Happy 48^th birthday to our favorite industrial rocker, Trent Reznor!

To celebrate, we have a few fun facts about Trent’s childhood before he was a rock star/record producer/movie score composer, etc., etc., etc. The catch: Some are true . . . and some are false! Do you think you can differentiate fact from fiction? Answer them all correctly, send your guesses to moc.cisumybabeybakcornull@yawaevig and you could win a copy of Lullaby Renditions of Nine Inch Nails!

True or False: 5 Facts (or Fake Facts) You May Not Have Known About Trent’s Childhood:
1. His real name is actually Michael. His father had the same name, so to avoid confusion, he went by his middle name, Trent.
2. When living with his grandparents after his parents’ divorce, his grandmother considered pulling him out of school to focus on his piano playing in the hopes he would become a classical pianist.
3. He has an older sister named Theresa.
4. Trent was a very talented viola player and played in his school’s orchestra from junior high and on.
5. In high school, Trent played Judas in a school performance of Jesus Christ Superstar and landed the leading role in The Music Man.

Send in your answers now!

Lollapalooza fans, we have some breaking news for you!

Two of your favorite bands may be headlining this year’s Lollapalooza in August. Who, who, who, you ask? Here they are…

You can find the full lineup HERE, and more details about the August 2nd–4th festival at Chicago’s Grand Park can be found on the Lollapalooza website HERE.

 Do you have a favorite Lollapalooza memory?

Share it below!

Did you know that the Nine Inch Nails front man who wrote songs such as “Bite the Hand That Feeds” and “The Perfect Drug” was originally in a high school marching band? Yes, Trent Reznor, born Michael Trent Reznor had an interesting past before making the move to wearing mostly black and getting insanely jacked arms.

Reznor, who used his middle name because his father shared the same name, grew up in a Lutheran household in Mercer, PA until his parents divorced and he went to live with his grandparents. His grandmother pushed him into taking classical piano at age 5 and he showed a great interest in music.

When he hit high school, KISS and David Bowie became his main interests, though he’d go on to join his high school’s marching band and concert band. He played tuba and tenor saxophone. He also showed promise in theater, even having his classmates vote him “Best in Drama” after his roles as Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar and the lead in The Music Man. Yes, Trent Reznor was the lead, singing “Seventy Six Trombones” in a school play.

Later, Reznor would head to Allegheny College and join a band called Option 30. Though he’d lose interest in the band quickly and leave college after a year to head to Cleveland. There he joined a band called The Urge and later another called The Exotic Birds.

Still trying to find his sound, Reznor played keys for Lucky Pierre, The Innocent, and Slam Bamboo before landing a job at Right Track Studios as a janitor. During off hours, the owner would allow Reznor to record some demos, which would later gain the attention of several labels and the rest is history.

Recommended Listening:

• Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions of Nine Inch Nails