Name: Christopher Leone

Age: 39

Instrument: Vocals, but I am also a guitarist.

Band/Former Bands: Inertia(Alt-rock originals\Nirvana cover band), Bury the Willing(metal), Heavens Gate(Harder Metal), Kingslayer( Power Metal!!!)

How long on instrument: I have been singing for as long as I can remember. Choirs, solo/ensemble, bands, you name it, I've done it. I started formal vocal training in my early teens and rocked out till my early twenties, then I took a break for about 10 years. A co-worker, Chris Priddy, got me back onto the stage again with Bury the Willing as a guitarist/ back up vocalist. This is where I met Michael Kidd who is now my drummer for Kingslayer. Fun fact the bassist for Kingslayer, Mr. James Shane, was my guitarist 20 years ago in Inertia! Beyond singing, I have also been playing guitar for 25 years. My uncle Art Introduced me to Jimi Hendrix, and it was pretty much over from there.

Equipment: Used to always use in-ears....lost em. So now it's ear plugs and guessing. I also use a Sennheiser wireless mic that I love and almost lost last week. Are you starting to see a pattern here?

Influences: Vocally there is so many. Some of the major ones would be Bruce Dickinson(of course), Rob Halford, Geoff Tate, Freddie Mercury, and more recently Michael Starr. Bruce is definitely my biggest. I love his cadence, the way he over emphasizes some words to create a bigger impact and of course his energy. I'm a huge fan of Freddie Mercury as well because of his theatrical edge and stage presence.

My first gig: First real gig I can remember is Minagawa's art gallery and coffee house. We played a 2 hour show. The first half was all Nirvana. The second half was originals. It was just us. No other bands on the bill. The placed was pact to capacity, and they were turning away people because there was no room. It's was AMAZING!!

Hobbies: Video and board games mostly. Sometimes I like to dress up in the mirror and....never mind.

Favorite movies: STAR WARS!!!!!!!! James Bond. All of them. Except the one with the one off bond, that dude was weird. Back to the future. Fun fact, back to the future 3 is the only movie I have ever cried at....what, don't judge. I also love Mel brooks films and spaghetti westerns namely the Trinity series. Big Trouble Little China. The Highlander (just the original). The Indiana Jones series. Except the last one....WTF!! Oh, and Monty Python. Basically I love movies.

Favorite food: My fathers pot roast.

Favorite place: San Diego, for now. Going to St. Thomas this year.

Favorite sports or team: I'm over sports. Gave up on baseball after the strike. Gave up on basketball after Jordan retired.

What I'm listening to nowadays: Steel Panther, Maiden, Priest, Avenged Sevenfold (pre their "black album"), Dream Theater, and System of a Down.

Coolest thing I've done: Opened for Steel Panther. Was an amazing show. 1000+ people. Got to meet the guys in the band. They are some of the coolest dudes I have ever met. Totally down to earth. I have an immense amount of respect for those dudes as people and musicians.

Most embarrassing moment: Recently we had the honor of being a part of the Cincinnati Powerfest. After arriving in Cincinnati, I realized that I left my show shoes at home, and all I had was sandals. So in an attempt to remedy this and not look like a doofus in sock or sandals, my wife suggested we go find something. Off we went scouring the city for something to put on my feet. After several stops we final found something, or at least we thought we did. We drove all the way back to the venue to discover something, 2 left shoes!!! So in the end, I ended up playing in my socks anyways.

Bad Habits: Forgetting stuff. I have a terrible short term memory. Also, getting frustrated. I get overly upset with things way to fast.

What was your first concert ever: SLAYER!!!! twas a crazy night of booze, weed, and metal at the Aragon ball room.

If you could meet a Rockstar ( past or present ), who would it be, and why: This is tough. Obviously Bruce Dickinson is my first choice for reasons listed above. But I would love to have had the chance to meet Freddie Mercury or Jimi Hendrix. They both shaped music as we know it.

Who do you love: My wife. Since my diagnosis with MS, she drives me long hours to and from shows because I get too fatigued. Although she has seen us play 100's of times, and although she just sits in a corner at the venue or sleeps in the car waiting for me to finish so she can be prepped to drive, she always does it because she loves me and knows how much music means to me. She is always there telling me not to give up when I really, really want to. She is the shelter in my storm and the bull whip that keeps my ass moving in the morning. I'd be lost with out her.