Jack Blades

Jack Martin Blades is an American rock musician best known for his work with Rubicon, Night Ranger, and Damn Yankees. He has also recorded with Tommy Shaw under the name Shaw Blades, co-founded Revolution Saints with Deen Castronovo (Journey) and Doug Aldrich (Whitesnake), collaborated with Tak Matsumoto Group alongside Eric Martin (Mr. Big), and released solo material. Personal life: Born in Palm Desert, California, Blades began playing guitar at age eight when his parents gave him a plastic ukulele. He attended Arcadia High School in Scottsdale, Arizona, then graduated from Indio High School in 1972, where he was senior class president. At College of the Desert, he met saxophonist Pat Rizzo of Sly and the Family Stone, who introduced him to Jerry Martini. Blades later attended San Diego State University as a pre-med student before dropping out in 1975 to pursue music in San Francisco. Martini, Blades, and guitarist Brad Gillis soon formed Rubicon. Blades has two sons, Colin and James; Colin has co-written and performed songs with him and released solo work. Career: Blades has released two solo albums and written or co-written songs for Aerosmith, Cher, Ozzy Osbourne, Alice Cooper, and Roger Daltrey. He has produced or co-produced albums for Night Ranger, Shaw Blades, and others, including Great White and Ted Nugent. He appears on Mötley Crüe’s Dr. Feelgood (1989) and co-wrote several Aerosmith tracks in the 1990s, including “Shut Up and Dance,” “Walk on Water,” and “Wh…