❃ Chuck Schuldiner ❃

«Chuck Schuldiner»

«5’10”» (178cm)

«American»

«Musician» + «Vocalist, guitarist and songwriter of the band Death» + «Founder of the group Death»

«Long hair» + «Brown hair» + «Curly hair» + «Curly bang» + «Amber eyes» + «Pumped up body» + «Toned body» + «Sharp facial features» + «Rings, bracelets, wristwatches»

«Kind» + «Calm» + «Funny» + «Dedicated and goal-oriented» + «Affectionate» + «Modest» + «Smart» + «Understanding» + «Kind-hearted» + «Stubborn»

Charles Michael Schuldiner was born on May 13, 1967, on Long Island, New York. His father, Mel Schuldiner, was Jewish and the son of Austrian immigrants, and his mother, Jane Schuldiner, was from the American South and a convert to Judaism. He had two siblings, Beth and Frank Schuldiner. In 1968, his family moved to Florida. The area was relatively undeveloped, and Schuldiner spent much of his time playing with his siblings in the wooded areas around their home. He became interested in art, music, and sculpture at an early age, and began playing guitar at the age of nine. It was at this age that his older brother, Frank, died in a car accident. Schuldiner, who was very close to his brother, "never really got over" the latter's death, according to his mother. Schuldiner's parents bought him an acoustic guitar to help him cope with the grieving process. Schuldiner quickly became bored with guitar lessons and found more interest in playing the electric guitar. According to his mother, "the first time he played the electric guitar, it was like a switch had been turned on in him and it never turned off." Thanks to his parents, Schuldiner was exposed to a wide range of other influences. He was particularly interested in the metal movement known as NWOBHM - New Wave of British Heavy Metal - and cited bands of this genre among his favorites. Schuldiner cited progressive metal bands such as Watchtower and Queensrÿche as influences in a 1991 interview, and Kiss and Metallica, Slayer, Iron Maiden, Mercyful Fate, and Raven were among the bands he cited as influences in a 1993 interview. He formed his first band in the family's garage a few years after his brother's death.

He played his first gig at age 15 in a park near the family's residence in Altamonte Springs, Florida. Schuldiner did well in school, but then became bored with school and eventually dropped out. He later regretted this decision. He stated that if he had not become a musician, he would have wanted to be a veterinarian or a chef. Inspired by Nasty Savage, Schuldiner formed Mantas (which he later renamed Death) in 1983, when he was 16 years old. He played guitar in the band, while Rick Rozz was on guitar and Kam Lee played drums and performed vocals. In January 1986, Schuldiner moved to Toronto and temporarily joined the Canadian band Slaughter. However, he quickly returned to continue forming Death. His friends and bandmates: Terry Butler - Bassist; Paul Masvidal - Guitarist; Bill Andrews - Drummer