Maya religion and Myles Kennedy: Difference between pages

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{{Infobox Musical artist <!--See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Musicians -->
{{citations}}
| Name = Myles Kennedy
| Img = MylesKennedy.jpg
| Caption =
| Img_size =
| Landscape =
| Background = solo_singer
| Birth_name = Myles R. Kennedy
| Born = {{Birth date and age|1969|11|27}}
| Origin = [[Spokane, Washington]], [[United States|U.S.]]
| Instrument = [[Vocals]], [[Guitar]]
| Voice_Type =
| Genre = [[Hard rock]]<br>[[Alternative rock]]<br>[[Alternative metal]]<br>[[Post-grunge]]<br>[[Thrash metal]]<br>[[Blues]]<br>[[Soul music|Soul]]
| Occupation = [[Musician]], [[songwriter]], [[singer]]
| Year_active =
| Label = [[Epic Records]] <small>(1997–2002)</small> <br> [[Wind-Up Records]] <small>(2004–2006)</small> <br> [[Universal Records|Universal]] <br> [[Republic Records]] <small>(2007–present)</small>
| Associated_acts = [[The Mayfield Four]] <br> [[Alter Bridge]]
| URL = [http://www.myles-kennedy.com www.myles-kennedy.com]
| Notable_instruments = [[PRS_Guitars | Paul Reed Smith Guitars]]<br>[[Dean Guitars|Dean Guitar ]]
}}
'''Myles R. Kennedy''' (born November 27, 1969) is an [[United States|American]] [[singer]], [[songwriter]], and [[guitarist]] originally from [[Spokane, Washington]] who possesses a 4-[[octave]] vocal range, with his longest held on note timed at 22 seconds (in [[The Mayfield Four]]'s "Summergirl"; his longest note streak with one breath is 31 seconds in [[Alter Bridge]]'s "[[Blackbird (Alter Bridge song)|Blackbird]]"). Kennedy, a former guitar instructor in the Spokane area who has appeared as a guest of both live performances and recording sessions of numerous bands over the years, is currently the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist to [[Alter Bridge]], a United States rock band and the brainchild of former [[Creed (band)|Creed]] guitarist [[Mark Tremonti]].


According to [[Twisted Sister]] frontman [[Dee Snider]], Kennedy is strongly rumored to have been selected as the touring vocalist for [[Led Zeppelin]] for their upcoming reunion tour<ref>[http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/article1796429.ece The Sun, 11 Oct 2008</ref>, though his contributions with the band have not yet been entirely confirmed. [[Robert Plant]] has denied any speculation that will be participating in the tour, and has mentioned that he will not tour again for another two years. Because of this, [[Jimmy Page]], [[John Paul Jones (musician)|John Paul Jones]], and [[Jason Bonham]] have been rehearsing and possibly recording with an American stand-in vocalist while trying to persuade Plant to join them. Regarding Page, Jones, and Bonham, Snider says:
Nowadays, the '''Maya religion''' of Chiapas and Yucatan (Mexico), Guatemala, Belize, and western Honduras is full of tensions between the traditional, ancestral religion, the 're-invention of tradition' by the Maya Movement, and the various factions of christianity. In this article, however, the focus is on traditional Maya religion, a southeastern variant of [[Mesoamerica]]n religion, and on its pre-Spanish antecedents in particular. As a recognizably distinct phenomenon, traditional Maya religion exists for at least two millennia, only the last five hundred years of which witnessed a symbiosis with another, non-Mesoamerican religion. Before the advent of Christianity, it was spread over many indigenous kingdoms, each with its own local traditions.


{{cquote|They're saying [to Robert], "We're all rehearsed, we're ready to go. Here's a gazillion dollars on the table. If you don't do it, we're going out with this kid. And he can sing the shit out of Zeppelin." And they're gonna hope that Robert, at the last minute, will go, "Okay," and step in before having the lead singer of Alter Bridge out with John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page and Jason Bonham.}}
==Sources of Traditional Mayan Religion==
What is known of pre-Spanish Maya religion stems from heterogeneous sources: (1) Primary sources from pre-Spanish times, first of all the three surviving hieroglyphic books and the earlier hieroglyphical texts; (2) primary sources from the early colonial period, such as the ''[[Popol Vuh]]'', the ''Ritual of the Bacabs'', and (at least partly) the various ''[[Chilam Balam]]'' books; (2) secondary sources, chiefly Spanish treatises such as those of [[Landa]] and [[Las Casas]]; (3) archaeological, epigraphic, and iconographic studies; and (4) extrapolations made from anthropological reports of traditional Maya religion over the last century and a half. Particularly the reconstruction of Classic Maya religion (200-900 A.D.) and its leading concepts is often debatable. There is also a tendency to view Classic Maya religion too exclusively through the prism of the Popol Vuh, abstracting from this source's temporal and geographical specificity.


