BIOGRAPHIES
Complete biographies of all recording artists and bands of any note from 1950 to the present day from Hank Williams and Nat King Cole to Moby and Staind, from Abba to ZZ Top. These biographies, a selection of which have already been successfully exploited for the ongoing best-selling book series 'The Encyclopedia of Rock Stars' (the seventh edition recently published as the 'VH1 Rock Stars Encyclopedia'), are definitive factual portraits of popular music acts (including those in the rock 'n' roll, pop, hard rock, country, rhythm & blues, reggae, punk, blues, alternative, heavy metal, folk, jazz, world, new age genres).
The majority of these biographies are of North American, British, Australian, Scandinavian, Australian and Irish acts, in keeping with the ongoing universal appeal of contemporary music from artists based in these territories. (Please see the current 'Encyclopedia of Rock Stars' for examples of the unique chronologically historical format and depth of information contained in each biography.)
With some 1000 such biographies included in the book (approximating two million words, and covering some 5000 artists), the complete database currently holds over 2000 entries, all assembled in a unique factual narrative style, presented chronologically by year, month and often day.
This section of the database represents the most comprehensive and complete information source on the history of popular music artists available anywhere in the world. There is no subjective opinion or hype, only what Europe's best-selling music magazine describes as "the very minutiae of rock history ... it's hard to know how anyone could possibly live without this", a work also hailed by The Times as the music book world's 'equivalent to Halliwell'.
example:
| LIMP BIZKIT |
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Fred Durst (lead vocals); DJ Lethal (turntables); Wes Borland (guitar); Sam Rivers (bass); John Otto (drums)
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| 1996 |
Oct [12] The son of a policeman, Durst (b. William Frederick Durst, Aug. 20, 1970, Gastonia, NC) - an ex-Navy serviceman and nascent lyricist since the age of 14 - attended Hunter Huss High School without academic distinction in Gastonia. He moved to Jacksonville, FL in his late teens, married in 1990 (a union which produced a daughter, Adriana), but subsequently spent one month in prison in San Francisco, CA for a physical assault on his wife’s then lover. A divorced Durst briefly returned to North Carolina to work as a sponsored skate-boarder at a skate-park before permanently relocating to Jacksonville where he took several temporary jobs, also honing his artistic bent as a professional tattoo artist. A confirmed punk since 1983 and DJ-ing since 1985, Durst scoured the Jacksonville club scene in 1994 looking for recruits for his first band, initially teaming with long time friend Rivers (b. Jacksonville) - whose first job was at a local Chik-fil-A eatery. Formerly a tuba player in a band at the local Arlington Middle School, Rivers in turn recruited his drumming cousin (and paintball gun enthusiast) Otto (b. Jacksonville) who was playing in a local jazz combo. The early quartet lineup was completed by Presbyterian Minister’s son Borland (b. Feb. 7, 1975, Nashville, TN) who took up the guitar at the age of 12, before studying jazz at the Douglas Anderson School of the Arts (which Rivers also attended, studying the arts). With Durst as its energetic and outspoken frontman, the hard rock/hip-hop fusion group adopted its name when a friend (and subsequent roadie) remarked on the lead singer’s mental state of mind as a “limp biscuit”. While playing on the local Jacksonville club circuit, Durst struck up a friendship with touring Korn guitarist Heady and bassist Fieldy for whom he offered tattoo work, also giving them a Limp Bizkit demo, which was duly passed on to producer Ross Robinson. His interest has led to opening performance slots for the Deftones and House of Pain and a subsequent slew of record label offers, finally resolved when the group signs to the hardcore Interscope subsidiary, Flip Records. Freshly augmented earlier this year by the mixing/hip-hop skills of DJ Lethal (b. Leor DiMant, Latvia) - a former House Of Pain member (since 1992) and the executive producer of Sugar Ray’s 1995 debut album, Lemonade & Brownies - Limp Bizkit now opens for its metal/hip-hop godfathers, Korn at a concert in Fresno, CA.
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| 1997 |
May [17] The group is first on the bill on the main stage of a three-day metal festival at the Airport of Eindhoven in the Netherlands.
