Rogue (musician)

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Rogue in a promotional photo for the Crüxshadows
Rogue in a promotional photo for the Crüxshadows

Rogue (born Virgil Roger du Pont[1] III[2], July 4,1972) is a founding member and lead singer of the American darkwave band The Crüxshadows. Born in Charlottesville, VA, he moved frequently throughout the 1970s and early/mid 1980s, living on or near US Army bases in Europe and the United States. The son of an Army officer, he spent many of his formative years abroad. As a youngster, he was removed from normal classes to be placed in an art program designed to find talent and cultivate it in young children. His family finally returned to Jacksonville, Florida, where both his mother and father had lived prior to his birth, and where he was enrolled in several Catholic schools. As a child he excelled in art, poetry, drama, and music. He was a troupe member of Marion Conner's Story book players, and was active in art and musical theater for a number of years.

Called "Bear" by his family he was dubbed "Rogue" by friends as a teenager[3]. At 13 he attended Bishop Kenny High School in Jacksonville, FL where he was an honor student, letterman, founder of the poetry club, national competitor in speech and debate, Editor-in-Chief of the yearbook, and Executive Officer in the school's Navy Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC).

After high school he was awarded a full academic scholarship and attended Florida State University in Tallahassee, majoring in art. He additionally took violin lessons at the FSU School of Music, and later played the violin in his band (in addition to singing). While a student he took courses in music composition, paleontology, film, and math logic. He graduated magna cum laude from FSU's art school in both it's Baccalaureate and post graduate programs. While at FSU, Rogue was involved in the student government association, and was the leader of the Monarchy Party[4] during its final period, engineering its biggest and only significant victory, taking control of the executive branch of the student government.

He went to work for a year as a curator in a state-funded art gallery in the Florida State University Student Union building named the Oglesby Gallery,the creation of which he had proposed and helped to realize while a student[5]. Rogue's own artwork involved stone-carving, installation sculpture, photography, film, animation, computer manipulation, oil paints, and pastels. Later he would create primarily digital artwork. Rogue was also DJ at a club called Brothers[6] in Tallahassee through most of the 1990s. The New Wave/80's night he ran was a very popular weekly event.

Rogue started The Crüxshadows in the early 90's while in college. He is responsible for writing most, if not all of the band's songs to date, and is the primary force in the band's history. His artwork adorns several of the covers of The Crüxshadows' albums and EPs.

Rogue's spider-like hairstyles may be the most identifiable feature of his appearance, though he is also known for his unique performing style, his awkwardly impassioned vocals, and the tight and personable relationship he has with his fans[citation needed]. His stage persona is charismatic and dramatic, which often includes significant audience interaction and mobility allowed by his headset microphone.

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References

  1. ^ AskMen.com - "Fine Living Top 10: American Power Families"
  2. ^ [1] BMI credits artist Virgil Roger DuPont III as the sole writer in songs performed by the Crüxshadows. See also [2]
  3. ^ Emerging from the shadows. Sorted magAZine (2002).
  4. ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Roguecampaignposter.jpg A poster from his student government campaign at FSU
  5. ^ Matus, Ron (1994) "New on Campus", Florida Flambeau, the student newspaper of FSU, September, September 14, 1994, Pg 3, Col 1
  6. ^ http://www.yodaslair.com/brothers/mainpage.shtml
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