:Lee Gaze
{{Short description|Welsh guitarist}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{BLP sources|date=November 2020}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Lee Gaze
| image =
| caption = Gaze performing with Lostprophets at Ozzfest Donington Park in 2002
| background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
| birth_name = Lee James Gaze
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1975|5|21}}
| origin = Pontypridd, Wales
| instrument = Guitar
| genre = Alternative metal, nu metal, alternative rock
| occupation = Musician
| years_active = 1997–present
| associated_acts = Lostprophets, No Devotion
}}
Lee James Gaze (born 21 May 1975){{Cite web |title=BBC - Lee Gaze |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/music/sites/lostprophets/pages/lee-gaze.shtml |access-date=2024-01-19 |website=www.bbc.co.uk}} is a Welsh musician. He is the lead guitarist, and one of the founding members, of the Welsh/American alternative rock band No Devotion, and a former member of the Welsh rock band Lostprophets.
Early life
Gaze was born in Pontypridd and grew up on a council estate in the Pontypridd village Rhydyfelin. He did not do well at school as he was more interested in playing thrash metal: as he told Kerrang! in 2006, "Before I discovered music, I was a total delinquent, and then Iron Maiden changed my life. I had just been listening to pop before that. A friend of mine got hold of a tape and played to me and we got obsessed."{{cite web|title=BBC - Lee Gaze|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/music/sites/lostprophets/pages/lee-gaze.shtml|access-date=2021-01-02|website=www.bbc.co.uk}} He was also a huge fan of Megadeth, Metallica and Slayer.{{Cite web|title=Lee Gaze of LostProphets at The Roxy on MUSE - YouTube|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mtbinwMCvo |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/9mtbinwMCvo |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|access-date=2021-01-03|website=www.youtube.com}}{{cbignore}}
Career
In 1991, Gaze formed his first band. They recorded one demo, Discontent and in 1994 they joined forces with two other local musicians and formed Fleshbind. The band recorded three demos and saw some success in their three-year career, including playing a show for Metal Hammer at the London Astoria.
Tired with the lack of direction, Gaze and Watkins disbanded Fleshbind and formed Lostprophets alongside Mike Chiplin on drums, later recruiting Mike Lewis, Stuart Richardson and Jamie Oliver. Gaze was the lead guitarist and one of the band's key songwriters.{{Cite web|title=Interview with Lost Prophets|url=http://www.outlineonline.co.uk//content/interview-with-lost-prophets/interviews/109403/2482|access-date=2021-01-02|website=Outline Magazine}}
Lostprophets disbanded in October 2013 after Watkins was arrested, and then jailed for 29 years. The remaining members later formed a new band, No Devotion, with Geoff Rickly as lead singer.{{cite news|url=http://www.rocksound.tv/news/read/introducing-no-devotion-the-new-band-featuring-ex-lostprophets-members-thur|title=Introducing No Devotion: The New Band Featuring Ex-Lostprophets Members + Thursday's Geoff Rickly|date=1 July 2014|work=Rock Sound|accessdate=31 March 2016}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.loudersound.com/news/gaze-how-could-we-have-known-watkins-truth|title=Gaze: How could we have known Watkins truth?|first=Stef|last=Lach|date=29 July 2014|website=Louder}} The band have released two albums, Permanence (2015) and No Oblivion (2022).
Personal life
In 2004, Gaze began dating London-based Malaysian former singer, Syirin Said, who was a member of now-defunct Malaysian girl group M'Steen. They married in 2008.{{cite web|date=2 March 2015|title=12 Famous People You Didn't Know Had Malaysian Connections|url=https://robertchaen.com/2015/03/02/9531/|accessdate=3 January 2021|website=Robert Chaen}} The couple have two sons.{{cite instagram|user=lee_gaze|postid=CeqB1bGuf_v|title=A week ago we were in Amsterdam. Hadn't been in years and was the first time for the boys.|date=11 June 2022}}
Gaze is straight edge and abstains from alcohol, smoking, and recreational drugs.{{cite web|title=Frequently Asked Questions|website=DragonNinjaDotCom|date=13 September 2009|url=http://dragonninja.com/knowledge/faq/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120421013737/http://dragonninja.com/knowledge/faq/|archive-date=21 April 2012}}
Discography
{{main|Lostprophets discography|No Devotion#Discography}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Lostprophets}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Gaze, Lee}}
Category:People from Pontypridd
Category:Welsh rock guitarists
Category:British lead guitarists