Real Name: Carlos Alomar
Born On: May 7, 1951
Carlos Alomar is an American guitarist and composer born on May 7, 1951 in Ponce, Puerto Rico. Carlos Alomar is well known for his work with David Bowie.
Carlos Alomar is currently working as the director of “Boombacker Records”.
Carlos Alomar learnt guitar at the age of ten and started his professional career at the age of sixteen. Carlos performed in ‘Amateur Hour’ at the ‘Apollo Theater’ in the 1960s and later joined the House Band. He formed a group called ‘Listen My Brother’ in 1969 with vocalists Fonzi Thornton, Luther Vandross and Robin Clark.
Carlos Alomar played for RCA Recording Studios as a session musician and worked with many other artists like ‘Ben E. King and Joe Simon. He later joined the band ‘The Main Ingredient’ and toured with them. In early 1974, during the sessions for Lulu’s recording of the Bowie song ‘Can You Hear Me?’, Carlos met David Bowie. David Bowie wanted Carlos Alomar to join his band for the ‘Diamond Dogs’ tour and negotiated with the management of ‘The Main Ingredient’, Alomar stayed back with the same band as the negotiation delayed.
Carlos Alomar recorded a series of songs in ‘Sigma Sound Studios’ for a new album of David Bowie in mid 1974 for which Carlos brought in his group mates, Luther Vandross, Robin Clark, bassist Emir Kassan and Davis. Most of the songs recorded in this session were for David Bowie’s album ‘Young Americans’ after which Alomar joined Bowie’s band for second tour of the ‘Diamond Dogs’ in September and December 1974. David Bowie got inspired the guitar riff of Carlos Alomar and recorded an impromptu song ‘Fame’ in January 1975 which reached number one position on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, singles popularity chart of Billboard magazine.
Carlos Alomar has performed with many other musicians like Chuck Berry, Paul McCartney, James Brown, Mike Jagger, Argentine Rock en Español legends Soda Stereo and Iggy Pop. He was the bandleader for a TV chat show ‘The Caroline Rhea Show’ which lived for a short period between 2002 and 2003. Carlos Alomar has played on 32 gold and platinum albums totally.
Some of his albums include:
- Young Americans in (1975)
- Station to Station in (1976)
- Low, “Heroes”, The Idiot and Lust for Life in (1977)
- Stage in (1978)
- Lodger in (1979)
- Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) in (1980)
- Tonight in (1984)
- She’s the Boss in (1985)
- Press to Play in (1986)
- Never Let Me Down in (1987)
- Doble Vida in (1988)
- Outside in (1995)
- Heathen in (2002)