Tony Sly facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tony Sly
Background information
Birth name	Anthony James Sly
Born	(1970-11-04)November 4, 1970
Died	July 31, 2012(2012-07-31) (aged 41) San Jose, California
Genres	Punk rock, melodic hardcore, skate punk, pop punk, acoustic
Occupation(s)	Musician, singer-songwriter
Instruments	Vocals, Guitar
Years active	1986–2012
Labels	Fat Wreck Chords
Associated acts	No Use for a Name, Scorpios, Joey Cape

Anthony James Sly (born November 4, 1970 – died July 31, 2012) was an American musician. He was a singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Tony was best known as the lead singer and guitarist for the punk rock band No Use for a Name. Later in his career, he also became known for his solo acoustic music. He released two acoustic albums with Lagwagon's lead singer, Joey Cape, and two solo albums of his own.

Early Life and Family

Tony Sly grew up in California. He went to Homestead High School in Cupertino. Tony was married to Brigitte Sly. They had two daughters named Fiona and Keira.

Music Career

Tony Sly started his music journey in 1986. He joined the band No Use for a Name as the lead guitarist. In 1989, he became the band's main singer when the previous vocalist left.

No Use for a Name Albums

The band's first album, Incognito, came out in 1990. It had a strong but melodic hardcore punk sound. Their second album, Don't Miss the Train, was released in 1992. This album had a more melodic hardcore sound.

In 1995, No Use for a Name released their third album, ¡Leche con Carne!. This was their first album with the Fat Wreck Chords record label. This album showed a change in their music style. It moved from hardcore punk to more punk rock and skate punk. In 1993, a new guitarist named Robin Pfefer joined the band. This allowed Tony Sly to focus more on singing and playing rhythm guitar.

In 2007, the band released All the Best Songs. This album was a collection of their best songs. It celebrated the band's 20th anniversary. It included 24 remastered songs and two new songs.

Solo Acoustic Work

In 2004, Tony Sly teamed up with Joey Cape from the band Lagwagon. They released a special acoustic album together called Acoustic. It came out on May 18, 2004. The album had 12 songs. These were acoustic versions of songs from No Use for a Name and Lagwagon. It also had two brand new songs, one from each musician.

Tony Sly began his first solo acoustic tour in March 2009. On February 16, 2010, he released his first solo acoustic album, 12 Song Program. It was produced by Jamie McMann. Tony started a solo tour to support this album. He toured North America with his former bandmate Chris Shiflett. He also toured Europe with Joey Cape and Jon Snodgrass.

Tony planned to record a new No Use for a Name album in late 2010. However, he decided to record a second solo album instead. In December 2010, Tony announced he was recording songs for a Japanese album. He also started gathering material for a new full-length solo album.

In January 2011, Tony finished writing songs for his next solo album. He started recording it later that month. He said the album's sound was "sad." By February 2011, he had recorded 17 songs. He took a break to play some acoustic shows and try out new songs. In March 2011, he went back to the studio with producer Jamie McMann. He played two short tours in Canada to support his second solo album. In June 2011, the mixing process for his second solo album, Sad Bear, began.

On September 28, 2011, Tony released "Devonshire and Crown." This was the first song from Sad Bear that fans could listen to. Sad Bear was officially released on October 11, 2011.

Tony Sly's last solo show was in Gainesville, Florida, on July 29, 2012. His final show with No Use for a Name was on June 15, 2012. This show took place at the D-Tox Rockfest in Montebello, Quebec.

Death and Tributes

Tony Sly passed away in his sleep on July 31, 2012. He was 41 years old.

On September 8, 2012, the remaining members of No Use for a Name played a show. It was at the Envol et Macadam festival in Quebec City. They played in honor of Tony Sly. During this show, the band's bassist, Matt Riddle, announced that the band would be breaking up.

In November 2013, Fat Wreck Chords released a special album. It was called The Songs of Tony Sly: A Tribute. This album featured many artists performing their own versions of Tony Sly's songs. Some of the bands on this tribute album included NOFX, The Bouncing Souls, Joey Cape, Rise Against, and Bad Religion.

Many bands and artists have also released songs to honor Tony Sly. They remembered him as a close friend and an inspiration. For example, NOFX released "I'm So Sorry Tony." Lagwagon released "One More Song." Also, Tony's voice was featured in the musical Home Street Home after his passing. This musical was written by Fat Mike from NOFX.

Discography

Solo

• 2004 – Acoustic (with Joey Cape)
• 2010 – Tony Sly / Joey Cape Split 7" (with Joey Cape)
• 2010 – 12 Song Program
• 2011 – Sad Bear
• 2012 – Acoustic Volume 2 (with Joey Cape)

Scorpios

• 2011 – Scorpios