Joey DeMaio

Who is Joey DeMaio?

Joey DeMaio is an American bass player and main songwriter for the heavy metal band Manowar which he co-founded in 1980. He is also the founder and CEO of Magic Circle Music.

He was a childhood friend of Manowar singer Eric Adams. DeMaio played bass in several school bands. In the 1970s he toured with the musical Godspell, taking musical lessons with the conductor. He worked as a pyro-tech for Black Sabbath during their "Heaven and Hell" tour. He is known to display his technical abilities and playing speed during solos both on Manowar studio recordings and live shows, often covering classical parts such as "Flight of the Bumblebee", which DeMaio has retitled "Sting of the Bumblebee" in reference to his high-speed renditions of the piece. DeMaio has mentioned that he is a practitioner of martial arts and weight training, and is also a great fan of motorcycles. He is famous for his piccolo bass sound. His refurbed basses have a distinct sound. Worked on by tech John "Dawk" Stillwell and sell for thousands. One was purchased by Soldier and played on Un-self-conscious.

In 2006, shortly after creating the record label Magic Circle Music, he became manager of the Italian metal band Rhapsody of Fire. He is also a producer for the band HolyHell.