Craig Gruber facts for kids

Craig M. Gruber (born June 15, 1951 – died May 5, 2015) was an American rock musician. He was a talented bassist, best known for being the first bassist in the famous band Rainbow. He also played in a band called Elf. In Elf, he played alongside singer Ronnie James Dio, keyboard player Mickey Lee Soule, drummer Gary Driscoll, and guitarist David Feinstein.

Craig Gruber's Music Journey

Starting with Elf

Craig Gruber's first band was Elf. This band released three albums. After these albums, the members of Elf joined up with Ritchie Blackmore. He was a famous guitarist who was starting a new band called Rainbow in 1975.

Playing in Rainbow

Craig Gruber played bass on Rainbow's very first album. This album was called Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow. Soon after the album came out, Ritchie Blackmore made some changes to the band. He kept only Ronnie James Dio from the original Elf members.

Working with Black Sabbath

Craig Gruber also helped with the early recordings for another famous band, Black Sabbath. He worked on their album Heaven and Hell. He even helped write a song called "Die Young." However, the band's original bassist, Geezer Butler, later returned to Black Sabbath.

Touring with Gary Moore

Later, Craig Gruber played live with guitarist Gary Moore. He joined Moore's tour for his album Victims of the Future. Craig Gruber can be heard on Gary Moore's live album from 1984, called We Want Moore!.

Forming Bible Black

In 1980, Craig Gruber started a new band named Bible Black. He formed this band with Gary Driscoll, who was the drummer for Elf and Rainbow. Bible Black released two albums. Sadly, Gary Driscoll passed away in 1987. Craig Gruber also thought about bringing the band Elf back together. However, this was difficult because both Gary Driscoll and singer Ronnie James Dio had passed away.

Later Projects

In 2010, Craig Gruber formed a metal band called "ED3N." This band played classic rock music. It featured singer Jeff Fenholt and guitarist David Shankle. David Shankle was known for playing with DSG and formerly with the band Manowar.

His Passing

Craig Gruber passed away on May 5, 2015. He was 63 years old. He died in Florida from prostate cancer.

Discography

With Elf

• Carolina County Ball (1974) (also known as L.A./59 in the US)
• Trying to Burn the Sun (1975)
• The Gargantuan Elf Album (1978) (a collection of songs)
• The Elf Albums (1991) (combines the 1974 and 1975 albums)

With Rainbow

• Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow (1975)

With Ozz

• No Prisoners (1980)

With Bible Black

• Bible Black (1981)
• Ground Zero (1983)

With Gary Moore

• We Want Moore! (1984)
• Blinder (Around 1984)

With The Rods

• Heavier Than Thou (1986)

See also

In Spanish: Craig Gruber para niños