STEVIE SALAS the sun and the earth

Guitar legend Stevie Salas has served as a member of Parliament and Funkadelic as well as sideman for the likes of Rod Stewart and Mick Jagger. A Native American, Salas was raised in San Diego, California, where he learned guitar and absorbed a wide variety of musical influences early on — everyone from Earth Wind & Fire to Van Halen and Led Zeppelin. Relocating to Hollywood with hopes of launching a music career, Salas quickly realised it wasn't going to be as easy as originally planned. He worked at a recording studio, where he answered phones. One evening, when he was sleeping on a sofa at the studio, he was awoken by Funkadelic leader George Clinton, who was recording and needed some guitar work done.

Before he knew it, he became a much sought-after session guitarist, appearing on late-'80s era recordings by the likes of Bootsy Collins, Was (Not Was), and Eddie Money, among others, as well as landing a spot on the TV show Fame. Salas formed his own group, Stevie Salas Colorcode, which was momentarily put on hold, as he was invited to join Rod Stewart's touring band. After the tour Salas was offered his own record deal with Island Records, resulting in the release of Stevie Salas Colorcode in 1990, then 1993's The Electric Pow Wow, while 1994's Back From the Living was named "Album of the Year" in Japan (over releases by the Rolling Stones and Aerosmith). Salas has continued to issue solo releases, including 1997's Alter Native Gold and Le Bootleg/Live in Paris, 1998's The Sometimes Almost Never Was and Viva La Noise, 1999's Sol Power, and 2001's Shapeshifter. Salas was handpicked by Mick Jagger to play shows alongside the longtime Rolling Stones' frontman in support of his 2001 release, Goddess in the Doorway.

Now Stevie is releasing a double CD career-spanning best-of, The Sun And The Earth through UK indie Invisible Hands Music, and planning a UK tour in early 2007.