FireHouse
FireHouse live in North Dakota in 2007. Absent from photo are Michael Foster and Bill Leverty
Background information
Origin	Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
Genre(s)	Glam metal Hard rock Melodic rock
Years active	1989—present
Label(s)	Sony BMG/Epic/Pony Canyon
Associated acts	White Heat, Maxx Warrior
Website	www.firehousemusic.com
Members
C.J. Snare Bill Leverty Michael Foster Allen McKenzie
Former members
Perry Richardson Bruce Waibel Dario Seixas

FireHouse is an American hard rock band formed in Charlotte, North Carolina in 1989. North Carolina ( is a state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southeastern United States The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other Glam metal (also known as pop metal) is a sub-genre of Heavy metal music that arose in the late 1970s and early 1980s in the United States. Hard rock (also referred to as heavy rock) is a variation of Rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage and Psychedelic rock This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1989 In the Music industry, a record label can be a Brand and a Trademark associated with the Marketing of music recordings and Music Sony BMG Music Entertainment is a diverse music and entertainment group Epic Records is an American Record label. It is owned and operated by Sony Music Entertainment. is a large Japanese company established on October 1 1966, which publishes Music, DVD and VHS videos movies and CJ Snare (born December 14, 1964 in Washington DC) is a rock singer best known for being the Frontman of the band FireHouse Bill Leverty (born in Richmond Virginia) is an American Guitarist, who is a founding and current member of the American rock band Michael Foster (born December 9, 1966 in Richmond Virginia) is the Drummer of rock band FireHouse. Allen McKenzie (born January 1 1960 is an American rock musician who is currently the Bass guitar player for the rock band FireHouse. Perry Richardson (born in Conway South Carolina) was the Bassist of rock band FireHouse until 1999. Bruce Kenneth Waibel ( 1958 - September 2, 2003) was a Musician that played for several artists and bands The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Hard rock (also referred to as heavy rock) is a variation of Rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage and Psychedelic rock North Carolina ( is a state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southeastern United States Year 1989 ( MCMLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar) ^[1] The band reached stardom during the early 1990s with hit singles like "Don't Treat Me Bad" and "All She Wrote", as well as their signature ballads "I Live My Life for You", "Love of a Lifetime", and "When I Look Into Your Eyes". The 1990s collectively refers to the years between and including 1990 and 1999 " Don't Treat Me Bad " is a song by FireHouse from their self-titled debut album. "All She Wrote" was the fourth and final single from the self-titled FireHouse by the American rock band FireHouse. "I Live My Life for You" is the seventh single released by the American rock band FireHouse. "Love of a Lifetime" was the second single from the American rock band FireHouse. "When I Look Into Your Eyes" is the sixth single released by the American rock band FireHouse. At the 1992 American Music Awards, FireHouse won the award for Best New Hard Rock/Metal Band, having been chosen over Nirvana and Alice in Chains. The 19th Annual American Music Awards were held on January 27, 1992. Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen Washington. Alice in Chains is an American rock band formed in Seattle Washington in

Despite diminishing success in the United States as the decade progressed, the band remained very popular in Asia, mainly in countries like Japan, Thailand, and Singapore. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj Singapore ^[1] FireHouse continued to release new material throughout the late 1990s and into the early 2000s, most of which has successfully charted in Japan. The band has also continued to tour internationally as of 2007, having participated twice in the annual Rock Never Stops Tour with other bands of the 1980s. Rock Never Stops is a US rock tour that features various rock groups of the 1980s and 1990s FireHouse is estimated to have sold over 6 million albums worldwide since their debut. ^[2]

Originally composed of vocalist C.J. Snare, guitarist Bill Leverty, drummer Michael Foster, and bassist Perry Richardson, the band has maintained its original members with the exception of Richardson, who departed in 2000 due to conflict. CJ Snare (born December 14, 1964 in Washington DC) is a rock singer best known for being the Frontman of the band FireHouse Bill Leverty (born in Richmond Virginia) is an American Guitarist, who is a founding and current member of the American rock band Michael Foster (born December 9, 1966 in Richmond Virginia) is the Drummer of rock band FireHouse. Perry Richardson (born in Conway South Carolina) was the Bassist of rock band FireHouse until 1999. Richardson was replaced three times before current bassist Allen McKenzie was given the position in 2004. Allen McKenzie (born January 1 1960 is an American rock musician who is currently the Bass guitar player for the rock band FireHouse. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " ^[3]

