- Max Volume
-
Max Volume is an American musician, radio personality and voice-over talent, best known for his public on-air support of rock band Judas Priest during their 1990 civil suit), alleging their culpability in the self-inflicted, 12-gauge shotgun suicide attempts of two Sparks, Nevada men who shot themselves after hours of binging on marijuana, alcohol and listening to Judas Priest music. Volume enjoyed remarkable success as a popular Northern Nevada disc jockey and helped pioneer specialty programming, highlighting then emerging genres like alternative rock and new wave. Volume is a respected studio producer/engineer, with seven albums to his credit, and an accomplished guitarist and solo acoustic artist who has opened shows for Steve Morse, Mickey Thomas, Foghat, Edgar Winter and Reo Speedwagon, among others. For three consecutive years (1989,1990 and 1991) Volume was voted "Best Ears In America" by noted industry publication Friday Morning Quarterback (FMQB). In 2001, Volume was inducted into the Nevada Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame. Volume is currently producing a new studio record and is the Afternoon Drive DJ Mondays through Fridays on Reno, Nevada Classic rock station KOZZ.
Born Glenn Bailey on February 19, 1956, Volume was raised in Glendale, California. He graduated from Crescenta Valley High School in La Crescenta California in 1974. (Volume earned his Associate Degree from Truckee Meadows Community College in 2006.) Volume developed an interest in music at an early age after receiving a guitar from his aunt Christine at age nine. He soon began teaching himself to play. By age 12 Volume was performing and recording. His father, Ralph, the Chief Deputy Coroner of Los Angeles County, did not support his musical aspirations, due to the amount of dead young guitar players in the L.A. County Morgue. His mother Joni was the International President of Sweet Adelines International and often bought him song books with guitar tablature, in which he studied his heroes Jimmy Page, Pete Townshend and Neil Young.
Contents
Radio career
Volume moved to Reno in 1979 and joined the rock band Terraplane. In the late Fall of 1981, he took an internship at Reno, Nevada radio station KOZZ, while attending Truckee Meadows Community College. KOZZ Program Director, Daniel Cook, saw the talent in him and put him on the radio. In January 1982, Glenn Bailley adopted the on-air moniker “Max Volume” after discovering the phrase was displayed on the face of everybody’s radio dial. Volume’s popularity exploded, earning the young disc jockey a 48 share in the coveted 18-49 demographic.
Although he would pioneer special programming highlighting Art/ Progressive Rock, and New Wave/ Alternative, he would become famous the world over for his showcasing of Heavy Metal.
In 1987, in what would become a critical musical apprenticeship period that saw Volume interviewing and being befriended by hard rock royalty, Volume met Whitesnake’s David Coverdale, who mentored him on the business aspects of the music industry. Guitarist Steve Vai showed Volume a more spiritual approach to music. Volume became involved with the Whitesnake album “Slip of the Tongue” and the Coverdale/ Page project, where he met Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page. Page inspired Volume to explore different guitar tunings, modalities and new facets of sonic embellishment. Quietly, Volume has sold over 5,000 cds on his own label; Tadzhiq Music group. Global downloads of his music have surpassed the 4,000 mark. His music is heard on radio stations, terrestrial and internet all over the world.
While raising his son Johnny, he continued his radio career with extended stints as Program Director at KRZQ; Programming Assistant at KRXQ and Program Director of KZAK. He helped launch KDOT and became Music Director for Lotus Communications Corporation. He has been an on air at KOZZ "Reno's Classic Rock" since 1996, and also is the webmaster for kdot.com & kozzradio.com
Controversy
In the late 80’s, Volume gained international notoriety for his outspoken support of rockers Judas Priest when the band was sued by a Reno attorney2, representing the families of two Sparks, Nevada, men who committed suicide after a day of drinking, smoking pot, and listening to Judas Priest’s music. Volume became the target of hate groups, fueled by aggressive media coverage of the suit, receiving on-air death threats and harassment.
Discography 3,4
1983 Psycho Betty BBQ, 2001 Written in Stone, 2004 MV, 2006 Live Volume, 2007 Illuminaughty, 2009 Live8, 2011 Max Volume
Television & Film
Volume’s distinctive nasal baritone rasp has been featured in countless radio voice-over spots and television commercials. For fifteen years Volume was the Reno market voice-over for concert producers Bill Graham Presents. He is the television voice on commercials for Carson Harley Davidson, Bizarre Guitar and the Songwriters and Performance Institute.
Volume wrote and performed all the songs in the campus safety advocacy film Take Back The Night, created by independent filmmaker Jack Sutton, in conjunction with the Bring Bri Justice Foundation and in accordance with the University of Nevada Police Department. Take Back the Night has been shown on Reno public access station SNCAT; is distributed on DVD to incoming freshman coeds in their campus orientation packages and is available to all women attending the University of Nevada, Reno.
Volume wrote and performed three tracks ("Reno, Nevada", "Long Road to Nowhere" and "Baby's Got Ink") in Myrton Running Wolf's critically acclaimed short film Jarin. The independent film screened at The New York Film Festival and the Sundance Film Festival.
References
- http://www.newsreview.com/reno/home, Reno News & Review, April 10 -16, Vol. 14, issue 10, "101 People, Places & Things that helped shape the Reno Music Scene" author Brent Busboom.
- James Vance et al. versus Judas Priest
- All selections Tadzhiq Music Group, Dancing Soda Songs
- 1984 Terraplane “Tell the Truth” Produced by Don Dokken
External links
Categories:- American rock musicians
- Living people
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