July [1] The band’s debut album, the intense, metal/hip-hop fused, rap-core pioneering Three Dollar Bill, Y’all$, co-produced by Robinson and DJ Lethal, and including a full-throttle cover of George Michael’s pop hit Faith, is released in the US by Flip/Interscope.
[2] "The Vans Warped Tour" featuring Limp Bizkit, Social Distortion and Pennywise among others opens at Hospitality Point, San Diego, CA set to close in Miami, FL on August 8.
Oct [5] The band warms up the audience for Faith No More at The Palace, Hollywood, CA.
Nov [18] In another one-off slot, Limp Bizkit opens for Primus in Fresno.
Dec [5] The group begins a 13-date US swing on a bill with Deftones and Will Haven at the Clutch Cargo, Pontiac, MI.
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| 1998 |
Feb [18] The group’s own headlining "Ladies Night In Cambodia" trek (whereby the first 200 female attendees enter each show for free) bows at The Palladium, Worcester, MA, due to end at the State Theatre, Detroit, MI on March 5.
Apr [10] Borland marries his girlfriend Heather McMillan, with plans to spend their honeymoon at several amusement parks across the US.
July [5] Limp Bizkit joins the US touring “Ozzfest” caravan at the PNC Bank Arts Centre, keeping them on the road until August 2 at the Nissan Pavilion, Washington, DC.
Sept [22] The group is part of the first hardcore hip-hop/metal caravan “Family Values” tour, beginning tonight at the Blue Cross Arena, Rocherster, NY, set to close in Virginia on October 31, a billing which will considerably raise the profile of the band among America’s youth.
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| 1999 |
Feb [13] Three Dollar Bill, Y’All$ finally reaches US #22, ten months after its first chart showing and 18 months after its first release.
Mar [2] Three Dollar Bill, Y’All$ is certified platinum by the RIAA.
June [19] The group appears at the K-ROQ Weenie Roast and Luau at Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre, Irvine, CA on a bill with Red Hot Chili Peppers, Metallica, Blink 182, Eve 6, Kid Rock, Lit, Live, Living End, Orgy, Pennywise, Smash Mouth and Sugar Ray.
[23] Their “Limptropolis” tour, fronted by the Bizkit with Kid Rock and label-mates Staind also on the menu, opens at the Salem Amory, Salem, OR, scheduled to close on July 23 at the Tsongas Arena, Lowell, MA.
[30] Durst is appointed Senior Vice President of Interscope Records, with his new responsibilities including A&R signings, marketing, production, remixing and directing videos.
July [3] Produced by Terry Date and featuring guests Scott Wieland, Korn's Jonathan Davis and rapper Method Man, the group’s uncompromising metal-rap sophomore album, Significant Other reaches UK #26 in its first chart week.
[10] Currently the new darlings of MTV in the US, Significant Other tops the US survey in its week of entry.
[24] The organizers of the “Woodstock ‘99” festival in Rome, NY temporarily pull the plug midway through the band’s set as chaotic scenes erupt around the event, resulting in several injuries, the tearing down of a broadcast tower and an alleged mosh-pit rape near the front of the stage. Durst will be scorned by the media for publicly inciting the crowd to “break stuff” (during his frenzied performance of Break Stuff) and for generally inflaming an already volatile situation which will result in festival-closing riots the following day.
[28] The band receives two nominations for the upcoming 16th annual MTV Awards, announced at New York’s Lincoln Center. They will be shut out in both categories - by TLC fore Best Group Video, and Korn for Best Rock Video.
[31] An MTV staple but garnering little radio support outside the Modern Rock format, Nookie peaks at US #80 in its week of entry.
Sept [9] Along with actress Heather Locklear the group presents the Best Pop Video trophy to Ricky Martin at the 1999 MTV Awards, at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York.
[24] The “Family Values 1999” US trek featuring Limp Bizkit, Filter, the Crystal Method, Staind, Primus, Method Man, Redman, and System Of A Down bows at the Bryce Jordan Center, State College, PA, a 26-date itinerary set to climax at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum, Biloxi, MS on October 31.
