Salvatore Paul "Sully" Erna
(born February 7, 1968 in Lawrence, Massachusetts), is both the vocalist and primary songwriter for the heavy metal band, Godsmack. Erna is also a rhythm guitar and drum player, performing these on both on albums and during live shows. He has a daughter named Skylar Brooke Erna and an older sister named Maria. [1] He was voted in the top 100 best heavy metal vocalists in the Hit Parader
magazine 2006 poll. He entered at #47. [2]
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SULLY ERNA TICKETS
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Biography
Early life
Sully began playing drums at the age of 3. His father, Paul Erna, was a trumpet player and would rehearse in the basement where Sully would go to sleep in the empty guitar case. His great grandfather was a famous composer in Sicily, where every year they honor his birthday and his pictures are hung in a museum. At the age of 11 he discovered that it was easier for him to listen to something and play it than read sheet music. He stopped taking lessons and practiced at home rehearsing to records by
Aerosmith,
Led Zeppelin and
Motörhead.
Music career
At 14, Dave Vose became his new instructor. He signed his first record deal in 1993 with a
band called Strip Mind. Their debut album "What's in Your Mouth" sold less than 50,000 units. The band self-destructed shortly after. He was also in Meliah Rage (drums on the album "Unfinished Business") and The Fighting Cocks. In Godsmack concerts he plays the
bongos and a large drum set, staging a drumming duel known as
Batalla de los Tambores
with drummer
Shannon Larkin. This battle has become a staple of the band's live show. He is also a harmonica player as present on the
Godsmack song
Shine Down
. It was recently announced that Sully will work on a solo record due out sometime in 2008, and it will stray away from the hard rock of Godsmack. Sully wrapped up his acoustic tour with one final show at The House of Blues in Chicago, Illinois on June 28.
Erna has also worked with his local music scene. In April 2005, Sully participated in New Hampshire's Battle of the Bands Competition. The winner (a band called Zion who hails from Salem) had the opportunity to record a demo at Sully's California studio.
[3]
The Paths We Choose
Erna released a memoir entitled
The Paths We Choose
on his birthday,
February 7,
2007. The book details his struggles during the first 30 years of his life, up until the time
Godsmack landed a record deal.
"The book is basically just my life from the time I was born until Godsmack started," Erna said. "I wanted to write about the whole experience of trying to get there, and hopefully that will inspire some people that maybe are still in the ghettos or trying to dig their way out of a hole. I mean, we're all human and we weren't born rock stars. So I think there's an interesting story to tell of the pain and struggling. You know, being poor and being raised in crazy neighborhoods. If kids can see that they’ll be able to relate to anything they have a dream for."
[4]
The book sold 100,000 copies in its first month of release, and to date has shifted 300,000 copies worldwide.
Solo tour
Erna recently told Glam-Metal.com that doing his first solo shows were "extremely nerve-wracking," adding, "My first show, I was really, really nervous. Honestly, I haven't been that nervous since I was, I don't know, maybe 10 years old at a talent show or something." Erna kicked off his first solo acoustic trek on May 1 in Niagara Falls, New York and closed it out on May 31 in Las Vegas. The shows have combined
Godsmack songs with a few new originals and covers ranging from
The Beatles to
Alice In Chains to the theme from "Love Story".
Regarding how he went about selecting the material used for his solo show, Erna said, "I wanted to stick a couple of originals in and try them out because there was a couple of songs that were done on the piano or the guitar that I wrote that I don't think I would use on a GODSMACK record," he said. "For example, 'Eyes of a Child' and 'Until Then'. It was a great opportunity to showcase that and see if I can hit home with the people on those two pieces. Those songs are the most emotional pieces of the evening. One song is about children born with or dying from AIDS and the other is about a tribute to the troops of the United States Armed Forces."
Erna told The Pulse of Radio that playing some new material live is a good way for him to test out songs that might not work for
Godsmack. "We're all musicians and we like to write music and not necessarily rock all the time," he said. "So, you know, if I sit home and I'm writing on the piano and sometimes just cool songs are written that don't necessarily fit maybe what you do with
Godsmack, but you don't wanna not record them."
Erna stated at the time that he planned to work on his first solo album,
[5] Which has recently been completed, but has no title or release date.
[6]
Car accident
Godsmack frontman Sully Erna was quite shaken up from the three-car chain-reaction accident in
Methuen, Massachusetts he caused when his
Hummer H3 rear-ended another car on
April 11 2007, resulting in the serious injury of its back-seat passenger. "He's deeply concerned for the girl who was hurt in this unfortunate accident," said his manager,
Paul Geary, in reference to 25-year-old
Chelmsford resident Lindsay Taylor. "Sully's thankful he got out with a split lip and some aches and pains, but he's traumatized about the girl," according to the
April 17,
2007 Boston Herald.
Taylor was sitting in the back seat of a Toyota Camry that was struck from behind by a Hummer H3 driven by Erna. Erna was not injured in the accident, police said.
