Editing Warren DeMartini (section)

== Early life ==
DeMartini was born on April 10, 1963, in [[Chicago, Illinois]], the youngest of five boys.<ref name="guitarworld.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.guitarworld.com/inquirer-warren-demartini-ratt-discusses-gear-trusting-your-instincts-and-embarrassing-gig|title=Ratt's Warren DeMartini Talks Gear, Trusting Your Instincts — and Embarrassing Gigs|website=Guitarworld.com|access-date=July 26, 2018}}</ref> He spent his early years in the suburb of [[River Forest, Illinois]]. The family later relocated to San Diego.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ratt Doesn't Want You to Read This Blog - Beyond Behind the Music {{!}} San Diego Reader |url=https://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2007/oct/23/ratt-doesnt-want-you-to-read-this-blog/ |access-date=2024-12-22 |website=www.sandiegoreader.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-06-07 |title=Robbin Crosby of San Diego-bred band Ratt died 15 years ago at 42 |url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2017/06/07/robbin-crosby-of-san-diego-bred-band-ratt-died-15-years-ago-at-42/ |access-date=2024-12-22 |website=San Diego Union-Tribune |language=en-US}}</ref> DeMartini became interested in [[Rock and roll|rock music]] due to the influence of his older brothers Bernard and James, whose band rehearsed in the family basement. His grandmother was also a musician, playing piano accompaniment to silent movies in [[Preston, Minnesota]].{{Citation needed|date=December 2021}}

DeMartini's mother bought him a guitar at his request when he was "around seven or eight years old". According to Warren, he struggled early on learning to play it due to the tuning pegs being cheap, causing the instrument to constantly fall out of tune. As a result, he became frustrated and smashed the instrument as he had seen [[Pete Townshend]] of [[the Who]] do onstage. As a result, that was the last guitar he would receive as a gift. At age 14, he had to get himself a job in order to raise the money to purchase a new electric guitar, a [[Cimar]] [[Les Paul guitar|Les Paul]] copy. The first song DeMartini learned was "[[Sunshine of Your Love]]" by [[Cream (band)|Cream]], which he learned by ear.<ref name="guitarworld.com" />

Warren played his first concert with his band the Plague in front of a small crowd at San Diego's [[La Jolla High School]] at the age of 15. By this time he was emerging as one of the San Diego area's most talented and sought-after young guitar players. The first year he signed up, he won "Best New Guitar Player in San Diego" at ''Guitar Trader'' on Clairemont Mesa Blvd. He graduated from high school in 1981. DeMartini began taking classes at a local college, but in the first semester was invited up to Los Angeles to join Mickey Ratt, the band that would eventually become the highly successful 1980s metal band [[Ratt]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://innocentwords.com/warren-demartini-laying-it-down-since-83/ |title=Warren DeMartini: Laying It Down Since '83 &#124; Innocent Words |website=innocentwords.com |access-date=January 13, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150523101607/http://innocentwords.com/warren-demartini-laying-it-down-since-83/ |archive-date=May 23, 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref>