He's part of "Iron Maiden's" mighty guitar trio, he played with Ian Gillan, Fish and was part of a supergroup that also included Paul Di'Anno and Clive Burr. Ladies and gentlemen, Here are some facts about Janick Gers:
(Photo: NME)
1. He was born in the town of Hartlepool in the northeast of England, on 27 January 1957 and his full name is Janick Robert Gers.
2. He has relatives who live in Poland and he used to visit them in his youth, where he also purchased his first guitar.
3. Gers is left-handed but he plays guitar with his right hand.
4. He started his musical career in 1975 when he formed the band "White Spirit", with which he released an album in 1980.
5. The guitarists who influenced him the most, were Ritchie Blackmore, Jeff Beck, Tony Iommi, Jimmy Page and Rory Gallagher.
6. The bands that influenced him the most, were: "Deep Purple", "Black Sabbath", "Pink Floyd", "Free", "Led Zeppelin", "The Beatles".
(Photo: www.ironmaiden666.com)
7. In 1981 he joined the band "Gillan". Ian Gillan's solo band. Together with "Gillan" he will release two albums: "Double Trouble" from 1981 and "Magic" from 1982. Gers played and also co-wrote songs on both albums.
8. After Gillan's lineup disbanded and Gillan moved to "Black Sabbath", Janick took time-off and completed a degree in sociology.
9. In 1985, Gers joined the "Gogmagog" supergroup, which included singer Paul Di'Anno and drummer Clive Burr, both former "Iron Maiden" members, guitarist Pete Willis of "Def Leppard" and bassist Neil Murray previously of "Whitesnake". The band released one EP that included three songs and disbanded immediately after.
10. In 1989 Gers was asked by Bruce Dickinson to play in his song "Bring Your Daughter ... to the Slaughter", which Dickinson wrote for the soundtrack of the movie "A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child".
11. This collaboration between the two was later expanded to a full-length album - "Tattooed Millionaire" - Bruce Dickenson's first solo album released in 1990, in which Gers played guitar and participated in writing most of the songs.
12. The same year, Gers wrote and played on the song "View From The Hill", which was included in "Vigil in a Wilderness of Mirrors" - the excellent debut album of Fish.
13. During the recording of Bruce Dickinson's first solo album, Gers was asked to join "Iron Maiden" as a replacement for guitarist Adrian Smith.
14. Gers released Ten albums with the "Iron Maiden" and co-wrote some of its songs, including: "Be Quick or Be Dead", "Wasting Love", "Lord of the Flies", "Man on the Edge", "Ghost of the Navigator", "Dance of Death", "The" Talisman", "The Legacy", "The Book Of Souls" and more...
15. Gers, whose theatrical performance breathed fresh air into the band in its less popular moments from the 1990s, has rightfully and not graciously earned his place as a full member to this day, even after Smith's return to the band in 1999.