Richie Birkenhead

Richie Birkenhead
Richie Birkenhead performing with into Another in Los Angeles, 1995
Background information
Birth name	Richard James Birkenhead
Born	(1965-08-23) August 23, 1965 (age 51)
Genres	Rock, post-hardcore, hardcore, punk, dark ambient, alternative rock, Alternative Metal, Experimental rock
Occupation(s)	Musician, songwriter, producer, Creative Director
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, piano
Years active	1986–present
Labels	New Beginning Records, Caroline Records, Revelation Records, Hollywood Records
Associated acts	Into Another, Underdog, Youth of Today, Deadsy
Website	intoanother.com

Richie Birkenhead (born Richard James Birkenhead; August 23, 1965) is an American rock musician. He was a singer, songwriter and guitarist of late '80s New York hardcore bands Underdog and Youth of Today, and went on in the 1990s to become vocalist for the American rock band, Into Another.

In his early teens, while living on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and attending the McBurney School, Birkenhead started a neo-rockabilly band, the Bel-Airs, with members of Buzz and the Flyers and Tav Falco's Panther Burns. Birkenhead was the Bel-Airs' guitarist, songwriter and occasional vocalist. Although they never officially released any recorded material, the band played in many New York venus, including The Mudd Club, The Peppermint Lounge, Danceteria, The Ritz and CBGB and opened for The Cramps, The Gun Club, The Rockats and Carl Perkins.

During the mid-to-late '80s, Birkenhead fronted the hardcore band Underdog. In 1986 he joined the straight edge hardcore band Youth of Today on guitar. He spent time touring with the band, as well as recording the band's first full-length offering, 1986's Break Down the Walls.

Birkenhead, along with Youth of Today drummer, Drew Thomas, left the band in 1990 to form the band, Into Another, with guitarist Peter Moses and bassist Tony Bono.Into Another released its first self-titled full-length album in 1990 on Revelation Records, followed by two EPs and another full-length before signing with Hollywood Records in 1995. During the band's stint on Hollywood Records, Into Another released "Seemless" in 1996, in which Birkenhead and the band entered the Billboard 200 for the first time with the song "T.A.I.L.", peaking at number 39 on the mainstream rock chart.