Michael Sweet

Michael Sweet
Michael Sweet performing with Boston live on June 13, 2008 in Hinckley, MN
Background information
Birth name	Michael Sweet
Born	(1963-07-04) July 4, 1963
Origin	Whittier, California
Genres	Christian metal, glam metal, hard rock, heavy metal, Christian rock, classic rock
Occupations	Musician, singer-songwriter, record producer
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, piano
Years active	1983–present
Associated acts	Stryper, Boston
Website	www.michaelsweet.com

Michael Sweet (born 4 July 1963) is a singer from Whittier, California, United States. Sweet is best known as co-founder, writer, lead guitarist, lead vocalist and front man of the Christian rock band Stryper. He was also co-lead vocalist and guitarist for Boston from 2007-2011.

Biography

Stryper

In the early 1980s, Sweet and his brother started a band called Roxx Regime and played in small venues. They were a trio for a period of time with Sweet being the only guitar player in the band. This band would later become Stryper. The band challenged the stereotype of heavy metal being satanic and took Christian rock into mainstream.^[1]

With the band, Sweet was not only the lead vocalist and shared lead guitar duties, but he also wrote most of the music for the band as well as co-producing and arranging the music as well. the band recorded five successful studio albums. The band's reputation declined in the 1990s.

Solo

After nine years as the lead singer/lead guitarist of Stryper, Sweet left the band in 1992 in order to pursue a solo career. He first released a demo album titled Unstryped, which featured several songs allegedly intended for the band. Sweet later included some of these on his first full-length album.

His self-titled debut album was released in 1994 and sold over 250,000 copies.^{[citation needed]} He followed it with a slightly softer album titled Real in 1996 earning him a Dove Award nomination.^{[citation needed]} Soon after the release of Real, Sweet left Benson Records, with whom he had released those two albums.

During this time, Sweet and his wife Kyle moved to Massachusetts, where Sweet worked at his father-in-law's campground/cranberry business, Maple Park.^{[citation needed]} In 1998, he released an independent demo album titled Truth which received critical acclaim. He was signed to Restless Records and re-released Truth in 2000 with a new song-list and new artwork.

On August 19, 2007, Sweet was asked by Boston's Tom Scholz to be one of the lead singers and guitarists for Come Together: A tribute to Brad Delp at the Bank of America Pavilion in Boston, MA.^{[citation needed]} Tom Scholz then asked Sweet to join Boston for the band's summer 2008 tour with Styx as the opening act.^{[citation needed]}

Boston

Sweet performed lead vocals, background vocals, and guitar work for Boston. Sweet was asked to be a part of what was supposed to be Boston's last performance on 8/19/07. It was a benefit/tribute show and names such as Sammy Hagar, Mickey Thomas and Ann Wilson were among the invited guests. Tom Scholz was moved by what Sweet had written about the late Brad Delp and then heard Sweet sing and play guitar. Scholz was so impressed with Sweet's talents that he invited him to join the band and become a permanent member.^{[citation needed]} Boston began booking a tour for 2008 with Styx as the opening act. Sweet handled lead vocals on roughly half of the set list and played guitar for the entire set and handled solo work as well. In August 2011, it was announced that Sweet had left Boston to focus on his priorities and contributions to Stryper.^{[citation needed]}

Stryper reunited

In 1999, Sweet reunited with former Stryper bandmates Oz Fox and Tim Gaines during a concert in Puerto Rico.^{[citation needed]} The concert featured Fox and Gaines's band, SinDizzy. Sweet was invited as a solo artist. The three of them got together for a set of four songs. The next year, the first Stryper Expo was held in New Jersey and the entire line-up was reunited again.^{[citation needed]}

Although original bassist Tim Gaines left the group in 2005 and was replaced by Tracy Ferrie, the band has continued to work together, releasing a new album titled Reborn, produced by Sweet.^{[citation needed]} However, he has continued with his solo career as well. In August 2006, he released a solo album titled Him which features traditional hymns re-written and arranged by Sweet.^{[citation needed]} The band then released the album Murder by Pride, produced by Sweet in July 2009.^{[citation needed]}

The death of Sweet's wife, Kyle, was announced on March 5, 2009, after her two-year battle with ovarian cancer. During this time Sweet released an album called Touched in honor of Kyle.^{[citation needed]}

In September 2009, Stryper embarked on its 25th anniversary world tour, "Rocking the Hell Out of You for 25 years" with the original members.^{[citation needed]} The tour included two opening bands: Manic Drive and Flight Patterns, the latter which includes Sweet's son, Michael Sweet, Jr.^{[citation needed]}

On February 15, 2011 Stryper released a new record entitled The Covering, produced by Sweet.^{[citation needed]}

Solo discography

• Unstryped (EP 1992)
• Michael Sweet (July 26, 1994)
• Real (October 1995)
• Truth (demo 1998)
• Truth (official release 2000)
• Him (2006)
• Touched (2007)

Guest appearances

• Mu5tard - Electra Glide
• Longday - An Explanation for My Behavior
• Mars Hill - 'Sink or Swim (2003)
• Michael W. Smith - i 2 (EYE)
• Guardian
• DC Talk
• Mass - Reach for the Sky
• Liberty N' Justice Welcome to the Revolution
• Liberty N' Justice 4-All: The Best of LNJ
• Sonia V. - Oh Sweet Tragedy: Anthems from the Ashes, guitar & duet^[2]
• Christa Alberts - "My Song" (2011)^[3]

Projects produced

• Mass - Voices in the Night (1989)
• Mars Hill - Sink or Swim (2003)
• Longday - An Explanation for My Behavior
• Mu5tard - Electra Glide
• Savannah - Forever's Come and Gone
• Stryper - Reborn
• Stryper - Murder By Pride
• Stryper - The Covering

See also

• Stryper

References

• Ferraiuolo, Perucci (June 1994). "The Return of Michael Sweet". CCM Magazine 16 (12): 30–33. ISSN 1524-7848. 
• Christensen, Brett (March–April 1997). "STRYPER: Can't Stop The Rock?". HM Magazine (64). ISSN 1066-6923. Retrieved 2007-04-30. 

External links

• Michael Sweet Official Site
• Synconation Speaks with Michael Sweet