Shaun Morgan
| Shaun Morgan | |
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Shaun Morgan with Seether at Van Andel Arena in September 2011
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Shaun Morgan Welgemoed |
| Born | 21 December 1978 |
| Origin | Pietermaritzburg, South Africa |
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| Years active | 1999–present |
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Shaun Morgan Welgemoed ([ˈveːl.χɐmut], born 21 December 1978), known publicly as Shaun Morgan, is a South African musician, singer, songwriter and guitarist for the South African post-grunge and alternative metal band Seether.
Morgan spent all of his early life in South Africa. His parents divorced when Morgan was still a child. Morgan is one of three children; he had a brother, Eugene, who took his own life in 2007, and has a sister, Lucy. He was a student at Maritzburg College in Pietermaritzburg, where he became a prolific front-row rugby player for his age-group's top teams in his first three years of high school. In his third year of playing rugby, Morgan injured his back and was unable to play anymore, which then lead to him following his passion of playing guitar.
At the age of 14, he discovered the Seattle grunge movement after listening to Nirvana’s Nevermind album, which inspired him to become a musician.
Prior to forming their band, Saron Gas, Morgan was a member of a tribute band, tributing songs of bands such as Creed and Tom Petty. In May 1999, Morgan became the rhythm guitarist and back-up vocalist of a new band, Saron Gas. There were four other members to the band; a female vocalist, a lead guitarist, bassist and drummer. However, when the singer and guitarist did not turn up to the first practice, the band decided to stay as a three-piece, with Welgemoed on lead vocals and guitar. Saron Gas enjoyed moderate success before the bass player decided to quit in January 2000, causing Welgemoed to get in touch with the only other good bass player he knew, Dale Stewart. The band released an album later that year, entitled Fragile.
In January 2002, the band relocated to the United States to sign with Wind-up Records. During this time the band’s original drummer left to return home to South Africa, whilst the two remaining members were left to think of a new band name, at the request of Wind-up. Eventually they settled on Seether, after the Veruca Salt song of the same name. Around this time, Morgan decided to use his middle name as his last name professionally while performing for Seether because Americans have a hard time pronouncing "Welgemoed". Seether went on to release their debut major-label album, Disclaimer, on 20 August 2002.
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