Extreme was formed in Malden, Massachusetts, in 1985.[8] Vocalist Gary Cherone and drummer Paul Geary were in a band called “The Dream” (“Extreme” is a derivation of Cherone and Geary’s former band “The Dream”, meaning “Ex-Dream”). Guitarist Nuno Bettencourt was in a band called “Sinful”, and bassist Pat Badger was playing with a Berklee-based act called “In The Pink”. Following an altercation between the rival groups over communal dressing rooms, the four decided to form a new band together.
Cherone and Bettencourt began writing songs together and the band played numerous shows in the Boston area. They gradually developed a strong local following, and were named “Outstanding Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Act” at the Boston Music Awards in 1986 and 1987.
The band had accumulated several original songs by the time A&R director Bryan Huttenhower signed them to A&M Records in 1988. The band then recorded their self-titled debut album which was issued in 1989. The first single was “Kid Ego”, a song that Cherone would later admit made him cringe. The final track on the album, “Play With Me”, was used as the “mall chase” song in the film Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure… (from Wikipedia) More from Wikipedia >
Gary Cherone, lead vocals
Nuno Bettencourt, guitar
Pat Badger, bass
Paul Geary, drums
Extreme (1989)
Pornograffitti (1990) – More Than Words #1, Hole Hearted #4
III Sides to Every Story (1992)
Waiting for the Punchline (1995)
The Best of Extreme: An Accidental Collocation of Atoms? (1998)
Saudades de Rock (2008)
Take Us Alive (2010)
Six (2023)
Who is the lead guitarist of Extreme?
Nuno Bettencourt is the lead guitarist for the band Extreme. His full name is Nuno Duarte Gil Mendes Bettencourt. He was born on September 20, 1966 of Portuguese decent and he is regarded as one of the best shredders to come out of the hair metal era. Check out Nuno’s guitar and rig setup.
Who is the current singer for Extreme?
Extreme’s singer has always been Gary Cherone. He also sang lead for Van Halen in the 90s on their Van Halen III album. Cherone grew up in Malden, Massachusetts and was born on July 26, 1961.
What was Extreme’s biggest hit?
On March 23, 1991, More Than Words by Extreme entered the US Billboard Hot 100 at number 81 and soon after reached #1.
Was Extreme a one hit wonder?
No they are not. The band actually had two top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. More Than Words hit #1 and Hole Hearted peaked at #4 in 1991.
Freddie Mercury Tribute “Queen Medley”
Live in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 1992