Renowned and colourful guitar virtuoso STEVE VAI has carved his own distinct career path becoming one of the very few solo guitarists in the Rock world to attain genuine commercial success as for his own endeavours as well as part of acts of major line status. During the late 70's Vai operated two acts. MORNING THUNDER featured bassist RANDY COVEN (later of HOLY MOTHER, C.P.R., YNGWIE MALMSTEEN and A.R.K.), keyboard player David Rosenthal (later of BOSTON and RAINBOW) and drummer Eddie Roger. Vai's other act, AXIS BOLD AS LOVE, included bassist STUART HAMM.

Steve Vai's career proper began the day he was invited to join FRANK ZAPPA in 1979 after a two year spell attending the Berklee School Of Music in Boston, MA. Legend has it that the young guitarist's transcription of Zappa's 'Black Page' so impressed the king of weird that he was duly invited to ally with Zappa's live band. Officially joining the FRANK ZAPPA band in 1980 Vai, billed by Zappa as his 'Stunt guitarist', recorded no less than ten albums with the group over the next four years. Of the FRANK ZAPPA catalogue Vai makes his mark on 1981's 'Tinsel Town Rebellion' and 'You Are What You Is', 1982's 'Ship Arriving Too Late To Save Drowning Witch', 1983's 'Man From Utopia' and 1984's brace of records 'Them Or Us' and 'Thing Fish'.

Vai joined the high profile GRAHAM BONNET fronted ALCATRAZZ, replacing YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, and recording the 'Disturbing The Peace' album until coming into contact with the ex VAN HALEN front man to form the initial line-up of the DAVID LEE ROTH band for the colourful and hugely successful 'Eat 'Em And Smile' album. Vai's reputation would be furthered too by his appearance as the Devil's own guitar slinger in the movie 'Crossroads'. In the movie Vai got to play out his talents to a wide audience although, in the film at least, the dark side succumbed finally to Ralph Macchio.

During his time with Frank Zappa, Steve recorded two solo releases; 1984's 'Flex-ible' and an EP 'Flex-ible Leftovers' that wound up being released later in Britain through the Music For Nations subsidiary label Food For Thought. Steve also recorded with Al Shanker in a Pop outfit called THE EPIDEMICS.

After touring with ALCATRAZZ and recording the 'Album' effort with ex-SEX PISTOLS man John Lydon's PUBLIC IMAGE LTD he was recruited into the Roth band and remained there until parting company after the 'Skyscraper' album and tour. The guitarist was then recruited by DAVID COVERDALE in order to 'weave his sonic tapestries' in WHITESNAKE during 1989.

Now married to ex VIXEN bassist Pia Koko, Vai released his 'Passion And Warfare' solo album in early 1990 recorded with bassist STUART HAMM, ex RAINBOW keyboard player David Rosenthal and drummer Chris Frazier. "Spoken interludes" came from WHITESNAKE band mates DAVID COVERDALE and Adrian Vandenberg, Vai's former junior school teacher, Pia and (then) year old son Julian Angel.

1993 nearly witnessed a further tenure as part of a major Rock institution when Vai united with former BLACK SABBATH singer and star in his own right OZZY OSBOURNE. The band billed as X-RAY, was backed up by a strong rhythm section of former SEQUEL, HARDLINE and DAVID LEE ROTH bassist Todd Jensen and drummer Deen Castronovo. Replacing Jensen with ex-RAINBOW bassist Bob Daisley, an album of material was worked up but oddly these sessions would be curtailed. Only one Vai composition made it onto Osbourne's subsequent 'Ozzmosis' album in the form of 'My Little Man'. In October of 1993 Vai , back on the solo trail, acted as support to AEROSMITH's UK dates.

Vai returned to the fore in 1997 with the G3 project, a union of Vai, his mentor JOE SATRIANI and fellow guitarist Joe Johnson. The resulting album and tour (which saw Adrian Legg supplanting Kenny Johnson for the European dates) pushed both Vai and Satriani back into the limelight.

Vai's 1997's 'Fire Garden' album, released upon the close of the G3 tour, was broken into two distinctly separate segments, firstly pure instrumental then songs with vocals. The latter being handled by Vai himself plus Devin Townsend. Session drums are courtesy of Deen Castronovo (by now a member of JOURNEY), former ANNIHILATOR / EXTREME man Mike Mangini and Robin Dimmagio.

