Musical style
As the guitarist and songwriter, Bettencourt draws from an eclectic variety of styles and influences. However, his most prominent work has been in the an entire world of rock and heavy metal guitar despite his more popular commercial hits being acoustic songs. Bettencourt's technical guitar playing is relying on many excellent guitar players who have key attributes as part of their playing, which all have rubbed off on Nuno like Eddie Van Halen, Al Di Meola and Jimmy Page, while his solos and a sense of melody are influenced by Brian May of Queen. He will be particularly good at arpeggios articulated via string-skipping tapping. One of several strongest elements in Nuno's playing is his a sense of rhythm, often utilizing a very loose wrist way to execute fast triplet picking licks to create a funky sound to his rhythm playing and his having access to poly-rhythms to blur bar lines and make up a unique sound.
Biography
Early years
Nuno Bettencourt was given birth to on September 20, 1966 in Praia da Vitria, Terceira, Azores, Portugal, to Ezequiel Mendes Bettencourt and wife Aureolina da Cunha Gil de vila. Bettencourt's family, parents and a couple brothers Lus and Roberto Carlos, gone to live in Hudson, Massachusetts when he was four. Bettencourt lived on Main Street in Hudson for 21 years.
Initially, Bettencourt had little curiosity about music, preferring to pay his time playing hockey and soccer. His first instrument was the drums and played them exclusively until his brother, Luis, begun to teach him easy methods to play guitar.
While Bettencourt was slow to embrace the instrument under his brother's tutelage, his skills quickly developed when shortly fater he began teaching himself, in which he has mentioned in lot of interviews that he would skip many school days to practice well over 7 hours every single day. Within his sophomore and junior many years of graduating, Bettencourt dropped away from sports so he could give attention to playing guitar. He previously eventually drop out of graduating for the same reason.
Like a guitarist, considered one of Bettencourt's earliest influences was Eddie Van Halen of Van Halen. However, when he developed his craft to be a guitarist and songwriter, his influences expanded to embrace The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Prince, Queen, Pat Travers, Paco de Luca, Vito Bratta, Al Di Meola and Aerosmith.
Extreme
Main article: Extreme (band)
Struggle to complete a dent within the music world regarding his Boston-based hair-metal act Sinful, Bettencourt rose to international prominence as the guitar player after he joined the Boston-area group Extreme in 1985. Signed to A&M Records right after Bettencourt joined the group, the band released its debut record, Extreme, in 1989.
In 1990, Extreme released their most critically acclaimed album, Pornograffitti, including the hits "More Than Words" and "Hole Hearted". The group followed it with III Sides to each Story in 1992. Nuno composed and arranged the brass and string sections in this album along with the full orchestra on III Sides to every one Story.
In 1993, Bettencourt co-wrote and produced "Where Are you feeling Going" for any Super Mario Bros. movie. He also joined Robert Palmer around the studio to record Palmer's album Honey.
In 1995, Extreme released the album, Needing the Punchline, nevertheless the band left each other in 1996 when Bettencourt expressed his wish to stick to a solo career. After, singer Gary Cherone happened in becoming charge singer of Van Halen.
In 2007, this rock band reformed while using original lineup (with the exception of Paul Geary) to begin develop a completely new album, Saudades de Rock, released on August 12, 2008, and subsequent tour.
Extreme hiatus period
In 1997, Bettencourt released his first solo effort, Schizophonic, which he have been concentrating on for improved. The album received good reviews but didn't sell well.
On December 16, 1997, Bettencourt's new band - Mourning Widows (whose name was inspired by the writing he'd seen on a church wall programs Portugal), were self-titled debut album released in Japan on Polydor Records. It sold 45,000 in your first month. This guitar rock band featured Roberto Carlos' son Donovan Bettencourt on bass and Big apple drummer Jeff Consi.
In 2000, Mourning Widow's follow-up, Furnished Souls to book originally released in Japan, thereafter on the U.S. Both Mourning Widows releases cultivated a solid following in Japan plus the New England region on the U.S.
In 2008, Bettencourt was featured about the soundtrack for the motion picture Smart People. Bettencourt is credited over the cover in the soundtrack too. The soundtrack also features the Gary Cherone track, "Need I believe that More", and Baby Animals selections. The album was already released by Hollywood Records and it's available on iTunes.
Last season, Bettencourt was featured in any song and video called "Best Night Ever" by Marshall, a personality on How I Met Your Mother. Motion picture would be a parody of Extreme's "More Than Words" video, where entire main cast of Buying and selling domains Met Your Mother made appearances.
