Before They Were Rockstars: Maynard James Keenan of Tool
Posted on Mar 10
Tool’s famous front man Maynard James Keenan was born James Herbert Keenan, one of many surprising facts about the man’s early life. But perhaps the most amazing part of his story is the fact that the man who wrote a song called “Stinkfist” not only sang in Glee Club, but also joined the Army at one point.
After a rough upbringing consisting of a stifling stepfather and a sick mother, Maynard was inspired to join the Army by watching Bill Murray muck it up in the movie Stripes. Maybe it’s just me, but doesn’t that seem like a bad reason to join the army? Maybe he should have watched Full Metal Jacket. He studied at West Point Prep School and got great marks in English and Math. He also was a singer in Glee Club and was on the cross-country team.
At one point in James’ time at the school, he named himself Maynard seemingly out of nowhere. Later he dropped out of West Point and moved to Los Angeles to pursue his love of animals by working as an interior designer for pet shops. Yes, you read that right.
Maynard’s pet shop design job didn’t last long. He was fired and he ended up in set design. Later he would meet future Tool guitarist Adam Jones and future band-mate Danny Carey, who was his neighbor. Danny heard Maynard yelling at another neighbor in the alley behind his apartment and thought Maynard would make a great singer. Carey wold sometimes fill in for drummers who missed rehearsal at Maynard’s apartment. This would of course lead to the formation of Tool, and the rest is rock history. Maynard, among other musical projects, now also makes his own wine at his home in Jerome, AZ. Not a bad life for an ex-pet store interior designer, eh?
Before They Were Rock Stars: David Gilmour
Posted on Mar 05
Classic rock radio staples Pink Floyd have driven more than one young man to a life of collecting black light posters or playing “Wish You Were Here” for spare change, but few were probably aware that the soulful guitar impresario, David Gilmour, did a bit of busking himself before joining the band. Students of The Wall might also be surprised to know that Gilmour was an excellent student.
Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour started out going to school up the street from his future band mates, Roger Waters and Sid Barrett, at a place called the Perse School in Cambridge. Waters and Barrett attended a rival school, the Cambridgeshire High School for Boys. Gilmour spent most of his time studying modern languages to A-Level (which is British for nerd), and like the man he’d eventually replace, Barrett, he also spent his lunchtime learning to play the guitar. Wish I went to a school that had allowed us to take our recess with a guitar.
Gilmour eventually started playing in the band Joker’s Wild in 1962 until 1966 when he decided to busk around Spain and France with some friends, though he found little success. In a July 1992 interview, Gilmour stated that he actually ended up being treated for malnutrition in a hospital because of how badly remunerated his music was then. After bumming around a bit more, in 1967 Gilmour returned to England driving a van with fuel that had been stolen from a building site in France. This adventure kind of sounds like the British version of Road Trip, or something from an episode of Benny Hill, at least.
It wasn’t until December of 1967 that Nick Mason, Pink Floyd’s drummer, approached Gilmour about joining the band to make it a five piece. This was of course before Barrett would go mad and be replaced by Gilmour. But we all saw that one coming after hearing his song “Bike” for the first time. Want to hear more baby Floyd? Check out Lullaby Renditions of Pink Floyd!
Before They Were Rock Stars: More Rockin’ Yearbook Photos
Posted on Jan 25
Who is this handsome young fella? Want to take a guess which world famous rock band he’d turn out to be the lead singer for? We’ll give you a hint: He’d never forgive us if we told you. Yes, he’d dub us unforgiven.
Still don’t know? Read the answer and see more amazing musician yearbook photos here.
Before They Were Rock Stars: Rockin’ Yearbook Photos
Posted on Jan 20 
Okay, this post from 11Points.com is a must see. Yearbook photos from Avril Lavigne, Gene Simmons, Steven Tyler, Jim Morrison, Prince, Tina Turner, Eminem, Marilyn Manson and more– all proving it’s a long way to the top if you want to rock & roll. Read the rest here.
Before They Were Rockstars: GNR’s Slash
Posted on Nov 12
In addition to playing guitar on one of the best selling albums of all time, Slash has been honored with a Rock Walk Hall of Fame and was awarded the 2nd spot on Time Magazine’s 10 Best Electric Guitar Players of All-Time list. With his famous top hat and ever-present cigarette, the Guns N’ Roses guitarist has become an icon synonymous with rock n’ roll. If you’ve ever wondered about the person behind the rock star, then keep reading. We’ve compiled a list of interesting trivia to give you a peek at what this guitar legend was like long before rockstar fame.
- Saul Hudson was given the nickname “Slash” by a family friend because he was “always in a hurry, zipping around from one thing to another.”
- Slash attended Beverly Hills High School in the early 1980’s with musician Lenny Kravitz but never graduated, dropping out in the eleventh grade.