Vai put together the Japanese released Christmas compilation 'Merry Axemas' in late 1997. Including contributions from MR. BIG's PAUL GILBERT the album also features an anonymous contribution from Vai himself. Vai's 1997 touring band consisted of the aforementioned Mangini, Mike Keneally and Phil Bynoe. The following year Epic would bow to both fan pressure and curiosity regarding Vai's earlier works by re-issuing the 'Flex-Able Leftovers' EP, boosting it up to a full album's worth of material with a slew of extra tracks.

For the September 1999 studio album 'The Ultra Zone' Vai laid his influences out clearly for all to see, celebrating the works of two, late greats with 'Jiboom', a homage to Blues master STEVIE RAY VAUGHN and the succinct 'Frank', a tip of the hat to Vai's mentor FRANK ZAPPA. As a matter of coincidence Mike Keneally, who took over Vai's role in Zappa's band, performs on this record too donating his talents on the keyboards.

A compilation album, 'The 7th Song', arrived in early 2000 which alongside existing material included three new tracks. Vai's next outing proved to be both ambitious and a major expedition in it's own right. Vai's band toured the world performing a series of concerts included in which were brand new territorially based compositions relating to individual countries. This novel idea was captured on the 'Alive In The Ultra Zone' opus issued in June of 2001. Splitting with Epic Vai created his own guitar based record company stable Favored Nations, rapidly becoming a force to be reckoned with as a nurturing haven for fellow six string talents.

Vai would put in an appearance on his former DAVID LEE ROTH band mate bassist BILLY SHEEHAN's solo 'Compression' album in mid 2001. Sheehan returned the favour by enlisting in Vai's touring band alongside FREAKHOUSE and PLANET X drummer Virgil Donati. Vai would also add a guest guitar session to TOTO guitarist STEVE LUKATHER's 2002 seasonal 'Santamental' record.

In October of 2002 Vai got to share the stage with QUEEN members BRIAN MAY and ROGER TAYLOR at a Los Angeles club gig following QUEEN's inauguration into the fabled Hollywood Walk of Fame on October 18th. After the ceremony the guitarist performed QUEEN numbers with a further supporting cast of former EXTREME guitarist NUNO BETTENCOURT along with singer JEFF SCOTT SOTO and drummer CARMINE APPICE.

June of 2003 saw the second round of rarity collections issued through the guitarist's web site in 'Archives Vol. 3' and 'Archives Vol. 4', both released on Vai's birthday 6th June. Whilst 'Vol. 3' comprised solo material culled from Japanese B sides 'Vol. 4' assembled an array of Vai's contributions to external projects such as the the JIMI HENDRIX tribute 'In From The Storm', WHITESNAKE, ALICE COOPER and PUBLIC IMAGE LIMITED. Vai united with JOE SATRIANI and YNGWIE MALMSTEEN for October 'G3 '03' North American tour dates. His band members for these gigs included the esteemed personage of DAVID LEE ROTH, MR. BIG, NIACIN and TALAS credited bassist BILLY SHEEHAN alongside TONY MACALPINE on keyboards and guitar, Dave Weiner on guitar and Jeremy Colson on drums. These highly successful shows spawned the DVD and CD sets 'G3 - Live in Denver' and 'G3 Live: Rockin' In The Free World' released in February 2004. The G3 dates extended into Europe during April of 2004, Vai and Satriani being joined for this leg by KING CRIMSON's Robert Fripp. On the studio front, Vai cut a guest guitar solo for the track 'Terminal Show' on MOTÖRHEAD's 'Inferno' album.

Vai set a February 2005 release date through Epic Records for a new album 'Real Illusions: Reflections'. Live dates in March would be performed with his former DAVID LEE ROTH bandmate BILLY SHEEHAN, fellow guitar virtuoso TONY MACALPINE with the APARTMENT 26 and MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP credited Jeremy Colson on drums. A G3 "Mini tour" of Japan in May found Vai flanking JOE SATRIANI and DREAM THEATER guitarist JOHN PETRUCCI.

Vai contributed guitar to a metalized version of THE BEATLES 'Hey Bulldog' for the Restless Records tribute album 'Butchering The Beatles' released in October, this track also featuring ALICE COOPER, VELVET REVOVER bassist DUFF McKAGAN and MOTÖRHEAD drummer Mikkey Dee.

In January 2010 Steve Vai, R&B singer Mary J. Blige, BLINK-182 drummer Travis Barker, "American Idol" judge and bassist Randy Jackson and Michael Jackson's guitarist Orianthi got together to record a new version of the LED ZEPPELIN classic 'Stairway To Heaven'.