Les Claypool
| Les Claypool | |
|---|---|
Les Claypool at Bonnaroo 2002 with his main Carl Thompson bass guitar.
|
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Leslie Edward Claypool |
| Also known as | Colonel Claypool, Les |
| Born |
September 29, 1963 Richmond, California, United States |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, singer-songwriter, producer, author, director, actor |
| Instruments | Bass, vocals, upright bass, drums, guitar, whamola, bassjo, mandolin, banjo, clarinet, cello, mellotron |
| Years active | 1979–present |
| Labels | Prawn Song, Interscope |
| Associated acts | Primus, Blind Illusion, Sausage, Metallica, Oysterhead, Colonel Les Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade, Tom Waits, Duo de Twang, Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains, the Claypool Lennon Delirium, Death Grips |
| Website | www |
Leslie Edward "Les" Claypool (born September 29, 1963) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, composer, author and actor best known as the bassist and lead vocalist of the band Primus. Claypool's playing style on the electric bass mixes tapping, flamenco-like strumming, whammy bar bends, and slapping.
Claypool has also self-produced and engineered his solo releases from his own studio, "Rancho Relaxo". 2006 saw the release of a full-length feature film Electric Apricot written and directed by Claypool as well as a debut novel South of the Pumphouse.
Claypool was born September 29, 1963, in Richmond, California, and was raised in El Sobrante, California, in a working-class family of auto mechanics. Claypool decided to become a bass player, pursuing the instrument from the age of fourteen. Claypool has cited Larry Graham, Chris Squire, Tony Levin, Roger Waters, Geddy Lee, Paul McCartney, Geezer Butler, Bootsy Collins, Stanley Clarke, and John Paul Jones as his musical influences.
He went to school with and was a friend of guitarist Kirk Hammett, later of Metallica. For several years before forming Primus, Claypool worked as a carpenter.
In 1986, after the death of Metallica bassist Cliff Burton, Hammett encouraged Claypool to audition for Metallica as Burton's successor. In Metallica's Behind the Music, Claypool said that he jokingly asked the others if they wanted to "jam on some Isley Brothers tunes" during the audition, a reference to his little experience in the thrash metal scene. Metallica frontman James Hetfield remarked that Claypool was not offered the job because "he was too good" and "should do his own thing." Claypool said later that he was unaware of Metallica's success and influence and auditioned mainly out of friendship with Hammett, and further stated he would not have fit in with the band.
...
Wikipedia