- Slash’s mother was clothing designer Ola Hudson, whose work includes costumes for David Bowie in The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976).
- Slash’s father is Anthony Hudson, who designed album covers for Geffen Records such as Joni Mitchell’s “Court and Spark.”
- Before joining Guns N’ Roses, Slash was a very popular session guitarist, playing with Cheap Trick, Bad Company, Alice Cooper, and Rod Stewart.
- Slash started playing guitar at 15 years old and has mentioned influences including Rory Gallagher, Van Halen, Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, Jeff Beck, Jimi Hendrix, Frank Zappa, Thin Lizzy, Alice Cooper, and Queen.
Before They Were Rock Stars Quiz: Aerosmith
Posted on Sep 16In honor of our new arrival, Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions of Aerosmith, which came out yesterday, we prepared a new Before They Were Rock Stars quiz for all you rock lullaby trivia masters. This one focuses on The Bad Boys from Boston, when they were literally boys. Leave your answers in the comments and next week we’ll let you know if you were right!
TRUE or FALSE? Leave your answers in the comments:
- Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler was born Stephen Victor Tallarico in Boston, Mass.
- He got his nickname “Demon Of Screamin’” because he cried so loud when he was a baby.
- In his teens, Steven held a job in a bakery.
- Guitarist Joe Perry and Steven Tyler met at an ice cream parlor where young Joe was working.
- Before Aerosmith, Joe Perry was in a band with Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton called The Peanut Butter and Jam Band.
- Drummer Joey Kramer joined Aerosmith while he was still a teenager.
- Before he joined Aerosmith, guitarist Brad Whitford was in a band called Justin Thyme.
P.S. Listen to a sneak peek of our lullaby rendition of Dream On here. Did we mention that Steven Tyler wrote the liner notes for our album? Oh, maybe only a few million times? Sorry, but you’d be braggin’ too if the Demon of Screamin’ was singing your praises!
P.P.S. Try our Dream On Green Beans, a healthy baby food recipe created exclusively for Rockabye Baby! by excutive chef Jeff Parker.
Before They Were Rockstars Quiz: U2
Posted on Aug 11
Even rockstars have to start somewhere. Are these stories about U2 before they were rockstars TRUE or FALSE? Leave your answers in the comments!
1) Bono was born Paul Hewson.
2) His father described him a “bloody exasperating child.”
3) Young Bono was so often in trouble, he was called “the Antichrist” by his friends.
4) When he was three years old, his astonished parents watched as Bono gently played with honey bees without getting stung.
5) U2 was born in Dublin, Ireland after a 14-year-old Larry Mullen tacked a “Musicians Wanted” poster to his school message board.
6) The band was known as “Feedback” and “The Hype” before they settled on U2.
Can’t get enough baby U2? Check out Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions of U2.
Before They Were Rockstars Quiz: AC/DC
Posted on Aug 05
It’s a long way to the top if you want to rock ‘n’ roll. Are these stories about AC/DC before they were rockstars TRUE or FALSE? Leave your answers in the comments!
- Australia’s AC/DC was founded by two Scottish brothers, Angus and Malcolm Young.
- There were nine siblings in the Young family.
- Angus began learning the guitar at five years old, practicing on a banjo he’d re-strung like a guitar.
- Angus’ sister Margaret suggested he wear a school boy uniform on stage, because he didn’t like school.
- Before the uniform became his trademark, Angus performed dressed as Spider Man and in a gorilla costume.
- Margaret also suggested the band’s name, which stands for Alternating Current/Direct Current, after she read it on their sister’s sewing machine.
Can’t get enough AC/DC? Check out Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions of AC/DC.
Before They Were Rock Stars: Queen Quiz
Posted on May 20
Future Rock God Freddie Mercury
Are the following statements true or false? Leave your answers in the comments below! We’ll put up the answers at the end of the week.
P.S. Go here to enter to win one of ten Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions of Queen CDs! Or go Radio Ga Ga Goo Goo with a sneak peek of our new album here.
- Freddie Mercury was born Farrokh Bulsara on the island of Zanzibar.
- When he was ten, Freddie became a table tennis champion at his boarding school.
Young Freddie at School
- Freddie, an art school grad, designed Queen’s logo based on the band’s zodiac signs– fairies to represent himself, a Virgo, two lions for Leos Roger and John, and a crab for Brian, a Cancer.
- Brian May’s signature guitar, called “Red Special,” was hand built by the young guitarist and his engineer father in 1963.
- Brian May, who’d abandoned his doctoral thesis in astrophysics to become a guitarist, finally earned his PhD in 2007, 36 years after he’d started his thesis. In 2008 Dr. May was named Chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University.
- Roger Taylor’s first band was called the “Bubblingover Boys.”
Roger Taylor as a Young Lad
- John Deacon hoped to work in electronics when he grew up.
