In remembrance of Y&T rhythm guitarist Joey Alves (1954-2017)

Joey Alves (August 3, 1954 – March 12, 2017) was the rhythm guitarist for legendary American hard rock heavy metal band Y&T. He was with the band from 1974 until 1989. He was with the band during their most famous years in the 1980s, performing on classic records like Earthshaker, Black Tiger, Mean Streak, and In Rock We Trust. His final studio appearances with the group were on Down for the Count and Contagious. Additionally, his powerful live playing can be heard on the 1985 live album, Open Fire. Y&T is the most fun hard rock heavy metal rock and roll: the melodies, the riffs, the singing, the catchy songs, and of course, a mighty rhythm section! I am a fan of Y&T and enjoy a ton of their songs across the decades. Y&T has sold over four million albums worldwide. Across five decades, they achieved five Top 100 albums and earned extensive MTV rotation with signature hits like "Summertime Girls," "Mean Streak," and "Don't Stop Runnin'." A powerful band capable of reproducing the sound of their records, they also reached audiences with major songs such as "Rescue Me," "Forever," and "Contagious."

Check out the band live with Joey below. The footage is old, but the reason I'm sharing it is because this is a band that sounds great live. The music sounds great and Y&T singing is something else live. The singing sounds strong in the live setting, and it is not "studio-only" singing. Studio or live, Y&T brings the quality either way. In general, the critics that have written about Y&T, the ones have really listened to the classic albums, they usually consider the following three albums are the classic trilogy during this period with Joey: Earthshaker (1981), Black Tiger (1982) and Mean Streak (1983).

From the band's official website: Joey Alves was born in Oakland, CA and grew up in a small town just south of Oakland called San Lorenzo. He started playing guitar after high school and he was only in one local band before joining up with Dave, Leonard, and Phil in Yesterday & Today. There, Joey set his sights on mastering a new and more aggressive approach to the traditional style of rhythm guitar. He felt fortunate to have always been given the freedom to experiment from his band mates. Still today, as a result of Joey’s efforts, his playing receives countless praise from musicians he has influenced. Joey passed away on March 12, 2017, after battling ulcerative colitis and other health complications.

Biography from the band's official website: Before Mötley Crüe, before RATT, even before there was a Metallica, Y&T was slogging away in sweaty rock clubs around America. When the band formed in the early 1970s, little did they know they would set the standard for hard rock bands that trailed. Many of the biggest acts of the ’80s became popular opening for headliners Y&T—and cut their teeth on the band, as evidenced by the Y&T mentions in tell-all books by acts such as Metallica and Mötley Crüe. Born in Oakland, California, Y&T is one of the San Francisco Bay Area’s own innovators of the hard rock sound. Whether performing to a festival crowd of fifty-thousand or in an intimate nightclub, Y&T’s high-energy set and passionate performances still captivate legions of fans around the globe, proving Y&T’s music timeless.

Originally formed as Yesterday and Today, the initial powerhouse quartet—featuring Dave Meniketti (lead guitar/lead vocals), Phil Kennemore (bass), Leonard Haze (drums), and Joey Alves (rhythm guitar)—tore through the ’70s and ’80s with their own brand of hard rock. After two ’70s albums on London Records, they shortened their name to Y&T and released eight albums on A&M in the ’80s. Two more albums with Geffen Records marked an era of change with Jimmy DeGrasso (Alice Cooper, Suicidal Tendencies, Megadeth) on drums and Stef Burns (Alice Cooper, Berlin, Huey Lewis) on guitar. With a discography of 18 albums, three greatest hits collections, plus a boxed set, Y&T has sold over four million albums since their 1974 inception. The band’s most recent single I’m Coming Home has climbed to roughly 1.5 million views on YouTube. Y&T received extensive airplay with hits such as Forever, Rescue Me, Mean Streak, Don’t Stop Runnin’, and Summertime Girls—which played in heavy rotation on MTV. Y&T songs have been featured in a multitude of movies and television shows, including Real Genius, Out of Bounds, Baywatch, and Hunter. After five top 100 albums, songs that tipped into the 40s, two Bammie Awards, and many international television appearances, Y&T’s hits are still played on VH1 Classic and classic rock radio stations worldwide.

With the passing of Kennemore, Haze, and Alves, it’s Meniketti who carries on the legacy that is Y&T. Y&T continues to tour the world, featuring the dynamic original frontman Dave Meniketti (lead guitar/lead vocals), John Nymann (guitar/vocals), Aaron Leigh (bass/vocals), and Mike Vanderhule (drums/vocals), playing songs that span the band’s five-decade career and including all the hits and fan favorites. Prepare to have your face melted.

Y&T - Don't Stop Running (Live 1985)

Y&T - Black Tiger - Reading Festival 1982

Y & T Mean Streak and Midnight in Tokyo Live ‘80s