Nuno Bettencourt American guitar virtuoso Date of Birth: 20.09.1966 Country: USA

1. Early Life and Influences
2. Extreme and Rise to Fame
3. Solo Career and Mourning Widows
4. Post-Extreme and New Ventures
5. Extreme Reunion and Legacy

Early Life and Influences

Nuno Duarte Gil Mendes Bettencourt was born on September 20, 1966, in the Portuguese Azores as the youngest of ten children to musician parents. His family relocated to Boston when he was four years old. As a child, Bettencourt's interests lay in hockey and soccer, but his teenage years saw him develop a passion for drumming and keyboards. His brother later introduced him to the guitar.

Extreme and Rise to Fame

Bettencourt dedicated himself to his music, practicing over seven hours a day. He left sports and eventually dropped out of school. After playing in several local bands, Bettencourt joined Extreme in 1985. The band gained popularity in the Boston area, signing with A&M Records and releasing their self-titled debut album in 1989.

Extreme's breakthrough came in 1990 with their album "Pornograffitti." The ballad "More Than Words" topped the Billboard Hot 100, while "Hole Hearted" climbed to number four. By May 1991, the album had gone gold and double platinum by fall 1992.

Solo Career and Mourning Widows

In 1993, Bettencourt produced and played on Australian rock band Baby Animals' second album. A year later, he married the band's vocalist, Suze DeMarchi. Extreme released two more albums, "III Sides to Every Story" (1992) and "Waiting for the Punchline" (1995), before disbanding.

Bettencourt released his debut solo album, "Schizophonic," in 1997 after five years of work. The album received critical acclaim but sold poorly. Bettencourt left A&M and formed Mourning Widows in 1998 with his nephew, Donovan Bettencourt, on bass.

Post-Extreme and New Ventures

Mourning Widows released their debut album, featuring a blend of hard rock, funk, and alternative influences, through Polydor Japan in 1999. Their follow-up album, "Furnished Souls for Rent," came out two years later.

In 2002, Bettencourt released "Population 1" in Asia, where he produced and played most of the instruments. He expanded his lineup with three additional musicians for live performances. The band released "Sessions from Room Four" in 2004 and toured the US East Coast.

Legal disputes led the band to change its name to Near Death Experience and then DramaGods. Under the latter moniker, they released their debut album in 2005 and continued to tour and search for an American label.

Extreme Reunion and Legacy

After a lengthy hiatus, Extreme reunited and released their fifth album, "Saudades de Rock," in 2008. The album peaked at number 78 on the Billboard 200. Bettencourt's virtuosic guitar playing, songwriting, and infectious stage presence have established him as one of the most influential rock guitarists of his generation.