Gordon Gano

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Gordon Gano
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, US
GenresFolk punk, post-punk
Occupation(s)Musician, actor
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar, violin, banjo
Years active1981–present
LabelsSlash Records, Reprise, Elektra, Mushroom, Beyond, Yep Roc
Member ofViolent Femmes

Gordon James Gano (born June 7, 1963)[1] is an American musician who is the singer, guitarist and songwriter of American folk punk band Violent Femmes.

Early life

Gano was born in

Baptist
".

In 1979 the Gano family moved to nearby

Rufus King High School, from which he graduated in 1981. After graduating from high school, he worked briefly as an encyclopedia salesman.[2]

Older siblings from his parents' previous marriages living in the NYC area exposed the young Gano to such influences as

Hank Williams, Sr.
and the poetics of Patti Smith. Given his acting background, Gano wrote many of his songs for characters, whom he would portray while performing the associated song.

Career

Violent Femmes

Further information: Violent Femmes
1990

Gano joined Violent Femmes in Milwaukee in 1981[3] with bassist Brian Ritchie and drummer Victor DeLorenzo. They soon developed an enthusiastic following thanks to songs such as "Blister in the Sun," "Kiss Off" and "Add It Up" (all included on their self-titled debut album). The band has experimented with a variety of sounds over the course of its career, such as country and western (Hallowed Ground) and gospel (The Blind Leading the Naked). Gano plays guitar, sings and writes most of the band's songs.

Other projects

During a Violent Femmes hiatus in the late 1980s, Gano formed a gospel-punk group called The Mercy Seat with vocalist Zena Von Heppinstall, bassist Patrice Moran, and drummer Fernando Menendez.[4] They toured internationally for two years and released a self-titled album in 1987 on Warner Music Group's Slash Records.[5][6] The album was re-released digitally in 2009 on Wounded Bird Records.[7]

Gano released his first solo album in 2002, titled Hitting the Ground. He shared vocal duties with Manuel Cruz, lead singer of the Portuguese rock band Ornatos Violeta in the song "Capitão Romance," with Gano singing in Portuguese. Gano also played violin[8] on Ben Vaughn's 1990 album Dressed in Black.[9]

Gano contributed to the 2004 multi-artist collaboration

Beck, Eels, TV on the Radio and Death Cab for Cutie), on which he provides a rendition of Daniel Johnston
's "Impossible Love".

Gano wrote, recorded and performed with ex-members of The Bogmen, Billy and Brendan Ryan, under the name Gordon Gano & The Ryans. Their only album, Under the Sun, was released in September 2009 on Yep Roc Records.

Acting

References

  1. ^ a b c "Band Bios: Gordon Gano". Archived from the original on July 3, 2007. Retrieved August 20, 2007.
  2. ISBN 1-878569-88-0
    .
  3. ^ "Violent Femmes". Discogs. Archived from the original on May 21, 2019. Retrieved July 28, 2019.
  4. ^ "All Music Guide Review". Archived from the original on June 7, 2011.
  5. ^ "Gordon Gano's Projects". MTV. Archived from the original on August 22, 2009. Retrieved October 30, 2008.
  6. ^ "Gordon Gano's Gospel Hour". Archived from the original on July 18, 2010. Retrieved September 11, 2009.
  7. ^ "Mercy Seat Album Information". Retrieved September 24, 2009.
  8. ^ "Gordon Gano's Side Projects". Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved August 22, 2007.
  9. ISBN 0-87930-760-9
    .
  10. ^ Headley, Janice (November 28, 2018). "Welcome to Wellsville: Top Ten Musical Cameos in The Adventures of Pete & Pete". KEXP.com. Archived from the original on December 15, 2021. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
  11. IMDb Edit this at Wikidata
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