Britt Daniel

Britt Daniel
Britt Daniel performing live
Background information
Birth name	John Britt Daniel
Born	(1971-04-14) April 14, 1971 (age 45) Galveston, Texas, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter
Instruments	Vocals guitar bass guitar keyboards
Years active	1991–present
Labels	Merge Peek-A-Boo Matador Elektra Syncretic Records
Associated acts	Spoon Drake Tungsten Skellington The Alien Beats Golden Millennium Divine Fits Split Single
Website	spoontheband.com
Notable instruments
Fender Nocaster Thinline Gibson ES-335 Fender Telecaster Gibson J-45

John Britt Daniel (born April 14, 1971) is the co-founder, lead singer and guitarist of the Austin, Texas, rock band Spoon and the co-founder, guitarist, bassist, and singer of the band Divine Fits.

Britt Daniel was born in Galveston, Texas and grew up in Temple, Texas, a town of 50,000 people about an hour north of Austin. Daniel is the oldest of three children from his parents' marriage. He also has two younger half-siblings. His father, a neurologist, was a fan of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones and a collector of guitars; Daniel himself reportedly picked up the guitar in high school after his college-bound girlfriend ended their relationship.

In 1988 Britt Daniel formed his first band The Zygotes while in high school. In 1990, while a student at the University of Texas, Daniel formed his second band, Skellington, with Travis Hartnett, Mac Stringfellow, Paul Cannon and Mike Hurewitz. Skellington recorded and self-released This Town's Gone Dry in 1991, and the Skellington EP was released a year later in 1992. Before breaking up, the band released Skellington Rex, which contained songs that were re-recorded on Spoon's debut album Telephono.

The following year, Daniel joined a three-piece rockabilly band named The Alien Beats with Brad Shenfeld. During a 1993 Alien Beats recording session, computer-chip designer and percussionist Jim Eno was brought in as a substitute drummer, but he was later added as the permanent drummer. The Alien Beats released a 7" single in May 1993, disbanding soon after.

In 1993, Daniels and ex-Alien Beats drummer Eno, along with guitarist Greg Wilson and bassist Andy McGuire, formed Spoon. Spoon has served as Daniel's primary musical focus.