Biography Gregg Rolie

Gregg Rolie (born June 17, 1947 in Seattle, Washington) is an American keyboardist, organist, and singer, who is one of the founding members of the bands Santana, Journey, The Storm, and Abraxas Pool, as well as his current Gregg Rolie Band.

Rolie joined with Carlos Santana and others at the end of 1966 to form the Santana Blues Band, which was later shorted to Santana. With Santana he was part of their first wave of success, including an appearance at the Woodstock Music and Art Festival and several hit albums. However a persistent difference with Carlos Santana as to musical direction led Rolie to leave Santana at the end of 1971. He went home to Seattle, opening a restaurant with his father, which didn't go very well.

Rolie was then recruited in 1973 to join a new band with ex-Santana guitarist Neal Schon; this became Journey. Starring in a lineup that featured Schon, Aynsley Dunbar, Steve Smith, Steve Perry, and Ross Valory, he produced music for such albums as the self-titled Journey, Look into the Future, Infinity, Evolution, Departure, the live album Captured, and Japanese soundtrack "Dream, After Dream". Towards the beginning of the band's history, he was the lead vocalist and keyboardist, but when Steve Perry came into the picture he became a backup vocalist and keyboardist. Gregg Rolie and Steve Perry sang co-lead vocals on several Journey songs.

After leaving Journey in 1980, Gregg released several solo albums and formed The Storm in 1991 with Steve Smith, Ross Valory, Josh Ramos and Kevin Chalfant, whose voice resembles that of Steve Perry. In the late 1990s, Rolie and Neal Schon formed Abraxas Pool, which had a less successful career than The Storm.

Rolie is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Santana.

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