Oct [18] Durst pleads not guilty at Ramsey County Criminal Court in St. Paul, MN to misdemeanor assault and disorederly conduct charges arising from an incident during a group concert at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium on July 12, when he allegedly kicked a security guard in the head (the charges will subsequently be dropped on May 6 the following year).
Nov [4] Once again joined by Method Man, Redman, and System Of A Down, the band’s short "Billionaire Pirates" tour begins at the USF Sun Dome , Tampa, FL, closing on the 22nd at Dane County Coliseum, Madison, WI.
Dec [6] The group is nominated in the Favorite Alternative Artist category for the upcoming 27th annual American Music Awards, but will lose out to Bush.
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| 2000 |
Jan [4] The band is nominated for a Grammy in the Best Hard Rock Performance category for Nookie, but will lose out at the ceremonies to Metallica’s Whiskey In The Jar.
[8] n 2 Gether now, featuring Method Man, makes US #73.
Feb [5] Re-arranged, co-produced with Scott Weiland and sampling Eric B. & Rakim’s I Know You Got Soul makes US #88, having already topped the US Modern Rock survey.
May [31] With Durst currently directing his film debut, "Nature's Cure", the RIAA certifies six million sales of Significant Other.
June [23] During the group’s set at K-ROQ’s “Disfunctioal Family Picnic” held in Holdel, NJ and also featuring Stone Temple Pilots, Creed, Deftones, Godsmack, Sevendust and Black Sabbath, the frequently outspoken Durst launches verbal volleys at Creed’s Scott Stapp, saying: “I want to dedicate this next song to the lead singer of Creed – that guy is an egomaniac. He's a f-----g punk and he's backstage right now acting like f-----g Michael Jackson.”
[26] During a visit to MTV's "Total Request Live" Durst confirms that Creed have presented him with an 'anger management manual' autographed by the band, following his on-stage rant the previous Friday.
July [11] Boasting Limp Bizkit, Cypress Hill, and Cold, the controversial Napster-sponsored "Back To Basics" tour - offering free admission to Bizkit fans - gets underway at the State Theatre, Detroit, MI, set to close at the Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, CA on August 10. Durst remains an open advocate of Napster’s file-sharing online technology.
July [15] Take A Look Around, the theme from the Tom Cruise movie “MI: 2”, hits UK #3 in its week of entry.
Aug [4] Take A Look Around and Significant Other are both certified silver by the BPI.
[25] The band performs at the Reading Festival, Reading, Berks before playing another UK rock festival in Leeds on the 28th.
Sept [7] Nominated in two categories, Limp Bizkit picks up the Best Rock Video trophy for “Break Stuff” at the 17th annual MTV Video Music Awards during which Durst performs an unlikely “duet” with Christine Aguilera.
[16] Three Dollar Bill, Y’All makes UK #68, during a two-week chart stay.
Oct [2] The band is nominated in the Best Rock category for the forthcoming seventh annual MTV Europe Music Awards, but will lose out to the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Nov [4] Once again helmed by Terry Date, the critically-slammed Chocolate St*rfish And The Hot Dog Flavored Water bows at its US #1 peak.
[10] The BPI certifies gold sales of Chocolate St*rfish And The Hot Dog Flavored Water.
[11] The extracted My Generation reaches UK #15 in its week of entry.
[13] The band is nominated in the Favorite Artist Alternative Music category for the upcoming 28th annual American Music Awards, but - with considerable irony - will lose out to Creed.
Dec [9] Rollin’ makes US #65.
[18] Chocolate St*rfish And The Hot Dog Flavored Water is certified four-times platinum by the RIAA.
[19] The band’s well-named “Anger Management Control Tour” - begun on October 19th in East Rutherford, NJ - ends at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Jacksonville, FL, with Primer 55, Godsmack, Sinisstar and DMX also on the bill.
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| 2001 |
Jan [1] The group begins a round of ten scheduled dates in Asia at the Castle Hall, Osaka, Japan.
[3] The band is once again nominated in the Best Hard Rock Performance category for the upcoming Grammy Awards, but once again will come up short - pipped by fellow rapcore protagonists Rage Against The Machine.
