TV, radio, commercials, and films, transcending borders and industry boundaries.
In 2017, he was appointed as a Japanese Heritage Ambassador by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, and is active as a multi-talented artist in cultural activities to introduce Japan at home and abroad.
On February 27, 2023, he performed with MEGADEATH for the first time in 24 years at the Nippon Budokan.