Pete Wentz
| Pete Wentz | |
|---|---|
 Wentz at the Blender Sessions at the Hard Rock Hotel in 2007. |
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Peter Lewis Kingston Wentz III |
| Born | June 5, 1979 |
| Origin | Wilmette, Illinois, United States |
| Genres | Pop punk, alternative rock, melodic hardcore, metalcore |
| Instruments | Bass, vocals, guitar, keyboards |
| Years active | 1992–present |
| Labels | Decaydance, Fueled by Ramen, Island |
| Associated acts | Fall Out Boy, Black Cards, Arma Angelus, Racetraitor, Birthright, Cobra Starship, Cinematic Sunrise |
| Website | www.petewentz.com |
Pete Wentz (born Peter Lewis Kingston Wentz III; June 5, 1979)[1] is an American musician, best known for being the bassist for the American rock band Fall Out Boy.
Contents |
Early life
Wentz was born Peter Lewis Kingston Wentz III, in Wilmette, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, Illinois.[1] He is the son of Dale, a high school admissions counselor, and Pete Wentz II, an attorney.[2][3]
Wentz attended New Trier High School and North Shore Country Day School, where he was an all-state soccer player.[4] During his freshman year of high school, he began skipping school regularly and a school counselor convinced his parents to send him to boot camp to straighten him out. During this time, Wentz began writing songs as a way to vent out his frustrations.[1] After graduating from high school in 1997, he attended DePaul University where he studied political science, dropping out one quarter shy of graduation to focus on his music career.[5]
Wentz recalled in a Rolling Stone interview that his earliest musical memory was listening to The Foundations' song "Build Me Up Buttercup" in the back of his dad's car.[6]
Career
Arma Angelus
Wentz was primarily involved in the Chicago hardcore punk scene and was in several bands in the late 1990s. These included First Born, Extinction, Arma Angelus (alongside Tim McIlrath, frontman of Rise Against), Yellow Road Priest, and Racetraitor. He and Arma Angelus' bassist Joe Trohman founded the pop-punk band Fall Out Boy after Trohman introduced Pete to a musical acquaintance, Patrick Stump. Andy Hurley agreed to drum part-time, but only joined the band full-time later. In 2004, Arma Angelus, the band in which Wentz was the vocalist/screamer, played its last show.[7]
Fall Out Boy
In 2002, Fall Out Boy released an EP called Fall Out Boy/Project Rocket Split EP. Soon after, in 2003, the band released Fall Out Boy's Evening Out with Your Girlfriend on Uprising Records.[8] This album would later be digitally remastered and reissued after the band's second, more successful full-album release Take This To Your Grave, on the independent label Fueled by Ramen Records. Later in 2003, Wentz and the rest of his bandmates signed with Island Records and in 2004 released an acoustic EP and DVD entitled, My Heart Will Always Be the B-Side to My Tongue through the new label.
After Fall Out Boy released the My Heart EP, they released their third album, From Under the Cork Tree, in 2005. Wentz wrote the lyrics to the first single, "Sugar, We're Goin Down" with his dad in Chicago; the song peaked at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100).[9] February 6, 2007, was the release date for Fall Out Boy's fourth full-length album, Infinity On High.
Black Cards
Pete Wentz currently has a new musical project called Black Cards. In July 2010 he released two snippets of songs, Club Called Heaven and Beating in my Chest, on blackcardsmusic.com along with a message about the project. It has been revealed that Sam Hollander is producing. The identity of the vocalist was revealed to be amateur singer, Bebe Rexha.[10]
In an interview with MTV.com on July 20, 2010, Wentz denied rumors that either ex-Chiodos member Craig Owens or Panic! at the Disco's Brendon Urie are part of the new project.[11]
Wentz later revealed the identity of the band's drummer as Spencer Peterson (of Saves the Day and formerly of Hidden in Plain View) and the band's guitarist as Nate Patterson (of The Receiving End of Sirens) through his blog.[12]
Other Projects
Wentz has written a book entitled The Boy With the Thorn In His Side, a story based on nightmares he had as a child.[13] The title is a reference to a track on The Smiths' album The Queen Is Dead. It was reported that he was to publish another book entitled "Rainy Day Kids", but he recently confirmed via his Twitter account that this book will never come to fruition.[14] In addition, Wentz is currently co-writing a book with William Beckett of The Academy Is.... Wentz's company, Clandestine Industries, distributes books, clothing, and other merchandise. On August 2, 2007, fashion company DKNY joined a partnership with Clandestine Industries.[15] Wentz himself has served as a model on the DKNY/Clandestine promo website.[16] Wentz's clothing line is now exclusively available in the Bp. department at Nordstrom.
Wentz also has a film production company called Bartskull Films, which put out the DVD Release the Bats, starring Wentz, his fellow bandmates, and several of his personal friends. Wentz has told several sources that he has all the footage to release a sequel, but editing and time constraints have kept him from doing so, and therefore the fate of the project is still up in the air.
