Brian Welch
Brian Philip "Head" Welch (born June 19, 1970 in Torrance , California ) is an American musician.
Welch is a founding member of the nu-metal band Korn and their lead guitarist . In 2005 he left the band for private reasons and returned in 2013.
youth
Welch grew up in Bakersfield, California. According to his own statements, during his school years he often had problems with his classmates, was teased by them and saw himself as an outsider. He noticed his passion for music from an early age. At first he wanted to play the drums, but his father advised him to play the guitar because the drums were too loud. In high school he met James 'Munky' Shaffer , his future bandmate with Korn.
Career
1991 to 2004
In 1991 Welch joined the band Rag Tyme. There he met Reginald 'Fieldy' Arvizu , who later became Korn's bassist. The band soon broke up. A little later Arvizu founded the band LAPD ("Love and Peace, Dude", later "Laughing As People Die") together with the singer Rick Morill, James Shaffer and the later Korn drummer David Silveria . Welch acted as the second support guitarist. After a few singer changes, the band renamed itself with the entry of Jonathan Davis in Korn and hired Welch as a permanent member. During his time with the band, the albums KoЯn (1994), Life Is Peachy (1996), Follow the Leader (1998), Issues (1999), Untouchables (2002) and Take a Look in the Mirror (2003) were released. The plates were awarded platinum several times .
Exit at Korn
Welch left the band in early 2005. By turning to the Christian faith, he no longer identified with the musical direction of the band, and he no longer wanted to expose his daughter to the side effects of her father's musical life. In March 2005, he was baptized in the Jordan River in the Middle East to underline his bond with God.
Solo work
Shortly after leaving KoЯn, he published a few songs on his website , such as the electronica- heavy pieces Kry and A Cheap Name . The latter was about the rapper 50 Cent ; through this song he wanted to make him rethink his previous life. The intention was not very well received. His book Save me from Myself , which describes his life, has been published in English by Regan Books and Harpercollins . The German translation called Rette mich vor mirself was published by Iron Pages . The successor Washed by Blood has been available from Harpercollins since June 24, 2008 .
In June 2006 Welch announced a solo album titled It's time to see religion under the stage name Head . This was recorded at Fortitude Studios . While Welch was responsible for the vocals, the guitars, various programming work and the songwriting itself, the artists Trevor Dunn (bass) and Josh Freese (drums, other programming work) recorded the rest of the album. The work should represent a reflection of his feelings and the previous experiences he has gained in life. He says it's an uplifting and happy CD. Welch always thought it was good that KoЯn's music helped the youngsters to let out their aggressions. With his album he now wants to show that there is more to life than that. The CD with the final title Save Me From Myself was released on September 9, 2008 on the Driven Music Group / H2C Records label .
Love and Death
In 2012 Welch founded the Christian nu-metal band Love and Death , for which he acts as a singer and guitarist. In an interview with metal.de in March 2017, he told editor Nadine Schmidt that a new album by the band should be released this year, the producer being the guitarist of the band Breaking Benjamin .
Return to KoЯn
On May 3, 2013, Welch announced on his Facebook page that he was returning to the band KoЯn and at the same time stated that they were trying to make a new album in the studio.
Welch emphasized that Love and Death would continue and that he would therefore play in two bands.
Others
Welch has the nickname "Head" because, according to his own statement, his head is much too big and no hat would fit him.
He helped Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit with the work on the CD Results May Vary (2003) until Mike Smith became the new guitarist for the band. The band previously had no guitarist after Wes Borland left in 2001. Many of the songs he wrote were never released.
In July 1998 KoЯn interrupted their participation in Ozzfest so that Welch could attend the birth of his daughter.
Works
- Save Me from Myself: How I Found God, Quit KoЯn, Kicked Drugs, and Lived to Tell My Story . HarperOne, San Francisco 2007, ISBN 978-0-06-143164-7
- Washed by Blood: Lessons from My Time with KoЯn and My Journey to Christ . HarperOne, San Francisco 2008, ISBN 978-0-06-155580-0
Web links
- Official website
- Brian Welch at Discogs (English)
- Head in Discogs (English)
Individual evidence
- ^ Washed by Blood - Brian Welch - Paperback. Retrieved August 4, 2019 (American English).
- ↑ BLABBERMOUTH.NET'HEAD 'WELCH Sets Release Date For Solo Debut
- ↑ Korn - Interview with Brian "Head" Welch • metal.de . In: metal.de . April 8, 2017 ( metal.de [accessed June 20, 2017]).
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Which, Brian |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Welch, Brian Philip (full name); Head (nickname) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American rock guitarist |
| DATE OF BIRTH | June 19, 1970 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Torrance |