Former midstate band Halestorm is up for a Grammy award, but they weren't always chart toppers and Grammy nominees.
A dip into the Patriot-News archives showcases the history of Halestorm, from it's beginnings as a family based Christian rock group to the rock star band it is today. Here's a timeline of the band:
Dec. 11, 1998 - Halestorm releases album, "(Don't Mess with the) Time Man" at Cafe Beracah in Lebanon. The group is referred to as "a brother-sister duo from the Schuylkill County area… Elizabeth Hale, 15, is singer, songwriter and keyboardist, accompanied by her 11-year-old brother Arejay on drums and father Roger on bass. They describe their music as 'classic rock' with 'a wholesome message for the American teenager,' driven by faith in God" by the Patriot-News. It is the first appearance the group makes in the Patriot-News archives.
Feb. 5, 1999 - the first profile of Halestorm appears in The Patriot-News. Read it here.
Feb. 12, 1999 - Halestorm performs at Millennium, appearing at the City Island pavilion.
Sept. 17, 1999 - Patriot-News reports Halestorm has signed management contract with Worldview Entertainment.
Oct. 22, 1999 - Leo Nessinger joins the band as a guitarist. His first performance is at Hersheypark's 11th annual Balloonfest.
Nov. 19, 1999 - Halestorm is announced as performer at the Lehigh Valley Music Awards.
Feb. 6, 2000 - Halestorm's music goes online, appearing on The Orchard. The band pays $40 to get on the site, splitting profits 70-30 with the site.
Feb. 2000 - Halestorm debuts new ballad "Rose in December" at Millennium - where Megadeth bassist David Ellefson is the keynote speaker. He later is given a Halestorm CD to take home. In 2013, Megadeth would be up against Halestorm for the Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance Grammy.
April 2000 - Guitarist Leo Nessinger leaves the band due to personal reasons. Halestorm joins up with Gig Records.
Aug. 25, 2000 - Halestorm's ballad "Rose in December" is a hit with local musicians, despite the fact it has yet to be released. Read their full comments in this Patriot-News article.
April 27, 2001 - Halestorm joins up with The Darcie Miner Band to launch "Rock Against Violence" campaign. "I promote rock 'n' roll without the drugs and without the promiscuous sex…" Elizabeth Hale tells The Patriot-News. "We feel like we can relate to [teenagers] because we are the same age. This is something we've always wanted to do."
Sept. 21, 2001 - Halestorm performs at benefit concert for victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Oct. 5, 2001 - Halestorm joins "Power of Youth," an anti-drug, anti-violence touring event. The group is no longer being referred to as a Christian rock group in The Patriot-News. It is also the first reference to guitarist Nate Myotte joining the band. Elizabeth Hale is now referred to as Liz (she was also referred to as Liz in an 1999 article). Read a detailed article about the tour from Nov. 2, 2001's Patriot-News here.
Dec. 21, 2001 - Halestorm's music is played on "Under the Radar," a series on WQXA 105.7 "The X."
May 24, 2002 - First reference to Halestorm's new bass player, Scootch Frenchek, in The Patriot-News.
July 2002 - First reference to Elizabeth Hale as Lzzy Hale in The Patriot-News. The band performs at the Harrisburg Music Festival.
Sept. 2002 - Scootch Frenchek leaves the band. Halestorm tells The Patriot-News that the group now plays 150 concerts a year.
Feb. 2003 - Nate Myotte leaves the band. Halestorm goes on hiatus to recruit new members. "For Arejay and I, this [band] is our lives," Lzzy Hale tells The Patriot-News. "We're committed to this 150 percent."
Jan.-May 2003 - Lzzy Hale works with David Ivory, Grammy-nominated producer, to hone her songwriting skills - eventually signing production deal with Ivory.
May 18. 2003 - Halestorm unveils two new members: Matt Grisco on guitar and Phil Connolly on bass.
Aug. 2003 - Halestorm signs management contract with Larry Mazer, who worked with KISS, Megadeth, Pat Benatar and Anthrax. In 2013, Halestorm will be up against Megadeth and Anthrax for the Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance Grammy award. The lineup also changes, with Grisco and Connolly leaving and Joe Hottinger and Dave Hartley joining as guitarist and bassist, respectively.
2004 - Dave Hartley leaves the band. Josh Smith replaces him as bassist.
2005 - Halestorm signs a deal with Atlantic Records, releases "One and Done" EP.
Sept. 7, 2007 - Halestorm appears on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" in the "Jay Walking" segment, dressed as girl scouts (even the men).
April 28, 2009 - Halestorm releases "Halestorm" album. The album reaches number 4 in the Billboard U.S. Hard Rock charts. The single "I Get Off" reaches No. 17 on the Billboard's Rock chart.
May 2, 2009 - Halestorm opens for Trapt at the Chameleon Club in Lancaster.
Dec. 24, 2009 - Lzzy Hale is named "Hottest Chicks in Metal" by Revolver magazine.
July 21, 2010 - Halestorm performs on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon."
Feb. 18, 2011 - Halestorm is the keynote speaker at Millennium. Read the full article about their time at Millennium here.
Feb. 21, 2012 - Halestorm's song "Here's To Us" is covered by Fox TV series "Glee." The cover version reaches the number 16 position on the iTunes Chart. The Halestorm version reaches number 2 spot on Rock iTunes chart.
April 10, 2012 - "The Strange Case of…" album is released. The sophom*ore effort reaches No. 15 on the Billboard top 200 chart.
May 2012 - "Love Bites (So Do I)" becomes the first song by a female-fronted band to top the airplay charts on Active Rock. It reaches the number 2 spot on U.S. Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks.
Dec. 6, 2012 - Halestorm receives a Grammy nomination for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance for their song "Love Bites (So Do I)." The group is competing against Marilyn Manson, Megadeth, Iron Maiden. Anthrax and Lamb of God for the award.
This is the first story in a weeklong series on PennLive celebrating Halestorm as we gear up for the Grammy's.
Will Halestorm win or lose? Tune in to the 2013 Grammy Awards on Feb. 10 to find out. Halestorm's category will be announced during the pre-telecast, which you can watch online starting at 4 p.m. on www.grammy.com. The regular awards ceremony will air on CBS at 8 p.m.
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