Rowan Robertson

Rowan Robertson (born November 22, 1971 in Cambridge, United Kingdom) is an English guitarist.

Rowan Robertson took up guitar at the age of five. From an early age he took an interest in the band Dio as he began learning songs from the 1984 Dio album The Last in Line.

Robertson's influences on the guitar include the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Steve Vai, Randy Rhoads, Vivian Campbell, Eddie Van Halen, Joe Satriani, Angus Young, Eric Clapton, and Stevie Ray Vaughan, as well as other contemporaries of his such as Zakk Wylde and many others.

His musical influences in general included AC/DC, The Beatles, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Dio, Ozzy Osbourne, The Police, Cream, Led Zeppelin and others.

In the late 1980s Robertson heard that Dio was looking for a new guitarist. He sent a tape to the record company Phonogram. After six months of waiting, he got a reply that stated that at that moment they were not interested in him. At the encouragement of his friend and fellow guitarist Sean Manning (Hurricane / Kevin DuBrow - Quiet Riot) the tenacious Robertson then contacted the Dio Fan Club who then asked him to send his demo tape to them.

Robertson got a great response from Dio after receiving the demo through the fan club channels. In late January or early February 1989 Robertson was flown to Los Angeles for an audition with Dio. He was auditioned twice. Immediately after the second audition he was invited to join the band. The press-release for the addition of Robertson to Dio was sent out on July 18, 1989 and the press was invited to meet the newest Dio guitarist on July 20, 1989 at Oliver's Pub in New York City.

The first Dio album Robertson started working on with Dio was Lock up the Wolves. These sessions included Jimmy Bain, Vinny Appice and Jens Johansson. The band had already begun writing and recording when Jimmy Bain and Vinny Appice were suddenly excused from the band. They were replaced with Teddy Cook and former AC/DC drummer Simon Wright. Recordings do exist from the sessions with Bain and Appice but were never released. Lock up the Wolves was released in 1990, and the band embarked on a tour in support of the album.

Robertson stayed with Dio until Ronnie James Dio rejoined Black Sabbath in 1991. Dio and Robertson had been writing songs for an album to be released in May 1991 which ended up being shelved. When the Dio band was put on ice, Robertson started work on an instructional video for guitar players. It was released on Star Licks, in July or August 1991. He then teamed up with vocalist Oni Logan (ex Lynch Mob) and drummer Jimmy Paxson (from Triangle) and began to write and record on an album together for Atlantic Records.

In April 2005 Robertson embarked on a short West Coast tour with his then band titled Happy Birthday, supporting Jimmy Chamberlin's band, The Jimmy Chamberlin Complex.

Robertson was also working with Finnish bassist–composer Marko Pukkila in 2005 on a possible new hard rock band. The band was set to be called Wicked Outlaw. They had been looking for the right combination of musicians and could plan to tour the U.S and release an album if the right band is put together. Robertson also worked with Pukkila in 2005 performing on tracks for a David Lee Roth tribute album titled Just Like Paradise: A Tribute To Diamond David Lee Roth. Robertson also worked with former bandmate, drummer Vinny Appice on this album.

Robertson joined Armored Saint–Odin guitarist Jeff Duncan along with brothers Shawn Duncan (Odin), and Matt Duncan in the band DC4 in late 2006. Rowan has been actively writing, recording, and touring with DC4 since. DC4 was signed to Chavis Records in 2008. Their 2007 self-released album (with Robertson) titled EXPLODE is expected to be re-released on the Chavis Records Label in early 2009. The re-released album will contain new artwork and new packaging. Many shows and festivals are already being booked for DC4 in 2009 in support of Explode.

2008 saw Rowan return to his native England to lend his talents to the soundtrack and music video for an upcoming independent motion picture titled Dirty Step Upstage, slated for a 2009 release and directed by Amber Moelter.

Rowan Robertson began working on a project in January 2009 in which he will lend his guitar and teaching talents to a new cutting edge website that will offer on-line guitar lessons from top name industry musicians.

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