  richard dale "richie" kotzen, jr. (born february 3, 1970 in reading, pennsylvania) is a guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer. currently he is touring with the winery dogs with mike portnoy and billy sheehan, supporting an album they recorded in los angeles in august 2012. ==biography== richie kotzen began playing piano at the age of five. at the age of seven he was inspired by the band kiss to learn the electric guitar. he started his career in a band named arthurs museum. kotzen was eventually discovered by shrapnel records' mike varney, and he recorded his first solo album by the age of 19. he created the video rock chops for reh video in 1989, highlighting many of his formative techniques, including using wide-intervals and fluid sweeping. in 1991, at age 21, kotzen joined glam-metal band poison, co-writing and performing on the album native tongue. this album produced two top twenty singles which kotzen co-wrote, "stand" and "until you suffer some (fire & ice)". in 1999 k
1970_births American_heavy_metal_guitarists American_heavy_metal_singers American_people_of_German_descent American_rock_guitarists American_rock_singers Living_people Mr._Big_(American_band)_members Musicians_from_Pennsylvania People_from_Reading,_Pennsylvania Poison_(American_band)_members