Shaun Morgan

Shaun Morgan
Shaun Morgan with Seether at Van Andel Arena Sept, 2011
Background information
Birth name	Shaun Morgan Welgemoed
Also known as	Shaun Morgan
Born	(1978-12-21) 21 December 1978
Origin	Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
Genres	Post-grunge, alternative metal
Occupations	Musician, songwriter
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, bass guitar
Years active	1999–present
Associated acts	Seether, Saron Gas

Shaun Morgan Welgemoed (born 21 December 1978), known publicly as Shaun Morgan, is a South African musician and singer for post-grunge, alternative metal band Seether.

Early life and education

Morgan spent all of his early life in South Africa.^[1] His parents divorced when Morgan was still a child. Morgan is one of three children; he had a brother, Eugene, who died in 2007 and has a sister, Lucy.^{[citation needed]}

He was a student at Maritzburg College in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, where he became a prolific front-row rugby player for his age-group's top teams in his first three years of high school. In his third year of playing rugby, Morgan injured his back and was unable to play anymore, which then lead to him following his passion of playing guitar (his stepfather bought him his first guitar).^{[citation needed]}

At 14 years old, he discovered the Seattle grunge movement after listening to Nirvana’s Nevermind album, which inspired him to become a musician.^[1] He began to play the guitar, first learning "Polly", before starting to piece together bands.^{[citation needed]}

Career

Seether

Prior to forming their band, Saron Gas, Morgan was a member of a tribute band, tributing songs of bands such as Korn and Metallica. In May 1999, Morgan became the rhythm guitarist and back-up vocalist of a new band, Saron Gas.^[2] There were four other members to the band; a female vocalist, a lead guitarist, bassist and drummer. However, when the singer and guitarist did not turn up to the first practice, the band decided to stay as a three-piece, with Welgemoed on lead vocals and guitar.^[2] Saron Gas enjoyed moderate success before the bass player decided to quit in January 2000, causing Welgemoed to get in touch with the only other good bass player he knew, Dale Stewart. The band released an album later that year, entitled Fragile.

In January 2002, the band relocated to the United States to sign with Wind-up Records. During this time the band’s original drummer left to return home to South Africa, whilst the two remaining members were left to think of a new band name, at the request of Wind-up. Eventually they settled on Seether, after the Veruca Salt song of the same name.^[2] Around this time, Morgan decided to use his middle name as his last name while performing for Seether. He said on many occasions that Americans have a hard time pronouncing his legal last name, "Welgemoed." Seether went on to release their debut major-label album, Disclaimer, on August 20, 2002.

Since then, Seether has released three more studio albums; Karma and Effect (2005), Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces (2007), and Holding On To Strings Better Left To Fray (2011). In addition, they released the compilation album Disclaimer II in 2004, and the live CD/DVD One Cold Night in 2006. In 2009, the band released three new songs; one a Seether original entitled "No Shelter", the second being a cover of George Michael’s "Careless Whisper" which Morgan and Dale have said had a special significance to the band and "I've got you under my Skin" a Frank Sinatra cover for Sinatra's tribute album "His Way, Our Way".^[3]

Bands that have influenced Morgan include Nirvana, Portishead, Silverchair, The Beatles, Stone Temple Pilots, Nine Inch Nails, Rage Against the Machine, Korn, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam (mainly the album Vs.) and Deftones.^[4]

Equipment

Morgan primarily uses Schecter Guitar Research guitars, mostly the PT models which he has had custom made for himself. On the "Remedy" video he can be seen using a 2000 Schecter C-1 Custom, and on the video of "Gasoline", he can be seen using a Schecter 006 model, discontinued in 2004. Schecter produced a signature model for 2011, which featured a totally new shape based on a 'Mosrite' and comes in three tone sunburst, candy apple red, silver, and white. On most of his personal guitars, he uses Duncan Designed pickups, specifically the HB-102. In 2006, he stated in an interview with Ultimate Guitar that he doesn't use a lot of effect pedals. His amp of choice has been the Mesa Boogie Triple Rectifier which he has modified to his own presets that are not available on stock models. Morgan mainly performs with Mesa 4x12 cabs, but in 2011 he was seen using a huge Mesa Boogie dummy stack. It is meant for looks and has four 4x12 speakers inside of it. Dale Stewart also has a Hartke bass dummy stack for performances loaded with bass cabinets. In 2012 on the Triple Threat Tour, he and Dale Stewart are seen using steampunk inspired cases.^{[citation needed]}

