Tour of Duty

by Rob “Bubbs” Harris

Queensryche’s American Soldier Comes Home

Queensryche has been one of the standout names in hard rock and heavy metal for over two decades. Their latest full length album, entitled “American Soldier,” is a hard-hitting tribute to the heroic men and women of the U.S. military who put their lives on the line every day to protect the freedom that Americans sometimes take for granted. With personal accounts from actual soldiers and their family members who have witnessed the grief and pain of war first hand intertwined with the music, “American Soldier” is one of those albums that really hits home, especially as a Pensacola native. As Queensryche makes their way to our little city on their current U.S. tour, I caught up with the local man who was granted the most tremendous opportunity to represent our armed forces as the “American Soldier.”

A.J. Fratto is a fourteen-year veteran of the armed forces and ex-Blue Angel who recently completed his service to our country this past July. The father of three and devoted husband from New York who now calls Pensacola home is now on another tour of duty, but this time the battle isn’t on the ground or in the air–it’s on the stage. Fratto, after a chance meeting in Seattle, was asked to accept the honor of touring with Queensryche and being the face of the “American Soldier” campaign. As a longtime fan of heavy metal and one who would never pass on an opportunity to serve his country any way he can, he jumped at the chance and never looked back. Now, after more than fifty dates with the band, he is finally coming home, not to relax, but to rock this town to its core before heading back out for another thirty dates.

Fratto will be joining Queensryche on stage when they storm the Saenger Theatre later this month with Lita Ford. But performing in front of the hometown crowd is nothing new to this gentle giant, who has the hulking frame of a professional wrestler with the charismatic personality to boot. As the lead singer of Below the Stitch, a local rock outfit that will be celebrating their own album release at The Break on Oct. 10 while Queensryche takes a break from the road for two weeks, getting up there and capturing the hearts of the fans is almost second nature for Fratto. “I’m a rocker,” he says. “It’s what I love to do. To be able to be a part of this tour and the Queensryche family is a great honor and a heck of a lot of fun.” After lobbying very diligently to have Pensacola added to the list of cities on the tour, Fratto is determined to make this show one that the audience won’t soon to forget. “I can’t wait to get up there next to Geoff Tate and perform for the hometown crowd. This means the world to me, and I’m going to give it everything I got. You’re not going to want to miss it.”

As a former rescue swimmer, Fratto knows that a few short minutes can be crucial, and he sees his time with Queensryche in the same light. “When I was jumping in that water to pull somebody out and up to safety, I couldn’t hesitate or falter for one second. With this tour, I only have seven minutes to win the hearts of the crowd and make them remember those few minutes for the rest of their lives. If I don’t get up there and put everything I have into it, I am not just failing myself, but I am also failing the fans, the band and my country. I just can’t do that.”

You might be wondering how, out of the tens of thousands of soldiers in the U.S. armed forces, Fratto was picked to become the poster boy for the album and tour. “We were doing a show up in Seattle,” recounts Fratto of his time spent as head crew chief of our beloved Blue Angels. “I was asked to give a presentation to a group of folks, who just so happened to be the Tates. One of my daughters was around the same age as their little girl at the time and we hit it off and became friends. Not too long after that, Susan Tate called me up and asked if I would be willing to lend a hand to the new record and tour with Queensryche.” The chance was one that Fratto could not turn down, not in a million years. Not only does he get to stalk the stage and pump up fans in every city lucky enough to host this live spectacle, but his voice is actually the first thing you hear when you pop “American Soldier” in your CD player. “When you hear that big loud voice say ‘On your feet’ at the beginning of the first track, that’s me,” Fratto boasts. “How cool is that?”

Fratto, who is no stranger to the effects that war has on those who fight, as well as those that wait with baited breath for them to come home, having served in several conflicts in the Middle East, knows that Queensryche’s salute to our brothers in arms is not just another rock record, but a truly heartfelt and captivating testament to the triumph of the American spirit. “This album is not a political record in any way. Nor is it a way to cash in on exploiting the war. It was written by Geoff Tate as a gift and a way to say thank you to our troops. Queensryche has an enormous amount of respect and appreciation for what these men and women do for us so that we can live our lives how we want to. It’s personal, it’s emotional, and it’s real.”

While Fratto enjoys some much needed relaxation time with his family in Pensacola before getting ready to head back out on the road for the remainder of the tour, he reflects on the good fortune that has befallen him. “I have been given a wonderful gift. Even though this tour will end and I will return home, I will always be a part of the Queensryche legacy, and nobody can take that away from me. I am the ‘American Soldier.'”

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