In April 2007, Pete came out with his own signature Squier Precision Bass. It has a black body with a red shell pickguard and special graphics that include Wentz’s own red bat/heart design on the body, plus a black bat/diamond fingerboard inlay at the 12th fret. It also features Wentz’s signature on the back of the headstock.[17] Wentz also owns a very similar custom Fender bass with a purple pickguard and bat/heart. In 2008 Fender gifted his son, Bronx Wentz, with a three quarter sized modified version of his guitar.[18]
Wentz opened a nightclub in New York with his bandmates as well as members of Gym Class Heroes, The Academy Is..., and Cobra Starship; the bands' managers are also involved in the enterprise. Called Angels & Kings, the club occupies the former space on 11th Street near Avenue A that housed the Orchid Lounge. Notable guests, including Tommy Hilfiger, arrived for the grand opening on April 20, 2007.[19]
In June 2007, Wentz celebrated the opening of Angels & Kings' second location, in Chicago.[20]
Wentz was in a multi-episode arc of the show One Tree Hill, appearing second at Tric (the local all-ages club in Tree Hill) with the entire band. The band first appeared in an episode "An Attempt to Tip the Scales", where they played their single "Dance, Dance" and went on to appear on Peyton and Ellie's (also One Tree Hill's album) tribute album, "Friends with Benefit" to support cancer awareness. Pete made his first solo cameo in the episode "When It Isn't Like It Should Be" as the romantic interest of Peyton Sawyer, a senior at Tree Hill who had booked the band to play at Tric. The band continued to influence the One Tree Hill musical soundtrack, but the show no longer had a role for Wentz except in name and reference only.
He also made a brief cameo appearance in the show Californication.
On February 6, 2008, it was reported that Wentz was the leading candidate for writer Diablo Cody's follow-up film to Juno, Jennifer's Body. The role ended up being given to Adam Brody.
On February 24, 2008, Wentz appeared in comedian Jimmy Kimmel's video "I'm Fucking Ben Affleck" as a chorus member (along with many other celebrities). The video was in response to one made by Kimmel's then girlfriend, Sarah Silverman, "I'm Fucking Matt Damon".
On December 13, 2008, Wentz, along with Travis McCoy of Gym Class Heroes, created several pieces for an art exhibit at Gallery 1988 in Los Angeles, CA called "Without You, I'm Just Me." The exhibit closed on December 24, 2008.
Wentz appeared in the season 5 episode of CSI: NY, "Point Of No Return", along with wife Ashlee. Wentz also hosted the Australia MTV VMAs on March 27, 2009.
In June 2009, it was announced Wentz is working on a five-issue comic book mini-series called Fall Out Toy Works,[21] to be published by Image Comics.[22] The idea was conceived by Wentz and designer Darren Romanelli.[22] The plot is loosely based on the Fall Out Boy song "Tiffany Blews" and focuses on "a mysterious toymaker, a cyborg gal named Tiffany and a kid in a bear suit that looks lifted from the cover of Fall Out Boy's Folie á Deux".[22] It is to be written by writer Brett Lewis, art from Sam Basri and the first issue will be released on September 2, 2009.[23]
In recent years, he has hosted the MTV program FNMTV.
Wentz filled in on bass for pop punk band Cinematic Sunrise during their last their tour in December 2009. He is also rumored to be collaborating with vocalist Craig Owens.[24]
Wentz collaborated with Mark Hoppus on the track "In Transit" on the Almost Alice soundtrack for the 2010 movie, Alice in Wonderland
Most recently, Wentz directed a music video for the song "If It's Love" by American rock band Train.
Wentz was also a judge for the 10th annual Independent Music Awards to support independent artists' careers.[25]
Personal life
Wentz has bipolar disorder.[26] In February 2005, Wentz attempted suicide by taking an overdose of the anxiety medication Ativan, and as a result, spent a week in the hospital. Commenting on the event to a magazine, he said:
| “ | I was isolating myself further and further, and the more I isolated myself, the more isolated I'd feel. I wasn't sleeping. I just wanted my head to shut off, like, I just wanted to completely stop thinking about anything at all. | ” |
The suicide attempt was soon put into song form, "7 Minutes in Heaven (Atavan Halen)" and was released on their album, From Under The Cork Tree. After this event, Wentz moved back in with his parents.[27]
Wentz later spoke of his suicide attempt to the support site Halfofus.com and cites Jeff Buckley's version of the Leonard Cohen classic "Hallelujah" as a song that saved his life.[28]
In March 2006, nude photos of Wentz were posted on the Internet to the LiveJournal celebrity gossip community Oh No They Didn't. The LiveJournal poster reported that she received the photos third-hand, and that Wentz originally sent the pictures to a woman with whom he allegedly had romantic interests. After the pictures spread across the Internet, Wentz posted a response on Fall Out Boy's website and blog asserting that the pictures were stolen from his T-Mobile Sidekick, and that after "feeling badly about this for about 24 hours, I am now ready to get back to laughing."[29] The video for the single "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race" contains a scene that references the incident.