History

Early Beginnings

FireHouse vocalist C. J. Snare in North Dakota in 2007

The history of FireHouse can be traced back to 1984 when Bill Leverty's band White Heat needed a drummer. Bill Leverty (born in Richmond Virginia) is an American Guitarist, who is a founding and current member of the American rock band After over 20 auditions, current FireHouse drummer Michael Foster answered the ad and when Leverty was impressed by his skill, he quickly hired him. Michael Foster (born December 9, 1966 in Richmond Virginia) is the Drummer of rock band FireHouse. When the band wasn't on tour, Leverty and Foster would visit rock clubs, and it was at one of these clubs where the pair caught sight of a band called Maxx Warrior. ^[1] Singing for the band was C.J. Snare, and the band's bassist was Perry Richardson. CJ Snare (born December 14, 1964 in Washington DC) is a rock singer best known for being the Frontman of the band FireHouse Perry Richardson (born in Conway South Carolina) was the Bassist of rock band FireHouse until 1999. Since Leverty and Foster were impressed with Snare's vocal ability, they became determined to unite the bands. ^[1] As soon as Maxx Warrior broke up, Leverty sent Snare some of his songs and asked him to sing on his tape. Foster and Leverty were again impressed, so they brought Snare in to be the band's lead singer for a show in Virginia several weeks later. The Commonwealth of Virginia ( is an American state ^[1]

FireHouse bassist Allen McKenzie in North Dakota in 2007

The three-member group took their tape to Perry Richardson, the ex-bassist for Maxx Warrior, who said he liked it but had promised the band that he was in at the time six months of shows. When the six months was up, the band moved to Charlotte, North Carolina and began recording demos in Leverty's bedroom. The band would record all day and play hotel shows at night to earn income. Since Leverty and Foster's band name of White Heat was trademarked, the band chose FireHouse instead. In December of 1989, Michael Caplan of Epic Records flew to New York to see a FireHouse show, and told the band immediately following the performance that they were ready for a record deal. Epic Records is an American Record label. It is owned and operated by Sony Music Entertainment. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous The band went into the studio with David Prater as producer. ^[1] Prater, having produced bands such as Dream Theater and having drummed with Santana, produced the band's first two albums. Dream Theater is an American Progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name " Majesty " by John Myung, John Petrucci

Success in the 1990s

The band's self-titled debut in 1990, FireHouse, was met with much critical acclaim. Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) FireHouse is the debut album of the band FireHouse. It was released in 1990 and launched the band into stardom The band won the American Music Award for Best New Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Band of 1991, Metal Edge Magazine's Best New Band of 1991, Young Guitar Magazine's Best Newcomer of 1991, and Music Life Magazine's reader's pop poll Best Newcomer of the Year 1992. The American Music Awards show is one of several annual major American music awards shows (among the others are the Billboard Music Awards the Grammy Awards ^[1] The band's first album sold over two million copies in the United States, and was certified double platinum by the RIAA. Platinum (ˈplætɪnəm is a Chemical element with the Atomic symbol Pt and an Atomic number of 78 The band's third and most successful single, Love of a Lifetime, reached #5 and sold 500,000 copies. "Love of a Lifetime" was the second single from the American rock band FireHouse. Other singles also charted including Don't Treat Me Bad at #14. " Don't Treat Me Bad " is a song by FireHouse from their self-titled debut album. The first single from the album, Shake & Tumble, enjoyed success on the radio and brought attention to the band, but it failed to chart. ^[4] The album went on to become certified Gold in Canada, Singapore, and Japan. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Singapore For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. ^[4]

C. J. Snare live in 2007

The band followed their impressive debut with Hold Your Fire in 1992. Hold Your Fire is the second studio album of the rock band FireHouse. Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) Although not as successful as its predecessor, Hold Your Fire produced three more hit singles and was certified Gold. To date, "Hold Your Fire" has soundscanned over 873,000 copies in the United States alone. It is estimated that the RIAA will certify "Hold Your Fire" as platinum in 2008. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common ^[1] Singles from Hold Your Fire included "Sleeping with You", "Reach for the Sky", and the ballad "When I Look Into Your Eyes". "Sleeping with You" is the sixth single released by the American rock band FireHouse. "Reach for the Sky" is the fifth single released by the American rock band FireHouse. "When I Look Into Your Eyes" is the sixth single released by the American rock band FireHouse. The latter single became a Top 40 hit in the United States. The Top Forty or Top 40 is a music industry shorthand for the currently most-popular songs in a particular genre. ^[4] Despite spending $100,000 on the music video for "Reach for the Sky", it suffered from lack of use in the United States, with MTV only playing the video once. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the MTV ( Music Television) is an American Cable television network based in New York City. ^[2]

