PETE HILL: A LEGEND ON TWO WHEELS
PPete Hill has been in business, building motorcycles since 1971, but for him, riding motorcycles has been a way of life since he was a young teenager. Although Pete never saw himself as a biker, his love for motorcycles and the thrill of riding them has always been an integral part of who he is. As an impressionable teenager, Pete was heavily influenced by the people at the local Harley dealer where he lived. Many of them
were former soldiers who had fought in World War II, and their stories helped shape Pete’s craft.
However, Pete’s fascination with motorcycles started at a young age. When he was just three years old, he saw the Shriners riding motorcycles in a parade and was impressed by their noise, smoke, and tricks. From that moment on, Pete knew he wanted to be a motorcycle rider when he grew up. To Pete, riding motorcycles
Interview with Pete Hill, Author and Journalist Mark Wilson American STROKR Magazine.
was like riding a magic carpet. It allowed him to see new and strange places and exposed him to the world. Building motorcycle engines has always been a part of Pete’s life, and he still builds good, clean, and reliable stock engines today. In fact, some fabricators use his engines in their custom bike builds.
Pete began racing in the late 1940s, but his career was interrupted when he was drafted into the Air Force at the beginning of the Korean War in 1950. Although he never saw combat, Pete did get to ride motorcycles in the Air Force, and after he was discharged, he started doing some local racing and building stronger motors for racing. Over time, his engines evolved into stronger, bigger, and more powerful machines, eventually leading to top fuel racing.
Pete raced drag bikes in the top fuel category, which were supercharged nitromethane-powered motorcycles that produced around 600 horsepower in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. He won five national championships before retiring from racing around 2000. Despite the excitement of racing in front of a crowd, Pete often felt so dialed in on what he was doing that he barely noticed his surroundings. One memorable
incident occurred during a homecoming race in Milwaukee when his rear tire blew out, causing the bike to flip on its side and sustain some damage. However, they fixed it, and he won the race the following day.
Today, Pete’s current project rebuilds include various engines from a 1937 Knucklehead to a 1990s Evolution engine. He has no limit on the volume of classic engines that he can work on or build. Building engines has been a part of his life for so long that it’s hard to imagine him doing anything else. Pete Hill truly is a master craftsman who has devoted his life to the art of building and racing motorcycles.
When it comes to the biggest challenges faced by emerging builders in the motorcycle industry today, Pete is unsure. He confesses that he has never really kept up with custom bike builders and others in that field. Building engines for racing and performance, which is Pete’s specialty, is a different world altogether. He recalls his racing days, when he had engines that were remarkably strong and could go from zero to 80 miles an hour in one second. Anyone who has ever ridden a motorcycle can imagine the thrill of that experience.
Over the years, Pete has come to know many builders in the industry, including the renowned Billy Lane, whom he has done some
work for in the past. He recognizes that there is no comparison between a custom build and a reliable engine that can get you across the country on the Interstate or through the desert. In those environments, a dependable motorcycle is a must-have.
Pete’s racing career has taken him to many places around the world, including his favorite spots in southern France on the Riviera. He has also raced throughout Europe, Australia, and Canada. Just like enjoying different flavors of ice cream, Pete loves them all.
Currently, Pete’s projects and builds focus on museum pieces, particularly collectible Harley motors that are shipped in from
all over. Fewer people are building those older motors nowadays, so there is a lot of demand for his services. In fact, they are so busy with these projects that they stopped working on whole bikes altogether a few years ago.
When asked for advice for aspiring builders in the industry, Pete acknowledges that it is a tough way to make a living. He advises having something unique to offer and warns against spending too much money on equipment and things without a solid plan. Many have been disappointed and left the industry altogether, returning to office jobs. It is a challenging business, even for mechanics at a dealership.
Pete reminisces about starting out as a young builder, thinking he knew everything, only to realize later that he had much to learn. Nonetheless, he would dive in and try things, which often proved to be valuable lessons.
Those who know Pete recognize his contribution to the industry, and he has received many accolades over the years. He was the second person to be inducted into the Motorcycle Museum Hall of Fame in Sturgis, South Dakota. This year, he will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award. At 91 years old, he is still going strong, supported by his wife Jackie of 71 years, who continues to run the office at their shop in South Carolina.
