Earl Slick (born Frank Madeloni in Staten Island, New York,1st October 1952) is a guitarist best known for his collaborations with David Bowie, Jim Diamond and Robert Smith, although he has also worked with other artists (John Lennon: Double Fantasy, Milk and Honey, Yoko Ono) and even released some solo recordings.
In the early 1970s, Earl Slick gained his reputation on New York music scene as a talented, skillful rock guitarist while playing in a band called "Mack Truck" featuring both singer/songwriter Jimmy Mack and his brother drummer Jack Mack. His work with Scottish singer/songwriter Jim Diamond was as the duo 'Slick Diamond'. They did some tours and performances for a short time in the late 1970s. Slick was initially hired by David Bowie to replace Mick Ronson as lead guitarist for the Diamond Dogs tour in 1974 (the live album David Live was culled from this tour). Slick also performed lead guitar on Bowie's Young Americans and Station To Station albums, released in 1975 and 1976 respectively. It was Slick's powerful playing that made the latter album's "Stay" an enduring favourite of fans of Bowie and of guitar heroics alike. After running afoul of Bowie's management, Slick was replaced as lead guitarist for the Station To Station tour (1976), his role being taken by Stacey Heydon. Slick then became a hired gun, working for Leo Sayer, Ian Hunter, John Lennon, and Yoko Ono.
He also formed his own solo band. Slick returned to Bowie for 1983's Serious Moonlight tour, to support the Let's Dance album. Ironically, Slick, who was ousted as lead guitarist from Bowie's 1976 tour, was the last-minute lead-guitarist replacement for Bowie's 1983 tour (substituting for Stevie Ray Vaughan). Slick then formed Phantom, Rocker & Slick with Slim Jim Phantom and Lee Rocker. In 1990, Slick was in the collaboration "Dirty White Boy" which only saw one album, "Bad Reputation" (1990) and industry show cases in London and Los Angeles.
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