The Camry was pushed forward and rear-ended a Honda Odyssey driven by a Londonderry, N.H., woman.
The crash occurred about 7 p.m. on the ramp leading from I-93 south to Route 213.
Taylor was initially reported to be in a coma and on life support with critical injuries, was upgraded to serious status after she was flown to
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center [7] and has since returned home, reportedly with brain injuries. On March 31, 2008, Taylor filed an auto negligence lawsuit against Erna in Federal Court.
Poker
Sully Erna participated in the
2006 World Series of Poker main event in which he made a brief appearance on the
ESPN broadcast of the event; it was mentioned that he was the last of the
celebrity entries. He finished in 713th out of 8,773 earning him $17,730.
Erna also played in the
2007 World Series of Poker main event. After the elimination of
Tobey Maguire, Erna was the final celebrity remaining. He placed in 237th out of a field of 6,358, earning $45,422. To complement his placing at the World Series of Poker, he placed 2nd in a preliminary event at Bellagio's 5 Diamond World Poker Classic, where he lost to J.C Tran but earned $307,325 as a consolation.
[8]
Sully also competed in the 2007 VH1 Celebrity Rock and Roll Tournament with
Ace Frehley,
Vinnie Paul,
Scott Ian, and
Dusty Hill. Erna took second, losing to
Scott Ian of
Anthrax.
McGee Murder Investigation
Sully was questioned in a murder investigation surrounding the stabbing death on November 20, 2007 of
Tyngsboro, Massachusetts native Christine McGee. The police suspect her jealous husband, Jeffrey McGee, was the murderer but both Erna and
Gary Hoey were questioned by police as part of the murder probe. Erna and Hoey were reported to have met the woman days before the murder took place. Neither men are suspects at this point. According to Godsmack's manager Paul Geary, Sully had no romantic involvement with McGee.
[9]
Tattoos
"When I was 14, I hid in the welding booth at school, stoned out of my mind! I stole some India ink from the art department, wrapped a needle in some thread, and started stabbing myself" Erna said. Most of his tattoo work done by "Dana Thornell" and "Mike LaFontaine" of Tattoo Fever in Pelham, NH. His left arm fully sleeved. His right arm half sleeved. Triple X is tattooed on his lower back. He updated the XXX tattoo with the words "No Justice" with poker chips and the four suits of ace cards going up in flames. There is a portrait of Pinhead from Hellraiser on his right thigh and he plans to have more work done on chest, legs and back. Animal from the Muppet Show is tattooed on his right arm.
[10]
Trivia
- Sully Erna has also been invited to act in episodes of Criss Angel's Mindfreak TV show. Sully co-wrote and performs Mindfreak's new theme song "MF2" and appeared in the music video along with Criss Angel and Godsmack drummer Shannon Larkin. [11]
Gear
Drums
Acoustic Drums: Absolute Birch [12]
BBD-1122T 22 x 18 Bass Drum
BTT-1110 10 x 9 Tom
BTT-1112 12 x 10 Tom
BTT-1114 14 x 12 Tom
BFT-1116 16 x 16 Floor Tom
BFT-1118 18 x 16 Floor Tom
SD-455PL 14 x 5.5 Paul Leim Sig. Snare Drum
Hardware:
7 CS-845
HS-950
2 SS-940
DS-840
DFP-9310
TH-945
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Guitar
Gibson Les Paul Guitars
Ovation Acoustic and Electric Guitars
Dunlop Picks
GHS Strings
Marshall Amps
Diezel Amps
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Harmonica
Lee Oskar Harmonica
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References
- The Paths We Choose official website.
- http://www.roadrunner.com/corner.htm
- New Hampshire People - Sully Erna of Godsmack NewHampshire.com
- Godsmack Let Demons Go On Next LP - News Story
- Godsmack Frontman Performs Metallica's 'Nothing Else Matters' - June 27, 2008 - Blabbermouth.net
- http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=115511
- Eagle Tribune,
- [1]
- Slay victim met Godsmack frontman - BostonHerald.com
- "Sully Erna tattoos" ''Ywarning01.tripod.com''. Retrieved on June 15, 2009.
- "Sully Erna with Mindfreak" ''Godsmack.com''. Retrieved on July 14, 2009.
- "Sully Erna Drums Gear" ''Yamaha.com''. Retrieved on May 31, 2009.