Population 1 & DramaGods
Bettencourt formed film entity Population 1 and released the self-titled and self-produced 2002 release, Population 1, on Universal/Japan and YBM/Korea. And just the people 1 (which featured him playing all instruments of all tracks), release in Korea and japan, Bettencourt assembled a band with Joe Pessia on bass, Steve Ferlazzo on keyboards and back-up vocals, and Kevin Figueiredo on drums and back-up vocals. Steve Ferlazzo had also been featured in Cherone next band carnation effort after Van Halen breakup,(Having Pat Badger and Mike Mangini from Extreme)Tribe of Judah.
In 2004, Population 1 released Sessions from Room Four with an new england tour around the fall out of which one year. Thanks to legal issues, the name Population 1 was dropped in 2005 together with the band was renamed to Near Death Experience, perhaps, renamed to DramaGods.
DramaGods released their first album in December 2005 available for being an import via Victor Entertainment (Japan). The band then made their record available as the digital download on iTunes in early 2006.
DramaGods are still seeking a list deal for relieve their first album below the new name with the U.S. After an explosive debut over the increasingly-popular The Late Late with Craig Ferguson, the group (still called 'Population 1' at this time), later appeared about the social network sites website MySpace, featuring videos and songs with the aforementioned Dramagods album, entitled Love.
Nuno decided i would improve album available through iTunes before procuring an American record deal.
Bettencourt frequently toured with DramaGods in Japan where they appeared from the Udo Music Festival coupled with KISS, Santana, Jeff Beck, The Doobie Brothers, Alice in Chains, The Pretenders, Ben Folds Five, whilst others in July 2006 soon after Bettencourt taken part in a three date reunion tour with Extreme in Colonial.
Other works
Guitar Wars
Nuno Bettencourt's playing recently been featured on the Universal/Japan Disc details reveals Guitar Wars featuring solo and collective performances of Bettencourt for lots of others, including Steve Hackett (Genesis, GTR), Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones and Racer X guitarist Paul Gilbert.
The Satellite Party
The Satellite Party is Jane's Addiction frontman Perry Farrell's new project which featured Bettencourt as lead guitarist (Nuno left the group in July 2007, citing disagreements with regard to the direction from the live show), and DramaGods drummer Kevin Figueiredo, bassist Carl Restivo (who also played with Extreme around the Azores in 2004), and Etty Farrell on backing vocals. A youthful lineup of one's band with Perry Farrell, Etty Farrell, Nuno, Kevin Figueiredo, and Steve Ferlazo (Dramagods) on keyboards performed on the 2005 Lollapalooza festival.
Bettencourt helped produce Ultra Payloaded, the debut album by Satellite Party released on May 29, 2007 on Columbia Records. On June 29, 2007, they performed alongside Pearl Jam, Kings of Leon and Incubus in Nijmegen, Holland. In late July 2007, Nuno Bettencourt and Drummer Kfigg departed Satellite Party.
Criss Angel Mindfreak
The latest CD from magician Criss Angel sports a song about what Bettencourt appears and was introduced in June 2006. Sully Erna, Vince Neil, Shannon Larkin and Bettencourt join Angel in the video for ones track "MF 2" which was shot atop the Aladdin parking garage.
Other Artists
Bettencourt continues active in the music industry. Reported by former Journey lead singer Steve Perry, Bettencourt has teamed with him to write down and arrange songs. He has writing and recording engagements with Maverick Records' Tantric (Bettencourt co-wrote Tantric's hit single "Hey Now"), Hollywood recording group BB Mak, Toni Braxton, and numerous others. Nuno announced in November 2009 he might be touring with Pop Superstar Rihanna on her behalf next world tour as her lead guitarist, having appeared alongside her in many Movies in addition to performances. Nuno also stated that Extreme continue.
Nuno has collaborated together with wife Suze DeMarchi based on nearly every one of her Baby Animals bandmates. On Baby Animals second release, Shaved And Dangerous (July 1996), Nuno produced two or three songs and co-wrote Because I'll, which he can clearly be heard playing guitar on in addition. Additionally, on Nuno's first solo release, Schizophonic (1997) all people in Baby Animals appear. Suze sings background with Nuno to the single Crave. Dave Leslie (guitar), Frank Celenza (drums) and Eddie Parise (bass) all join Nuno at the track Longer In Dizneeland. Nuno also contributed greatly on paper, recording and producing Suze's solo debut from 1998, Telelove.
Nuno also produced Dweezil Zappa's 1991 release on Barking Pumpkin Records, Confessions. In this record, Nuno sings lead vocals somebody in charge of at a semi-ballad entitled The Kiss, and even playing guitar and singing background vocals on various other tracks. Extreme members Gary Cherone and Pat Badger also contributed.
Nuno also played guitar for the song featured on the CBS series 'How I Met Your Mother', and it's really also on the spot www.itwasthebestnightever.com.
