Maynard James Keenan

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Maynard James Keenan

Maynard James Keenan (born April 17, 1964, as James Herbert Keenan) is an American rock singer. He has been a member of the band Tool since 1990 and was a member of the band A Perfect Circle from 1999 to 2006. He is currently touring with Tool, and pursuing his Puscifer side project and his vineyards.

Biography

Keenan was born to a Baptist family in Ravenna, Ohio, on April 17 1964. He joined the Army in 1982. By that time he had lived in Ohio, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas. He initially served in the army as a forward observer. He then studied at the United States Military Academy Preparatory School (West Point Prep School) from 1983 to 1984. In addition to completing a rigorous math and English curriculum, he ran on the cross-country running team and sang in the glee club. He was accepted to West Point, but chose not to attend. Instead, he chose to complete his active duty term of enlistment. He then left the military to study art at Kendall College of Art and Design in Grand Rapids, Michigan, which eventually landed him a job in Los Angeles "applying spatial design concepts" to pet stores. Before his years with Tool, Keenan sang for Green Jellÿ and Children of the Anachronistic Dynasty, and played bass guitar for TexA.N.S.. In the 1980s Keenan moved to Los Angeles, apparently to work in interior design. He formed Tool with guitarist Adam Jones after Jones talked him into forming a band. Keenan's neighbor drummer Danny Carey agreed to join after a while, and so did bassist Paul d'Amour,[1] who would later be replaced by Justin Chancellor.

They released the Opiate EP in 1992 and toured with the bands Fishbone and Rage Against the Machine. Shortly thereafter, the U.S. saw the release of Tool's 1993 debut album, Undertow, which eventually launched the band into success. Keenan's lyrics and vocals were melodic, grim, and angst-ridden. However, as Keenan continued to record with Tool, his lyrics evolved into increasingly introspective and spiritual works that focused not only on anger but on the positive benefits of transcending it. Henry Rollins, singer for Black Flag and Rollins Band, made a guest appearance on Undertow.

Keenan has used his voice to advance issues of special interest to him, for example making an appearance at a benefit concert for Tori Amos' RAINN (the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) in 1997. Amos had often referred to Keenan as an unofficial brother.[2]

After the release of Ænima the band would find themselves in a prolonged legal battle with their label Volcano Records (formerly Zoo Records). Following this legal battle, which resulted in a new three record deal, the members of Tool decided to take some time off. During this period, Keenan found time to work with Billy Howerdel (a guitar tech known to the band) on a different project. The band they formed, A Perfect Circle, began performing in 1999 and released its first album Mer de Noms in 2000. They eventually released a successful follow-up, Thirteenth Step in 2003. In 2004 they released an album comprised mostly of covers titled eMOTIVe.

In February, 2005, Keenan appeared as a surprise vocalist at a Seattle benefit concert for victims of the recent tsunami in southern Asia, performing with the partly reformed Alice in Chains in place of the deceased vocalist Layne Staley on the songs "Them Bones", and "Man in the Box."

Keenan is unmarried and has one son named Devo (born August 5, 1995). He was engaged to Jennifer Ferguson, but they broke up before marrying. The song "Breña," by A Perfect Circle, uses her middle name, while another song bears the name of Keenan's mother, Judith. His mother is also the inspiration for the two-part song "Wings for Marie" on 10,000 Days.

From 2001 to 2004 Keenan was rumoured to be in a relationship with Porn actress Felicia Fox. Fox, while typically tight lipped about the relationship, mentioned it on her regular KSEX online radio show. Cryptic messages on Fox's friend Mike South's blog saying "F*ck Maynard" lend even more credibility to the rumours.

Keenan's newest project is winemaking. He owns Merkin Vineyards and Caduceus Cellars, based in the unincorporated area of Page Springs/Cornville, Arizona, southwest of Sedona.

