Azzitizz

Band Members:
Mike Grotto and Rick Mackey was the second half of the Spring Hill local band Knight Flight, in which dissipated in May of 2009. Knight Flight was a Led Zeppelin cover and original band that played together for a good part of five years, playing at venues such as B.B. Magee’s in Hudson and Bourbon Street in New Port Richey. After a musical hiatus, Mike and Rick decided to construct a totally new band, in which it would specialize in original music. It would take nearly two years to find the missing pieces to the puzzle known today as Azzitizz. Mike Grotto began playing bass guitar at the age of 14 with a childhood friend, in which this mutual love for music eventually led to the discovery of Rick Mackey through a friend, and the initial formation of Night Flight. A few years later, Night Flight played at the Brooksville Band Shell Bash, in which the discovery of a new vocalist found them and the rebirth of Night Flight came out to be Knight Flight. After the breakup of Knight Flight and the musical hiatus, Mike and Rick came together again to search for the missing parts of a new original project. Rick then introduced Mike to Chris Doxey, and at that time Mike only knew him as a soundman that helped at the Knight Flight gigs and a good friend and guitarist of Rick’s, but never jammed with him directly. When Rick and Mike offered the part of lead and rhythm guitarist in the new project they had, he immediately agreed to it. Chris Doxey began playing guitar at age 12 in New York. Early on, Chris knew he did not want to play other people’s music and create fresh, new original ideas and songs. By age 15 Chris was in his first band Gypsy Red, and around age 19 he formed Banshee Scream with his brother Dave on vocals, an all original band. Banshee Scream played various shows at places like Gasoline Alley, Boomerangs, The Brass Mug, and M.L. Chasers for about a year and a half until the band broke up. Around October 1994, Chris met his musical soul mate, Rick Mackey. In the early 2000's, they formed Trench Coat, an all original band, with bassist Robert McCraw that lasted all the way up to 2010. When Chris agreed to the band project that Mike and Rick offered him, they had every part of the band that they needed, except for one part; the singer. Earlier on, Mike and Rick met up with a local guitarist named Nick Scrapits, in which he introduced Mike and Rick to the most important member in the band; Mark Champeau. Mark Champeau was born and raised in Tampa, FL and started singing with rock n’ roll cover bands in his earlier teenage years, but soon pursued a musical career by auditioning for original rock bands that led to the beginning of a band called Ironic Daze, in which Mark was a part of for four and a half years. Ironic Daze formed in January of 1996 and gained some popularity in the Tampa Bay area in the more successful years when the band was managed by Richard Cortez of Color Rock Entertainment, who in earlier years managed Juliet. Ironic Daze opened for Buckcherry in 1999, in which their then singer, Josh Todd, told Mark that he was one of the best unknown singers he has ever heard. Buckcherry returned a year later and performed at Janis Landing and Josh Todd spotted Mark outside on the sidewalk, where he was passing out flyers for his show, and clearly recognized him and started talking to him about his music career. Ironic Daze performed at the Underground Station in Altamonte Springs where Creed was hanging out at when they were in Orlando shooting their music videos. Mark was later approached at the club with an offer to sing for a new band that had a label interest, in which Mark turned down the offer. In late 2000, Ironic Daze wanted to change musical direction and let Mark go. In 2010, Mark started singing at open jams, which led to meeting Nick Scrapits, a professional guitarist who is a part of the band Trash Jazz. Nick eventually led Mark to Mike, Chris, and Rick, and in June of 2011, became the band known as Azzitizz.

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