Jon Schaffer | |
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![]() Schaffer in 2016 | |
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Birth name | Jon Ryan Schaffer |
Born | Franklin, Indiana, U.S. | March 15, 1968
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Years active | 1984–2021 |
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Formerly of | Demons & Wizards |
Jon Ryan Schaffer (/ˈʃeɪfər/; born March 15, 1968)[1] is an American heavy metal musician. He is the rhythm guitarist, bandleader and principal songwriter of the Indiana-based heavy metal band Iced Earth, which he formed in 1985 under the name Purgatory. He is also the lead singer in his political side project Sons of Liberty and, until 2021, played guitar for Demons & Wizards, his collaboration with Blind Guardian frontman Hansi Kürsch. In a 2019 poll by Guitar World, Schaffer was ranked as the 25th-best rhythm guitar player of all time.[2]
Schaffer is a founding lifetime member of the far-right Oath Keepers militia. In April 2021, he pleaded guilty to two crimes related to his participation in the storming of the United States Capitol.[3]