Pete Hill - A Legend on Two Wheels: World’s Fastest Knucklehead by Jackie Hill (Author)
Tat-Man’s Chronicles is just that, a glimpse into my world, a chance to see what I see on my walk-through life. An opportunity to live my adventures vicariously through these pages. In future issues, I will take you on journeys back in time. But today, I will take you on a tour through the 34th Annual Super Show and Swap, and The 32nd Annual Colorado Tattoo Competition. As invited guests, Tat-Man and Chankla, were asked to judge the tattoo competition. Another fellow tattoo artist joined us on the judging panel, good friend Adrian Martinez aka “D Boss” of D Boss Tattoo Studio in Denver, Colorado. As we were there, we also ventured around the Expo to get some insight on some of the most beautiful bikes the state of Colorado has to offer and met some very amazing people with unique talents and some pretty cool stories. After we concluded our judging of the tattoo competition, we decided to look around at a couple of vendors, and these beautiful machines around us!
Our first stop, is Lydia Morgan, owner and founder of Lydia ‘s Sewing. I was truly captivated when I witnessed Lydia on the sewing machine making patterns all over a leather vest with absolute perfection! It was obvious this dying art is second nature to Lydia. Sewing since she was 8 yrs old, in business now for 23 yrs, and going strong! Lawrence is working with Lydia. The two are living their dream and doing what they love!
Please look at www.lydiassewing.com or call 303-885-9994 for your inquiry! You will not be disappointed! Lydia’s Sewing definitely has Tat-Man’s stamp of approval!
“WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE”
Owner: Randy Giles
A thunderous Harley-Davidson built in 1998 which was originally a 95th Anniversary Dyna Wide Glide. This build was inspired by the Old West gunslingers, both Outlaw’s and Law Men of the Wild West.
With a springer front suspension, a Wyatt Gatling gas tank, Cholo fender, and pristine airbrush work from front to back, this bike is a showstopper!! Rene Mattai from Rival Airbrush in Thornton, Colorado is responsible for the amazing wanted posters, the Wyoming Territorial Marshal’s badge on each side of the tank and an image of a Marshal gun fighter with Devil’s Tower in the background off the rear fender.
The one-of-a-kind tooled leather seat was done by “Cactus” of Wicked Cactus Leather Company, complete with two holsters, extra bullets and two Colt .45 Peacemaker revolvers. Engraved into the leather is cross revolvers with a Wyoming Territorial Marshal’s badge, to cradle Randy’s ass for the ride.
Now retired, Randy Giles hopes to get “Wanted Dead or Alive” to as many bike shows as possible to enter and just enjoy all the awesome displays of beautiful, custom machines as they come together!
The nostalgic gem on the left is a fully restored 1932 Harley VL Flathead. This bike is a daily rider. The owner also rides it in the Motorcycle Cannonball as well. This last race was 3800 miles Coast to Coast in 17 days.
To the right is a 1957 Harley Panhead. It too is a daily rider as well! This one has had a lot of modifications and was put together just for fun. Both bikes and their owner reside in Colorado Springs, Colorado!
2006 Suzuki Hayabusa, custom paint,seat,exhaust, 1441 fully Built motor with Nitrous. Custom candy blue powder coat wheels. Custom engine cover, triple tree, handle grips, mirrors, shorty levers, gas cap, and much more!
This Motorcycle Expo, “The Annual Super Show and Swap” is always an amazing time whether we are here judging, or just supporting as another patron. As we live in the biker world as well as the tattoo world, we love these events and cannot wait to see next year’s outcome. We also look forward to this Summers event here in Colorado Springs as well. And we cannot express how honored we are for Christopher Desilets to invite us as judges in the 32nd year, still running strong and growing every year, Colorado Tattoo Competition!
Stay tuned for more! Tat-Man
Photography Courtesy of Conklin Morgan, Author and Journalist Mark Wilson
American STROKR Magazine
When we’re not cruising on our motorcycles or driving in our cars, relishing in the powerful hum of a well-engineered machine, our hearts are soothed by another kind of therapy: our passion for music. And of course, one of our favorite bands is Godsmack, and mixing cars, and bikes with Godsmack is even better.
Godsmack’s April 2024 performance at The Paramount Theatre in Denver, Colorado, American STORKR Magazine experienced a night of electrifying, high-energy entertainment. The show opened with a classic Pink Floyd cover, setting the tone for an evening filled with raw and hard sounds and classic covers that left the audience captivated and energized. With The Paramount Theatre ambiance creating an intimate setting and a still in its original early 20th century decor, the enthusiastic fans eagerly embraced the dynamic and classy and intimate performance delivered by Godsmack.
As the band took the stage, lead singer
Sully Ema’s raw and emotive vocals, combined with lead guitarist Tony Rombola’s shredding riffs and solos, bassist Robbie Merrill’s solid foundation, drummer Shannon Larkin’s thunderous beats, and keyboardist Chris DeCato’s impressive skills, resulted in a powerful and intense performance that was thoroughly engaging. Sully interacted with the crowd, sharing stories and thoughts about sound and vibrations in music, very cool.