This has fueled speculation that Kennedy will be forming a new band with the members of Led Zeppelin.
==Ritual==


Despite suffering from [[tinnitus]], Kennedy claims he has "the standard amount of hearing loss for someone who has been doing it (singing) as long as [he has]" and continues to "keep it in check."<ref name="Spokane 7">
===Times and Places===
[http://www.spokane7.com/blogs/soundwave/archive.asp?postID=6318 "7 questions with Myles Kennedy"]</ref> As of January 2, Kennedy has created his own [http://www.myspace.com/myleskennedyofficial MySpace page].
Present-day traditional Maya religion, in its public aspect, is largely governed by the Catholic feast cycle. Formerly, however, ritual had a complex organization governed by various interlocking calendars and by the lay-out of shrines and temples spread through the landscape, perhaps assigning specific numbers, or combinations of day-names and numbers, to them (as in the system described by B. Tedlock for Quichean [[Momostenango]]). An important part of the rituals took place in large caves, where the rain deities were believed to dwell, and in Yucatan also around karstic sinkholes (cenotes).


==Music career==
The main calendar governing ritual was that of the eighteen months (the [[Haab']]) and their feasts - including the elaborate New Year celebrations - described for the Yucatan by Diego De Landa. It is not known in how far this festival cycle was shared by the various Yucatec kingdoms, and if it was also valid for the earlier [[Petén]] kingdoms.


Kennedy began his career in a local Spokane band called Bittersweet. He played in other cover bands including Moment's Notice with [[Seattle]] jazz bassist Clipper Anderson.


Early in his career, Kennedy played guitar for a [[jazz fusion]] group called [http://www.worldjazzscene.com/jim-templeton.html Cosmic Dust]. Kennedy's guitar-work with Cosmic Dust was very advanced; using his knowledge of jazz theory in conjunction with his advanced technical abilities, Kennedy created the sound of traditional jazz guitar coupled with a more fusion-rock tone. He was not only able to imply chord changes on the fly (a difficult technique used in jazz) but also shred with speed and precision. When Anderson left Cosmic Dust and Moment's Notice to move to Seattle, he was replaced by Spokane bassist Dave Turner. Myles had been working on a new band that would be an outlet for his original material and they were in need of a bassist. Dave Turner joined Kennedy, guitarist Craig Johnson, trumpeteer Geoff Miller and drummer Mike Tschirgi to form Citizen Swing.


Following his stint with Cosmic Dust, Kennedy provided vocals and played guitar for Citizen Swing. A [[MySpace]] page dedicated to the band provides full tracks of "Motor Mama" and "Can't Complain", two of the band's songs original songs ([http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=59971144 link]). The band played their first gig in late 1993 at the Big Dipper, Spokane, WA and their last gig in June 1996. Kennedy had been collaborating with the future members of The Mayfield Four since summer 1995, and with the departure of Citizen Swing's bassist in late 1995 to pursue family and other interests, the door was opened for Citizen Swing to wind down and The Mayfield Four to rise.
{{expand-section|date=September 2008}}


By August of 1996, Kennedy had became the lead singer/lead guitarist of [[The Mayfield Four]], a rock band formed in 1996 with childhood friends Zia Uddin, Marty Meisner, and Craig Johnson (also of Citizen Swing). The Mayfield Four enjoyed a lot of success opening for bands like [[Creed (band)|Creed]], [[Fuel (band)|Fuel]], and many others. Due to undisclosed reasons, Craig Johnson was fired in 1999 and the band continued on as a threesome, with a substitute rhythm guitarist but unofficial band member, up through their final gig. They released 3 CDs, [[Motion (EP)|Motion]], [[Fallout (Mayfield Four album)|Fallout]], and [[Second Skin]]. Though popular, they never garnered enough popularity to break the big time.
===Priesthood===
Little is known about the Classic [[Maya priesthood]], although one surmises that the aged, ascetic figures depicted as blessing and inaugurating officials are likely the representatives of the priesthood at court. Our picture of the Mayan priesthood is almost entirely based on what Spanish missionaries have to say about them (Landa for Yucatan, Las Casas and others for the Guatemalan Highlands).


