Cris Kirkwood
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Cris Kirkwood (born October 22, 1960) is the bassist and a founding member of the Meat Puppets, an alternative/punk rock band.
Cris took up the banjo after seeing Deliverance, moved on to guitar, and ultimately picked up the bass when he started playing together in bands with his older brother Curt. In 1980 the brothers and their friend Derrick Bostrom, a drummer, decided to form a band, which they eventually named the Meat Puppets. Besides playing bass Kirkwood's role in the band grew over the years to include singing and songwriting. Their certified gold album of 1994, Too High to Die, featured two songs written and sung by Kirkwood. Unfortunately, his use of drugs had at this point begun to spin out of control, and he developed a heroin addiction. After the release of the album No Joke! in 1995, Kirkwood's compulsive behavior during what was already a stressful time for the band led to the Meat Puppets entering a period of inactivity.
At this time Kirkwood retreated to his house, where he and his wife, who was also an addict, lived in virtual isolation. His wife eventually died of a drug overdose, but despite numerous interventions and rehab stays, Kirkwood remained addicted to narcotics for a number of years.[1]
In December 2003 Kirkwood got into an argument with a woman over a parking space at a post office. A security guard got involved in the scuffle, which escalated when Kirkwood grabbed the guard's baton and began striking at him. The guard drew his handgun and shot Kirkwood in the back, resulting in his being hospitalized. In August 2004 Kirkwood pleaded guilty to assault with a deadly weapon and was sentenced to 24 months in prison.[2] While in prison Kirkwood played with several jail bands, although no known recordings exist. He has since served out his time, been released and is reportedly clean and doing well.
[edit] Cris Kirkwood returns to The Meat Puppets
In April, 2006, Billboard announced that Cris and Curt Kirkwood would be recording again as the Meat Puppets. The brothers plan to release an epic album of "big Meat Puppets stuff", as described by Curt, followed by a tour. Original drummer, Derrick Bostrom has been replaced by drummer Ted Marcus.
"I haven't seen my brother since like 1998, but I'm talking to him a lot," Curt was quoted as saying. "He's [been] clean for more than two years and he's all raring to go. Cris' resurrection is no less than miraculous -- it's like a Lazarus-type thing. I was just like, 'If Cris is back, I know his frame of mind.' If he's upright and walking, it's hard to knock him down." [3]
The new Meat Puppets album, featuring Cris and Curt Kirkwood and titled Rise to Your Knees, was released on July 17, 2007.
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