Personal life
In 1994, Bettencourt married singer Suze DeMarchi. They also have two children together: Bebe Orleans (b. February 2, 1996) and Lorenzo Aureolino (b. August 12, 2002). They currently are now living in Houston.
Bettencourt cites Italian food as his favorite cuisine. His guilty pleasures include sushi and Butterfinger bars (Music Choice).
Washburn Guitars
In December 1990, Washburn Guitars unveiled the Washburn N4 Nuno Bettencourt Signature Series - numerous Bettencourt-designed guitars which endures today.
The Nuno Bettencourt models are flagshipped by way of the American hand-made Washburn N4. The Washburn N4 guitar may be a small reverse headstock super-strat which features the initial Stephen's Extended Cutaway neck joint for easy use of the more expensive frets. In addition it contains Bill Lawrence and Seymour Duncan pickups, along with Floyd Rose licensed tremolo. The assembly budget kind of this guitar this was machine included Korea has the name the N2 and boasts a standard bolt-on neck. The N3 must have been a short run Korean reproduction within the Washburn N4 using Washburn stock pickups. The very first N2 and N3 guitars were prototype guitars intended for Nuno. The N2 lacking the Stephen's Extended Cutaway and the N3 by using a Bill Lawrence L500-R in your neck instead of the Seymour Duncan 59. Other models have the N5 and N6. Nuno has endorsed several Washburn acoustic models.
Discography
Extreme
Extreme (1989)
Pornograffitti (1990)
III Sides to each and every Story (1992)
Waiting for the Punchline (1995)
Saudades de Rock (2008)
Jim Gilmore
Putting Back The Rock (1990)
Janet Jackson
Black Cat (1990)
Dweezil Zappa
Confessions (1991)
Robert Palmer
Honey (1994)
Nuno
Schizophonic (1997)
Mourning Widows
Mourning Widows (1998)
Furnished Souls To book (2000)
Population 1
Population 1 (2002)
Sessions From Room 4 EP (2004)
DramaGods
Love (2005)
Satellite Party
Ultra Payloaded (2007)
Smart People (Original Video Soundtrack)
(2008)
Anthology
Guitars That Rule the World Vol.1 (1992)
JAM Project
Gong
References
^ "Nuno Bettencourt Washburn Guitars". http://www.washburn.com/artists/bettencourt.aspx.聽
^ "N-Series Guitars". http://www.washburn.com/products/electrics/nseries/index.aspx.聽
^ http://www.itwasthebestnightever.com/
External links
Official site
Nuno Bettencourt in the Internet Movie Database
Nuno Bettencourt at Allmusic
Nuno Bettencourt at Discogs
v聽聽d聽聽e
Extreme
Gary Cherone聽 Nuno Bettencourt聽 Pat Badger聽 Kevin Figueiredo
Paul Geary聽 Michael Mangini聽 Paul Mangone聽 Peter Hunt聽 Hal Lebeaux聽 Carl Restivo
Studio albums
Extreme聽 Pornograffitti聽 III Sides to each and every Story聽 Looking forward to the Punchline聽 Saudades de Rock
Compilations
Extragraffitti聽 The very best of Extreme - An Accidental Collocation of Atoms?聽 Extreme - The product range
Singles
"Play with Me" 聽 "Kid Ego" 聽 "Decadence Dance"聽 "Get the Funk Out"聽 "More Than Words"聽 "Hole Hearted"聽 "Song for Love" 聽 "Rest in Peace"聽 "Stop the World"聽 "Tragic Comic"聽 "Cynical" 聽 "Hip Today" 聽 "Star"
Related articles
Discography聽 Van Halen聽 DramaGods聽 Tribe of Judah聽 Mourning Widows聽 Satellite Party聽 HurtSmile聽 Super TransAtlantic聽 Van Halen III聽 Michael Wagener
v聽聽d聽聽e
Satellite Party
Perry Farrell Carl Restivo Etty Lau Farrell
Nuno Bettencourt Kevin Figueiredo
Nick Perri Jordan Plosky
Studio albums
Ultra Payloaded
Singles
"Wish Upon to prevent Star" "Hard Life Easy"
Persondata
NAME
Bettencourt, Nuno
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
Bettencourt, Nuno Duarte Gil Mendes
SHORT DESCRIPTION
Musician, Singer-songwriter, Guitarist
Birthday
September 20, 1966
PLACE OF BIRTH
Praia da Vitria, Terceira, Azores, Portugal
DATE OF DEATH
Host to DEATH
Categories: 1966 births | Living people | American rock guitarists | American singer-songwriters | Portuguese Americans | Extreme (band) members | People from Terceira Island | Lead guitaristsHidden categories: BLP articles lacking sources | Articles lacking reliable references from August 2008 | All articles lacking sources
