Brendan Bayliss

Who is Brendan Bayliss?

Brendan Bayliss is an American musician, the founder, a lead guitarist alongside fellow guitarist and band member Jake Cinninger, and primary vocalist for progressive rock band Umphrey's McGee. He formed the band in 1997 and took its moniker from the name of a distant relative he met at a wedding named Humphries McGee. "My father’s aunt’s sister’s son’s kid," says Bayliss. "He’s just a nice guy. Lives on a farm, I think." Bayliss is one of the band's main songwriters.

Bayliss attended St. Joseph's High School and went on to attend the University of Notre Dame, where his father Bob Bayliss is a tennis coach, and formed the Star Wars inspired Tashi Station with bass player Ryan Stasik and keyboardist Gregg Andrulis. After the band split in the fall of 1997, Bayliss and Stasik joined up with Joel Cummins and Mike Mirro - two former members of another recently defunct local band, Stomper Bob - to form Umphrey's McGee.

Bayliss uses Paul Reed Smith guitars, Mesa/Boogie and Oldfield amps, endorses VOX Classic Plus amps, and along with the rest of Umphrey's McGee endorses Morley pedals and BBE Sound equipment.