Joey Belladonna is an American thrash metal musician, best known as the vocalist for the thrash metal band Anthrax. He is also the vocalist and drummer of the cover band Chief Big Way. Belladonna possesses a tenor vocal range.
Belladonna was the lead singer of Anthrax from 1984 to 1992, and was considered part of the classic-lineup. The first time he was on a plane was a Plattsburgh-to-Ithaca flight for his audition for the band. After he was replaced by John Bush, he spent the next decade touring in minivans and taking odd jobs. Belladonna returned to the band when the "classic" lineup reunited and toured during 2005 and 2006. He found out on the internet that he had been replaced again by Dan Nelson. His voice has been featured on six studio albums and several EPs that have sold a total of 8 million copies worldwide. During Belladonna's first tenure with Anthrax, the band was nominated for three Grammys, and he was voted the #1 metal singer two years in a row in Metal Forces magazine. In early 2010, Belladonna officially rejoined Anthrax in time for the "Big Four" shows at the Sonisphere festival. Following these and other shows, Belladonna returned to the studio with the band to record new vocals for their long-awaited album Worship Music. Since his return, Anthrax has been nominated for 3 additional Grammy awards.
Belladonna / solo career
After his departure from Anthrax in 1992, Belladonna continued to make music in Belladonna, a solo project of which he has been the only consistent member. In the mid-1990s, Belladonna released its self-titled debut album, which was well received by both critics and fans alike. The second album, Spells of Fear, was released in 1998 and was heavily criticized for bad production and poor musicianship. Demo recordings of a third album, which was never professionally mastered, was self-released by the band in 2003. It was a return to better songwriting and musicianship and like the debut album it was well received by the fans. When asked whether he plans to release any more solo material in the future despite having re-joined Anthrax as a full-time member, Belladonna responded with:
"Yeah definitely. I’m working on some stuff and I have almost a full record worth of material sitting right here which is very well demoed up but it is still far from done in its own way. I just keep running out of time whether someone’s schedule is messed up or whatever it is happening at the time and it’s unfortunate. Now of course Anthrax is back on the go so I just don’t have the time to sit for hours with the material but there is definitely some cool metal here. By the time I get to do these songs I’ll probably have a fresh batch of ideas and songs to put on top of those. I’d like to put another record out some day, put something out that I can again call my own as I have some great ideas."
Belladonna also plays drums and sings lead vocals in a cover band named Chief Big Way which features mainly classic rock hits from the 70s and 80s. The band, based around Syracuse, New York, plays small neighborhood bars.