After The Mayfield Four officially split in 2002, Kennedy was asked by [[Slash (musician)|Slash]] to audition as lead singer of [[Velvet Revolver]], but he declined the offer,<ref name="VH1">
Around 1500 A.D., the priesthood was hierarchically organized, from the high priest living at the court down to the priest-shamans in the villages, and the priestly books were distributed along these lines. In the Quichean kingdom, the two most important deities, Gucumatz and Tohil, had their own high priests. The Maya priesthood had multiple tasks, running from performing life crisis rituals to divination. The amount of professional specialization is unclear. Special offices existed, such as that of of predicting the future for the major divisions of time (''[[katun]]ob'') and of giving oracles (''chilan''), and also, of course, that of reading the sky.
[http://www.vh1.com/artists/interview/1490485/20040823/alter_bridge.jhtml VH1 Interview]</ref> and two years later, he was called up by Creed guitarist [[Mark Tremonti]] asking to join a new band he was forming since Creed had recently broke up. Also comprised of former Creed members [[Scott Phillips]] and [[Brian Marshall]], the newly formed band [[Alter Bridge]] went on to release two albums, [[One Day Remains]] and [[Blackbird (album)|Blackbird]] and are currently writing material for a third and as of yet untitled third album, and will be shooting a live DVD at the [[Brixton Academy]] in [[London]] on November 8, 2008.


During his current stint with Alter Bridge, Kennedy appeared on [[Fozzy]]'s 2005 album ''[[All That Remains (album)|All That Remains]]'' as a guest vocalist on the song "Nameless Faceless", and also appears as a backing vocalist on the [[Sevendust]] song "Sorrow" from 2008 album [[Chapter VII: Hope & Sorrow]]. His Alter Bridge band mate [[Mark Tremonti]] also appears on the album, performing a guitar solo on the song "Hope."
[[Image:Mayan Ceremony - Blessing a child.JPG|right|thumb|Mayan Ceremony - Blessing a Child.]]


Kennedy has been known to use Fender, Gibson, Dean, and PRS guitars as well as Mesa Boogie amps. With Alter Bridge he uses PRS Guitars and Dean Guitars (both acoustic and electric). He also plays through Mesa Boogie Mark IV and Roadster amp heads.
===Offerings and Sacrifices===
Offerings serve to establish and renew relations (or 'pacts') with the other world, and the choice, number, preparation, and arrangement of the offered items (such as food, incense nodules, flowers) obey to stringent rules. An example is the 'meal' offered to the rain deities in the Yucatec Cha-chaac ritual.


==Equipment==
The forms sacrifice might take varies considerably. In the pre-Spanish past, it usually consisted of small animals such as quails and turkeys, or of deer meat, but on certain occasions (such as accession to the throne, severe illness of the ruler, royal burial, or drought) also came to include human beings. A characteristic feature of Mayan ritual were the "bloodletting" sessions held by high officials and members of the royal families, during which the earlobes, tongues, and penises were cut with razor-sharp small knives.
Guitars
* [[PRS_Guitars | Paul Reed Smith Guitars]] (uses SC 245, SC 250, Modern Eagle, McCarty, and Hollowbody models. These are his primary guitars)
* [[Dean Guitars]] A Resonator used for a Robert Jonhson Cover live.
* [[Taylor Guitars]] Myles can be seen using Taylor electro/acoustics, most notably when he performs Hallelujah.


Amplifiers
===Prayer===
* [[Mesa Boogie]] (uses a Mark IV head. Uses exclusively Mesa Boogie cabinets)
Mayan prayer almost invariably accompanies acts of offering and sacrifice, and often takes the form of long litanies in which the names of personified days, features of the landscape connected with historical or mythical events, and mountains are particularly prominent. <ref>Köhler 1995</ref> These prayers, with their hypnotizing scansion, often show a dyadic couplet structure which has also been recognized in Classic period texts. The earliest recorded prayers are in Quiché, and are embedded in the creation myths of the Popol Vuh.
* [[Diezel]] (A Herbert head. Myles has said this is his favorite amplifier and uses it for nearly all his distorted tones)


