Background
LePond was born in Newark, New Jersey.
LePond was born in Newark, New Jersey.
When he was 13 years old, he attended at Kiss concert, and was inspired by the performance, especially the band"s bassist Gene Simmons, to begin playing music
The group issued an album – Alive and Kickin – on the independent Polo label in 1996. He can be heard on all Symphony X releases since the 2000 album V: The New Mythology Suite. He bought some basic equipment, namely a Univox bass and a 150 watt amplifier, and took lessons for a year.
He started listening to other bass players like Geddy Lee of Rush, that influenced his style.
He has remained the band"s bassist ever since. In 2012, Lepond formed a progressive metal supergroup named Affector with drummer Collin Leijenaar, vocalist Ted Leonard and guitarist Daniel Fries.
The band"s debut album, Harmagedon, was released on May 21, 2012. The album features guest keyboardists Jordan Rudess, Derek Sherinian, Neal Morse, and Alex Argento.
Past health issues In 2006, LePond developed Crohns Disease, forcing Symphony X to cancel all their European tour.
He underwent surgery to control the effects of the disease, and on May 31, 2006 he announced his recovery on Symphony X"s website. Foreign the Paradise Lost album, he used a Caparison Dellinger bass, Madison 8x10 cabinet and a Technical 21 Reserve Bank of India preamp. Live, he uses a Fender Precision bass and a Hamer Cruise as backup, amplified by an Ampeg 4x10 Classic cabinet and an Ampeg B2-R head
In the past he has been known to use Hamer Scarab and Musicman Sterling basses.
He was formerly a member of the New Jersey band Rattlebone, which opened for many national acts and released a six-song album in 1997.