List of Savatage band members

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[]

References[]