Reggie Wu

Funny how this back in the day started, I contacted Reggie who happens to live in New Jersey about 90 minutes from my house and I went to his MySpace http://www.myspace.com/reggiewu and asked him would he be interested in doing a Back in the Day section of our site. Well we went back and forth for a time and I cease to hear back from him.So I just figured that the music scene is in his past and has moved on.

So I contacted him months later and said even though you didn’t agree to our back in the day I will see you at Rocklahoma. I told Reggie I photographed him in a band during his club days and I said would he like to see a few. So Reggie gives me his e-mail, still not agreeing to the Back in the Day and I send him over two photos. He writes back a few minutes later and his exact words were

Hey Brian - AHH!!! You could totally blackmail me! hahaha! Reg then agreed to the back in the day.

So here we go from the mouth of Reggie Wu

I am originally from South Jersey and I moved out to California to join a band called MANSFIELD with Pete Preston - I replaced Doug Aldrich in that band but it didn't work out so I came back to South Jersey and then I joined BUFF THE MUSKET really a great band and good guys, they became IVORY TOWER. I'd always known Mike Regina the bass player for WHITEFOXX and joined up with them, It’s bizarre because he lives right behind me now. I only played with them maybe a year and only played on one song called “Starry Eyes”. I replaced Jimmy Maropoulos; the singer was Mark Chasen who I run into every now and then. He just won a competition to sing on stage with QUEENSRYCHE. I played with Tipa Sparrs who is doing the Rocklahoma thing this year. Through WHITEFOXX I met Mark Evans who was in a huge local band called NETWORK they were very JOURNEY -ish. That’s how we put HEAVEN’S EDGE together.

When I was with WHITEFOXX we played with others like < HIDE YOUR DAUGHTERS, THE DEADEND KIDS, IVORY TOWER. We all came out of the Galaxy, CINDERELLA, BRITNEY FOX we all played the same club. In the area we had a club called Bonnies, The Galaxy, the Empire Rock Club and you kinda just did those three rooms.

When I did HEAVEN’S EDGE it was 1987 to 1993/94 and then to AMERICAN PIE. I mainly now work in production for Nick Jr. I work behind the scene, but I really miss playing out. My big day is the Kresson School concert, the elementary school kids. I’d love to get back out there but there is so much of a commitment.

WHITEFOXX is playing Rocklahoma but I will not be playing the show. I just have too much to do right now, Tipa did come to me and ask and unfortunately I just can’t, but if there is another Rocklahoma next year we are committed to play there with HEAVEN’S EDGE. They have Dan Danzi playing guitar, he’s excellent, but what I am surprised with Mark Chasen is not singing. I really want to get out there and would even play the local bingo tournament to get out there. Laughing!

The bands I played in were BUFF THE MUSKET, WARRIOR, WHITEFOXX, HEAVEN’S EDGE and AMERICAN PIE.

When you sent over the photos of me with WHITEFOXX from the China Club, I said what was I wearing, I was teaching when you sent them over and my student was hysterical. The rule with WHITEFOXX was you had to wear white. I don’t know why I agreed to that. We had the world’s biggest hair in HEAVEN’S EDGE and when we left Columbia who we sued for breech of contract that hurt us in the long run. I think because of the lawsuit that is why it is hard to find the first CD now-a-days. Also for the last 10 years I have been really into Classical piano again. I have been getting tips from my mom who is the greatest classical piano teacher around. Gotta give my mom a plug! haha!

Dave was thinking of doing a 30th Anniversary thing with a DVD and a couple new tracks, which would be kinda fun. We are still very close. I was thinking of doing a rock record and release it myself and maybe get some friends to sing on it, which would be kinda fun.

These days the focus is on family, I have three kids one in college and a ten and five year old. But it’s all good and I’m happy. I stopped practicing for years but since then I started back up. The kids who I teach want to know how to shred and want me to teach them DRAGONFORCE solos. I gotta practice again. Rock and Glam are absolutely coming back, it’s amazing and awesome.

You know it’s totally awesome that RockEyez.com is keeping the names alive with all these bands.

My daughter is back from college right now and I sent her the photos you sent me, she was upstairs busting out, I said to her that’s your pops aren’t you proud of me. Laughing. Aquanet was a great product back in the day.

Hey Reggie it was great to talk about Back in the Day; Thanks again for totally keeping the name alive and hopefully HEAVEN’S EDGE will do Rocklahoma or the Texas Jam next year and we can catch up again Thanks again. Reg www.myspace.com/reggiewu

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