Effects
===Impersonation of Deities===
*Fulltone Clyde Wah pedal
The theatrical impersonation of deities is a Mesoamerican practice shared by the Mayas, and very visible in the person of the Classic Mayan king or queen. Quite commonly, the king, as depicted on his steles, shows the attributes and mask of the rain deity and of a rain serpent, but he (or the queen) could also represent other important deities, such as the [[Tonsured Maize God]]. Little is known about the way this impersonation was conceived: as a vicarious representation, a temporary possession, or an identity in kind.
*[[Line 6]] DL4 Delay
*[[Line 6]] Modulation Modeler
*Fulltone Deja Vibe Uni Vibe Clone
*Fulltone Octaver
*Boss Chromomatic Tuner
*TC Electronics Effects processor (for reverb only)
*Radial Switchbone


* More info about Myles' rig and guitars can be found at http://www.myles-kennedy.com
==Sciences of Destiny==
===Numerology and Calendrics===
Apart from writing, the fundamental priestly sciences were arithmetics and calendrics. Within the social group of the priests at court, it had by Classical times become customary to deify the numbers as well as the basic day-unit, and - particularly in the south-eastern kingdoms of [[Copan]] and [[Quirigua]] - to conceive the mechanism of time as an estafette in which the 'burden' of the time-units was passed on from one divine numerical 'bearer' to the next one. The numbers were not personified by distinctive numerical deities, but by some of the principal general deities, who were thus seen to be responsible for the ongoing 'march of time'. The day-units were depicted as [[Howler Monkey Gods]], the patrons of the priestly scribes themselves. In the Postclassic period, the time-unit of the katun was imagined as a divine king, as the 20 named days still are among the traditional 'day-keepers' of the Guatemalan Highlands.


===Divination===
==Acting career==
Like all other cultures of [[Mesoamerica]], the Mayas observed a 260-day [[Maya calendar|calendar]], usually referred to as ''[[tzolkin]]''. The length of this calendar coincides with the average duration of human gestation. Its purpose was to provide guidance in life through a consideration of the combined aspects of the 20 named days and 13 numbers, and to indicate the days on which sacrifice at specific 'number shrines' (recalling the number deities of Classic times) might lead to the desired results. The days were commonly deified and invoked as 'Lordships'. The general Yucatec word for 'priest' (''ah k'in'') referred to the counting of the days.


In addition to playing the role of [[glam metal]] character "Thor" in the 2001 film ''[[Rock Star (film)|Rock Star]]'', Kennedy has appeared along with the rest of Alter Bridge on an August 29, 2005 episode of [[WWE Raw]] with WWE superstar [[Adam Copeland|Edge]].
The mantic calendar has proven to be particularly resistent to the onslaughts of time (that is, of colonial repression, liberalism, ethnocide, and free market). Nowadays, a '[[daykeeper]]' (divinatory priest) may stand in front of a fire, and pray in Mayan to entities such as the 260 days; the cardinal directions; the ancestors of those present; important Mayan towns and archaeological sites; lakes, caves, or volcanoes; and deities from the Popol Vuh. People also come to these daykeepers to know about baby names, wedding dates and other special occasions.


===Astrology===
==Influences==
Myles is very influenced by the likes of [[Led Zeppelin]], [[Alice In Chains]], [[Soundgarden]], [[Guns N' Roses]], and [[U2]], as well as [[Radiohead]], [[Jeff Buckley]], and [[Marvin Gaye]]. His top five favorite albums are ''[[Appetite For Destruction]]'' by [[Guns N' Roses]], [[Led Zeppelin]]'s [[Led Zeppelin IV|untitled fourth album]], ''[[Highway to Hell]]'' by [[AC/DC]], ''[[What's Going On]]'' by [[Marvin Gaye]], and [[Jeff Buckley]]'s ''[[Grace (album)|Grace]].''
What is often called Mayan 'astronomy' was really astrology, since it was a priestly science resting on the assumption of a correspondence between earthly events and the movements of specific heavenly bodies and constellations. Contemporary Mayan astrology is extremely empoverished and fragmented. Usually, the names of certain stars and constellations is all that has been preserved. Some of the Books of Chilam Balam testify to the great interest the colonial Mayas had for the astrology of their conquerors. The highly sophisticated pre-Spanish astrology is mainly found in the relatively late [[Dresden Codex]], and concerns lunar and solar eclipses and the varying aspects of Venus (personified by different aspectual deities) in the course of its cycles; the Paris Codex contains a [[zodiac]].


