Yngwie Malmsteen, will be inducted into Hollywood's RockWalk on Monday, October 13th at noon.
Yngwie's masterful technique, innovation, and flamboyant showmanship has mesmerized listeners since the early 1980s and inspired generations of aspiring guitarists around the world.
Born on June 30, 1963 in Stockholm, Sweden, Yngwie Malmsteen received his first guitar at the age of five from his mother, Rigmor. Originally having no interest in music, a September 18, 1970 TV special on the death of guitarist Jimi Hendrix became the day that the guitar-playing Yngwie was born. Yngwie immersed himself in music and spent long hours practicing > the songs of Deep Purple. His admiration for Ritchie Blackmore's classically influenced playing led him to absorb the classical structures of such masters as Bach, Vilvaldi, Beethoven and Mozart.
At the age of 15 Yngwie left school for good and formed the very first incarnation of Rising Force before moving to the United States in 1982 with only his '71 Strat® and an extra pair of pants. He performed for the first time in the U.S. the very next year and then, after playing on an album by Steeler, he formed Alcatrazz. After it became clear that he would need to go solo to fully develop his talents, Yngwie released his first solo album, Rising Force, in 1981. The album made it to #60 on the Billboard charts and gained Yngwie a Grammy nomination for best rock instrumental performance.
With his place in guitar history firmly established, Yngwie has continued to inspire guitarists worldwide for over a decade. He has released many classic albums including Marching Out (1985), Trilogy (1986), Odyssey (1988), Fire & Ice (1992), The Seventh Sign (1994), Inspiration (1996), Facing the Animal (1997), Alchemy (1999), Attack!! (2002) and Unleash the Fury (2005). He has also shown his versatility by producing his first completely classical work,ConcertoSuite for Electric Guitar and Orchestra in Eb minor, Op.1, in 1997.
On October 14th, 2008 Yngwie will release his latest studio album, "Perpetual Flame" which he produced and engineered himself. The album will the first-ever to be released via Rising Force Records (distributed via Koch), while the album also marks the debut on an Yngwiealbum by ex-Judas Priest/Iced Earth frontman, Tim 'Ripper' Owens. Also joining Yngwie on the album is keyboardist Derek Sherinian and drummer Patrick Johansson (Yngwie contributed bass, additional keyboards, and vocals, as well), but on tour, Michael Troy will supply keyboards, and Bjorn Englen will be playing the bass. A supporting tour of the U.S. and Canada is slated to run through all of October.
In addition to the arrival of 'Perpetual Flame' in October, another career highlight is slated for the following month as Yngwie has teamed up with the Fender® Custom Shop to reconstruct his beloved Yngwie Malmsteen "Play Loud" Stratocaster® guitar, which be unveiled globally on November 28th (limited edition of 106 tribute series guitars) and CD reissues of Yngwie classics to be announced soon.
Complete Tracklisting For "Perpetual Flame": 1. Death Dealer 2. Damnation Game 3. Live to Fight (Another Day) 4. Red Devil 5. Four Horsemen (Of the Apocalypse) 6. Priest of the Unholy 7. Be Careful What You Wish For 8. Caprici Di Diablo 9. Lament 10. Magic City 11. Eleventh Hour 12. Heavy Heart
Yngwie Malmsteen 2008 North American Tour Dates: September 28, 2008 San Juan, Puerto Rico - Centro Bellas Artes October 4, 2008 San Antonio, TX - Scoutbar October 5, 2008 Dallas, TX - Grannada Theater October 8, 2008 San Diego, CA - House Of Blues October 9, 2008 Anaheim, CA - House Of Blues October 10, 2008 Las Vegas NV - House Of Blues October 11, 2008 Ventura, CA - Majestic Ventura Theater October 12, 2008 Los Angeles, CA - Avalon October 17, 2008 Royal Oak, MI - Royal Oak Theater October 19, 2008 Chicago, IL - House Of Blues October 21, 2008 Williamsville, NY - Club Infinity October 24, 2008 Sayerville, NJ - Starland Ballroom October 26, 2008 Nwe York, NY - Blender Theater
