Synyster Gates

Brian Elwin Haner, Jr. (born July 7, 1981), better known by his stage name Synyster Gates or simply Syn or "Gates", is an American musician. He is the lead guitarist and backup vocalist for American hard rock/heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold.

Haner went to Mayfair High School in Lakewood, California and also Ocean View High School in Huntington Beach, California.

Haner attended, but did not graduate from, the Musicians Institute in Hollywood as part of the GIT program, studying jazz guitar. Up until that time he was primarily self taught by watching music videos and reading books, which is surprising because his father was/is a songwriter and guitar player, having played with Frank Zappa during his career. After six or so months of being there, he got a phone call from The Rev (and the rest of the current line up of Avenged Sevenfold) asking him if he wanted to join the band as lead guitarist. Haner joined up with them rather than continuing his education and becoming a studio musician.
Brian joined Avenged Sevenfold when he was 18 at the end of 1999, right before the recording of the band's first album, Sounding the Seventh Trumpet. He was featured on their EP, "Warmness on the Soul", and on the reissue of their first album. He also plays piano for the band on songs such as "Beast and the Harlot" and "Sidewinder", though a friend of the band, bassist Justin Meacham, played the piano on Warmness on the Soul.

In the Avenged Sevenfold DVD All Excess, to emphasize the seemingly random placing of names, Brian stated that his name was thought of on a drunken drive through the park with The Rev. His exact words were: "I am Synyster Gates, and I am awesome!"[2]

He has won numerous awards, including the "Young Shredder" award of the year in the Metal Hammer awards in 2006 and the "Guitarist of the Year" Award for Total Guitar Magazine in 2006.Brian along with the band's drummer The Rev formerly played in an avant-garde metal band named Pinkly Smooth. They both however quit the band as they wished to concentrate on Avenged Sevenfold full time.
Brian has a younger brother Brent a brother Johnny and a younger sister McKenna. His father, Brian Haner Sr., is a musician and comedian known as "Guitar Guy", and is currently on tour with Jeff Dunham. Synyster Gates is currently engaged to Michelle DiBenedetto.

Haner cites Django Reinhardt, Dimebag Darrell, Eddie Van Halen, Slash, John Petrucci, Adam Aparicio and Francis Canavan as his favorite guitarists and major influences[citation needed]. In June 2008 Guitar World magazine interviewed Brian, reader Shawn Butterfield asked "You're one hell of a guitarist. But who do you really look up to?" to which he responded "Definitely Slash, the Ozzy guitar dudes, Alexi Laiho from Children of Bodom, Jimi Hendrix of course, Jimmy Page from Led Zeppelin, a lot man!".

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