Jon Oliva

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Born July 22, 1959) is an American composer, multi-instrumentalist, and singer.

He is best known as the co-founder, keyboardist, and lead vocalist of Savatage, which he co-founded with his younger brother Criss Oliva.

He has performed in Trans-Siberian Orchestra since 1996, as a composer, singer, and vocalist.

In several interviews, producer Paul O'Neill, who worked with many of the rock world's best bands, referred to Oliva as the single greatest vocalist/musician he had ever worked with.

Early life

When Jon and Criss were young, they were living in California for four years before moving to Florida in 1976. During the family's time in California, Jon discovered music, much like his brother Criss. Jon dabbled in guitars, pianos, and drums before buying "a really ugly bass" from his father's piano. Jon and Criss continued their musical ventures and hosted a block party, performing Kiss, Deep Purple, and ZZ Top covers. Although initially the guitar player of the brothers, Jon soon realized Criss' talents were superior to his and went back to playing with his brother and played bass.

Jon was desperate enough to join Metropolis, a group playing Bad Company and Alice Cooper cover songs after being kicked out of high school in 1978. Jon was first to experience as the band performed bars and clubs in several areas of Florida, but the band soon became dissatisfied with the bars and clubs, and he left the band early this year.

Jon and Criss re-united to form Avatar, one of the two most popular bands, Alien and Tower respectively. Avatar will be known as Savatage later this year. Avatar was originally a five-piece, with Jon on drums and vocals and Criss on guitar, earning the envy of most other Florida bands due to their "awesome equipment." The band gradually drifted apart until Jon and Criss stayed, and the two young men took up "The Pit," a shack where they first encountered Steve Wacholz. Wacholz was very familiar with the Oliva brothers, who he first met in 1977. Criss was blown away by Criss' participation in a local high school. Alien's band members auditioned for Jon's band right away. Criss and Jon was included in the band that had inspired him so much at the high school showcase when he got to the audition. Steve would eventually join a new version of Avatar, joined later by bass player Keith Collins, who was not familiar with the band because they had hired his equipment. Jon became ill by playing instruments and then reverted to being the band's lead vocalist.

Avatar was first discovered via Music Magazine, a free Tampa Bay music magazine who recommended the band to Tampa radio station WYNF, who were running a competition for a spot on an LP. With tracks "Rock Me" and "Minus Love," Avatar opened both sides of the album. The fledgling band appeared on WYNF as well. A footage of an early performance by Avatar in a Clearwater, Florida parking lot in late 2006 was posted on the internet and was featured on Savatage's first album and a cover of Van Halen's "Eruption" and "You Really Got Me." Avatar's rising local stardom led them to record an LP with Par Records. Avatar's first EP, entitled City Beneath, sold 1000 copies, and Par Records invited Avatar to record a complete album. However, there was an issue with Avatar, a European band, who refused to the name's use, and the band had to find a solution and quickly, as the album was supposed to be pressed the next day. When they first arrived, Jon and Criss were playing cards with their wives, and after initial tweaking, they finally arrived in Savatage. The first Savatage record, Sirens, was the complete album.

The new name did not change the band's attitude or rave reviews. Atlantic Records were becoming involved in the band, and label reps flocked in from New York to see the band perform. Atlantic quickly got Savatage signed to a contract, but Savatage, who left Par, broke it, releasing EP The Dungeons Are Calling in 1984. Max Norman, who produced the hit 1992 album, Countdown to Extinction, among other things, was released in 1985, titled Power of the Night. Due to musical inconsistencies, the band recruited Johnny Lee Middleton to replace Keith Collins on bass duties.

Savatage was finally getting exposure, but the band dropped Fight for the Rock in 1986, a stab at mainstream success that was mainly due to Atlantic. Jon himself refers to the image as Fight for the Nightmare. In the kitchen of the apartment where the band was staying, Jon and Criss wrote the majority of the text. "Lady In Disguise" was one of the songs that was written in the studio, as well as "Lady In Disguise." Atlantic put a lot of pressure on the band to become a radio friendly band, which resulted in the two fronts of Free's "Wishing Well" and Badfinger's "Day After Day" and "Day After Day." Fans were perplexed by the band's sudden change in sound, and sales did not meet expectations. However, Jon had praised the album as a "good "musical and life experience."

After that, Jon met Paul O'Neill, who saw that Savatage had the potential to be a major act. Hall of the Mountain King of 1987 was released with critical acclaim and has been cited by several reviewers as one of the band's finest works. For "24 Hours Ago" and the title track, two music videos were released and gained rotation on MTV. Savatage supported Megadeth and Dio on the tour, but Jon had several problems with Dave Mustaine, a heroin addict who was at the time. After hanging out with Mustaine on a 24-hour basis, Jon recovered.

Jon converted the band's sound to a more experimental style, and the band's resulting album, Gutter Ballet, was released in 1989. Many of Jon's songs on the album were on display, including "Thorazine Shuffle" and "Mentally Yours." The song "Gutter Ballet" was one of the few songs to be released, and was in fact recorded with only Jon and Criss in the studio. After attending a performance of the Phantom of the Opera in Toronto, Jon was so inspired to write "Gutter Ballet" in the studio. Two videos were shot for the album and received MTV airplay: "When the Crowds Are Gone" and the title track.

