Richie Kotzen, American Guitarist, Singer and Songwriter

Richie Kotzen was born on February 3, 1970 in Reading, Pennsylvania.

Richie was taken by music and began playing the piano when he was five years old. While he was seven, he was inspired by the band Kiss to learn the electric guitar.

He later started his career in a band name Arthurs Museum. Mike Varney, of Shrapnel Records, discovered Kotzen and he recorded his first record by the time he was nineteen. In 1989, Kotzen created the video Rock Chops for REH Video, which highlights many of his formative techniques, including using wide-intervals and fluid sweeping.

At the age of twenty-one, Kotzen made it big by joining with the band Poison. He co-wrote the songs and performed on Poison's Native Tongue album. Native Tongue produced two top twenty singles which Richie co-wrote, "Stand", and "Until You Suffer Some (Fire and Ice)".

Kotzen's career with Poison didn't last long and come 1999, he replaced Paul Gilbert as the guitarist in the rock band Mr. Big. Kotzen helped maintain the band's overwhelming success. He performed on the Mr. Big record Get Over It, which sold 175,000 copies in its first two weeks in Japan. The album reached platinum status. Kotzen also played guitar for Mr. Big's Actual Size album. This album showcased Kotzen's song "Shine" which debuted at number one on the Japanese radio charts.

When Mr. Big disbanded Kotzen went solo and released Change in 2003. The title track "Get a Life" was featured on TV commercials throughout Japan.

Kotzen bought a commercial building in Los Angeles in 2002. There he established a recording studio and production company. Since then he has been producing acclaimed solo albums and collaborating with various figures in rock, jazz, and fusion including jazz legend Stanley Clarke.

Kotzen, in 2006, was the opening act in Japan for the Rolling Stones on their Bigger Bang tour.

Here is a portion of Kotzen's discography:

Arthurs Museum

(1988) Gallery Closed

Solo albums

(1989) Richie Kotzen

(1990) Fever Dream

(1991) Electric Joy

(1994) Mother Head's Family Reunion

(1995) The Inner Galactic Fusion Experience

(1996) Wave Of Emotion

(1996) Times Gonna Tell (EP)

(1997) Something to Say

(1998) What Is

(1999) Break It All Down

(1999) Bi-Polar Blues

(2001) Slow

(2003) Change

(2003) Acoustic Cuts

(2004) Get Up

(2004) The Best of Richie Kotzen

(2005) Ai Senshi ZxR (Music from the animation series Gundam)

(2006) Into the Black

(2006) Instrumental Collection: The Shrapnel Years

(2007) Return of the Mother Head's Family Reunion (Japan & Europe)

(2007) Go Faster (US only)

(2008) Live In São Paulo

(2009) Peace Sign

With Greg Howe

(1995) Tilt

(1997) Project

(2009) Brie Bella

Poison

(1993) Native Tongue

Mr. Big

(1999) Get Over It

(2000) Deep Cuts

(2001) Actual Size

(2002) In Japan

(2004) Influences & Connections - Vol. 1

Kotzen's Official Website: http://www.richiekotzen.com/

RESOURCES: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richie_Kotzen