The Man Behind the Phenomenal Voice is Tony Harnell
© 2012 Always Acoustic
During my four day Vegas residency from November 15th – 19th, I got the opportunity to watch one of the most gifted vocalists that I was unaware of.
His name was Tony Harnell. Tony Harnell was to perform an acoustic set with Bumblefoot of Guns N’ Roses at the Vinyl in the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on Friday, November 17th at 12 a.m.
The Vinyl sign was misleading because it read “FRI 12AM.” As the Always Acoustic crew waited patiently for Tony Harnell and Bumblefoot to take the stage on Friday, November 16th at 12 a.m., security was stacking the chairs as if they were about to close. Security informed us that the show was tomorrow.
We weren’t the only ones confused. One of Tony Harnell’s buddies even got the impression that the show was Friday, November 16th at 12:00 a.m. too.
What the sign should have read is “SAT 12AM,” but again this is Vegas so maybe 12:00 a.m. Saturday is actually Friday to the city.
At midnight on Saturday, Tony Harnell and Bumblefoot were to perform. However, they performed their acoustic set about a half an hour later. It was definitely worth the wait! In fact, it was amazing!
All of the V.I.P.s’ of Tony Harnell and Guns N’ Roses were in the house. Bumblefoot’s wife Jennifer Thal, and also Beta Lebeis and DJ Ashba. As DJ Ashba entered the Vinyl, people bombarded him for a photo opportunity. He eventually left the Vinyl so that not all of the attention was on himself, but the two gentlemen on stage.
I wasn’t that familiar with Tony Harnell’s vocals, but after I heard them, I was captivated in how gifted he is vocally.
I hate labeling singers into categories, but I have to group Tony Harnell’s vocals into the upper echelon of Chris Cornell and Myles Kennedy.
Tony Harnell performed a variety of covers as well as his own music. One of the covers he performed was a Led Zeppelin tune and I tweeted to Tony, “Tony phenomenal voice dude! Robert Plant would [be] proud!!!!!”
© 2012 Always Acoustic
After Tony’s performance, it had me pondering, why has it taken me so long to hear Tony Harnell’s music? Then I realized that maybe it’s because he fronted the Norwegian hard rock band TNT and I never took the time to listen or buy their music. Maybe I’m incorrect and I’ve never heard of TNT, but instead I am thinking about AC/DC’s “T.N.T.”
Besides, TNT, Tony Harnell fronted the bands Westworld and Starbreaker, who have also released several albums between the two of them.
When I returned home from my Vegas residency, I immediately downloaded the singles “Take What You’re Giving” by Tony Harnell and “Days of Confusion” (Acoustic) by Starbreaker.
In February or March 2013, Tony Harnell will be releasing his Acoustic/Electric EP that includes Bumblefoot.
Tony Harnell created a musical pledge campaign that would not only help fund the album, but a portion of the proceeds would go to METAvivor Metastatic Breast Cancer Research. Tony Harnell lost his mother to breast cancer in 2009 and Tony was diagnosed in the same year with thyroid cancer. Tony Harnell is a cancer survivor who has kicked cancer’s ass.
One could pledge between $8.00 and $15,000. No matter what you pledged, the pledger would be involved in every step in the creation of the album by receiving updates from Tony Harnell and the gang.
You can pledge at http://www.pledgemusic.com/artists/tonyharnell.
Once the Acoustic/Electric EP is completed, Tony Harnell will be touring in the U.S. and internationally as Tony Harnell and the Wildflowers featuring Bumblefoot. I want to end with this statement from Tony Harnell’s ReverbNation Bio that reads, “You may not yet have heard of Tony Harnell, but once you do, you’ll never forget him.”
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