Marco Mendoza

Marco Mendoza (born 3 May 1963) is an American bass guitarist who has worked in diverse genres. He became a professional rock musician in 1989 and debuted on Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward's solo album Along the Way. He has performed on a number of notable releases throughout his career, including Live... in the Still of the Night by Whitesnake, One Night Only by Thin Lizzy and Live in Concert at Lollapalooza by Journey.
Career
Marco Mendoza (born 1963) started his professional career in 1989, playing bass for former Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward's solo album Along the Way, which was released in January 1990. In 1991, he replaced former Heart bassist Steve Fossen in the band Alias in 1991. Mendoza played on the band's second album Never Say Never, but Alias was dropped by Capitol Records in 1992 and the album was shelved. He played in John Sykes' band Blue Murder, from 1992 until 1993. In 1994, he was recruited into a reformed lineup of Thin Lizzy, also featuring Sykes, with guitarist Scott Gorham, keyboard player Darren Wharton and drummer Brian Downey. After some preliminary one-off concerts, the band toured more consistently from 1996 until 2000, replacing the departing Downey with Tommy Aldridge and releasing the live album One Night Only.
From 2000 to 2003, Mendoza recorded and toured with Ted Nugent, and in 2004 he toured with Whitesnake, another band that once featured Sykes and Aldridge, and appeared on their DVD Live... in the Still of the Night. Also in 2004, Mendoza guested on keyboardist Derek Sherinian's solo album Mythology. However, he returned to Thin Lizzy in 2005, replacing Randy Gregg. He left the band in 2007, and subsequently toured with ex-Dokken guitarist George Lynch in his band Lynch Mob.
After Sykes left Thin Lizzy in 2009, Mendoza rejoined the band for a third stint, this time with Gorham, Wharton, Downey, singer Ricky Warwick and guitarist Vivian Campbell. This lineup of Thin Lizzy toured Europe throughout 2011, before a US tour at the end of the year, and a further tour of Europe in early 2012.
On July 6, 2007, Mendoza released his first solo album Live for Tomorrow, through Frontiers Records in Europe. The record was produced and co-written by Richie Kotzen and features guest performances by Steve Lukather, Ted Nugent, Doug Aldrich, Tommy Aldridge, Brian Tichy, Marco Rentería of Jaguares, and others.
Mendoza has also played for the band Soul SirkUS and with many other artists from different musical backgrounds including: Bill Ward, Right Said Fred, Robert Williams, Roch Voisine, Dolores O'Riordan, Tim "Ripper" Owens, and Tommy Shaw.
When not touring, Mendoza has played with his band Mendoza Heredia Neto, featuring drummer Joey Heredia and keyboard player Renato Neto, on Tuesday nights at La Ve Lee Jazz Club in Studio City. The band has recorded a live CD, Live in L.A.
In December 2012, Mendoza co-founded the Thin Lizzy spin-off band, Black Star Riders. Black Star Riders' first album All Hell Breaks Loose was released in May 2013.
On May 30, 2014, it was announced that Mendoza was leaving Black Star Riders at the end of the contemporaneous US tour to work on other projects.
Mendoza joined Neal Schon's side project, Neal Schon's Journey Through Time, along with fellow The Dead Daisies member Deen Castronovo.
In April 2022, Mendoza was announced as the bassist for the supergroup Iconic, featuring Michael Sweet, Joel Hoekstra, Tommy Aldridge, and Nathan James. The band's debut album is called Second Skin. They released a lead single, entitled "Nowhere to Run".
Discography
Solo albums
Live for Tomorrow (2007)
Casa Mendoza (2010)
Viva La Rock (2018)
Take It To The Limit (2022)
Other collaborations
1990 Ward One: Along the Way (Bill Ward)
1992 Never Say Never (Alias) shelved, independently released in 2009
1993 Nothin' But Trouble (Blue Murder)
1994 Screaming Blue Murder (Blue Murder)
1995 Real World (Tin Drum)
1995 Out of My Tree (John Sykes)
1996 Feels Good (Michael Ruff)
1996 Smashing! (Right Said Fred)
1996 Kissing Rain (Roch Voisine)
1997 Loveland (John Sykes)
1997 Sugar Cane (Rafael Aragon)
1997 20th Century (John Sykes)
1998 Date with the Devil's Daughter (Robert Williams)
1998 7 Deadly Zens (Tommy Shaw)
1998 Live in L.A. (Mendoza Heredia Neto)
2000 One Night Only (Thin Lizzy)
2000 Into the Light (David Coverdale)
2000 Nuclear Cowboy (John Sykes)
2001 Full Bluntal Nugity (Ted Nugent)
2002 Craveman (Ted Nugent)
2004 Mythology (Derek Sherinian)
2004 Bad Boy Live! (John Sykes)
2005 World Play (Soul SirkUS)
2006 Live... in the Still of the Night (Whitesnake)
2007 Are You Listening? (Dolores O'Riordan)
2009 Play My Game (Tim "Ripper" Owens)
2008 Earth Tones (Adrian Galysh)
2009 No Baggage (Dolores O'Riordan)
2009 Smoke and Mirrors (Lynch Mob)
2010 La Famiglia Superstar (La Famiglia Superstar)
2011 Brown Eyed Soul (Steve Saluto)
2013 All Hell Breaks Loose (Black Star Riders)
2014 So U (Neal Schon)
2014 Kill The King (WAMI)
2015 Revolución (The Dead Daisies)
2016 Make Some Noise (The Dead Daisies)
2016 Night Train (Jericho Summer)
2017 Live & Louder (The Dead Daisies)
2018 Burn It Down (The Dead Daisies)
2022 Second Skin (Iconic)
Tribute albums
1999 Little Guitars: A Tribute to Van Halen
2001 Metallic Assault: A Tribute to Metallica
2001 Stone Cold Queen: A Tribute
2002 Pigs and Pyramids: An All Star Lineup Performing the Songs of Pink Floyd
2002 One Way Street: A Tribute to Aerosmith
References
External links
Official website
BBC Marco Mendoza site
Stevelukather.com
Stevelukather.com
1963 births
20th-century American bass guitarists
21st-century American bass guitarists
21st-century American composers
Alias (band) members
American hard rock musicians
American heavy metal bass guitarists
American male bass guitarists
American male composers
American people of Mexican descent
American rock bass guitarists
American rock songwriters
American session musicians
Black Star Riders members
Blue Murder (band) members
Glam metal musicians
Guitarists from California
Living people
Lynch Mob (band) members
Musicians from San Diego
Soul SirkUS members
Ted Nugent Band members
The Dead Daisies members
Thin Lizzy members
Whitesnake members