| Eric Bazilian | |
|---|---|
Eric Bazilian performing at Parkenfestivalen 2011, Bodø, Norway |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Eric M. Bazilian |
| Born | July 21, 1953 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Genres | Rock |
| Occupations | Musician, Songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals, Guitar, Melodica, Saxophone, Mandolin, Keyboards, Bass, Drums |
| Years active | 1978–present |
| Associated acts | The Hooters |
| Website | http://www.ericbazilian.com |
Eric M. Bazilian (born July 21, 1953), is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, arranger and producer, best known for being a founding member of the rock band The Hooters.
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Eric Bazilian was born at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia to a father who was a psychiatrist and a mother who was a concert pianist.
He began playing the piano at age five, and his uncle taught him guitar at nine. He never took formal musical lessons. At the age of 10, while watching The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show, Bazilian realized that playing and creating music was what he wished to pursue with his life.
At 16 years old, while attending Germantown Friends School, Bazilian started writing songs for his first band, Evil Seed. This band played all original music at "B-ins" at Belmont Plateau in Fairmount Park.
By the mid 1970s, while attending the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics, Bazilian met Rob Hyman and Rick Chertoff, with whom he formed a band called Baby Grand. They would release two albums during their tenure.
After Baby Grand disbanded, Hyman and Bazilian decided to try something new by combining reggae, ska, and rock'n'roll to create The Hooters in 1980.
Nervous Night, The Hooters' 1985 debut on Columbia Records, sold more than 2 million copies and included Billboard Top 40 hits "Day By Day" (#18), "And We Danced" (#21) and "Where Do The Children Go" (#38).
After releasing six albums, The Hooters obtained a large global following throughout the 1980s and 1990s. As a result, they were asked to open three major musical events of the late 20th century: Live Aid in Philadelphia in 1985, Amnesty International Concert at Giants Stadium in 1986, and Roger Waters' The Wall Concert in Berlin in 1990. In 1995, The Hooters went on hiatus, although Hyman and Bazilian would continue to collaborate on musical projects for other artists.
Bazilian reunited with The Hooters on successful headlining European summer tours in 2003, 2004, and 2005.
2007 saw the release of Time Stand Still, their first album of new material since 1993.
Bazilian has become recognized internationally for being a songwriter, session musician, arranger, and producer for numerous artists.
In 1995, he played all those roles for Joan Osborne's debut album Relish, which was nominated for six Grammy Awards, including Song of the Year for the No. 4 Billboard hit "One of Us," which Bazilian single-handedly wrote.
"One of Us" has since been covered by many artists throughout the world, among them being Prince, Doctor Evil in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, Martyn Joseph, Scott Bradoka, Sharla Jackson Band, Wildside, Jackie "O", DJ Irene, Outta Control, and Seal.
In 2003, "One of Us" was used as the theme song for the CBS television series Joan of Arcadia. It has also appeared on the soundtracks of numerous movies, including Vanilla Sky (2001), Bruce Almighty, (2003) and Diary of a Mad Black Woman (2005).
In more recent years, The Hooters have also performed "One of Us" in their live shows.
Bazilian has released two solo albums to date:
The Optimist (2000)
A Very Dull Boy (2002)
On November 17, 2000, Bazilian was inducted into the Philadelphia Walk of Fame on the Avenue of the Arts.[1]
On April 21, 2004, Bazilian won an ASCAP Film and Television Music Award for "One of Us" as the theme song for the CBS television series Joan of Arcadia.
Bazilian has (co-)written songs for numerous artists throughout the world, among them:
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