Fred Schneider
| Fred Schneider | |
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Schneider playing a cowbell at Lovebox, London, in 2007.
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Frederick William Schneider III |
| Born | July 1, 1951 |
| Origin | Newark, New Jersey, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1976–present |
| Labels | Warner Bros. |
| Associated acts | |
| Website |
theb52s thesuperions |
Frederick William "Fred" Schneider III (born July 1, 1951) is an American singer, songwriter, arranger, and musician, best known as the frontman of the rock band the B-52's, of which he is a founding member. Schneider is well known for his sprechgesang, which he developed from reciting poetry over guitars.
Frederick William Schneider III was born on July 1, 1951, in Newark, New Jersey. He has stated that his musical influences included "Halloween songs and nutty Christmas songs" along with "Motown". He attended the University of Georgia, where he once wrote a book of poetry for a class project. After college, he held down jobs as a janitor as well as a Meals on Wheels driver. At the time the B-52's formed, he had very little music experience.
The B-52's got their start in 1976 when founders Cindy Wilson, Ricky Wilson, Kate Pierson, Keith Strickland, and Schneider played an impromptu number after drinking at a Chinese restaurant in Athens, Georgia. The band played their first real gig in 1977 at a Valentine's Day party for their friends.
The band's first single was "Rock Lobster" which was recorded for DB Records in 1978. It was an underground success, and sold over 2,000 copies in total. In 1979, the B-52's signed a recording contract with Warner Bros. Records for South America, North America, Australia, and New Zealand. They also signed with Island Records for the UK, Asia, and Europe. After the death of Ricky Wilson in 1985, the band went on hiatus. They reformed in 1989, and went on to mainstream success.
Aside from duties as the frontman of the B-52's, Fred Schneider has released two solo albums. He also worked on a side project called the Superions. The group released a self-titled EP and the album Destination... Christmas! in 2010, and in February 2011 began working on a proper full-length album.
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