(Orillia, ON) – Rock bassist Chuck Garric has been a permanent fixture in the Alice Cooper band since 2002. Recording base licks on the Eyes of Alice Cooper as well as the Dirty Diamonds record. Chuck also received co-writing credits for two tracks on the Along Came a Spider release, (In Touch With) Your Feminine Side and Killed by Love.
When not touring with Alice Cooper, Garric indulges in his own musical creation called Beasto Blanco, a Hard Rock ensemble which was established in 2012. Switching gears from base to guitar and lead vocals, Chuck and the crew wasted no time releasing their freshman album called Live Fast Die Loud in October 2013. His resume includes playing with Dio, L.A Guns, Cheap Trick and Ted Nugent just to name a few.
Music Life Magazine had the opportunity to sit down with Chuck Garric at Casino Rama while he was on tour with Alice Cooper, on what was their last leg of the North American Tour.
MLM – Thanks for taking the time to talk with Music Life Magazine today!
Chuck – My pleasure!
MLM – Where did your love of music come from and was it a family affair?
Chuck – Music was a part of our lives growing up. My dad loved Creedence (Clearwater Revival), Merle Haggard, Glen Campbell and Willy Nelson, all that classical country music, but it wasn’t until I was a bit older, 12-13 years old, when my dad started playing the five-string banjo and I started playing the bass guitar. I was a trumpet player before in school. We started learning about different bands together. I remember I turn my pops on with bands like Queen and Iron Maiden, then he would go alright, now you have to listen to Earl Scrugs riff here or this blue grass riff here. We would share our love back and forth and challenge each other to learn something new.
MLM – Who out of all the bands you’ve played with has been most influential to you .
Chuck – Playing with the great Ronnie Dio . Ronnie launched my whole career. I wouldn’t be where I’m at now if it wasn’t for playing with Ronnie. He gave me my break.
MLM – You have your own project called Beasto Blanco. Did you feel a need to let your own creative ideas come to the fore front?
Chuck – Beasto Blanco is a project that is very near and dear to me. I’ve been writing material for a long time. I’ve played with so many bands and decided it was time for me to get some of these songs out. I partnered up with Chris Latham, a guitar pal of mine. We got together and started the whole process. It just all fell into place.
MLM – Tell me how did you get the Alice Cooper gig?
Chuck – I got a phone call from management that they were looking for a bass player and that my name was in the hat, and if I would come down and audition and so I learned the songs and I guess the rest is history.
MLM – Tell us what was the highlights of your career?
Chuck – Oh man, that’s a great question. And this is where I take the time to reflect about what I’ve done in my career and when I think about myself as a young bass player trying to get started and learning from the greats. Then getting the opportunity to play on stage with Ronnie Dio and Alice Cooper, and sharing the stage with such killer bands like the Rolling Stones, Iron Maiden, Deep Purple and Motley Crue, but I think that lightbulb moment for me is when I load my suitcase on the tour bus it’s a pinnacle moment, it’s amazing, it’s everything I wanted it to be and I’m just going to do it as long as I possibly can.
MLM – Tell us about a memorable fan interaction and how did it make you feel?
Chuck – I found on my last tour with Beasto Blanco, that moment that I realized it was working. We have a song called Breakdown, it was our first release, and it’s one of the songs we put towards the end of our show, but when we got into that song, I realize that the audience where singing all the lyrics. I look over to my guitar player and he has a look of HOLY SHIT! This is amazing, it’s working, we are doing it! That to me was a great fan interaction, if you will, because we were all one for that moment. It’s one of those experiences that you strive for. It’s amazing!
MLM – Share with us a little known fact about Chuck Garric.
Chuck – You know, I put myself out there on social media and I’m as real as possible. I don’t have anything that I can think of.
MLM – Thanks so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to speak with Music Life Magazine today. We appreciate it!
Chuck – No Problem! My Pleasure!
For more info on Chuck Garric and his band Beasto Blanco please visit: (WEBSITE) (FACEBOOK) (TWITTER)
A special thanks goes out to Suzanne Penley from Penley Management Group for the opportunity.
All images are ©Sue Sadzak 2016 Please do NOT copy without expressed consent.
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