Terry Balsamo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Terry Balsamo
Balsamo performing with Evanescence in 2009
Background information
Born	(1972-10-08) October 8, 1972 (age 52) Tampa, Florida, U.S.
Genres	Alternative metal nu metal hard rock
Occupation(s)	Musician
Instruments	Guitar
Years active	1994–present

Terry Philip Balsamo II (born October 8, 1972) is an American musician. He is best known as the former guitarist for the rock bands Cold and Evanescence. Terry Balsamo is also known for showing his love for Michael Myers from the Halloween movies while on stage.

Terry Balsamo's Music Journey

Early Bands and Cold

In 1995, Terry Balsamo played with an early version of the band Limp Bizkit. After that, in 1999, he joined the band Cold. This band was also from Jacksonville, Florida, and included Scooter Ward, Sam McCandless, Jeremy Marshall, and Kelly Hayes.

Balsamo helped write songs and played guitar for Cold's albums. These albums were 13 Ways to Bleed on Stage (released in 2000) and Year of the Spider (released in 2003). He also performed with the band Staind on their 2001 MTV Unplugged show. Later, Cold toured with Evanescence as an opening act in 2003.

Terry Balsamo briefly returned to Cold for a tour in 2009. In 2016, it was announced that he would rejoin the band to record new music. However, he left Cold again by January 2018.

Playing with Evanescence

In 2003, the guitarist Ben Moody left Evanescence during their European tour. Terry Balsamo stepped in to play lead guitar for the rest of the tour. He soon became a full-time member of Evanescence.

Balsamo appeared on Evanescence's live album and DVD, Anywhere but Home, in 2004. He also worked closely with singer and pianist Amy Lee to create their second album, The Open Door (released in 2006). Terry continued to play and help write songs for their third album, Evanescence, which came out in 2011. In August 2015, it was announced that Balsamo had left the band. He did perform with Evanescence again in 2019 for the song "Sweet Sacrifice".

Health and Recovery

In October 2005, Terry Balsamo faced a serious health challenge. Just after finishing his guitar parts for Evanescence's album The Open Door, he had a stroke. This happened because an artery in his neck was torn. The stroke caused the left side of his body to become weak.

Doctors found that a blood clot in his neck was the cause. They thought it might have happened from headbanging during performances. At first, doctors were not sure if he would ever be able to play guitar again. However, Terry Balsamo was determined to get better. He worked hard with physical therapy and practiced to re-train his hand to play the guitar.

Terry Balsamo's Gear

Terry Balsamo uses Ibanez guitars. When recording music in the studio, he uses a mix of different amplifiers to get his sound. He combines amps like Diezel, Mesa/Boogie Triple Rectifier, and Bogner to create a powerful sound.

For live shows, he uses equipment like the T.C. Electronics G-System.

Bands Terry Balsamo Played With

• Evanescence – guitar (2003–2015; 2019 tour performance)
• Cold – guitar (1999–2004, 2009 tour only, 2016–2018)
• Shaft – guitar (1996–1999)
• Limp Bizkit – guitar (1996)

Albums Terry Balsamo Played On

With Cold

• 13 Ways to Bleed on Stage (2000)
• Year of the Spider (2003)

With Evanescence

• The Open Door (2006)
• Evanescence (2011)