.: Jon Schaffer - Musician Profile :.

Jon Ryan Schaffer (born March 15, 1968 in Franklin, Indiana) is a heavy metal guitarist and songwriter. He is the founder and only remaining original member of the heavy metal band Iced Earth.

At the age of 14 Jon got his first guitar and began writing music. At the age of 16 he dropped out of Northrop High School in Fort Wayne, Indiana and moved out of his parents' home to Tampa, Florida, in order to start up a band and play music. In 1985 Schaffer founded the power/thrash metal band Purgatory, which quickly changed its name to become Iced Earth. He is now the only remaining member of the first line-up, and the band's main songwriter. Jon has suffered from neck injuries, some of which resulted in surgery, that still plague him today. In 2005 Jon and his wife, Wendi, became parents with the birth of their first daughter.

He is also brother-in-law of the former Iced Earth singer Matt Barlow, as Matt is married to Jon's sister.

Schaffer has also recorded and toured with Demons & Wizards, his side project with Blind Guardian vocalist Hansi Kürsch.

Schaffer also sings lead on the Iced Earth songs "Stormrider" from Night of the Stormrider and on "God of Thunder", a cover of the KISS song, on Tribute to the Gods. Live, he also sings back-up vocals, especially on "Desert Rain" where sings the verses along with Barlow in a call-and-answer style.

Jon Schaffer's primary musical influences were KISS, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Alice Cooper and AC/DC. His non-musical hobbies include motorcycles and Schaffer is also an avid American Civil War enthusiast, with particular interest in the Battle of Gettysburg, which inspired his most epic song to date, the 32 minute opus, "Gettysburg (1863)" from the 2004 Iced Earth album, The Glorious Burden. Lyrically, Jon is inspired by fantasy, science fiction and horror stories. Another great passion of his is history, especially American history. The Glorious Burden (2004) is a theme album about history.

His favorite album is Iron Maiden's "The Number of the Beast".

Gibson guitars have long been Schaffer's instruments of choice and in September 2007 he signed an official endorsement deal with them.

Aside from performing music, Jon Schaffer owns a historical collectibles store called "Spirit of '76 Collectibles", located in Columbus, Indiana. Jon has also stated that he started a comic featuring his character, Set Abominae, who is featured in some of Iced Earth's albums, including Something Wicked This Way Comes, Dark Genesis, Horror Show, Tribute to the Gods, and Alive in Athens. On September 11, 2007, Iced Earth released the first part of a double concept album based on the Set Abominae character and story, entitled "Framing Armageddon (Something Wicked Part 1)". The second half, "Revelation Abomination (Something Wicked Part 2), comes out in early 2008.

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Schaffer

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