Cris Kirkwood
| Cris Kirkwood | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Background information | |
| Born | October 22, 1960 |
| Genres | Alternative punk rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, singer, songwriter |
| Instruments | Bass guitar |
| Years active | 1980–1995 2006–present |
| Associated acts | Meat Puppets |
Christopher "Cris" Kirkwood (born October 22, 1960) is an American musician who is the bassist and a founding member of the Meat Puppets, an alternative punk rock band.
Raised in Paradise Valley, Arizona, Cris took up the banjo after seeing Deliverance, moved on to guitar, and ultimately picked up the bass when he started playing together in bands with his older brother Curt. In 1980 the brothers and their friend Derrick Bostrom, a drummer, decided to form a band, which they eventually named the Meat Puppets. Besides playing bass Kirkwood's role in the band grew over the years to include singing and songwriting. Their certified gold album of 1994, Too High to Die, featured two songs written and sung by Cris.
Unfortunately, Kirkwood's use of drugs began to spin out of control, and he developed a heroin addiction. Kirkwood retreated to his house in Tempe, Arizona, where he and his wife, Michelle Tardif, who was also an addict, lived in virtual isolation. Tardif eventually died of a drug overdose in August 1998. After the release of the album No Joke! in 1995, Kirkwood's compulsive behavior during what was already a stressful time for the band led to the Meat Puppets entering a period of inactivity. Despite numerous interventions and rehab stays, Kirkwood remained addicted to narcotics for many years.
In December 2003, Kirkwood got into an argument with a woman over a parking space at a post office in downtown Phoenix. A security guard got involved in the scuffle, which escalated when Kirkwood grabbed the guard's baton and began striking at him. The guard drew his handgun and shot Kirkwood in the back, resulting in his being hospitalized. In August 2004, Kirkwood pleaded guilty to assault with a deadly weapon and was sentenced to 21 months in prison. While incarcerated at Federal Correctional Institution in Phoenix, Kirkwood met Jerry Posin, who had been a drummer for Steppenwolf, and joined in Posin's exercise routine. The two eventually joined in jazz and other original music performances at the facility. Kirkwood's time in prison, which he said "was actually pretty tolerable", helped him kick his drug addiction cold turkey. However, no recordings of Kirkwood's jail band performances are known to exist. He served out his time and was released on July 7, 2005.
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