Keenan's photo in a United States Military Academy Preparatory School yearbook (class of 1984)

In 2003, Keenan surfaced under the moniker "Puscifer" on the soundtrack for the movie Underworld. Puscifer is a cover name for non-Tool related work with Danny Lohner, former member of Nine Inch Nails. They contributed the song "REV 22:20". In 2006, Puscifer contributed a song to the Underworld sequel, Underworld: Evolution. This track is called "The Undertaker (Renholder Mix)". Renholder being the reverse of "Re: D Lohner" (a random email title "Regarding: Danny Lohner"). That same year Keenan explained in an interview conducted by French magazine "Rock Hard", that his band A Perfect Circle is not only on hiatus due to the release of Tool's fourth full-length studio album, but finished.[1] However, in September 2006, Keenan posted on the band's website an invitation to fans to "check back soon" concerning the future of the band, sparking speculation that the band may return in the near future. Keenan is currently touring with Tool, and on 25th November 2006 he concluded the Glasgow show with "always a pleasure, hope to see you next summer", alluding to a future tour.

Keenan and Comedy

Bill Hicks

Keenan became friends with legendary comedian Bill Hicks in the early 1990s. Keenan did stand-up comedy on improv nights in comedy clubs in Los Angeles during that time, delivering - according to a friend of Hicks - inspiring comedy.[2] They got to know each other and eventually, Bill Hicks opened some Tool concerts. Best known is a routine Hicks did on Tool's Lollapalooza tour in 1992, when he asked the audience to look for a contact lens he had lost. Thousands of people complied. [3] Keenan enjoyed this joke so much that he repeated it on a number of occasions.

Mr. Show

File:Screenshot jones keenan mrshow.jpg
When asked about the arrest of Ronnie Dobbs, Keenan in his role as Puscifer's vocalist replies "Guilty? Yeah. I'm sure he's guilty but... he KNOWS it. I mean, you're guilty, and you don't know it. So... who's really in jail?"

Keenan is featured in several segments of Mr. Show most notably in the Ronnie Dobbs sketch in the first season. In one scene he is seen being arrested with Ronnie Dobbs, then later on in that sketch he is featured wearing a wig as the lead singer of the then-fictitious band "Puscifer", defending Ronnie (pictured to the right with co-starring bandmate Adam Jones). He also appears in episode 2.6, "The Velveteen Touch of a Dandy Fop," as one of the viewers of "Coupon: The Movie," saying "Now is not the time" and waving the cameras off and slapping the microphone out of his face in disgust after walking out of the theatre. He also appears in the "music video" "sex" scene on the straight-to-DVD feature of the Mr. Show incarnation Run Ronnie Run.

Finding Jesus

On April 1, 2006, Keenan announced as an April Fool's joke - to the shock of many of his fans and friends - that he had "found jesus [sic]" and would be abandoning the recording of the new Tool album temporarily and possibly permanently.

Kurt Loder of MTV contacted Keenan via email to ask for a confirmation and received a very nonchalant confirmation. When Loder asked again, Keenan's response was simply "heh heh."

On April 7, the official Tool site announced that the gag was up with the statement; "Good news, April fools fans. The writing and recording is back under way."

Discography

With TexA.N.S.

With Children of the Anachronistic Dynasty

With Tool

With A Perfect Circle

As Puscifer

Releases featured

Other appearances

Notes and references

  1. ^ Turman, Katherine (1994-05-31). "A Sober Look At Tool". Circus Magazine. Danny Carey, was an accomplished drummer who agreed to sit in with them. Someone who knew both Jones and original bassist D'amour introduced the two, and soon D'amour completed the line up of the soon to be named band, Tool. {{cite journal}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ^ Jay S. Jacobs (2006-07-01). Pretty Good Years: A Biography of Tori Amos. Hal Leonard. p. 74. ISBN 978-1423400226. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. ^ Robert Fripp (2007-06-02). "Robert Fripp's Diary". Retrieved 2007-06-08. Jeff Fayman of Immediate Music has sent the latest mix of Schizoid Man (with Maynard Keenan on vocals) on MP3. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

External links

Template:Axis of Justice

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