Biography
DICK WAGNER
Nearly forty years after launching his storied and dynamic career, hit songwriter, guitar virtuoso and masterful producer and arranger Dick Wagner remains a brilliant and vital force on the pop/rock landscape he helped create.
Dick Wagner’s songs and lead guitar have been featured on more than 150 renowned albums, including 14 Platinum records, 16 Gold Records, 5 Silver Records; and Wagner has been awarded numerous BMI Songwriter Awards.
Legendary for his groundbreaking collaborations with Alice Cooper—for whom he was musical director, lead guitarist and co-writer of the icon’s biggest hits, including “Only Women Bleed,” “You And Me” and “Welcome To My Nightmare”--the Detroit area native helped define an era in rock history by performing or writing for Aerosmith, Lou Reed, Burton Cummings, Kiss, Meat Loaf, Steve Perry, Ringo Starr, Etta James, Peter Gabriel, Rod Stewart and Air Supply. Wagner was Cooper’s right hand man on such groundbreaking albums as Welcome to My Nightmare, Alice Cooper Goes to Hell, Lace and Whiskey, From the Inside and DaDa.
Writer on Demand
Currently in the studio writing songs again with Cooper for an upcoming CD, Wagner has become an in-demand, one stop “go to” guy offering his wide range of musical expertise to a multitude of clients in all genres. While famous as one of the most innovative guitarists of the rock era, he is also a highly prolific songwriter, with hundreds of tracks and numerous Top Ten hits to his credit. A master at writing engaging lyrics, catchy melodies and driving, rhythmic riffs, Wagner transforms simple concepts into fully realized songs, often overnight, as a “writer on demand.”
Multi-genre Producer, Arranger
Wagner is an impressively diverse presence “behind the boards,” offering his services as a top-flight producer and arranger. With refined, seasoned taste and powerful chops to spare, Wagner has a million ideas for your next project. With nearly 40 years of experience in the studio and on the road with rock music’s biggest artists, he brings extraordinary sonic expertise and edgy, soulful and sophisticated musicianship to every musical genre—rock, country, blues, jazz, alternative…. He has also expanded his scope in recent years to writing songs for TV shows and composing film scores.
Even after Cooper’s heyday, Wagner kept up the social conscience that the two tapped into with the domestic abuse themed “Only Women Bleed,” writing the song “Remember the Child” about the ills of child abuse. Originally commissioned by The San Antonio Commission on child Abuse, author/lecturer John Bradshaw discovered the song and chose it as his theme for the Emmy nominated PBS special “Homecoming.” It has since become the anthem for tens of thousands who have been scarred by child abuse, and is a catalytic tool used by many therapists in dealing with their patients.
Wagner is currently a principal in Desert Dreams Records. A full-service independent label based in Phoenix, Arizona, Desert Dreams takes a revolutionary -- and yet old school – hands-on approach to developing the extraordinary artist into the cutting-edge stars of tomorrow.
Desert Dreams Records: Music Production and Artist Development for the extraordinary Artist.
