Gregg Rolie

Gregg Alan Rolie was born on June 17, 1947, in Seattle, Washington. His musical journey began in 1965 while attending Cubberley High School in Palo Alto, California, where he played with a group called William Penn and His Pals. In 1966, Rolie co-founded the Santana Blues Band, later shortened to Santana, alongside Carlos Santana. As the band’s original lead vocalist and keyboardist, he played a crucial role in their early success, performing at the Woodstock Music and Art Festival in 1969 and contributing to hit songs such as “Black Magic Woman,” “Oye Como Va,” “No One To Depend On,” and “Evil Ways.” His distinctive Hammond B3 organ skills and vocals were central to Santana’s sound, and he holds songwriting credits on many tracks from this period. Due to differences in musical direction, Rolie departed from Santana in 1972.

In 1973, Rolie partnered with ex-Santana guitarist Neal Schon to form Journey. He served as the keyboardist for the band’s first six albums and was the lead vocalist on their initial three albums: ‘Journey,’ ‘Look into the Future,’ and ‘Next.’ After Steve Perry joined in 1977, Rolie contributed co-lead vocals on albums such as ‘Infinity,’ ‘Evolution,’ and ‘Departure.’ Feeling the demands of constant touring and a desire for new creative outlets, he left Journey in 1980, personally selecting Jonathan Cain as his successor. Following his departure from Journey, Rolie released several solo albums, including ‘Gregg Rolie’ (1985) and ‘Gringo’ (1987). The former featured the song “I Wanna Go Back,” which later became a hit for Eddie Money, and included collaborations with Carlos Santana, Neal Schon, and Craig Chaquico.

In 1991, Rolie formed The Storm with former Journey members Steve Smith and Ross Valory, achieving success with their self-titled debut album and hit singles like “I’ve Got a Lot to Learn About Love.” Though their second album, ‘Eye Of The Storm,’ was initially shelved, it was later released internationally. In 1998, he reunited with former Santana members, including Neal Schon, to form Abraxas Pool, releasing one album. Since 2001, Rolie has performed with his Gregg Rolie Band, releasing albums such as ‘Roots’ (2001) and ‘Rain Dance’ (2009). From 2012 to 2021, he toured as a member of Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band, performing Santana classics. In 2016, he participated in the ‘Santana IV’ reunion album with Santana’s original lineup. Rolie is a proponent of music education and supports Little Kids Rock, a nonprofit providing musical instruments and instruction to children.