York born guitarist STUART SMITH managed to draw forth from a heavyweight pooling of talent to session on his 1998 'Heaven And Earth' solo album. Amongst the notables donating their services would be singers JOE LYNN TURNER, GLENN HUGHES, HURRICANE's Kelly Hansen. On the instrumental front Smith counted on BON JOVI guitarist RICHIE SAMBORA, HOUSE OF LORDS bassist Chuck Wright, Teddy Andreas of GUNS N' ROSES repute and Pat Regan of HARLOW on keyboards with drums from VANILLA FUDGE veteran CARMINE APPICE, ARTENSION's Mike Terrana and Jay Schellen from HURRICANE.

Smith would subsequently extend the project by founding the band unit HEAVEN AND EARTH for an album 'Windows To The World'. Band members for these recordings comprised singer Kelly Keeling of the MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP, keyboardist Arlen Schierbaum and drummer Richie Onori. The record was produced by erstwhile HEART guitarist Howard Leese.

Pulling in the ROUGH CUTT and QUIET RIOT credited singer PAUL SHORTINO the HEAVEN AND EARTH venture marked a 2004 return with the album 'Screaming For Redemption'. The new look band, also having inducted bassist Dave Chamberlain, the DIO, WARRANT and BERLIN credited Scott Warren on keyboards and drummer Richie Onori, made their live debut 4th July in Woodland Hills, California. A taster EP, entitled 'A Taste Of Heaven', would be issued at this show.

The debut HEAVEN AND EARTH album would see a re-release in 2004 through Smith and Onori's own Black Star Records, adding two previously unreleased tracks. Newly featured would be 'Life On The Line', written by JOE LYNN TURNER, Bobby Held and Stuart Smith, originally recorded in 1997 although updated to now sport new vocals from TOTO's BOBBY KIMBALL. The second tracvk would be a cover of GARY MOORE's 'Still Got The Blues' with JOE LYNN TURNER on vocals.

In May of 2005 HEAVEN AND EARTH announced that the STEELHOUSE LANE, MUDPIE and MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP credited Keith Slack had signed up as new vocalist.