Godsmack’s setlist additionally featured perfectly executed Led Zeppelin and Metallica covers, along with earlier works and tracks from their latest album “Lighting Up the Sky,” released in 2023. Fans were given an opportunity to connect with each other and release their inhibitions in an unforgettable, highoctane performance. Overall, American STORKR Magazine had the privilege of witnessing a thrilling show that left an indelible impression on all in attendance.
The band put on an incredible show, complete with a performance of their latest album’s title track, “Lighting Up
the Sky,” which featured a powerful and emotionally charged song called “Truth,” written by Ema. This song, in particular, surprised Ema as he revealed to the audience, because it came about during a time when the band was struggling to come together creatively while working on the album. It was towards the end of the COVID pandemic, and tensions were running high in the studio. Despite these challenges, they persisted and began presenting their ideas, trying to figure out what worked and what didn’t.
Around this time, Ema was hit with a major personal betrayal by someone he had been with for seven years. This incident left him feeling broken and hurt, so he took some time off to heal. During his hiatus, Ema had a sudden moment of inspiration when a melody came to him, and he quickly wrote down the lyrics. He returned to the band after a few months, feeling better but uncertain about the new song’s fit with their typically heavy rock style. However, when he played the ballad for the rest of the band, they were impressed with the raw emotional depth of the lyrics and agreed to record it for the album.
For Ema, music has always been a healing force, and he was grateful for the outlet it provided during his difficult time. He was especially touched when Shannon, his bandmate, confided that the group had been aware of his struggles
and anticipated that he would return with a meaningful contribution to the album. Ema laughed in surprise at the realization that even though he thought he had kept his personal turmoil hidden, his bandmates knew him well enough to see through his facade. In the end, the band’s hard work and collaboration resulted in an outstanding album that showcased their talents and shared their journey with their fans.
During the show, Sully Ema added a very cool touch to the show by sharing a story with the Audience. “DJ’s who supported this by the way, KBPI man they’ve been with us for a long time spent the afternoon Willie B. today, great guy.” “I was thinking you know music for all of us is really the soundtrack to our lives when you think about it right”? “As we started to talk about this you know the set and the songs that we were going to do for this show and some of the deeper cuts and then also some of the you know our favorite covers that go back to the time like Pink Floyd , and all that stuff listening to it and we started thinking about all those memories and how we felt”.
“I’m going like wow this is really, you know, it’s powerful when you think about it that way because music you know is really such a gift, and it’s such a universal language that we all connect to in our own way.”
“I remember being on our tour bus once with a friend of mine and we were sharing a bottle of wine chatting about music and as we’re having this conversation a song came on the radio and some of you may know it some of you may not it’s a song by the Mamas and the Papas called California dreaming”.
“I remember, like listening to this song and getting all these feelings, and I’m like feeling heavy and a little bit sad and oh wow these melodies are beautiful but they’re dark too and it’s like I don’t know why I feel the way I feel because I had no lyrical connection to the song but yet I was like feeling these real strong emotions and we started to talk about them like why is it, why is music just like that on a deep level”?
“If you think about music right, it’s really nothing more than sound waves but sounds are nothing more than frequencies right.” “If you keep going down that rabbit hole, a frequency is nothing more than a simple vibration so if you have a you know this string for instance I might stretch it really tight it’s going to make a higher so, und right if it’s a little bit looser and fatter and thicker it it’s going to make it lower sound but it’s nothing more than just vibration.”
“So whether it’s a drum head a piano string a vocal cord a guitar it’s just
something vibrating right but yet for some reason when these vibrations come in contact with the human body it creates emotion and that’s the f****** miracle of music right now that’s an anomaly in itself you know.”
“I’ve asked people before what it about music is, why does it affect you emotionally and a lot of us say well you know with the lyrical content really you know.”
“I connected with that song because it reminded me about my past or situation I went through, fair enough, but why is it we can go listen to a violin player play all by ourselves and it could literally bring in tears.” “I’ll give you an example, so if I played this chord right here, this is just a we call it a major d cord sounds kind of normal right like little happy but nothing offensive if I just change the position of my fingers right I change the vibrations kind of sad sounding right? Right, that’s my point though who made those rules up.”
“All I’m doing is just creating different vibrations different frequencies but for some reason you hear one sound is happy and you hear the other is sad.”
