List of Savatage band members

Savatage
Savatage
Origin	Tarpon Springs, Florida, United States
Genres	Heavy metal, progressive metal, power metal
Years active	1978–2002, 2014–present
Labels	Combat, Atlantic, Nuclear Blast, SPV/Steamhammer
Associated acts	Jon Oliva's Pain, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Circle II Circle, Machines of Grace, Doctor Butcher, Testament
Website	www.savatage.com
Members	Jon Oliva; Johnny Lee Middleton; Chris Caffery; Zachary Stevens; Jeff Plate; Al Pitrelli
Past members	Criss Oliva; Steve "Doc" Wacholz; Keith Collins; Andy James; Alex Skolnick; Damond Jiniya

Savatage has known several lineups during its active periods from 1979 to 1993, 1994 to 2002 and currently from 2014. The band was founded by brothers Jon (vocals, keys) and Criss Oliva (guitar) in the late 1970s, and the band's first stable line-up in the early eighties also included drummer Steve "Doc" Wacholz, and Keith Collins on bass. During the second half of eighties Collins was replaced by Johnny Lee Middleton, and the line-up was expanded to include second guitarist Chris Caffery. The nineties began with the band again down to four after Caffery's departure, and in 1992 Jon Oliva stepped down as frontman though he remained involved in songwriting. He was replaced by vocalist Zachary Stevens, but the band dissolved when guitarist Criss Oliva died in a car accident in 1993.

Jon Oliva reformed Savatage in 1994. The band again saw many members come and go during this second period, but had a solid lineup from 1995 to 2000 featuring the return of Middleton (bass), Stevens (vocals), and Caffery (guitar), along with new members Al Pitrelli (guitar) and Jeff Plate (drums), in addition to Oliva on keys. In 2000 Stevens and Pitrelli left the band, and Oliva took over lead vocals. However, in 2002 the band went on an indefinite hiatus until being reformed in 2014.

From 1987 on, Paul O'Neill acted as the band's producer, co-lyricist and co-composer, and leads Trans-Siberian Orchestra along with Jon Oliva and Al Pitrelli. Stevens, Middleton, Caffery and Plate also perform in Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and former guitarist Alex Skolnick has also performed with the group. In April 2017 it was announced that O'Neill had died at the age of 61.[1]

Personnel

Current lineup

Jon Oliva – lead vocals (1978–1992), keyboards (1981–1992, 1993, 1994—2002, 2014-present), rhythm guitar (1994), bass (1978, 1994), drums (1981, 1991, 1994)[2]
Johnny Lee Middleton – bass, backing vocals (1986-2002, 2014–present)[2]
Chris Caffery – rhythm & lead guitar, backing vocals (1987–1988 touring, 1989–1990, 1995-2002, 2014–present), keyboards (1987-1988 touring, 1989-1990)[2]
Zachary Stevens – lead vocals (1992–2000, 2014–present)[2]
Jeff Plate – drums (1994-2002, 2014–present)[2]
Al Pitrelli – lead & rhythm guitar, backing vocals (1995–1999, 2002, 2014–present)[2]

Former members

Criss Oliva – lead & rhythm guitar, backing vocals (1978–1993; died 1993), bass (1991)
Steve "Doc" Wacholz – drums (1977, 1979–1993)
Keith "Thumper" Collins – bass guitar, backing vocals (1981–1985)
Andy James – drums (1993)
Alex Skolnick – lead guitar (1994)
Jack Frost – rhythm guitar (2000–2001)
Damond Jiniya – lead vocals (2001-2002)

Session musicians

Paul O'Neill - producer, lyricist, co-composer (1987-2002, 2014-2017; died 2017)
Ray Gillen – backing vocals ("Strange Wings", Hall of the Mountain King; died 1993)
Robert Kinkel – keyboards, backing vocals (Hall of the Mountain King, Gutter Ballet, Streets: A Rock Opera, Dead Winter Dead, The Wake of Magellan, Poets and Madmen)

Touring musicians

John Zahner – keyboards, rhythm guitar, backing vocals (1991–1992)
Wes Garren – rhythm guitar, keyboards, backing vocals (1993)
Jack Frost – rhythm guitar (2001–2002)
Jeff Waters – lead & rhythm guitar (2002)
Bill Hudson – rhythm & lead guitar (2015)

