| 1956
June 30
Born in Duesseldorf, Germany, as the second son of the Roths.His father
was a journalist and writer.
1963
Moved to Hannover.
1970
Started to play guitar on a self-taught basis.
Interested in Blues like CREAM, Johnny
Winter, etc., but also bands like YES or LED
ZEPPELIN. Later
Jimi Hendrix.
1973 June
The elder brother, Uli
Jon Roth joined SCORPIONS.
1973-1975
Took violin lessons in addition to the guitar.
1974
Formed the band BLACK ANGEL, with Ule Ritgen <b>, Achim
Kirschning <key> and Frank Tolle <ds>.
1977
BLACK ANGEL split up after touring Germany for three
years.
1978
Moved to England for 6 months, looking for a band, but without success
because Punk and New Wave were the only things going on.
1978
In July, Uli Jon Roth
left the band SCORPIONS
and united his own band ELECTRIC
SUN.
Ule Ritgen joined ELECTRIC
SUN.
1979-1983
Wrote many songs and lyrics for his own group with changing names and
people.
In this period some of the later ZENO songs were written.
Tried to get a deal without success. At the same time playing and recording
with several German groups.
1979
ELECTRIC
SUN released the first album "Earthquake".
1980
ELECTRIC
SUN released the second album "Fire Wind".
1983 Dec.
ELECTRIC
SUN started the recording of the third album 'Beyond The Astral Skies".
Joined this recording with Ule Ritgen <b> and Michael
Flexig <vo>.
1984 Feb.
Formed the band ZENO with Ule Ritgen.
Started to record a demo tape.
Michael Flexig joined these demo takes temporarily.
"Eastern Sun" "A Little More Love" "Signs On
The Sky" "Don't Tell The Wind" "Far Away" and
"Love Will Live" were recorded as demo takes.
Many major American record companies were interested in this demo.
Contrary to first intentions, Michael
Flexig was to be a proper member of ZENO.
1984 April
Signing with Warner Publishing UK.
1984 June
Got a record deal with EMI UK.
One of the biggest contracts for a newcomer in Europe.
ELECTRIC
SUN finished the recording of the third album.Ule Ritgen left the
band ELECTRIC
SUN.
1985 Jan.
Started the recording for the album ZENO. Using many recording studios
all over the world.
Chuck Burgi
<ds>, Stuart Elliot<ds>, Carl Marsh <key>, Don
Airey <key> and also Chris
Thompson joined this recording.
1985 Aug
The album "Zeno" was completed.
1986 Feb.
Made a video "A Little More Love".
1986 March
The first single "A Little More Love" was released.
The album "Zeno" was released in Europe, in America and in Japan.
1986 May-
Toured in Europe, as a support act of BLACK SABBATH.
Rod Morgenstein
<ds> and Larry
Dvoskin <key> joined this tour. Also made a video "Love
Will Live".
1986 June-July
Toured the US with KROKUS and KEEL.
Also playing a festival with QUEEN
in UK.
1986 Sept.
Songs for a second album of ZENO were recorded. (Amongst others "Heat
Of Emotion" "Out In The Night" and "Is It Love").
1988
Left EMI UK.
1988 Aug.
Michael Flexig left
the band. Tommy Heart
joined the band as a new vocalist.
More recordings. ("Surviving The Night" "Together",
etc.).
Geffen Records approached ZENO, but the record deal didn't go into effect.
1989
Broke up the band. For all practical purposes, the band ZENO split.
Put the power from the guitar to the pen. Devoted himself to writing.
Wrote many poems and lyrics, some philsophical texts, novels and texts
about William Shakespeare,
Jean-Jacques
Rousseau etc.
At the same time still writing songs for himself and other groups.
1991 April
Joined "The Jimi Hendrix Concert" in Cologne, which Uli
Jon Roth directed.
1993 April
In Japan, "Eastern Sun" and other songs were performed by FAIR
WARNING, a group which derived from ZENO.
These two songs had a strong impact again, not only on older generations,
but also young people who had never known ZENO before.
1993
Oct.
The album "Zeno" was re-released in Japan.
It caused a sensation in the current music scene, selling more than 25,000
copies. (No.11 in the Yearly Japanese Chart for foreign music).
1993 Nov.
Decided to release a project album containing songs recorded from 1987
to 1994.
Got a record deal with Zero Corporation, Japan.
1993 Dec.
Had a plot to write about Jimi
Hendrix from a different and new angle.
1994 Oct.
Started the recording for this album.
Plans to publish an art-book about Jimi
Hendrix by Monika
Dannemann with her paintings and special texts explaining the philosophical
and spiritual side of Jimi
Hendrix, took concrete shape.
1994 Dec.
Completion of ZENO's second album, "Zenology".
1995 March 8
Release of "Zenology".
Sales: over 30,000 copies.First appearance on Japanese Charts: 64 in the
whole album charts (including Japanese market). 25 in foreign music charts.
Number 4 in rock music charts after BON
JOVI, VAN HALEN
and FIRE HOUSE. (by "Original Confidence" research.)
1995 June
Got a record deal with Milestone Music, Germany.
1995
Aug.
Published the book about Jimi Hendrix by Monika
Dannemann (co-author: Zeno Roth) "The
Inner World of Jimi Hendrix" in the UK.
1995 Sept.
Release "Zenology" in Europe.
1995 Dec.
Started to write songs for the third album of ZENO.
1996-
Started the recording and played all instruments on this album.
1997 April
Left Warner Publishing UK.
1997 May
Got a new publishing deal in Japan with BURRN! Music.
1997
Dec.
The third album "Listen To The Light" was completed.
1998 Jan.28
Release of "Listen To The Light" in Japan. Sales: over 45,000
copies. First appearance on Japanese charts: 26 in the whole album charts
(including Japanese market). 6 in foreign music charts. Number 2 in rock
music chart after PEARL JAM. (By "Original Confidence" research.)
1998 March
Got a record deal with MTM Music for the European market.
1998 April
Release of "Listen To The Light" in Europe.
1998
May
Got a deal with Zero Corporation for the next album.Started to write songs
for this album.
1999 April
The deal was taken over by Toshiba EMI, Japan as Zero corporation was
liquidated.
In the annual reader's pop poll of 1998 by BURRN!
Magazine, "Listen To The Light" was voted No.2 as an album,
and Zeno Roth got the position No.2 (guitarist) and No.3 (songwriter).
"Meet Me At The Rainbow" got No.9 as a tune.
2000
August
Moved to the United Kingdom.
Continued recordings for the new album.
2003
October
Decided to release the past three albums (ZENO, ZENOLOGY, LISTEN TO THE
LIGHT), fully re-mastered and enhanced, also with bonus tracks, "The
Making of ZENO" which includes the legendary demo takes, leading
up to the first deal with EMI UK.
2004
Finalized the digital remaster of the past albums and ZENOLOGY II, a new
compilation of previously unreleased material.
2004
November
Re-release of the first album "ZENO" through MTM (Europe).
2006
The new studio album "Runway To The Gods" is released.
No. 19 of the Oricon album Chart in Japan on the very first day.
|