Streets, the band's first rock opera, was founded in 1991. The album did not do as well as the band would have liked, however, because it was released around the time when grunge burst into the mainstream music market. However, a video for "Jesus Saves" was shot and broadcast again, gaining a new audience to appreciate the band. Jon has said that his all-time favourite song was recorded on Streets: Tonight He Grins Again. However, Jon Oliva left the band after a tour in support of the album. Doctor Butcher and his Broadway-bound musical Romanov, as well as continuing co-writing Savatage content with his brother Criss and producer Paul O'Neill, were the main reasons given. Jon's last appearance at the first ever Tampa Music Awards in 1992, and a video of this performance was posted on the internet in 2006. Romanov is still in the custody of the Pace Theatrical Group and has undergone many rewrites, but has yet to see the light of day.

Jonathan Stevens, a former Wicked Witch lead singer, and the band's successor to Streets, Edge of Thorns, was hand-picked by Jon. Savatage also started to gain mainstream attention, including increased radio play and a world tour for the first time. Since being deprived of Savatage's only vocalist, Jon has said he did not want to be Savatage's sole vocalist, and he left to "take care of myself." Jon was supposed to leave the band and then return as the lead vocalist on the follow-up album to Edge of Thorns. Chris Caffery, a one-time Savatage guitarist who performed with the band on Gutter Ballet, approached Jon at the same time. Jon and Chris wrote some songs together, and eventually became Doctor Butcher. The three musicians, as well as drummer John Osborn, went into the studio and recorded the album for about $8,000. Doctor Butcher appeared at several shows in the Tampa area in 1993, one of which featured Criss Oliva who joined the band on stage for a rendition of "Sirens." However, Jon was disappointed that Atlantic Records decided not to announce the Butcher album, as well as that Edge of Thorns was selected in the top 100 in the United States. He was excited for the band but had mixed emotions, and began to believe he was the one holding Savatage back.

Criss Oliva was killed in a car accident by a nebriated driver on October 17, 1993, but tragedy followed the tragedy. Jon wanted to continue the band but has since admitted that the band was much overdue after Criss's death, but that the band was still going to "keep his music alive." Handful of Rain, Jon Oliva's tribute to his brother, is included in Savatage's 1994 collection Handful of Rain. Stevens and Alex Skolnick, both of Testament, recorded the album together. Oliva plays the majority of the instruments, despite the fact that other Savatage members are lauded. Jon returned to Savatage's forefather on their live broadcast Japan Live '94, which saw him take up lead vocal duties for the first time since 1992, as well as a duet on "Gutter Ballet."

Oliva has returned to perform vocal duties on Savatage's 1995 album Dead Winter Dead, including vocals on the tracks "I Am" and "Doesn't Matter Anyway." However, Jon was not prepared for the band's triumph, although indirectly. "Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24)" became a hit around Christmas time this year on several radio stations. The song was revived in 1996 by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra's new side project. Oliva has expressed disappointment with the album's success, quoting the fact that both bands' albums were released, yet TSO's interpretation became a bigger hit. Jon was led to believe that the Savatage name was the biggest obstacle to success.

He appeared on the album WWF Full Metal in 1996, performing the song "We're All Together Now" with several WWE professional wrestlers as part of the Slam Jam. Until 2002, an instrumental loop of the track served as bumper music for the Federation's RAW is WAR project. Despite being featured in other musical projects, he remained involved in every Savatage album, including 1998's The Wake of Magellan, where he was featured as lead vocalist on tracks "Another Way" and "Paragons of Innocence." Todd T. Riley, former 98Rock jockey and Dave's Not Here lead vocalist, shortly after wrapping up the recording of The Wake of Magellan. Oliva performed "Perfect Christmas Night" on the Jim Carny vehicle The Grinch in 2000. Oliva returned to lead vocals for Savatage's latest album, Poets and Madmen, in 2001, after Stevens left the band citing family reasons. It was his first appearance as a lead vocalist on a Savatage studio record in ten years.

Savatage has been mostly inactive since 2002, barring a short stoppage for Poets and Madmen after the tour cycle for Poets and Madmen. Oliva said in an interview with "80's Glam Metalcast" in March that year that he and his Savatage bandmates Chris Caffery and Al Pitrelli were collaborating on new music together and that they would "love" to reform the band.

Oliva founded Jon Oliva's Pain (JOP) in 2003 after touring and writing with TSO. On the SPV label, JOP released an album entitled 'Tage Mahal' in 2004, and then signed to AFM Records in March 2006 for the debut of their second album, Maniacal Renderings, which was released on September 4, 2006. Global Warning, JOP's third album was released on May 6, 2008, and it was titled Global Warning. JOP has re-worked and re-recorded songs from his brother Criss Oliva's collection of old recordings.

Oliva had a mild stroke in April 2016, which was largely recovered.

Oliva revealed in March 2021 that he had been fighting COVID-19 for two months in a row.

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