Avatar (pre-Savatage) members

Joe Conn - drums (1978-1979)
Tony Ciulla – bass (1978-1979)
Brian Belenon - bass (1979)
Pat Dubs – rhythm guitar (1980; died 2002)
Andy Gmelin – bass (1980)
Rich Bigano - rhythm guitar (1980)
Fritz – bass (1980)
Bob Boyer - vocals (1980)

Timeline

Lineups

Years	Lineups	Releases
1978-1979	Jon Oliva – lead vocals, bass Criss Oliva – guitars, backing vocals
1980-1981	Jon Oliva – lead vocals, bass Criss Oliva – guitars, backing vocals Steve "Doc" Wacholz – drums
1981-1985	Jon Oliva – lead vocals, keyboards Criss Oliva – guitars, backing vocals Keith "Thumper" Collins – bass, backing vocals Steve "Doc" Wacholz – drums	City Beneath the Surface EP (1983) Sirens (1983) The Dungeons are Calling (1984) Power of the Night (1985)
1986-1987	Jon Oliva – lead vocals, keyboards Criss Oliva – guitars, backing vocals Johnny Lee Middleton – bass, backing vocals Steve "Doc" Wacholz – drums	Fight for the Rock (1986) Hall of the Mountain King (1987)
1987-1990	Jon Oliva – lead vocals, keyboards Criss Oliva – lead guitar, backing vocals Chris Caffery – rhythm guitar, keyboards, backing vocals (touring 1987-1988, full member 1989-1990) Johnny Lee Middleton – bass, backing vocals Steve "Doc" Wacholz – drums	Gutter Ballet (1989) Ghost in the Ruins – A Tribute to Criss Oliva (1995)
1990-1992	Jon Oliva – lead vocals, keyboards Criss Oliva – guitars, backing vocals Johnny Lee Middleton – bass, backing vocals Steve "Doc" Wacholz – drums John Zahner – keyboards, guitars, backing vocals (touring 1991-1992)	Streets: A Rock Opera (1991)
1992-1993	Zachary Stevens – lead vocals Criss Oliva – guitars, backing vocals Johnny Lee Middleton – bass, backing vocals Steve "Doc" Wacholz – drums	Edge of Thorns (1993)
1993	Zachary Stevens – lead vocals Criss Oliva – guitars, backing vocals Johnny Lee Middleton – bass, backing vocals Andy James – drums Wes Garren – guitars, keyboards, backing vocals (touring)
1994-1995	Zachary Stevens – lead vocals Jon Oliva – keyboards, rhythm guitar, backing vocals Alex Skolnick – lead guitar Johnny Lee Middleton – bass, backing vocals Jeff Plate – drums	Handful of Rain (1994) Japan Live '94 (1995)
1995-2000	Zachary Stevens – lead vocals Jon Oliva – keyboards, vocals Al Pitrelli – lead guitar, backing vocals Chris Caffery – rhythm guitar, backing vocals Johnny Lee Middleton – bass, backing vocals Jeff Plate – drums	Dead Winter Dead (1995) The Wake of Magellan (1997)
2000-2001	Jon Oliva – lead vocals, keyboards, rhythm guitar Chris Caffery – lead guitar, keyboards, backing vocals Johnny Lee Middleton – bass, backing vocals Jeff Plate – drums	Poets and Madmen (2001)
2001-2002	Damond Jiniya – lead vocals Jon Oliva – vocals, keyboards Chris Caffery – guitars, backing vocals Johnny Lee Middleton – bass, backing vocals Jeff Plate – drums Jack Frost – guitars (touring)
2014–present	Zachary Stevens – lead vocals Jon Oliva – keyboards, vocals Al Pitrelli – guitars, backing vocals Chris Caffery – guitars, backing vocals Johnny Lee Middleton – bass, backing vocals Jeff Plate – drums

References

"Paul O'Neill". April 5, 2017. Retrieved April 5, 2017.
"Official Myspace Page Of SAVATAGE Relaunched in October 2008". myspace.com. Retrieved 2008-12-02.

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[death-1] "Paul O'Neill". April 5, 2017. Retrieved April 5, 2017.

[SavatageMyspace-2] "Official Myspace Page Of SAVATAGE Relaunched in October 2008". myspace.com. Retrieved 2008-12-02.