Tony Carey American multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, producer, composer. Date of Birth: 16.10.1953 Country: USA

Tony Carey: A Multitalented Musician

Tony Carey, an American musician, multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, producer, and composer, was born on October 16, 1953, in the small Californian town of Turlock. His musical journey began at the age of seven when he independently learned to play Christmas carols on the family piano. However, it wasn't until three years later that his father took his musical talents seriously. He arranged lessons for Tony, and for the next seven years, he immersed himself in mastering the bass guitar, guitar, and vocal artistry.

After finishing school, Tony, along with two friends, formed a band called "Blessings." Remarkably, they quickly landed a contract with "ABC Records." The musicians headed to Hollywood to record their debut album, but after seven months of work, their efforts went in vain. The band had a falling out with the producer, and internal conflicts led to their disbandment.

Fortunately, Tony's luck took a turn when he caught the attention of Richie Blackmore while playing the organ in a studio. Blackmore, who was seeking new recruits for his project at the time, invited Tony to join "Rainbow" as a keyboardist. During his two-year tenure with the band, Tony contributed to the albums "Rainbow Rising" and "On Stage."

After leaving "Rainbow," Tony decided to focus on session work and collaborated with artists like Pat Travers and Buddy Miles. In 1978, he received an offer to work in Germany, and he relocated there permanently. Fate brought him together with producer Peter Hauke, with whom Tony established a fruitful partnership. Peter provided Tony with his own studio, where he could record his material in his free time.

In the early 1980s, Tony decided to embark on a solo career, and with Hauke's assistance, he released a staggering six albums in 1982 alone. Some of these albums were instrumental, but most featured Tony's vocals. Almost all of these records were released under Hauke's label, "X-Records." Later on, Tony collaborated with other labels such as "Geffen" and "MCA Records." His numerous contractual obligations and his desire to release as much material as possible led Tony to release albums under the moniker "Planet P Project" alongside his solo works from 1983 onwards.

During this period, Tony achieved international success both as a solo artist and as a member of "Planet P Project." Chart-topping hits such as "A Fine, Fine Day," "First Day of Summer," and "Why Me?" served as evidence of his success. The pinnacle of Tony's career came in 1984 with the release of the concept album "Pink World" by "Planet P Project" and his most commercially successful album, "Some Tough City." However, the relationship between Tony and Peter began to deteriorate the following year, and their last collaborative effort was the album "Blue Highway."

After parting ways with Hauke, Tony turned to producing other artists while also continuing to release solo albums. Among his clients were renowned figures like John Mayall, Joe Cocker, Eric Burdon, José Carreras, and German superstar Peter Maffay. Tony also ventured into composing soundtracks, with notable works including the theme for the TV show "Wild Western Inclusive" and the soundtrack for the film "Bedtime Story."

In the new millennium, Tony, under the "Planet P Project" brand, embarked on a grand project called "Go Out Dancing." The first part of the project, the album "1931," was released in 2003.