Donald Roeser

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Birth Name: Donald Brian Roeser

Age: 76, born 12 November 1947

Country of origin: United States

Currently Residing In: United States

Relationship Status: Married

Partner: Sandy Roeser

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Members of Blue Öyster Cult (9 items)
list by Koji Ishimura

Published 6 years, 4 months ago

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Description: Donald Brian Roeser (born November 12, 1947), more commonly known by his stage name Buck Dharma, is an American guitarist and songwriter, best known for being a member of Blue Öyster Cult since the group's formation in 1967. He wrote and sang vocals on several of the band's best-known hits, including "(Don't Fear) The Reaper," "Godzilla" and "Burnin' for You." Roeser got the stage name "Buck Dharma" in the late 1960s. Manager Sandy Pearlman came up with the idea of creating eccentric stage names for Blue Öyster Cult's members. Every member rejected their new stage name except for Roeser, Donald Brian Roeser (born November 12, 1947), more commonly known by his stage name Buck Dharma, is an American guitarist and songwriter, best known for being a member of Blue Öyster Cult since the group's formation in 1967. He wrote and sang vocals on several of the band's best-known hits, including "(Don't Fear) The Reaper," "Godzilla" and "Burnin' for You." Roeser got the stage name "Buck Dharma" in the late 1960s. Manager Sandy Pearlman came up with the idea of creating eccentric stage names for Blue Öyster Cult's members. Every member rejected their new stage name except for Roeser, who liked the name and the idea of having an alternate persona.

Roeser was born on Long Island, New York. His father was an accomplished jazz saxophonist, and Roeser spent a lot of time listening to jazz music as a result. Because of this, Roeser developed an interest in the melodic arts at an early age, even playing the accordion for a brief time.

Roeser was influenced greatly by the British Invasion of 1964, and decided to pursue rock-and-roll music. He first started out playing the drums, but had to stop temporarily after breaking his wrist playing basketball. While recovering, Roeser learned to play guitar, and found he enjoyed it more than the drums.

During his high-school years, Roeser played guitar in various cover bands. At this time, he started to develop his own signature sound by imitating his favorite guitarists and combining their sounds with his own style. Roeser attended Clarkson University in New York, and joined a band that included later bandmate Albert Bouchard. The two played together on and off during the rest of their college career. At the end, both musicians abandoned potential degrees (Roeser's in Chemical Engineering), and decided to pursue music full-time. They moved into a band house near Stony Brook University, where Roeser was a part-time student, and started their careers.

In 2002, Roeser and his wife created "The Dharmas", a web-series exclusively featured on Roeser's website. The web-series is a comical, fictionalized insight on the life and times of the Roeser family.

In 1996, Roeser heard about Ricky Browning, a 10-year-old fan of Roeser's "Godzilla" who was battling a brain tumor. Roeser organized a benefit concert to help with the family's medical costs. Roeser, his wife Sandy, drummer John Miceli and bassist Danny Miranda played the concert under the name "Buck Dharma Band". Roeser taped the concert and released a video of it, which includes the story of Browning. Browning eventually succumbed to his illness. The Roesers still have a close relationship with the Browning family.

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