[26] During Limp Bizkit’s headlining performance at the “Big Day Out” festival in Sydney, Australia, 15-year-old girl Jessica Michalik is rushed to Concord Hospital in a critical condition after suffering a heart attack during chaotic mosh-pit scenes. A further six people are listed in serious condition at the hospital. The group delays its set for 15 minutes, while police and security personnel struggle to control the surging crowd (45,000 attendees), who crush those in front of them into barricades. Emergency crews eventually treat more than 60 people for broken limbs and heat exhaustion.
[27] Rollin’ enters the UK chart at #1. Limp Bizkit announces it is pulling out of the remaining three days of “The Big Day Out” festival tour, hitting out at safety concerns they apparently raised before the show: "We'd like to express tremendous sorrow over the injuries suffered by our fans during the Big Day Out concert," reads the band’s statement. "Concern for our fan's safety and well-being is our first priority, and to have people hurt during what is supposed to be an enjoyable and unifying experience affects us profoundly. We basically begged this guy (a reference to promoter Vivian Lees) to increase security measures and were told he has been doing the event for ten years and that he knows what he's doing and to leave him alone," adds Durst.
[31] Michalik dies at Concord Hospital. “The Big Day Out” organisers issue the following statement: “The Big Day Out wishes to express our deepest sympathy at the tragic death of Jessica who was injured at the Sydney show on Friday. Our hearts and thoughts go out to her family and friends in this time of sorrow. The Big Day Out has always been a celebration of youth and the joy of music.”
Feb [2] Jessica’s parents accuse the event’s organizers of not doing enough to avoid the tragedy. Appearing on Channel 9 television station, George and Barbara Michaliksay that their daughter did not like 'mosh-pits' and would not have been “sucked into it by choice”. Her father also suggested that security personnel should have taken control of the size of the swell at the front of the stage. "The indication (is that) the organizers had not done everything they could", said Mr Michalik, adding "I'm sure her death won't go unnoticed and(be) for nothing".
[3] Recharged by the success of Rollin’, Chocolate St*rfish And The Hot Dog Flavored Water tops the UK chart in its 15th week on the survey.
[6] Run DMC’s comeback album, Crown Royal - featuring Durst on Them Girls - is released in the US.
[12] Chocolate St*rfish And The Hot Dog Flavored Water is nominated for Outstanding Modern Rock Album and Borland for Outstanding Guitarist for the upcoming 24th annual California Music Awards.
[16] Rollin’ is certified silver by the BPI.
Mar [15] During a short Bizkit hiatus, Borland’s side band, Big Dumb Face begins a four-week US tour at the Wa Show Box in Seattle, WA to promote its debut album Duke Lion Fights The Terror, released by Flip/Interscope.
May [9] The group’s “Chocolate St*rfish” international tour begins at the Sports Palace, Mexico City, Mexico, before heading to Europe to close at the Hallenstadion in Zurich, Switzerland on June 22.
Aug [14] Durst’s label, Flawless Records, releases the debut album by Puddle of Mudd, Come Clean.
[30] Durst becomes a father for the second time with the birth of a son, Dallas, in Minnesota. (In an online post, the unmarried Durst reflects that Dallas "was not planned but is still a blessing. I'm not getting married or anything like that, but I'm going to support the child...The girl lives in Minnesota. We humped early along in the Anger Management tour...Be happy for me if you can because life is full of surprises and Dallas is one."
Oct [12] The group’s management, The Firm, issues a statement confirming that Borland has officially left the band.: "Both Limp Bizkit and Borland will continue to pursue their respective musical careers," the statement said, adding "both wish each other the best of luck in all future endeavors." (Borland will shortly form Eat The Day which boasts the same lineup as his earlier side band Big Dumb Face: his brother Scott on guitar, Kyle Weeks on turntables/sampler, and Greg Isabella on drums.)
Nov [8] Durst teams with Puddle of Mudd frontman Wes Scantlin to perform a cover of Led Zeppelin's Thank You at the eighth annual MTV Europe Music Awards staged in Frankfurt, Germany.
Dec [4] Interscope Records releases a Limp Bizkit remix album, New Old Songs (originally titled Limp Remizkit).
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