Jon Schaffer
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Image:JonRyanSchaffer.jpg Jon Ryan Schaffer (born March 15, 1968 in Franklin, Indiana) is a heavy metal guitarist and songwriter. He is the founder of the heavy metal band Iced Earth.
At the age of 14 Jon got his first guitar and began writing music. At the age of 16 he moved out of his parents' home and went to Tampa, Florida. In 1985 Schaffer founded the power/thrash metal band Purgatory, which quickly changed its name to become Iced Earth. He is now the only remaining member of the first line-up, and the only band member that can be heard on every album. He also is the band's main songwriter, writing most songs completely on his own. Jon has suffered from neck injuries, some of which resulted in surgery, that still plague him today. In 2005 Jon became a father with the birth of his first daughter.
Schaffer has also recorded and toured with Demons and Wizards, his side project with Blind Guardian vocalist Hansi Kürsch.
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Influences
Jon Schaffer's primary musical influences were KISS, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Alice Cooper and AC/DC. His non-musical hobby is his Harley-Davidson.
Lyrically, Jon is inspired by fantasy, science fiction and horror stories. Another great passion of his is history, especially American history. The Glorious Burden (2004) is a theme album about history.
His favorite album is Iron Maiden's "The Number of the Beast".
Controversy
By far, Jon Schaffer is one of the more controversial figures in metal. Since The Glorious Burden, many fans of the band have been polarized over the perceived influence of politics within the album. Also, Schaffer is seen by many within the metal community, both fans and dissidents alike, as an ego-driven maniac whose pride has driven away countless band members. A common belief amongst the metal community is that Jon Schaffer is someone who is very hard to work with. Defenders of Schaffer point out that Iced Earth is his band and thus, Schaffer has the right to do whatever he wishes with it as he has dedicated his life towards the band. Still, a good portion of Iced Earth fans have abandoned the band over what they see as Jon Schaffer's insufferable ego.
Other works
Aside from performing music, Jon Schaffer owns a store for United States military collectibles, called "Spirit of 76 Collectibles", located in Columbus, Indiana. Jon has also stated that he started a comic featuring his character, Set Abominae, who is featured in some of Iced Earth's albums, including Something Wicked This Way Comes, Tribute to the Gods, and Alive in Athens