Yngwie Malmsteen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Yngwie Malmsteen
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Malmsteen in 2008
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Lars Johan Yngve Lannerbäck |
| Also known as | Lars Y. Loudamp |
| Born | 30 June 1963 Hässelby-Vällingby, Sweden |
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| Instruments | Guitar |
| Years active | 1978–present |
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Yngwie Johan Malmsteen (born Lars Johan Yngve Lannerbäck on 30 June 1963) is a famous Swedish guitarist. He became well-known in the 1980s for his unique neoclassical playing style in heavy metal. He has released 22 studio albums over a career that has lasted more than 40 years.
Contents
Early Life and Musical Beginnings
Yngwie Malmsteen was born Lars Johan Yngve Lannerbäck in Stockholm, Sweden. He grew up in a family that loved music. When he was 10, Yngwie started his first band, called Track on Earth. He played guitar, and a school friend played the drums.
At age 12, he changed his last name to Malmsteen, taking his mother's maiden name and changing it slightly. He also changed his middle name Yngve to "Yngwie." As a teenager, he was greatly inspired by classical music. He especially liked the 19th-century Italian violinist Niccolò Paganini and composer Johann Sebastian Bach. He also found his most important guitar hero, Ritchie Blackmore.
Yngwie's Amazing Career
Starting Out in the 1980s
In 1982, a music producer named Mike Varney heard a demo tape of Yngwie's guitar playing. He invited Yngwie to the United States. Yngwie briefly played with a band called Steeler. Then, he joined the band Alcatrazz with singer Graham Bonnet. He played on their first album, No Parole from Rock 'n' Roll, in 1983.
Yngwie released his first solo album, Rising Force, in 1984. This album was a big success! It won an award for Best Rock Album and was nominated for a Grammy Award. It even reached number 60 on the Billboard album chart. After this, his band became known as Yngwie J. Malmsteen's Rising Force.
The band then released Marching Out in 1985. Yngwie's third album, Trilogy, came out in 1986. During a tour for this album, Yngwie was in a serious car accident. He recovered and continued making music. In 1988, he released his fourth album, Odyssey. This album was very popular, especially with its song "Heaven Tonight." Shows from the Odyssey tour in the Soviet Union were recorded and released as a live album called Trial by Fire: Live in Leningrad.
Yngwie's unique neoclassical metal guitar style became very popular in the mid-1980s. Other guitarists like Jason Becker and Paul Gilbert were also inspired by this style. In 1988, Fender released a special Fender Stratocaster guitar named after Yngwie. This was a huge honor!
The 1990s and Beyond
In the early 1990s, Yngwie released more albums, including Eclipse (1990) and Fire & Ice (1992). He continued to release albums like The Seventh Sign (1994) and Magnum Opus (1995). Even though his style was less popular in the US at this time, he still had many loyal fans in Europe and Japan.
Yngwie kept recording and releasing albums throughout the 1990s. These included Inspiration (1996), Facing the Animal (1997), and Alchemy (1999).
Special Projects and Guest Appearances
Yngwie has also worked with other musicians. In 1996, he played guitar on a song called "Jealousy" for the "Human Clay" album. He also recorded guitar solos for two tribute albums to the band Deep Purple. He even used a different name, "Lars Y. Loudamp," for one of these to avoid problems with his contracts. He also played with the band Saxon on their live album The Eagle Has Landed – Part II.
The 2000s and Today
In 2000, Yngwie signed a new record deal in the US. This allowed his music from the 1990s to be released there. He also released what he considers his most important work, Concerto Suite for Electric Guitar and Orchestra. He recorded this with the Czech Philharmonic orchestra in Prague.
In 2003, Yngwie joined other famous guitarists, Joe Satriani and Steve Vai, for the G3 tour. This tour showed off amazing guitar playing. In 2005, he released the album Unleash the Fury. The album's name was inspired by a funny incident on a flight to Japan during a 1988 tour.
In 2007, Yngwie was honored in the Xbox 360 video game Guitar Hero II. Players could get an "Yngwie Malmsteen" award for hitting many notes in a row. In 2009, he released Angels of Love, an album with only instrumental songs. These were acoustic versions of some of his most famous ballads. Time magazine also named Yngwie one of the top 10 electric guitar players of all time.
In 2010, Yngwie released Relentless. He even appeared on the TV show Late Night with Jimmy Fallon to promote it. In 2011, he played "The Star-Spangled Banner" before a baseball game in the United States. In 2012, he played a rare show in his home country of Sweden.
His album Spellbound came out in 2012. In 2013, Yngwie released his autobiography, a book about his life, called Relentless. In 2016, he was part of the Generation Axe tour, playing with four other guitarists.
In 2019, Yngwie released Blue Lightning, which featured blues rock songs and his amazing guitar skills. In 2021, he launched his album Parabellum. Because of the COVID-19 lockdowns, he had more time to record this album. In 2023, Yngwie announced his first-ever online video guitar masterclass. In this class, he teaches his creative process and guitar techniques using his popular songs.
Personal Life
Yngwie Malmsteen has been married to April Malmsteen since 1999. They have a son named Antonio. The family lives in Miami Shores, Florida. Yngwie loves Ferrari cars and has owned several over the years.
Yngwie's Guitar Gear
Signature Stratocaster
Yngwie is famous for using Fender Stratocaster guitars. His most well-known Stratocaster is a 1972 blonde one, nicknamed "The Duck." It has Donald Duck stickers on its headstock. Another nickname for this guitar is "Play Loud" because of a sticker on it. Fender even made 100 copies of this guitar! Since 1986, Fender has also made a special Yngwie Malmsteen Signature Stratocaster. These guitars have unique "scalloped" frets, which means the wood between the frets is scooped out. This makes it easier for him to bend notes and play very fast. He also has a signature Marshall amplifier.
Other Guitars
While Stratocasters are his main guitars, Yngwie has also played other brands like Aria Pro II and Schecter. He even played guitars shaped like Gibson Flying Vs early in his career. For acoustic and nylon string guitars, Yngwie uses his special Ovation YM68s.
Band Members
Current members
- Yngwie Malmsteen – guitars, vocals (1978–1982, 1984–present)
- Nick Marino – keyboards, vocals (2005–2006, 2010–present)
- Emilio Martinez – bass, vocals (2017–present)
- Kevin Klingenschmid – drums (2023–present)
Discography
Solo Studio Albums
- Rising Force (1984)
- Marching Out (1985)
- Trilogy (1986)
- Odyssey (1988)
- Eclipse (1990)
- Fire & Ice (1992)
- The Seventh Sign (1994)
- Magnum Opus (1995)
- Inspiration (1996)
- Facing the Animal (1997)
- Concerto Suite for Electric Guitar and Orchestra (1998)
- Alchemy (1999)
- War to End All Wars (2000)
- Attack!! (2002)
- Unleash the Fury (2005)
- Perpetual Flame (2008)
- Angels of Love (2009)
- Relentless (2010)
- Spellbound (2012)
- World on Fire (2016)
- Blue Lightning (2019)
- Parabellum (2021)
Images for kids
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Malmsteen in 2008
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Malmsteen in Barcelona, 2009
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Malmsteen in Gävle, 2012
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Maple fretboard YJM Stratocasters
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Scalloped maple fretboard on a YJM Strat
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Yngwie Malmsteen Signature Stratocaster with rosewood fretboard