==Cosmology==


===Earth, Sky, Underworld===
Horizontally, the earth could be conceived as a square with its four directional - or, perhaps, solstitial - points, each with its own colour, tree / mountain, deity, and aspect, or as a circle without such fixed points; in the centre is the tree of life / dominant mountain. The square earth could be conceived as a maize field, the circular earth as a turtle floating in the waters; the centre as a ceiba or a maize tree. Vertically, the sky was divided into thirteen layers, while the underworld is usually assumed to have consisted of nine layers, even though the underworld of the Popol Vuh (''[[xibalba]]'') does not know such a division; a central axis served as a means of communication between those various spheres. In Classic Maya texts and iconography, it is rather common to find deities linked to some of the thirteen skies, but similar references to the layers of the underworld have not been identified.


==Discography==
===Eschatology and Cosmogony===
===With Cosmic Dust===
Within the framweork of the post-Classic cycle of thirteen katuns (the so-called '[[Short Count]]'), some of the Yucatec Books of Chilam Balam describe the collapse of the sky, the subsequent deluge, and the re-establishment of the world and its five world trees. In this cosmic drama, the Earth Crocodile (Itzam Cab Ain) and the divine carriers of sky and earth, the [[Bacabs]], had an important role to play. The Quichean Popol Vuh does not mention the collapse of the sky and the establishment of the five trees, but focuses instead on a a succession of previous mankinds, the last of which was destroyed by a flood.
* (1991) ''Journey''


===With Citizen Swing===
For the Classic Mayas, the base date of the [[Long Count]] (4 Ahau 8 Cumku) is generally assumed to have been the focus of acts of creation especially, though not exclusively, connected to the mythology of the [[Maya maize god]]. References to these primordial events (as on Quirigua stela C) are few in number, seemingly incoherent, and hard to interpret (among these is an obscure conclave of seven deities in the underworld, and a concept of "three stones", usually taken to refer to a hearth).
* (1993) ''Cure Me With the Groove''
* (1995) ''Deep Down''


===With The Mayfield Four===
* (1997) ''[[Motion (EP)|Motion]]'' ([[Sony Music Entertainment|Sony Music]])
* (1998) ''[[Fallout (Mayfield Four album)|Fallout]]'' ([[Sony Music Entertainment|Sony Music]])
* (2001) ''[[Second Skin (album)|Second Skin]]'' ([[Sony Music Entertainment|Sony Music]])


===With Alter Bridge===
{{expand-section|date=September 2008}}
* (August 10, 2004) ''[[One Day Remains]]'' ([[Wind-Up Records]])

* (October 9, 2007) ''[[Blackbird (album)|Blackbird]]'' ([[Universal Records|Universal]] [[Republic Records]])
==Man==
===Soul and Co-essence===
The traditional Mayas believe in the existence, within each individual, of various souls, usually described in quasi-material terms (such as 'breath'). The loss of one or more souls results in specific diseases (generically called 'soul-loss', 'fright', or ''susto''). In Classic Maya texts, certain glyphs are read as references to the soul. Much more is known about the so-called 'co-essences', that is, animals or meteorological phenomena linked with the individual and protecting him; in some cases (often connected to black sorcery), one can also change into these 'co-essences' (see also [[nagual]]). The Classic Mayan grandees had a whole array of such 'soul companions', usually of a menacing nature, and called ''[[wayob]]''; these were distinguished by specific hieroglyphic names. Among them were also stars.

===Afterlife: Underworld and Paradise===
In the pre-Spanish past, there probably never existed a unified concept of the afterlife. Among the Pokoman Mayas of the Verapaz, Xbalanque was to accompany the dead king,<ref>Coe 1975:91, quoting Fuentes y Guzmán</ref> which suggests a descent into the Underworld like that described in the Popol Vuh Twin myth. On the other hand, one finds that the ancestors of Maya kings (Palenque tomb of [[Pakal]], Berlin pot) were sprouting from the earth like fruit trees, suggestive of some concept of Paradise; and into such a Paradise, those who had committed suicide were conducted by the goddess [[Ixtab]].