Current live rig:

• Schecter Guitar Research Shaun Morgan signature model guitars;
• Schecter Guitar Research customized PT Fastback model guitars;
• Mesa Boogie Triple Rectifier amp heads with 4x12 Mesa cabs;
• Dean Markley Blue Steel 10-52 Strings;
• Seymour Duncan Duncan Designed pickups (HB-102);
• Modded Shure SM57 vocal microphone;
• Shure SM58 vocal microphone;
• Dunlop Custom Tortex picks;
• Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor pedal;
• Boss CH-1 Super Chorus pedal;
• Boss OC-3 Super Octave Pedal;
• Dunlop Manufacturing ZW-45 Zakk Wylde Signature Crybaby Wah Pedal;
• Dunlop Manufacturing JD-4S Rotovibe Pedal

During Seether's live album "One Cold Night," Morgan was using an Alvarez FD60. This guitar is an acoustic electric that he only uses for live acoustic performances. There are different colors that Morgan uses such as Orange, Green and Black.

Specifications For the Alvarez FD60:

Electronics - System 600T

Body Style - Cutaway Thin Dreadnought

Back and Sides - Maple

Top Wood - Quilted Maple

Rosette - Abalone

Binding - Ivory/Black

Fingerboard - Rosewood

Inlays - 12th Fret Diagonal

Machine Heads - Gold Die Cast

Bridge - Rosewood

Personal life

Morgan has a daughter, Jayde, who lives in South Africa with her mother.^{[citation needed]} From 2003 to 2005, he dated Evanescence singer Amy Lee. Their relationship ended bitterly in 2005.^[5] Morgan checked into rehab in July 2006.^[6][7]

When Finding Beauty In Negative Spaces was released on October 23, 2007, its third single, "Breakdown", was rumored to be about Amy Lee. However, Morgan implied that most songs were about, "if anyone, his ex wife in Ohio."^[8]

In August 2007, Morgan's brother Eugene Welgemoed committed suicide, just a few weeks before Seether's third studio release Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces; as the album was finished there was no delay, but the opus was dedicated to Eugene and featured a memorial. Eugene jumped to his death shortly after midnight Monday, 13 August 2007 from an eighth-floor window of the Radisson Hotel in Rapid City, South Dakota. According to police, no foul play was suspected in the death. It was ruled a suicide after an investigation.^[9] Morgan has 1308 tattooed on his four right fingers, and 2007 tattooed on his four left fingers which marks the day Eugene died (13/08/2007). Seether's song "Rise Above This" is a tribute to Eugene. On Seether's May 2011 album Holding Onto Strings Better Left to Fray, the song "Pass Slowly" was also written about Eugene.

Discography

Seether

Studio albums

As Saron Gas

• Fragile (2000)

As Seether

• Disclaimer (2002)
• Disclaimer II (2004)
• Karma and Effect (2005)
• Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces (2007)
• Holding Onto Strings Better Left to Fray (2011)

Live albums

• One Cold Night (2006)

Digital albums

• iTunes Originals - Seether (2008)
• Rhapsody Originals - Seether (2008)

Collaborations

• Art of Dying featuring Shaun Morgan - "Die Trying" (2008)
• HURT featuring Shaun Morgan - "World Ain't Right" on the album Goodbye to the Machine (2009)
• Acoustic cover of Alice In Chains "Nutshell". Duet with Brent Smith, lead singer of Shinedown. The song is featured on The 97X Green Room: Volume 2, which is a radio station based in Tampa, FL.

References

External links

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUNB2S1dkJI