Kyle Gass
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| Kyle Gass | |
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 Kyle Gass performing live
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| Background information | |
| Born | July 14, 1960 in Castro Valley, California, U.S. |
| Genre(s) | Comedy Rock |
| Occupation(s) | Guitarist, Actor |
| Instrument(s) | Acoustic Guitar |
| Years active | 1994 - Present |
| Label(s) | Epic, Sony BMG |
| Associated acts | Tenacious D Trainwreck |
| Website | www.tenaciousd.com www.twreck.net |
| Members | |
| Jack Black | |
| Notable instrument(s) | |
| Martin Guitar , Gibson Guitars | |
Kyle Richard Gass (born June 14, 1960) is an American actor and a member of the bands Tenacious D and Trainwreck. In Tenacious D (which also features Jack Black), Gass plays lead guitar and sings backup vocals, and also plays the role of Black's comic foil in most of their comedy routines. He is the godfather of Jack Black's son.[1][2]
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[edit] Biography
[edit] Early life
Gass was born in Castro Valley, California and raised in Walnut Creek, California with his brothers, Mitchell and Matthew.[citation needed] At the age of twelve and a half, Gass began playing an old nylon-stringed guitar[3] that was lying around the house.
[edit] Career
Much like his musical career, Gass's acting career also started at a young age. His first gig was for coca-cola. Upon graduating from Las Lomas High School in 1978, Kyle went on to attend UCLA. While at UCLA, Kyle met actor Tim Robbins, who recruited him into the Actor's Gang. Kyle soon graduated from UCLA in 1986. In 1984, a sixteen-year-old Jack Black was one of the new recruits in the Actor's Gang, and it was because of this that the two met. According to Kyle, he actually did not like Jack at first. The duo eventually settled their differences and soon became good friends. Kyle taught Jack how to play the guitar, and the two soon formed a band, calling it Tenacious D.
Gass was featured in several episodes of the television show Fear of a Punk Planet which has since been released on DVD. Kyle has also made an appearance as a lawyer in the Good Charlotte video for "Lifestyles of the Rich And Famous".
Gass appeared in the comedy Elf as a would-be children's author. Gass also made a cameo appearance with Kramer in the Seinfeld episode, "The Abstinence". Gass has had small parts in multiple Jack Black films (Shallow Hal, Saving Silverman, The Cable Guy, etc.) He also has been part of most of Kung Fu Records' movies, Kung Fu Films, which includes Fear of a Punk Planet and the Big Sasquatch and Cake Boy who is very buff. He has also appeared in Jacob's Ladder with Tim Robbins, playing the character of Tony. Gass Also appeared in Friends as a mugger in season 9.
Gass had a cameo role as a singing karaoke cowboy in the 2007 movie Wild Hogs starring John Travolta, Tim Allen, Martin Lawrence, and William H. Macy. He auditioned for a role as a demon in the pilot episode of Reaper, directed by Kevin Smith, but wasn't hired to Smith's disappointment.[4]
While appearing on Late Night with Conan O'Brien on November 15, 2006,[5] Gass claimed to have been the youngest graduate of the Juilliard School of Music with a degree in classical guitar studies at the age of thirteen. It should be pointed out that Juilliard did not have a guitar program in 1973, but began its graduate level guitar program in 1989 under Sharon Isbin, and its undergraduate program in 2007. Earlier, in an article in the Sunday Times on October 29, 2006, Jack Black stated that Gass was the youngest graduate of Juilliard.[6] On May 13, 2008 Kyle Gass was a phone in guest on the Adam Carolla Show. When Adam asked Kyle "... And did you go to Julliard?" Kyle replied "I didn't, I, you know I made that up as a joke," he continued "and I thought it would be hilarious, and then I've been hearing about it ever since. Apologies to Julliard."[7]
[edit] Trainwreck
Gass also plays guitar and sings vocals in the band Trainwreck, under the pseudonym Klip Calhoun. The band started playing live in 2005 and recorded a live album in Los Angeles in 2004 with Gass, which was produced by John King of the Dust Brothers. The album was released in December 2004 through Sony Music. Trainwreck has toured America supporting the Reverend Horton Heat and the Supersuckers.
The band are planning to record their first studio album with King and Gass co-producing. They are also negotiating with television networks to record a pilot TV show.[citation needed]
[edit] References
- ^ Johnston, Neala. "Tenacious and talented", Herald Sun, 2007-01-11. Retrieved on 2007-01-20.
- ^ "Profile: Jack Black", Metro, 2006-11-02. Retrieved on 2008-03-28.
- ^ Bill Schulz. "Kyle Gass", Time Out New York, 2006-11-23. Retrieved on 2006-12-28.
- ^ SModcast #8 [1]
- ^ imdb.com. Retrieved on 2007-03-24.
- ^ The Sunday Times. "Dude, where’s my guitar?", The Sunday Times, 2006-08-29. Retrieved on 2006-12-28.
- ^ The Adam Carolla Show (2008-05-13). 97.1 FreeFM Podcast of interview with Kyle Gass. Retrieved on 2008-05-14.
[edit] External links
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| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Gass, Kyle |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Calhoun, Klip |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Guitarist, Actor |
| DATE OF BIRTH | July 14, 1960 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | in Walnut Creek, California |
| DATE OF DEATH | |
| PLACE OF DEATH | |
