Chris DeGarmo

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Chris DeGarmo (born Christopher Lee DeGarmo, June 14, 1963, in Wenatchee, Washington) is an American rock guitarist.

[edit] Career

DeGarmo is best known for his fifteen-year tenure (1982–97) as a lead and rhythm guitarist in the progressive metal band Queensrÿche. He was a founding member of the Seattle / Bellevue-based band, and together with fellow guitarist Michael Wilton and vocalist Geoff Tate, was largely responsible for writing the band’s intricate compositions. He was the sole writer for the band's 1991 hit "Silent Lucidity", which reached the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and earned the guitarist a BMI songwriter's award. DeGarmo left the band for undisclosed reasons following the band's 1997 tour in support of the Hear in the Now Frontier album.

His post-Queensrÿche career includes collaborations with Jerry Cantrell (as a touring guitarist and an appearance on the 2002 Degradation Trip studio album) and with Mike Inez, Sean Kinney and Vinnie Dombrowski in the short lived project "Spys4Darwin". In 2003, he collaborated again with Queensrÿche on the recording of the Tribe album, but did not rejoin the group.

On February 18, 2005, DeGarmo joined the remaining members of the popular rock band Alice in Chains and other Seattle area artists for the Tsunami Continued Care Relief Concert. His most recent studio work involved assisting the rock band dredg for the production and arrangement of their 2005 studio album Catch Without Arms. DeGarmo currently lives in the Seattle area with his wife and children, and works fulltime as a charter pilot. He holds an Airline Transport Pilot certificate, Hawker (HS125) and Lear Jet type rating from the FAA.