Gary Pihl

Gary Pihl may not be a household name but to everyone familiar with Classic Rock his contributions to two of the most successful bands from the 70’s stands as a testament to his versatility and reliability and should not be overlooked. He started out in 1969 playing in a few bands in the San Francisco bay area before getting his big break by signing on to be the second guitarist in Sammy Hagar’s band, a gig he probably never thought he’d get as Sammy had already passed him over a few times prior. He ended up staying with Hagar for 8 years, his style perfectly complimenting Sammy’s, pushing his boss and the band into becoming one of the tightest working units right up until the early 80’s. This would all end suddenly in 1985 when Sammy announced that he was about to become the new lead singer of Van Halen. What could have been seen as a negative situation turned instantly positive as Boston leader Tom Scholtz immediately enlisted Gary’s help to assist in the completion of the Third Stage album. The album would eventually go to number one and Gary suddenly found himself with a new passion, one that has lasted 17 years. Boston released Corporate America in 2002 and followed that up with a year’s heavy dose of touring. They are back on the road again this summer and have hinted that there may be a few surprises in the not so distant future.

Ryan Sparks, June 2004