Tesla Biography

Tesla is the name of an American hard rock band originating in Sacramento, California. The band formed in 1984 as City Kidd and was renamed Tesla during the recording of their first album on the advice of their manager. The group includes Jeff Keith (vocals), Frank Hannon (b. 3 October 1966) (Guitar), Tommy Skeoch (Guitar), Brian Wheat (Bass), Troy Luccketta (Drums).

Tesla's music fit well with the blasting sound of the 1980s glam bands, but was more bluesy and lyrics dealt with themes other than just the usual for the day: girls, alcohol and violence. But what set them even farther apart from their contemporaries was their T-shirt and jeans image which was in strong contrast to other bands of the time, which were characterized by leather pants and flashy-make up. Tesla is also proud of the fact that their music has always been just guitars and drums, with an occaisional piano from bassist Wheat, with no synthesizers or anything to distort their sound and their albums always proudly proclaimed, "No Machines", referring to that fact.

Tesla's popular 1990 remake of Signs, originally recorded by the Five Man Electrical Band (who also inspired the album which the remake came from, Five Man Acoustical Jam), is probably the most mainstream of Tesla's hits. However, many fans remember fondly Tesla's other hits such as Gettin' Better, Modern Day Cowboy, Little Suzi (a cover of a 1981 Ph.D. song), Edison's Medicine and Love Song. To this day, Love Song is probably the most remembered of the band's songs, and still receives much airplay on rock stations.

The band derived their name, certain album and song names, and some song content from events relating to Nikola Tesla, a Serbian inventor and electrical engineer born in the 19th century.

After the 1994 album Bust A Nut, the band took a brief hiatus, reputed to be due to Tommy Skeoch's drug abuse problems and his time in rehab, where the band elected to support Tommy, rather then replace him. Later, Tommy and Jeff Keith resurfaced with a band called Bar 7, which had the single "Four Leaf Clover". They only recorded the one album, "The World Is A Freak", but like KISS' side projects of Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, it was clear that the Tesla sound was in Keith and Skeoch.

The band reformed in 2000, and recorded a double live album to celebrate.

In 2002 they were featured in the Rock Never Stops Tour alongside other 80s rock bands.

In 2004 they released their fifth studio album "Into the Now" which debuted on the Billboard album chart at number 30. The album was well received by fans and the band was featured on an episode of the late night US Television program “Jimmy Kimmel Live.”

In the summer of 2006, the band embarked on their 2006 Electric Summer Jam Tour. The band also placed the following statement on their official web site, "We would like you to join us in welcoming guitarist Dave Rude, who will be hitting the road with us for the 2006 Electric Summer Jam Tour as Tommy Skeoch will not be performing with us. Please also join us in congratulating Tommy and his wife on the birth of their new baby boy. We wish the whole family the best." An article in the Mojave Desert News (desertnews.com) that featured an interview with bass player Brian Wheat clarified the situation with Skeoch when it reported "The tour is also a chance to introduce the newest member of the band, guitarist Dave Rude, who replaces Tommy Skeoch. Skeoch has been in and out of the band since 1994, addressing substance-abuse problems. But with a new baby at home, Wheat said that this time Skeoch's departure is full-time and for other reasons. "He just wanted to spend more time with his family after all these years," Wheat said. "It's hard. He'll always be a part of Tesla history."

Tesla is currently writing/recording their sixth studio album, which is due for release sometime in 2006 or 2007.