“I don’t know if anyone here is qualified to answer this question so I’m not asking for the answer because if you can, maybe you’re God, and I’m sure he’s not here tonight because I would have put him on the guest list because I got a few words for that guy after the last couple of years
I went through, but do you understand what I’m saying, you know this is like, this is why I love music.”
“This is why, and of course you know so we we’re into this we’ve been talking about this whole time on the tour bus and now we’re talking 2 bottles of wine into it we’re going holy s*** this is like, did we discover this are we f****** geniuses, ha-ha, but yeah it’s like one of those, and then we started messing around with you know with chords, in general and I just started like plucking these things out of sequence just to see like if it triggers a feeling but it’s nothing there’s like no connection to that but if I just change the pattern a little bit right reorganize the vibrations, right, does the sound familiar to you, maybe bring it back to that time and place when you first heard the song right? Ema
concluded with performing “Nothing Else Matters” by Metallica.
Godsmack’s Background and History: Originally from Lawrence, Massachusetts, the band Godsmack was formed in 1995 with a lineup consisting of Sully Erna as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist, Robbie Merrill as the bassist, Tony Rombola as the lead guitarist, and Shannon Larkin as the drummer. With a successful music career spanning over two decades, the band has released a vast amount of work, including eight studio albums, four DVDs, one compilation album, one EP, and one live album.
Godsmack has made significant accomplishments throughout their career, achieving three consecutive number-one albums on the Billboard 200, specifically Faceless, IV, and The Oracle, as well as 25 top ten rock radio hits. Notably, 18 songs reached the top five, with 12 securing the number one position. The band’s seventh album, When Legends Rise, was released in 2018, and their eighth album, Lighting Up the Sky, hit the music scene in 2023.
Over the years, Godsmack has been an integral part of many renowned tours and festivals, including multiple appearances at Ozzfest and headlining their arena tours. The city of Boston paid tribute to Godsmack’s success by declaring August 6 as “Godsmack Day,” specifically honoring their sixth studio album, 1000hp.
Lead singer and rhythm guitarist Ema Sully
Lead singer and rhythm guitarist Sully Erna shares story with Audience before playing cover “Nothing Else Matters” by Metallica
The band started their journey in 1995, performing at small venues in Boston, which quickly garnered local attention. “Keep Away” and “Whatever” were two of their most well-known tracks. In an interview, Erna clarified that the band’s name came from a private incident where he poked fun at the drummer’s cold sore. After contracting one himself, someone commented, “It’s a god smack,” and thus the name stuck.
In 1997, Godsmack recorded their debut album, All Wound Up, at New Alliance Studio in Boston, which was self-released the same year. The success of “Keep Away” propelled the band to go back to the studio, and they released a new single titled “Whatever,” which became another local favorite on WAAF (FM).
After years of hard work, things finally began to take off for Godsmack, according to Erna, who managed the band from his bedroom. The release of their eponymous album, Godsmack, in 1998 sparked their first headlining tour, named “The Godsmack Tour,” with the Jim Rose Circus as their opening act. The band followed this with club shows and appearances at significant music festivals such as Ozzfest and Woodstock ‘99. Subsequently, they embarked on a European tour, supporting Black Sabbath, and the album climbed to number one and earned gold certification in 1999.
Following the triumph of their multi-
platinum self-titled album, Godsmack embarked on their next venture in 2000 with Awake. Released on Halloween of the same year, the album quickly earned 2x platinum certification from the RIAA. The band’s track “Vampires” also earned a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Instrumental Performance in 2002. To promote the album, Godsmack embarked on a tour of Europe with Limp Bizkit, using constant travel to write most of the songs.
Godsmack performed at the Ozzfest for the second year in a row in 2000, and they also released their first live DVD, Live, which received gold certification from the RIAA. In an interesting turn of events, “Sick of Life” and “Awake” were used in United States Navy commercials
after a military fan requested the music.
In 2002, the band’s lead singer, Erna, was approached to compose and perform a song for The Scorpion King soundtrack. Godsmack’s “I Stand Alone” emerged as the top single on Rock Radio and remained the most played Active Rock song for 14 consecutive weeks in 2002. The track also appeared in the game Prince of Persia: Warrior Within. Godsmack spent much of 2003 touring America and Europe in support of Metallica.
Godsmack’s single “Straight Out of Line,” the lead from their Faceless album, was nominated for a Grammy
Award for Best Hard Rock Performance. Ultimately, the award went to Evanescence’s “Bring Me to Life.” The album’s title derived from a swimmingpool accident, but later, band member Merrill contradicted this claim, making the origin of the title ambiguous.
