Wes Scantlin

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Wes Scantlin was born Wesley Reid Scantlin, on June 9, 1972, in Kansas.

He has been guitarist and lead vocalist for Post-Grunge band Puddle of Mudd since releasing their debut Stuck. Three years after Paul moved to college in 1991, they released their next album Abrasive in 1996. Five years later, with the addition of three new members, Come Clean was released in 2001.

In 2003, the band released Life On Display.This album left the sound "nu-grunge" to focus in a certain old-grunge style in acoustic and electric guitars and bass riffing, also the guitars mix some heavy distorsions and the drums get higher with it creating a sound that lost in the 90's.

Scantlin sometimes tours with Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell, playing acoustic Alice in Chains songs. He was also one of the musicians that participated in Alice in Chains reunion tsunami benefit show. He is often criticized for trying to sound, look, dress and act like Nirvana lead singer Kurt Cobain, partially due to the fact the Puddle of Mudd is considered a Post-Grunge band, but the voice and the music of P.O.M. reminds us alternative grunge with hardcore, and the new album Life on Display it's the mix of hard-rock with hardcore.

Although it would appear Wes Scantlin's influences would be Alice in Chains and Nirvana, he has stated his main musical influence is Led Zeppelin.

The inspiration for one of Puddle of Mudd's most successful and enduring songs, "Blurry", was Wes' son Jordan (born c.1980s or 1990s). Wes is separated from Jordan's mother. "Blurry" very emotively captures Wes' desire to be a good father to Jordan and to continue spending time with him despite the separation. The music video (which shows a father's joy at being with his son and subsequently the pain he feels when he must return him to the estranged mother) is particularly moving: the child in the video is actually Jordan.

Wes was one of the many artists who worked with Carlos Santana on his new album, All That I Am, specifically on the song Just Feel Better. The song was recorded with Wes and Steven Tyler but Santana said he felt Tyler did it better, with more emotion, although he liked both. That's why Tyler's version appears on the album. In 2004 he was arrested in Toledo, Ohio for public intoxication after going onstage and insulting the audience. Additional charges were brought after he spat on the windows at the back of a police unit. He was released on a $100 cash bond.

Wes graduated high school in 1990 from Park Hill High School in Kansas City, Missouri.