Big Wreck

Big Wreck was a neo-progressive hard rock band of the late 1990s.

The band was formed in Boston, Massachusetts by vocalist Ian Thornley, guitarist Brian Doherty, bassist Dave Henning and drummer Forrest Williams, who met as students at the Berklee College of Music. After several years of gigging in Boston and Cambridge, the band signed to a major label and released its debut album In Loving Memory Of... in 1997. The single "The Oaf" was a major Top Ten hit for the band that year.

Perhaps because Ian Thornley is Canadian, the band's biggest commercial success was in Canada rather than the United States. The album's subsequent singles, "Blown Wide Open" and "That Song", were not as successful on the American charts as "The Oaf" had been, but in Canada they were both Top Ten hits.

In October 2001, Big Wreck played a special show at Toronto's Roy Thomson Hall accompanied by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the Uzume Taiko Ensemble of drummers, with The Tragically Hip's Paul Langlois and Robby Baker and guitarist - as they shared the same manager, Bernie Breen from Bernie Breen Music Management, as well as Eric Johnson also making appearances.

The band's second album The Pleasure and the Greed (released in 2001) was marred by poor marketing and was not as big a hit as their debut album, especially in the United States. The band broke up a year later.

Thornley moved back to Toronto, launching the band Thornley. Doherty is now living in Camlachie, a small community near Sarnia, Ontario, and is now teaching guitar to kids in that area. Doherty has also gone on to be in the indie band Death of 8, but the other band members have not yet emerged with new projects.

According to a March 10, 2010 article on Blabbermouth.net -- Dave Henning will be the bassist for (former Guns N Roses guitarist) Slash's solo touring band.

Hard rock band Submersed and American Idol winner David Cook have both cited the band as an influence.

According to a March 26th, 2010 article on Blabbermouth.net - Todd Kerns (SIN CITY SINNERS, STATIC IN STEREO, AGE OF ELECTIC) has replaced Dave Henning (BIG WRECK) on bass in former GUNS N' ROSES and current VELVET REVOLVER guitarist Slash's touring band. The rest of the group consists of rhythm guitarist Bobby Schneck (WEEZER, GREEN DAY), drummer Brent Fitz (ALICE COOPER, VINCE NEIL) and vocalist Myles Kennedy from ALTER BRIDGE.

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