On March 16, 2004, Godsmack released an acoustic EP titled The Other Side... Godsmack’s sound shifted from heavy to more mellow and acoustic with that release.
Godsmack opened for Metallica’s “Madly in Anger with the World” tour in 2004, before headlining the tour with Dropbox. The band performed several acoustic shows in the fall of 2004 to promote The Other Side while continuing to open for Metallica.
Godsmack spent an entire year of diligent crafting, locked away in the studio, preparing new material for their fourth studio album. Finally, on April 25th, 2006, they released the highly anticipated album, entitled simply “IV”. Their subsequent “IV tour” took them through to August of 2007, highlighting their incredible musical talents. Erna was the album’s producer and was assisted in engineering by the legendary Andy Johns, who is famous for his work on Led Zeppelin’s “IV”.
The album’s debut single, “Speak”, achieved gold certification and was released on Valentine’s Day of 2006. With over 40 songs written for the album, only eleven made it to the final cut, reflecting the band’s preference for lead singer Sully’s vision of their music. This vision was embodied in the album’s minimalist title, which was derived not only from it being their fourth album, but also from backstage humor.
In 2007, the band celebrated their ten-year anniversary by releasing a greatest hits album titled “Good Times, Bad Times... Ten Years of Godsmack”. The album included a cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Good Times Bad Times” and a DVD of their acoustic performance in Las Vegas at the House of Blues. After releasing this album, they went on an acoustic tour which led to rumors of the
Lead guitarist Tony Rombola
Bassist Robbie Merrill
band’s hiatus. However, Erna responded by stating that they were merely taking a break to enjoy their ten-year anniversary and would return stronger and better than ever before.
True to their word, in 2008, Larkin made a groundbreaking announcement that the band would reform and start recording a new album. The following summer, they toured as Mötley Crüe’s Crüe Fest 2 support and released the hit single, “Whiskey Hangover”. After the tour, Godsmack immediately went to work on their latest album, “The Oracle”, which hit stores on May 4, 2010.
Lead singer, Erna, spoke passionately about the album’s early sound, describing it as heavy, aggressive, and in-your-face. The band headlined the fourth annual Mayhem Festival with Disturbed, entered the studio in January 2012 to mix a live album and record several covers for an upcoming release, and then toured in the spring with Staind. They even finished an EP of cover songs, which was released in February 2012.
Despite their relentless schedule, Sully revealed in a December interview that Godsmack would take a break during 2013, citing exhaustion from two years of non-stop touring. However, just a month later, Erna surprised fans with the announcement of a short solo tour across America.
In 2014, Godsmack’s lead singer Erna shared exciting updates about the band’s upcoming studio album. He revealed via Twitter that they had made significant progress in the songwriting process and that the album was set for a tentative
release later that year. In just two weeks, the band had managed to finish an impressive 11 songs for the album, and by April, they announced that they had recorded a total of 15 tracks, with 10 making the final cut. Erna went on to unveil the album’s title, “1000hp,” in May, and the title track was released as a single the following month.
The album’s popularity soared after the release of the first single, “1000hp”, in August. The success of subsequent singles, “Something Different” and “What’s Next,” further boosted the album’s popularity, as did the band’s charitable campaign aimed at supporting military veterans.
Godsmack headlined the Uproar Festival and participated in the Soundwave Festival in Australia throughout 2014 and 2015, before revealing dates for their own North American headline tour in the fall of 2015. They continued to tour through mid-November of that year,
during which time they released the digital single “Inside Yourself”.
Godsmack continued to display their commitment to crafting powerful, emotionally charged rock music and supporting important causes. In 2017, the band began working on their seventh studio album, which they released in 2018. Entitled “When Legends Rise,” the album was preceded by the release of the first single, “Bulletproof.” From May to October 2018, the band traveled across North America performing at various festivals and ultimately co-headlining a summer tour with Shinedown.
As Godsmack continued to rise to new heights of success, it was clear that their dedication and hard work had paid off.
In 2019, their song “Under Your Scars” topped the Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart for two weeks, a first-time achievement for the band. The music video for “Unforgettable” premiered on April 8, 2020, and involved the participation of 400 middle school students from New England. Directed by Noah Berlow, the video dominated the charts for a record-breaking five consecutive weeks. Fast forward to 2022, when the band released “Surrender” to the public and announced their upcoming album, “Lighting Up the Sky”. The album’s first single, “You and I”, dropped on November 11, 2022, and the full album was finally released on February 24, 2023.
Guest keyboardist Chris DeCato, a member of Sully’s solo album tour.
Drummer Shannon Larkin