www.wagnermusic.com
www.desertdreamsllc.com
www.wensdaymusic.com
Instrumentation
Dick Wagner - Singer/Hit Songwriter/Lead Guitar
Discography
DISCOGRAPHY
YEAR GROUP ALBUM
1964-67 The Bossmen Various Singles Guitar, Vocals, Composer
1967-68 The Fabulous Pack I've Got News For You/Wide Trackin' (singles) Composer
1967 Dick Wagner and the Frosts Rainy Day/Bad Girl (singles) Composer
Note: on Date Label
1967 Dick Wagner and the Frosts Sunshine/Little Girl (singles) Composer
Note: on Date Label
1967 The Cherry Slush I Cannot Stop You (single) Composer, Producer
1968 Elation Fields Light Side Table/Heat Wave (singles) Producer and Arranger
1969 The FROST Frost Music Guitar, Vocals, Composer
The FROST Rock and Roll Music Guitar, Vocals, Composer
1970 The FROST Through the Eyes of Love Guitar, Vocals, Songs, Producer
1972 Ursa Major Ursa Major Guitar, Vocals, Composer
Cooper, Alice School's Out Guitar
Ursa Major Let The Music Play - Single not on the Album Guitar, Vocals, Composer
1973 Cooper, Alice Billion Dollar Babies Guitar
Cooper, Alice Muscle of Love Guitar
Murphy, Elliott Aquashow Vocals, Vocals (bckgr)
Flo & Eddie Flo & Eddie Guitar, Composer
Reed, Lou Berlin Guitar, Guitar,
Vocals
1974 Aerosmith Get Your Wings Guitar
Cooper, Alice Greatest Hits Guitar
Paige, Justin Justin Paige Guitar
Reed, Lou Rock & Roll Animal Guitar, BkgVocals
1975 Reed, Lou Lou Reed Live Guitar, BkgVocals
Cooper, Alice Welcome to My Nightmare Guitar, Vocals, Composer
Cooper, Alice Alice Cooper Goes to Hell Guitar, Arranger, Vocals, Concept, Composer
1976 KISS Destroyer Guitar
Manzarek, Ray The Whole Thing Started from Rock and Roll Guitar, Title Song
1977 Cooper, Alice The Alice Cooper Show Guitar, Composer, BkgVocals
Cooper, Alice Lace & Whiskey Guitar
Gabriel, Peter Peter Gabriel [car on cover] Guitar, BkgVocals
Gabriel, Peter Solsbury Hill (single) Guitar
Wagner, Richard Richard Wagner Guitar, Composer
1978 Curry, Tim Read My Lips Guitar
James, Etta Deep In The Night Composer
Cummings, Burton Dream of a Child Guitar
The FROST Early Frost Guitar, Vocals, Producer,
Composer
Farner, Mark Mark Farner Guitar, Producer, Composer
Cooper, Alice From the Inside Guitar, Composer
Hall & Oates Along the Red Ledge Guitar
197? Cooper, Alice Cooper, Alice Guitar
1979 Curry, Tim Fearless Guitar, Producer, Composer
198? Jolly Brothers Jolly Brothers Guitar, Producer, Composer, Arranger
1982 Cooper, Alice Zipper Catches Skin Guitar, Composer
1983 Cooper, Alice Da Da Guitar, Bass Guitar
BkgVocals, Composer
1983 Meatloaf Midnight at the Lost and Found Composer
1984 Austin, Patti Patti Austin Composer
Mahla, Jah Jah Mahla Guitar
1985 Muppets Welcome To My Nightmare Composer
1985 Air Supply Air Supply Composer
1986 Lee Aaron Call of the Wild Composer
James, Etta The Late Show Composer
Meatloaf Blind Before I Stop Composer
1988 Paolo Fresu Only Women Bleed Composer
198? Rod Stewart (unreleased) Composer
198? Fiona (unreleased) Composer
1989 Tim Curry Best of Tim Curry Guitar, Composer
1990 Throbs, The The Language of Vagabonds Producer
1990 Ford, Lita Stilletto Composer
1991 Cooper, Alice Hey Stoopid Guitar
1991 Bradshaw, John Homecoming PBS Television Theme Song Composer
1991 Wagner, Richard Remember the Child Composer, Guitar,
Vocals, Producer
1992 Ford, Lita The Best Of Lita Ford Composer, Producer
1992 Wagner, Richard Creating Love Composer, Producer
1992 Kiss Revenge Guitar
1992 Reed, Lou Between Thought and Expression: The Lou Reed Anthology Guitar
Gabriel, Peter Revisited Guitar, Vocals
70's Greatest Rock Hits:Vol.2 Heavy Hitters 70's Greatest Rock Hits:Vol.2 Heavy Hitters Guitar, Vocals, Composer
1993 Bradshaw, John Creating Love PBS Television
Monsters of Rock Monsters of Rock: Vol. 1 Guitar, Composer
Bill Kennedy's Showtime Rock N Roll Music Composer
