Janick Gers

• Name — Janick Gers • Birth Name — Janick Robert Gers • Born — 27 January 1957 • Birthplace — Hartlepool, England • Died — YYYY MM DD • Occupation — Guitarist • Genre — * Heavy metal • progressive rock • hard rock • Years Active — 1975–present • Current Member Of — Iron Maiden • Past Member Of — * Gillan • White Spirit • Illustration — Gers at O2 Arena in 2018

Janick Gers was born on January 27, 1957 he is of Polish ancestry via his father, Bolesław, who was an able seaman of the Polish Navy and served on ORP Burza and ORP Błyskawica on which he came to England during World War 2, and later he joined the Royal Navy. Bolesław Gers remained in England after the war, married Janick's British mother Lois in 1956 and had 4 children of which Janick is the oldest. He grew up in Hartlepool and graduated from English Martyrs School and Sixth Form College in the 1970s, and earned a college degree in sociology and English literature after leaving Gillan in the 1980s.

Gers began his career as the lead guitarist of the new wave of British heavy metal band White Spirit, appearing on their debut self-titled album in 1980, before leaving in 1981 to join Gillan, replacing Bernie Torme in the group formed by then-former Deep Purple vocalist Ian Gillan. Gers' first performance with Gillan was on Top of the Pops, and he would go on to record two albums with the band before Gillan disbanded the group at the end of 1982. After Gillan disbanded, and before joining Gogmagog Gers undertook a Humanities degree so he could become a Teacher. However, Gers joined Gogmagog which included former Iron Maiden vocalist Paul Di'Anno and drummer Clive Burr. The project would ultimately come to nothing. Gers would later co-write and perform on the track "View from the Hill" on former Marillion vocalist Fish's first solo album, Vigil in a Wilderness of Mirrors (1990). Gers was asked to record the song "Bring Your Daughter... to the Slaughter" with Iron Maiden vocalist Bruce Dickinson for the soundtrack to A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child (1989); this project then expanded into Dickinson's first solo album, Tattooed Millionaire (1990). During the recording of Tattooed Millionaire, Gers was asked to join Iron Maiden in place of Adrian Smith. He has remained with the band ever since, even after Smith rejoined the band in 1999, contributing to a total of ten studio albums. In 2026 Gers and Iron Maiden were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

He has two children with his wife Sandra, and lives in Yarm, Teesside. His son Dylan also plays guitar and has released ambient post rock tracks as both a solo artist and with Noah Yorke, son of Radiohead singer Thom Yorke. Gers has relatives in the Bydgoszcz area and Sośno village in Poland and visited them regularly as a teenager from 1972 and until 1977. Gers bought his first guitar during one of those visits, in a music store in Złotów close to Piła. Gers met his Polish family again after 34 years at a 2011 concert in Warsaw. Gers is a fan of Hartlepool United and is a season-ticket holder in the Neale Cooper Stand at Victoria Park. Gers had an uncredited part in the BBC drama The Paradise Club in 1990, appearing as the lead guitarist of a band called Fraud Squad. He appeared in the 2010 fan-made Iron Maiden documentary Maiden Heaven.

Gers is a long-time proponent of the Fender Stratocaster. His guitars are typically black or white with rosewood fingerboards and Seymour Duncan JB Jr. and Hot Rails pick-ups. His favourite guitar over the years has been a black Stratocaster, equipped with JB Jr. pick-ups, which was given to him by Ian Gillan. Gers uses four different Fender Stratocasters, as well as a Gibson Chet Atkins semi-acoustic model for songs such as "Dance of Death". Gers is currently endorsed by Sandberg Guitars, and he uses a California ST-S tobacco hc-aged and a California ST-S creme hc-aged model on stage. Like his bandmates, Dave Murray and Adrian Smith, Gers currently uses the Marshall JMP-1 preamp through a Marshall 9200 power amp. Preferring not to use foot-switches while playing, Gers' roadie operates his MIDI Foot Controller offstage. Favouring cables, Gers only uses a Shure UR4D wireless system when he throws his guitar around. He uses Ernie Ball Regular Slinky nickel-wound guitar strings.