For the band's third album, aptly titled 3, they changed producers. 3 is the aptly titled third studio album of the rock band FireHouse. Ron Nevison, who had served as producer for Led Zeppelin, Ozzy Osbourne, Heart, and many other groups, produced this album. Ron Nevison is an American Record producer and Engineer. He has worked extensively with many prominent artists Led Zeppelin were John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born December 3 1948) is a British singer Heart is a rock band whose founding members came from the Seattle, Washington, scene but came together in Vancouver, British Columbia ^[1] While the band's success had waned in the United States by 3's release in 1995, it brought them more success overseas than ever before. It was certified Gold in several Asian countries, giving the band an opportunity to tour in countries like India and Thailand. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj The lead single from the album, "I Live My Life for You", was the band's third Top 20 ballad in the United States. "I Live My Life for You" is the seventh single released by the American rock band FireHouse. ^[4] C. J. Snare remarked that despite drastic changes in the industry, FireHouse was the only band of its genre that managed to have a Top 20 hit as late as 1995, without having to make drastic changes to their sound. ^[5] 3's follow-up, Good Acoustics, was a collection of acoustic arrangements of several of their greatest hits, as well as four new songs. Good Acoustics is the fourth album of the rock band FireHouse. Good Acoustics, produced by the band's guitarist Bill Leverty, went gold in six countries around the world including Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines. Bill Leverty (born in Richmond Virginia) is an American Guitarist, who is a founding and current member of the American rock band For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP ^[4] Tracks "In Your Perfect World", "You Are My Religion", and "Love Don't Care" became hits in many Asian countries. After the album's release, the band launched their second tour of Asia which ended in late 1996, which was followed by another tour of Indonesia, Thailand, and Japan in February of 1997, including several sold out shows. The band returned to Southeast Asia in July and played an unprecedented 25 city sold out tour of Indonesia. ^[4]

After this time, the band, frustrated with their label's lack of promotion in the United States, asked to be released from their contract. However, they made a significant and important change, when they signed with Pony Canyon Records, from Japan. is a large Japanese company established on October 1 1966, which publishes Music, DVD and VHS videos movies and For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. With the decline of popularity among rock acts of the 80s in the States, and their steady fame in Asia, they agreed and released Category 5 with their new label. Category 5 is the fifth album of the rock band FireHouse. It was originally released in 1998 in Japan and in 1999 in the USA by They toured heavily throughout Asia during 1998 and 1999, achieving great success with their album. They continued to tour heavily in the United States as well, performing on the first ever "Rock Never Stops Tour" all over America in 1998. This tour featured fellow 1980s rock bands including Slaughter and Quiet Riot. Slaughter is an American Hard rock / Glam metal band formed in Las Vegas Nevada by lead vocalist/rhythm guitarist Mark Slaughter Quiet Riot was an American heavy metal band whose 1983 & 1984 success contributed to launching the 1980s Glam On April 22, 1999, FireHouse recorded a live show in Osaka, Japan and released it with the title Bring 'Em Out Live later that year. Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) is a city in Japan, located at the mouth of the Yodo River on Osaka Bay, in the Kansai region of the main island of Honshū Bring 'Em Out Live is the first live album of the rock band FireHouse.

2000 and beyond

Sometime in 2000, the band parted ways with bassist Perry Richardson due to personal conflict, and hired Bruce Waibel, who had played in The Gregg Allman Band for 10 years. Bruce Kenneth Waibel ( 1958 - September 2, 2003) was a Musician that played for several artists and bands Gregory Lenoir Allman (born December 8, 1947 in Nashville Tennessee) known as Gregg Allman (sometimes spelled Greg Allman) is a Leverty met Waibel in Sarasota, Florida and was impressed with his bass guitar skills. Sarasota is a city located in Sarasota County on the southwestern coast of the state of Florida in the United States. ^[6] When the band had an opening for a bassist due to Richardson's departure, Leverty contacted Waibel and asked him to join the band. With Waibel, they recorded their next album, O₂, and toured on the Metal Edge 2002 tour with Dokken, Ratt, Warrant, and LA Guns. O2 is the seventh album of the rock band FireHouse. It was released in 2000 and it's the only album to feature the late Bruce Dokken is an American heavy metal and Hard rock band that was formed in 1978 Ratt is an American Glam metal band that formed in San Diego and enjoyed significant commercial success in the 1980s LA Guns is an American rock band whose music is frequently associated with the L After the twelve week tour, Waibel parted ways with the band to spend more time with his family. ^[6] In 2003, Waibel died unexpectedly at age 39. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Guitarist Bill Leverty expressed the band's sadness over his death in a statement shortly after the news broke. ^[6] Initially, Waibel was replaced by brazilian Dario Seixas, who played bass on the band's 2003 critically acclaimed album Prime Time, but Seixas left the band shortly after, so the band announced that they were in need of a bass player. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Prime Time is the eighth album of the rock band FireHouse. It was released in 2003 by Pony Canyon Records in Japan and in 2004 Allen McKenzie, who was playing bass for Jani Lane's solo project at the time, sent in his audition tape, and the band agreed that he was the right musician for the job. Allen McKenzie (born January 1 1960 is an American rock musician who is currently the Bass guitar player for the rock band FireHouse. Jani Lane (born John Kennedy Oswald, February 1, 1964 in Akron Ohio) is an American recording artist who was the lead vocalist ^[5]