==Powers of the Other World==
===Ancestors===
The traditional Mayas live in the continual presence of the 'grandfathers and grandmothers', or ancestors; in Classic courts, tombs are found integrated in the residences of the nobility. In the past, ancestor worship had an important role to play. Around 1500 A.D., the incinerated remains of the (male) members of important families were enclosed in images for veneration, and, in the Verapaz, a statue of the dead king was placed on his burial mound, which then became a place of worship.<ref>Miles 1957:749, quoting Fuentes y Guzmán and Las Casas</ref> As reliefs from the Classic kingdom of [[Yaxchilan]] show, royal ancestors were sometimes approached during bloodletting rituals, and then appeared to their descendants, emerging from the mouth of a terrestrial serpent (see also [[Vision Serpent]]).

===Deities===
The Mayan concept of 'deity' (''k'u'' in Yucatec, ''qabuvil'' in ancient Quiché) is poorly understood, but should not be reduced to a mere personification of natural phenomena; the deities' functions and interactions with other deities are much too complicated for that. The life-cycle of the [[maize]], for instance, lies at the heart of Maya belief, but the role of the [[Maya maize god]] transcends the sphere of agriculture to embrace basic aspects of civilized life in general (such as writing). Nor can the deities easily be arranged hierarchically, although there was a concept of an upper god (called [[Itzamna]] in 16th-century Yucatec).

About twenty deity names from the multitude occurring in early-colonial sources have been linked to deity figures from the codices and their correspondences in the corpus of ceramic representations (Schellhas-Zimmermann-Taube classification). This leaves out a considerable number of deities only known from Classic art. There are various ways of bringing some order in the many names and depictions of deities, but these are all artefacts of scholarship, rather than reflecting some permanent division in the heads of the traditional Mayas. The three remaining codices are there to show that deities were permanently being arranged and rearranged according to cultic criteria which usually are not immediately accessible to us.


{{expand-section|date=September 2008}}

===Cosmic Serpents and Dragons===
Serpents and dragons are here distinguished from the humanized deities, since they often serve as vehicles for these deities, and make them appear from their maws. Dragons combine the features of serpents, crocodiles, and deer. Both the cosmic serpents and dragons embody earth and sky.

==Religious Narrative==
There is considerable diversity in recent [[Maya mythology]]. Particularly in narratives concerned with the creation of the earth and the useful plants, a reworking of Catholic imagery is often noticeable. Among the best-known myths are those about the opening of the Maize Mountain by the Lightning deities, the struggle of Sun and his Elder Brethren, and the marriage of Sun and Moon. The early-colonial Quichean Twin myth, set out in the Popol Vuh, has not been transmitted, although fragments are recognizable in recent narrative; the name of one of its heroes, Xbalanque, was around the turn of the 20th century still known in the Alta Verapaz. Early creation mythology has been preserved in the Popol Vuh and in some of the Books of [[Chilam Balam]].

Notwithstanding the progress in hieroglyphic decipherment, the most important sources for Classic mythology are still scenes painted on pottery (the so-called 'ceramic codex') and monumental iconography. The two principal narratives recognized thus far are about demi-gods close to humanity (the Twins and the Maize god), and have to be reconstructed from scenes in which often, narrative and ritual concerns are intertwined.


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}
http://myles-kennedy.com
*Danton, Eric R. [http://www.freenewmexican.com/artsfeatures/10318.html "Post-Creed pressure for Alter Bridge singer Myles Kennedy"], ''Associated Press'', February 9, 2005. Accessed January 29, 2006
http://www.mesaboogie.com/Reviews/CustTestimonials/2007-Bracewell-Roadster/Bracewell-Roadster.html
http://www.deanguitars.com/myles_kennedy.php


