Eugene Edward "Eddie" Fliess, III
Instruments: guitars, keyboards, Midi/Digital programming (percussion, strings, horns, effects)
Born: March 1, 1968, Clifton Forge, Virginia
Hometown: South Point, Ohio
Current Residence: Columbus, Ohio
Music Education: 1980 through 1986, Pied Piper School of Music, Huntington, WVA, Concentration: Guitar
Bands: Pearl (1980-1982), Red Over Green (1988-1990)
Equipment: Fender Yale Reverb, Carvin DC 127, Carvin DC 120, BC Rich Mockingbird, Ibanez Blazer, JBR electric/acoustic 6-string, Apple eMac 1.25gHz, Radio Shack MD-922 Midi Keyboard
Recording, Editing and Conversion Software: Garage Band, SoundStudio, QuickTime and iTunes
Born in Virginia and raised in rural Ohio, Eddie didn't have a very large circle of friends. In 1980, he had a nutty notion that he wanted to play an instrument, and since his lack of hand/eye/foot coordination made it difficult, if not impossible, to play the drums, watch what he was doing, and manage to create a rhythm, he told his parents he wanted to take up the guitar. Thinking this was just a passing fad, his parents reluctantly agreed and bought him his first guitar...a $25 refurbished Teisco Del Ray guitar. Seeing that he was enjoying it and sticking to it, his father got him enrolled in the Pied Piper School of Music almost immediately.
Sitting in and eventually becoming part of Pearl in 1980, Eddie felt out of place and very self conscious as the rest of the musicians were well into high school and accomplished at their music...but it worked. Covering such rock standards as "Freebird", "Hotel California", and "Stairway to Heaven", Eddie studied, learned and picked up chord progressions like a fish to water and developed a somewhat keen ear for melody.
To his parents amazement, he kept with it and in 1982, Eddie wiped out his savings account and bought a brand new maple satin-finished Ibanez Blazer 3 pickup guitar, and 2 years later on his 16th birthday, his mother bought him a Fender Yale Reverb amplifier.
Once in high school, he maintained his guitar studies at Pied Piper while honing his talents in visual arts, eventually graduating in the top 20 of his senior class, and finishing his guitar studies just prior to leaving for college in August.
When he started high school, his parents promised him that if he did well, didn't cause trouble, made good grades, blah blah blah, they would buy him a white BC Rich Mockingbird for graduation....so he did...they kept their word and in the summer of 1986 he got his Mockingbird...and 22 years later, he still plays it and recorded some of the songs on Chamesh, Shesh, Sheva, Shmoneh with it.
Two years into college, Eddie met Jim Nolan of Spitfish (a local band from Covington, Kentucky suburbs) and they started a 3-piece band called "Red Over Green". He and Jim composed a half a dozen songs, 3 of which were retooled, recomposed, retitled and became 2 songs on Chamesh, Shesh, Sheva, Shmoneh, "Hundred Million" and "Homage to a Spitfish".
After completing his Bachelor of Arts degree, Eddie packed up and moved to Anaheim, California, where he started his career as a graphic designer. During his yearlong stay in California, he met Starship's Craig Chaquico at the grand opening of a Carvin guitar/equipment store in Santa Ana. While in California, he acquired a Carvin DC-127 in Pearl White.
The next decade saw him focus his attention on design, and using music as his outlet of expression and to calm his spirit. In 2002 he added a Carvin DC-120 electric 12-string to his collection.
In 2007, he reached a point of clarity and said "I am going to start making music of my own again". With the help of his best friend, Scott Whitesell, he began brainstorming on chord progressions and accompanying melodies...and Lefty She Swills was born.
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