Farnham, John Then Again
(Only Women Bleed) Composer
Perry, Steve (unreleased) Guitar, Composer, Producer
McCrae, Carmen Only Women Bleed Composer
Elvira Presents: Haunted Hits Composer, Guitar
1994 Bossmen, The The Bossmen Guitar, Vocals, Composer, Producer
1994 Cummings, Burton The Burton Cummings Collection Guitar
1994 Turner, Tina Only Women Bleed Composer
1995 Wagner, Richard Rock Hitstory: PROFILE Composer, Producer, All Instruments
Cleveland International,
Just Us Girls Cleveland Int'l Records Guitar, Producer
Meatloaf The Definitive Collection Guitar, Composer
Only Love: 1975-1979 You and Me Guitar, Composer
Cooper, Alice Classicks Guitar, Composer
1996 Omar & the Howlers World Wide Open Composer
Forever Pop: Vol. 1 Only Women Bleed Guitar, Composer
Only Rock N Roll: 75-79 Only Women Bleed Guitar, Composer
Rhumba Shine Silently Composer
Eva Svobodova Only Women Bleed Composer
1997 Vanguard Collector's Ed Vanguard Collector's Edition Guitar, Vocals
Omar & the Howlers Monkeyland Composer
Copeland, Ruth Take Me to Baltimore Composer
Michigan Rocks Michigan Rocks (bootleg) Guitar, Composer
Legends of Guitar: Rock Legends of Guitar: Rock 70s, Vol. 1 Guitar
Matt Besey Matt Besey Piano, Producer
Lofgren, Nils Shine Silently Composer
Lofgren, Nils Code Of The Road: Greatest Hits Composer
1998 Brother Love Brother Love Producer
Sonic Vibe Sonic Vibe Producer
Love Rocks You And Me Guitar, Composer
Cooper, Alice Prime Cuts DVD Guitar, Composer
1999 Christine Smith River of Grace Producer
The FROST This Band Can Rock And Roll Forever Guitarist, Producer, Composer
Gwen Goodman Down on My Knees Producer
Church of the Open Bottle Church of the Open Bottle Producer
Cooper, Alice The Life and Crimes of Alice Cooper Guitar, Vocals,
Writer
Aegri Somnia Aegri Somnia Producer, Engineer
Humanary Stew Tribute to Alice Cooper Composer, Guitarist
Cooper, Alice Super Hits Composer, Guitarist
Pop In The 70's Vol. 2. Only Women Bleed Composer, Guitarist
Felicity Soundtrack Here Comes The Flood Bkg. Vocals, Guitarist
James, Etta Heart Of A Woman Composer
Cooper, Alice Welcome To My Nightmare DVD Composer, Guitarist, Bkg. Vocals
Air Supply The Definitive Collection Composer
Various Artists Hits of the 70's Composer, Guitar, Bkg. Vocals
Bill Kalmar Bill Kalmar Producer
2000 The Jim Cummings Band The Jim Cummings Band Producer, Composer
Flatline Flatline Producer
Broke Broke Producer
Meatloaf Simply The Best Composer
Perpetual Jones Perpetual Jones Producer
Scott, Darin Darin Scott Producer, Composer
Morris, Laura Summer Days Guitar, Composer
2001 Guarino, Carol Guarino, Carol Guitar, Composer
Wagner, Dick Remember The Child Guitar, Composer
Cooper, Alice Monsters & Mascara Guitar, Composer
Wagner, Dave (unreleased) Guitar, Arranger
Solid Rock Solid Rock Live Producer
Wagner, Robert (unreleased) Guitar, Composer, Arranger
Goodman, Gwen Gwen Goodman Live Producer
Bleedstreet Roots Guitar, Producer
2002 Wagner, Robert Robert Wagner Producer
Leigh, Janis Runnin' On Fumes Composer, Producer, Arranger
Scott, Darin Views From Mulholland Producer, Arranger, Kybds.
2003 Skinner Rat In The Box Producer, Guitars
2004 Chris DeMarco Unreleased material Producer, Arranger
Chris Catena Unreleased material Guitar
Kanary Unreleased material Producer
2005 Jim Kaufman The Great Love Production, Song, Guitar
2006 Dick Wagner Home At Last Composer, Arranger
Jim Cummings Kid Stuff Composer, Producer
Skinner Rat Unreleased material Producer, Guitar
2007 Jim Kaufman The Great Love, Production, Song, Guitar
Wensday, Torch Rock, Production, Song, Guitar
Links
| http://www.wagnermusic.com |
| Dick Wagner Myspace |
| Dick Wagner Official Website |
| Desert Dreams Records - Dick Wagner |
| Wensday's Official Website - Dick Wagner, producer |