==Bibliography==
==External links==
*http://www.myles-kennedy.com
*Michael D. Coe, ''Death and the Ancient Maya'', in E.P. Benson ed., Death and the Afterlife in Pre-Columbian America, pp. 87-104. Dumbarton Oaks, Washington 1975.
*http://www.myspace.com/myleskennedyofficial
*David Freidel, Linda Schele, Joy Parker, ''Maya Cosmos''. William Morrow, New York 1993.
*http://www.myspace.com/alterbridge
*Ulrich Köhler, ''Chonbilal Ch'ulelal - Alma Vendida. Elementos fundamentales de la cosmología y religión mesoamericanas en una oración en maya-tzotzil.'' Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico 1995.
*http://www.alterbridge.com
*Susan Milbrath, ''Star Gods of the Maya''. University of Texas Pres, Austin 1999.
*http://www.alterbridgeband.net
*S.W. Miles, ''The Sixteenth-Century Pokom-Maya''. The American Philosophical Society, Philadelphia 1957.
*{{imdb name|id=1042872|name=Myles Kennedy}}
*Mary Miller and Karl Taube, ''An Illustrated Dictionary of the Gods and Symbols of Ancient Mexico and the Maya''. Thames and Hudson, London 1993.
{{The Mayfield Four}}
*Ralph L. Roys, ''The Book of Chilam Balam of Chumayel''. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman 1967.
{{Alter Bridge}}
*Ralph L. Roys, ''Ritual of the Bacabs''. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman 1965.
*Karl Taube, ''The Major Gods of Ancient Yucatan''. Dumbarton Oaks, Washington 1992.
*Barbara Tedlock, ''Time and the Highland Maya''. University of New Mexico Pres, Albuquerque 1992.
* {{cite book | author={{aut|Tedlock, Dennis}} (trans.) |year = 1985 | title=Popol Vuh: the Definitive Edition of the Mayan Book of the Dawn of Life and the Glories of Gods and Kings| location= New York | publisher=Simon and Schuster|isbn=0-671-45241-X }}
*J.E.S. Thompson, ''Maya History and Religion''. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman 1970.
*Alfred M. Tozzer, ''Landa's Relación de las cosas de Yucatán. A Translation''. Peabody Museum, Cambridge MA 1941.

==See also==
*[[Maya mythology]]
*[[List of Maya gods and supernatural beings]]
*[[Aztec religion]]



{{DEFAULTSORT:Kennedy, Myles}}
[[Category:Maya mythology and religion|*Religion]]
[[Category:Maya civilization]]
[[Category:1969 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Spokane, Washington]]
[[Category:American musicians]]


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Revision as of 11:16, 13 October 2008

Myles Kennedy

Myles R. Kennedy (born November 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist originally from Spokane, Washington who possesses a 4-octave vocal range, with his longest held on note timed at 22 seconds (in The Mayfield Four's "Summergirl"; his longest note streak with one breath is 31 seconds in Alter Bridge's "Blackbird"). Kennedy, a former guitar instructor in the Spokane area who has appeared as a guest of both live performances and recording sessions of numerous bands over the years, is currently the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist to Alter Bridge, a United States rock band and the brainchild of former Creed guitarist Mark Tremonti.

According to Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider, Kennedy is strongly rumored to have been selected as the touring vocalist for Led Zeppelin for their upcoming reunion tour[1], though his contributions with the band have not yet been entirely confirmed. Robert Plant has denied any speculation that will be participating in the tour, and has mentioned that he will not tour again for another two years. Because of this, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, and Jason Bonham have been rehearsing and possibly recording with an American stand-in vocalist while trying to persuade Plant to join them. Regarding Page, Jones, and Bonham, Snider says:

They're saying [to Robert], "We're all rehearsed, we're ready to go. Here's a gazillion dollars on the table. If you don't do it, we're going out with this kid. And he can sing the shit out of Zeppelin." And they're gonna hope that Robert, at the last minute, will go, "Okay," and step in before having the lead singer of Alter Bridge out with John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page and Jason Bonham.

This has fueled speculation that Kennedy will be forming a new band with the members of Led Zeppelin.

Despite suffering from tinnitus, Kennedy claims he has "the standard amount of hearing loss for someone who has been doing it (singing) as long as [he has]" and continues to "keep it in check."[2] As of January 2, Kennedy has created his own MySpace page.

Music career

Kennedy began his career in a local Spokane band called Bittersweet. He played in other cover bands including Moment's Notice with Seattle jazz bassist Clipper Anderson.

Early in his career, Kennedy played guitar for a jazz fusion group called Cosmic Dust. Kennedy's guitar-work with Cosmic Dust was very advanced; using his knowledge of jazz theory in conjunction with his advanced technical abilities, Kennedy created the sound of traditional jazz guitar coupled with a more fusion-rock tone. He was not only able to imply chord changes on the fly (a difficult technique used in jazz) but also shred with speed and precision. When Anderson left Cosmic Dust and Moment's Notice to move to Seattle, he was replaced by Spokane bassist Dave Turner. Myles had been working on a new band that would be an outlet for his original material and they were in need of a bassist. Dave Turner joined Kennedy, guitarist Craig Johnson, trumpeteer Geoff Miller and drummer Mike Tschirgi to form Citizen Swing.