In December of 2004, FireHouse became the first major international rock band to play concert dates in northeast India. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country ^[7] The band's first Indian concert date was in Shillong, followed by two more dates in Dimapur, and Aizawl. Shillong ( Khasi Shillong ( Hindi: शिलांग Bengali: শিলং is the capital of Meghalaya, one of the smallest states in WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Dimapur (दीमापुर is the main commercial hub and one of the three municipalities in the state of Aizawl (population 339812 is the largest city as well as the capital of the state of Mizoram in India. ^[7] The band's first Indian date, in Shillong When the Maharaja of Tripura Kirit Pradyot Deb Burman invited them, took place in front of a sold out stadium crowd of over 40,000, setting a record for that city. Maharaja Kirit Pradyot Deb Barman Manikya Bahadur (b July 4, 1977) is the current king of the Royal House of Tripura. ^[5] The band toured in 2005, 2006, and launched another tour in 2007 visiting states in the Midwest United States such as North Dakota and playing at several festivals including Rocklahoma. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the North Dakota ( is a state located in the Midwestern and Western regions of the United States of America. Rocklahoma (also known as Rock Fever Presents Rocklahoma or Rock Fever) is an annual 1980s-era rock music festival held in Pryor Creek, Oklahoma ^[8] In a March 2007 interview, when asked about the band's next album, guitarist Bill Leverty said "we plan on going into the studio this coming winter. Hopefully, we’ll be able to get all the songs together and record them for a spring/summer release. "^[2] Regarding the future of the band, C. J. Snare commented that "this has been an incredible, incredible career. To do something that you love, to be an artist, to be an entertainer and to actually go out there and have fans all over the world and be able to make a living at it. As long as that's perpetuated, I don’t see any reason to ever stop. "^[5]

Band members

Originally composed of vocalist C.J. Snare, guitarist Bill Leverty, drummer Michael Foster, and bassist Perry Richardson, the band has maintained all of its original members with the exception of Richardson, who departed in 2000 due to conflict. CJ Snare (born December 14, 1964 in Washington DC) is a rock singer best known for being the Frontman of the band FireHouse Bill Leverty (born in Richmond Virginia) is an American Guitarist, who is a founding and current member of the American rock band Michael Foster (born December 9, 1966 in Richmond Virginia) is the Drummer of rock band FireHouse. Perry Richardson (born in Conway South Carolina) was the Bassist of rock band FireHouse until 1999. Richardson was initially replaced by Bruce Waibel, but Waibel left in 2003 to spend more time with his family. Bruce Kenneth Waibel ( 1958 - September 2, 2003) was a Musician that played for several artists and bands Dario Seixas was brought on board to play bass on the band's 2003 album Prime Time, but he parted ways with the band shortly after the album was released. Prime Time is the eighth album of the rock band FireHouse. It was released in 2003 by Pony Canyon Records in Japan and in 2004 Current bassist Allen McKenzie was given the position in 2004. Allen McKenzie (born January 1 1960 is an American rock musician who is currently the Bass guitar player for the rock band FireHouse. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " ^[3]

Guitarist Bill Leverty and C. J. Snare have both pursued solo careers, but neither have let their solo projects interfere with the band's studio and touring efforts. Leverty has released two solo albums; Wanderlust in 2004 and Southern Exposure in 2007, and when asked if he would ever tour in support of them, he said that it would be "extremely selfish" to do so while putting the band on hold. Wanderlust is a 2004 album released by FireHouse guitarist Bill Leverty. Southern Exposure is a 2007 album released by FireHouse guitarist Bill Leverty. ^[9] Snare has commented in several interviews that he is working on a solo album, but such an album has yet to materialize. ^[5] Drummer Michael Foster has participated in Leverty's solo career by playing drums on both of his albums.

Current

• C.J. Snare - vocals, keyboards (1989 - present)
• Bill Leverty - guitars (1989 - present)
• Michael Foster - drums (1989 - present)
• Allen McKenzie - bass guitar (2004 - present)

Former

• Perry Richardson - bass guitar (1989 - 1999)
• Bruce Waibel - bass guitar (2000 - 2003)
• Dario Seixas - bass guitar (2003)
• Clay Campbell - lead guitar (1995-1996)

Discography

Albums

• FireHouse - August 21, 1990
• Hold Your Fire - June 16, 1992
• 3 - April 11, 1995
• Good Acoustics - October 8, 1996
• Category 5 - October, 1998
• Bring 'Em Out Live - December, 1999
• O₂ - November 7, 2000
• Prime Time - August 12, 2003

Singles

References

External links

• Firehouse official website
• Interview