Mike DiMeo (born November 29, 1968) is an American hard rock/heavy metal vocalist, best known for his work in the band Riot, which he left in late 2006. He recorded six studio albums and one live album with the group before departing to join Masterplan for the recording of MK II in 2006.
Career
Deep Purple
DiMeo was known only in the New York club scene when asked by Ritchie Blackmore to join Deep Purple. In 1992, he recorded some demos with Roger Glover for what later became The Battle Rages On.... Against Blackmore's wishes, the rest of the band decided to reunite with Ian Gillan instead, and the recorded demos have never been released.[1]
Riot
In the early 1990s, DiMeo was playing heavily in the tri-state area with original band Josie Sang, which also featured on guitar John Melendez (The Howard Stern Show, The Tonight Show). He gained a strong reputation as a singer and frontman, earning him an invitation to join Riot as the new lead singer in 1993. DiMeo did several Japanese and European tours with the band, including an appearance at the legendary Wacken festival in Germany in 1998. His final recording with the band was the 2006 release, Army of One.
The Lizards
DiMeo joined The Lizards in 2005 and recorded four studio albums with the band. They also released a live DVD featuring recordings of their live performances from around the world including a performance at the Sweden Rock Festival in 2005.
On August 8, 2008, DiMeo announced a project with a New York City hard rock band called Tenpoint.
Midas Fate
DiMeo recorded the single "What Dreams May Come" with the band Midas Fate in late 2010. It was released in early 2011 in anticipation of a full-length album, scheduled for release in 2013. In May 2013, it was announced that the former Angra drummer, Aquiles Priester, had joined Midas Fate. The album Magnificent Rebel was planned for release in November 2013, but according to the band's Facebook page, there is as of yet no release date for the new album.
Step Back was released posthumously as Winter had finished recording the album and prior to the release, played a concert tour in Europe before he died on July 16, 2014. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard charts for Blues Albums and Independent Albums, and at No. 17 on the Billboard 200.
Step Back won the Grammy Award for Best Blues Album at the 2015 Annual Grammy Award.
Vinnie Moore
DiMeo was the keyboard player and vocalist for UFO guitarist Vinnie Moore during his 2010 European solo band tour. Other performances with Moore have since included New York City's legendary jazz club The Iridium, and the 2012 NAMM Show in Anaheim, CA and The Monsters of Rock Cruise in 2016. Dimeo played keyboards and sang on the track "Rise" which Moore and Dimeo co-wrote for Moore's 2022 album Double Exposure,[4] released in November 2022.[5]
Brand New
DiMeo played Hammond Organ on Science Fiction, the fifth studio album by American rock band Brand New. The album's title and track listing were officially revealed on August 17, 2017, after several weeks of speculation, hints and leaks with its physical release on October 20, 2017.[6] It was both a critical and commercial success, being met with universal acclaim and becoming Brand New's first number one album on the Billboard 200 chart.
Phenomena
DiMeo was the vocalist on "The Sky Is Falling", a track on Tom Galley's 2010 Phenomena album "Blind Faith".[7]
Dimeo was the keyboard player for Jaimoe drummer and founding member of The Allman Brothers Band and his jazz-rock collective known as Jaimoe's Jasssz Band at the legendary venue My Father's Place on April 27, 2019.
Leslie West
Dimeo played keyboards on Legacy: A Tribute to Leslie West.[8] The album originally scheduled to begin recording weeks before his death features a variety of guitarists. That group of musicians including Slash, Yngwie Malmsteen, Zakk Wylde, Charlie Starr Blackberry Smoke and many others, came together to record the album which was officially released on March 25, 2022, on Mascot Records.
Other artists
Australian power metal band Ilium released their album, Ageless Decay in June 2009[9] featuring DiMeo on vocals.[10] In 2010, DiMeo appeared on debut album Tears of white roses of Czech melodic power metal band Sebastien, released on November 19 via Escape Music.
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