Following his stint with Cosmic Dust, Kennedy provided vocals and played guitar for Citizen Swing. A MySpace page dedicated to the band provides full tracks of "Motor Mama" and "Can't Complain", two of the band's songs original songs (link). The band played their first gig in late 1993 at the Big Dipper, Spokane, WA and their last gig in June 1996. Kennedy had been collaborating with the future members of The Mayfield Four since summer 1995, and with the departure of Citizen Swing's bassist in late 1995 to pursue family and other interests, the door was opened for Citizen Swing to wind down and The Mayfield Four to rise.

By August of 1996, Kennedy had became the lead singer/lead guitarist of The Mayfield Four, a rock band formed in 1996 with childhood friends Zia Uddin, Marty Meisner, and Craig Johnson (also of Citizen Swing). The Mayfield Four enjoyed a lot of success opening for bands like Creed, Fuel, and many others. Due to undisclosed reasons, Craig Johnson was fired in 1999 and the band continued on as a threesome, with a substitute rhythm guitarist but unofficial band member, up through their final gig. They released 3 CDs, Motion, Fallout, and Second Skin. Though popular, they never garnered enough popularity to break the big time.

After The Mayfield Four officially split in 2002, Kennedy was asked by Slash to audition as lead singer of Velvet Revolver, but he declined the offer,[3] and two years later, he was called up by Creed guitarist Mark Tremonti asking to join a new band he was forming since Creed had recently broke up. Also comprised of former Creed members Scott Phillips and Brian Marshall, the newly formed band Alter Bridge went on to release two albums, One Day Remains and Blackbird and are currently writing material for a third and as of yet untitled third album, and will be shooting a live DVD at the Brixton Academy in London on November 8, 2008.

During his current stint with Alter Bridge, Kennedy appeared on Fozzy's 2005 album All That Remains as a guest vocalist on the song "Nameless Faceless", and also appears as a backing vocalist on the Sevendust song "Sorrow" from 2008 album Chapter VII: Hope & Sorrow. His Alter Bridge band mate Mark Tremonti also appears on the album, performing a guitar solo on the song "Hope."

Kennedy has been known to use Fender, Gibson, Dean, and PRS guitars as well as Mesa Boogie amps. With Alter Bridge he uses PRS Guitars and Dean Guitars (both acoustic and electric). He also plays through Mesa Boogie Mark IV and Roadster amp heads.

Equipment

Guitars

  • Paul Reed Smith Guitars (uses SC 245, SC 250, Modern Eagle, McCarty, and Hollowbody models. These are his primary guitars)
  • Dean Guitars A Resonator used for a Robert Jonhson Cover live.
  • Taylor Guitars Myles can be seen using Taylor electro/acoustics, most notably when he performs Hallelujah.

Amplifiers

  • Mesa Boogie (uses a Mark IV head. Uses exclusively Mesa Boogie cabinets)
  • Diezel (A Herbert head. Myles has said this is his favorite amplifier and uses it for nearly all his distorted tones)

Effects

  • Fulltone Clyde Wah pedal
  • Line 6 DL4 Delay
  • Line 6 Modulation Modeler
  • Fulltone Deja Vibe Uni Vibe Clone
  • Fulltone Octaver
  • Boss Chromomatic Tuner
  • TC Electronics Effects processor (for reverb only)
  • Radial Switchbone

Acting career

In addition to playing the role of glam metal character "Thor" in the 2001 film Rock Star, Kennedy has appeared along with the rest of Alter Bridge on an August 29, 2005 episode of WWE Raw with WWE superstar Edge.

Influences

Myles is very influenced by the likes of Led Zeppelin, Alice In Chains, Soundgarden, Guns N' Roses, and U2, as well as Radiohead, Jeff Buckley, and Marvin Gaye. His top five favorite albums are Appetite For Destruction by Guns N' Roses, Led Zeppelin's untitled fourth album, Highway to Hell by AC/DC, What's Going On by Marvin Gaye, and Jeff Buckley's Grace.


Discography

With Cosmic Dust

  • (1991) Journey

With Citizen Swing

  • (1993) Cure Me With the Groove
  • (1995) Deep Down

With The Mayfield Four

With Alter Bridge

References

  1. ^ [http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/article1796429.ece The Sun, 11 Oct 2008
  2. ^ "7 questions with Myles Kennedy"
  3. ^ VH1 Interview

http://myles-kennedy.com

http://www.mesaboogie.com/Reviews/CustTestimonials/2007-Bracewell-Roadster/Bracewell-Roadster.html http://www.deanguitars.com/myles_kennedy.php

External links

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