Imagine yourself in a rock band, dressed in black with black eye-lining, surrounded by your band members. The curtains open and bright lights illuminate the stage as thousands of fans cheer for you. This is likely the moment Evanescence experienced when they first performed. In this article, I will discuss the history of Evanescence. The band originated with two individuals, Amy Lee and Ben Moody. “Lee and former lead guitarist Ben Moody founded the group.”
At a youth camp in Arkansas, Moody and Lee crossed paths, with Moody being captivated by Lee’s rendition of ” (I’d Do) Anything For Love” by Meat Loaf on the piano. The two discovered their shared appreciation for artists like Jimi Hendrix and Bjork, which sparked their songwriting collaboration. Unable to find other musicians to join them and lacking the means for professional assistance, they faced challenges in gaining publicity. However, little did anyone know that their songwriting efforts would eventually lead them to fame. Despite these obstacles, they persevered in their musical journey and penned numerous pieces, including “My Immortal,” “Give unto Me,” and “Solitude.”
Despite being relatively unknown, two of their songs, “Understanding” and “Give unto Me”, unexpectedly made it onto the music charts. This sparked curiosity among people, leading the two members to officially name their band “Evanescence” which relates to “the act or state of vanishing”. As Evanescence gained more fame, the demand for live performances grew. Eventually, the band made their live debut, becoming one of the most popular acts in the area. In 2000, they released a full-length demo CD called Origin, which remained less known. Additionally, they produced two EPs with limited quantities ranging from fifty to one hundred copies. The record companies only manufactured 2,500 copies of Origin.
As soon as Amy and Ben were informed, they encouraged fans to download their older songs from online. They had numerous thrilling tour experiences. In 2002, they embarked on their inaugural tour called “Fallen.” Evanescence traveled from one country to another, showcasing their talent and interacting with their fans. The two musicians were accompanied by three fellow musicians named John LeCompt, Rocky Gray, and Will Boyd. The band enjoyed themselves throughout the tour; however, in the midst of their European tour, Ben Moody abruptly left the band on October 22nd, 2003. Upon returning home, there was a clamor to interview Amy Lee regarding her reaction to this act of betrayal. An interview was conducted several months later.
Amy Lee mentioned that if there were no changes made, they would not have been able to make a second record. She was relieved when Moody left the band because his presence caused tensions. Terry Balsamo from the band Cold took Moody’s place. Evanescence’s music grew in popularity over time. Their song “Bring Me to Life” reached the top spot at #5 on the American charts and #1 on the United Kingdom charts in 2003. It maintained this position for an entire month. The song was also prominently featured in various items, including being the official theme song for WWE No Way Out 2003 and the movie Daredevil.
Another popular song alongside “Bring me to Life” was “My Immortal,” which achieved #7 on both the United States and United Kingdom music charts. It was also included in the movie Daredevil. In 2004, something extraordinary occurred for the band. “Bring Me to Life” gained recognition for Evanescence at the 46th Grammy Awards, where they won the awards for Best Hard Rock Performance and Best New Artist, and received nominations for two others. Additionally, Evanescence made an appearance on the TV show Anywhere but Home in 2004, which proved to be a huge success and was later released as a DVD/CD combination in 2005.
The DVD featured various elements, such as exclusive footage of Evanescence’s concert in Le Zenith, Paris, autograph signings, and their warm-up performances. It showcased several songs including “Missing” (which reached the #1 position in Spain), “Breathe no More,” “Farther Away,” and “Thoughtless.” Despite facing obstacles like band members pursuing side projects and Terry Balsamo’s stroke, as well as experiencing the loss of their former manager, Evanescence persevered and achieved chart-topping success while also making it onto the iTunes most downloaded charts.
In 2006, Evanescence shot a music video for “Call Me When You’re Sober” and then went on a global tour titled “The Open Door.” The band performed in multiple countries such as Japan, Canada, Brazil, and Australia. The tour ended on June 26th, 2007 in Ra’anana, Israel. On May 4th, 2007, John LeCompt disclosed his departure from Evanescence and also announced that drummer Rocky Gray had chosen to leave. Both individuals were replaced by Dark New Day members: Will Hunt became the new drummer and Troy McLawhorn joined as guitarist.
After that point, their actions became unknown. In conclusion, this paper has provided information about Evanescence. It is hoped that readers have gained a thorough understanding of this great band and are encouraged to listen to their music!
Work Cited
- http://evanescenceweb. yaia. com/biography. html 11/3/13
- http://www. lyricsfreak. com/e/evanescence/biography. html 12/3/13
- http://www. free-scores. com/boutique/history_542_biography_Evanescence. htm 14/3/13
- http://www. scribd. com/doc/3229274/History-of-Evanescence 16/3/13
- http://www. 8notes. com/biographies/evanescence. asp 16/3/13
