Dave Sabo

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David Michael Sabo, nicknamed "The Snake," is a rock guitarist who plays in the heavy metal band Skid Row. He's co-guitarist with guitarist Scotti Hill.

He was born on September 16, 1964 in Perth Amboy, New Jersey growing up in Sayreville, down the street from Jon Bon Jovi. His mother Dorothy, or "Mama Snake" as she is known, raised him, and his brothers, on her own.

Influenced heavily by the rock n' roll music of the era, including some Motown, he found himself listening to the likes of Kiss, Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, The Rolling Stones, and Van Halen. His mother had bought his brother a $40 guitar which he had soon lost interest in, paving the way for Dave to take up the instrument at the age of 14.

A chance meeting of local bass player, Rachel Bolan, in the Garden State music store, where he was employed, set him in the direction of forming the band that would earn him fame: Skid Row. Their partnership would not only prove to be the right step with their songwriting but for friendship as well. They consider themselves to be the best of friends.

He loves sports (Mets, Jets and Knicks), video games (baseball), junk food (burritos, tacos, Doritos, chili dogs) and the number "13" . He stands at 5' 9 1/2", has green eyes and dark brown hair that has taken on many colors over the years.

He is well described in his own words: "It is tough to be objective when you are talking about yourself, but I am definitely the most level-headed. I can say that honestly, when it comes to people going in completely opposite directions, I am the guy who can maybe bring it together. Who finds the common ground. That is maybe my strong point. The bad point is that I'm the worrier."

He also says that he has an insatiable thirst for more knowledge, and new ideas. Wanting to become better and better at his craft, he says that he wants to be more well rounded as a musician, and is willing to learn from anyone that can teach him something new.

Those who know him say he can be everything from a hell of a business mind to a real clown. He is a good listener and a real friend. A very talented songwriter with a knack for some of the most original music to ever hit the rock world.

When asked where his nickname comes from, years ago he said that it came about as a result of a fantasy he had at 14 about an encounter with two porno queens who were "so enamored at my girth that they called me 'The Snake'". The truth is actually very different from the fantasy. The nickname, in fact, came about from childhood friend, Jon Bon Jovi, who was poking fun at a single hair that grew "snake-like" from Dave's chest, when he was about twelve.

A favorite quote from Snake came from when he and Skid Row made an appearance on the R.I. cable access show called Rock In New England. When asked to do a public service announcement for the stand against drunk driving, Snake couldn't resist letting out his irresistible charm. What was said basically says it all:

"Don't drink and drive, you might spill your drink."

[edit] Skid Row

Skid Row is an American heavy metal band which became the hard rock prototypes of the late 1980s metal scene and were reasonably successful until they were eclipsed by the Seattle grunge bands in 1991. The band was named after Gary Moore's first band Skid Row.

Skid Row was formed in New Jersey in 1986 by bassist Rachel Bolan and Dave "the Snake" Sabo, a friend of Bon Jovi's lead singer, Jon Bon Jovi. The pair added guitarist Scotti Hill, drummer Rob Affuso, and vocalist Sebastian Bach to the lineup by early 1987. The band began playing shows in clubs throughout the eastern United States.

With the assistance of friend Jon Bon Jovi, Sabo secured a record deal for Skid Row with Atlantic. In 1989, the band released their first album, Skid Row, which was an instant success. The record went multi-platinum and produced the hit singles "18 and Life", "I Remember You", and "Youth Gone Wild."