In a Rolling Stone photo shoot, Wentz and Ashlee Simpson took a picture together for the opening of Wentz's bar, Angels & Kings, and were labeled as a couple. Eventually the two began to acknowledge the relationship. On April 9, 2008, Simpson confirmed on an episode of TRL that she and Wentz were engaged.[30] On April 14, 2008, rumors surfaced that the couple was expecting a baby but soon after these rumors appeared, Pete emailed MTV News to say that these rumors resulted from a "witch hunt" and that Simpson was not pregnant. Wentz married Simpson in Encino, California on May 17, 2008 at Simpson's parents' residence, where Joe Simpson officiated at the ceremony.
On May 28, 2008, Wentz and Simpson announced on Fall Out Boy's official website that they were expecting their first child.[31] "While many have speculated about this, we wanted to wait until after the first trimester to officially confirm that we are expecting our first child. This is truly the most joyous time in our lives and we are excited to share the happy news and start our family."[32] On November 20, 2008, Simpson gave birth to their son, Bronx Mowgli Wentz.[33]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Apar, Corey. "Pete Wentz Biography". Allmusic. http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:wbfuxqt0ldhe~T1. Retrieved 2008-11-10.
- ↑ Pete Wentz, by Shannon Moore, 10/6/2009, Celebrity News Service, All Headline News
- ↑ "Post-election pop cultural round-up", [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|CBC News], Wednesday, November 5, 2008
- ↑ "Celebrity Beat: Politicking with Pete Wentz". Chicago. 2008-01-24. http://www.chicagomag.com/Radar/Last-Girl-Standing/January-2008/Celebrity-Beat-Politicking-with-Pete-Wentz/. Retrieved 2008-11-10.
- ↑ "Pete Wentz Opens Up to CC…We Admire His Eyeliner". College Candy. 2008-06-12. http://www.collegecandy.com/buzz/9701. Retrieved 2008-11-10.
- ↑ Scaggs, Austin. "Q&A: Pete Wentz". Rolling Stone. http://www.rollingstone.com/news/qa/story/9142953/qa_pete_wentz. Retrieved 2008-11-10.
- ↑ Norris, John (June 5, 2006). MTV News Raw: Fall Out Boy. MTV.com. Accessed 2006-07-18.
- ↑ Loftus, Johnny. "Biography: Fall Out Boy". All Music Guide. Accessed April 14, 2006.
- ↑ Billboard Hot 100 Charts. Billboard.com. 15 March 2006.
- ↑ Fall Out Boy star names new singer. SFGate. July 2010.
- ↑ http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1644040/20100720/story.jhtml
- ↑ Wentz's Tumblr blog entry, Retrieved Septermber 1, 2010.
- ↑ Product page. Amazon.com. Accessed April 12, 2001987.
- ↑ The Music Edge. Accessed April 12, 2009.
- ↑ "Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz Partners With Fashion Giant DKNY." About Top40.
- ↑ Clandestine Industries for DKNY Jeans. DKNYJeans Promo.com.
- ↑ The Squier Pete Wentz Precision Bass Guitar. Squire Guitars. Accessed on 2007-06-21.
- ↑ Hands down the best gift ever, Fender made Bronx...
- ↑ Rolling Stone staff (May 2, 2007). "Pete Wentz Opens NYC Dive Bar." Rolling Stone Magazine. Accessed 2007-06-21.
- ↑ People
- ↑ Fall Out Toy Works official site
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 Parkin, JK (2009-06-04). "Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz to write Fall Out Toyworks for Image". Robot 6. Comic Book Resources. http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2009/06/fall-out-boys-pete-wentz-to-write-fall-out-toyworks-for-image/. Retrieved 2009-06-05.
- ↑ Wigler, Josh (2009-07-03). "Wentz & Romanelli Talk "Fall Out Toy Works"". Comic Book Resources. http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=21877. Retrieved 2009-07-03.
- ↑ Pete Wentz joins Cinematic Sunrise onstage. Alternative Press. December 2009. Retrieved 2009-12-30.
- ↑ Independent Music Awards - Past Judges
- ↑ Nancy Schimelpfening. "Pete Wentz Admits He Has Bipolar Disorder" About.com; August 7, 2007
- ↑ Greenwald, Andy (December 2005). "It's a Holiday in Suburbia". Spin Magazine. http://www.spin.com/features/magazine/covers/2005/11/0512_falloutboy/
- ↑ Video of Wentz at halfofus.com
- ↑ James Montgomery. "Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz Comments On ... You Know, Those Photos" VH1; March 9, 2006. VH1. Accessed May 6, 2006.
- ↑ Natalie Finn. " Ashlee and Pete Fall into Engagement" E! Online; April 9, 2008
- ↑ Breaking News From Pete And Ashlee
- ↑ Gil Kaufman (2008-05-29). "Ashlee Simpson And Pete Wentz Finally Confirm Pregnancy". MTV News (MTV Networks). http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1588256/20080529/simpson_ashlee.jhtml. Retrieved 2008-10-24.
- ↑ Laudadio, Marisa (2008-11-21). "It's a Boy for Ashlee & Pete!". People. http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20238396,00.html. Retrieved 2008-11-21.
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