Jon Oliva was born in 1960. He began playing music at an early age, but did not settle on an instrument for quite some time. He eventually signed on to a band called Metropolis at the age of 17, playing both guitar and keyboards. The group broke up in 1978. Eventually, Oliva formed a group called Avatar, which eventually became Savatage. He has been with that group for the duration of the band, but has managed to find time to also record with the Savatage-related projects Doctor Butcher and Trans Siberian Orchestra. ~ Gary Hill, All Music Guide