Warren DeMartini
His blistering guitar riffs on hits like 'Round and Round' defined the sound of 1980s Sunset Strip hard rock.
Born 1963 (age 63)·American musician·Birthday: April 10·Baby Boomers
Biography
Warren DeMartini emerged from the crucible of the Los Angeles club scene to become the sonic architect of Ratt's ascent. Born in Chicago but shaped by California, he joined the band in 1982, his technical precision and melodic flair providing the perfect counterpoint to their swagger. His work on the multi-platinum 'Out of the Cellar' didn't just fuel the party; it crafted an enduring template for glam metal guitar, balancing raw power with intricate, memorable hooks. While the band's fortunes shifted with the musical landscape, DeMartini's playing remained a constant, his influence echoing in every shredder who learned the opening lick to 'Lay It Down.' He navigated the band's hiatuses and reunions, his identity forever intertwined with the sound he helped create, a testament to the lasting power of a well-crafted riff in rock and roll history.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Warren was born in 1963, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Warren Was Born
The biggest hits of 1963
#1 Movie
Cleopatra
Best Picture
Tom Jones
#1 TV Show
Beverly Hillbillies
Warren's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1963Born
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1968Started school
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1976Became a teenager
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Could drive
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1981Could vote
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1984Turned 21
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1993Turned 30
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 40
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 50
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 60
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 63 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Co-wrote and performed the guitar solo on 'Round and Round,' Ratt's biggest hit and a defining anthem of 1980s metal.
- His guitar work was central to Ratt's 1984 debut 'Out of the Cellar,' which sold over three million copies in the U.S.
- Recognized for his skill in guitar magazine polls throughout the 1980s and 1990s, often topping 'Best New Talent' lists.
- Maintained a consistent presence as Ratt's lead guitarist across multiple decades, lineup changes, and reunions.
Did You Know?
He was originally hired by Ratt after answering a classified ad in The Recycler, a Los Angeles music newspaper.
DeMartini is left-handed but plays guitar right-handed.
He used a custom guitar nicknamed 'The Bomber,' featuring a graphic of a WWII fighter plane, on many early Ratt tours.
“A great riff is a hook you can't shake; it's the song's spine.”
