Ed Roland
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Edgar Eugene Roland Jr. (born August 3, 1963) is an American musician, and the vocalist for alternative rock band Collective Soul. He is the primary songwriter and also contributes guitars, keyboards, producing and engineering. He has formed a unique stage presence, as he loves to dance with his mic stand and puts a lot of energy into performances.
Prior to forming Collective Soul, Roland studied songwriting/composing and guitar at Berklee College of Music in Boston and worked at Real 2 Reel Studios in Atlanta. He was part of a few local bands including a short lived one called "Marching Two-Step" and performed solo during the late-1980s and early-1990s. Roland released a solo album, Ed-E Roland in 1991. This album was an indie project pressed in limited quantities. It did however showcase his abilities to write, compose and perform music long before the success and fame with Collective Soul.
With hopes of finding some success in the music business and trying to secure publishing/songwriting contracts, Roland grew frustrated as he approached 30 years of age, trying to "get a break" and even thought about giving up on mission. But in 1993, Hints, Allegations & Things Left Unsaid had caught the attention of a college radio station in Orlando, Florida. This album was comprised of material that Roland had written and recorded prior to forming Collective Soul. The college station had started playing "Shine", and soon others followed, as word of mouth drew attention to the band. It was convincing enough that Atlantic Records signed Collective Soul in early 1994 to a long term major label contract.
During his time with Collective Soul, Roland has become a skilled writer and vocalist known for composing catchy songs, many of which have "hit song" qualities. His versatility in the studio has made him a respected musician. The band has experienced many high levels of mainstream success with numerous big-hits and gold/platinum selling albums, which were mostly produced by Roland. Over the years he has led the band through many tours and various high profile performances including Woodstock 1994 and Woodstock 1999. They returned in 2004/2005 with new albums and touring.
Ed's brother Dean is also a member of Collective Soul.
[edit] Discography - solo
Ed-E Roland, (1991) Core/Oxymoron - songwriter, instruments, producer, engineer
Ed also founded the record label EL Music Group which was used for their album titled Youth and subsequent albums.
