Patrick Wilson (musician)

Infobox Musical artist


Img_size = 150
Name = Patrick "Pat" George Wilson
Background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
|Img_capt =
Birth_name = Patrick George Wilson
Born = Birth date and age|1969|2|1|mf=y
Origin = Buffalo, New York
Genre = Rock
Occupation = Drummer-Songwriter-Vocals
Instrument = drums
vocals
Guitar
Bass Guitar
Label = Geffen Records, Epitaph Records
Associated_acts = Weezer
The Special Goodness
The Rentals

Patrick "Pat" George Wilson (born February 1, 1969 in Buffalo, New York) is best known as the drummer for the alt-rock band Weezer and as the frontman in The Special Goodness.

Career

Early life

Patrick Wilson was born in Buffalo, New York on February 1, 1969, but raised in nearby Clarence.Luerssen D., John. "Rivers' Edge: The Weezer Story". ECW Press, 2004, ISBN 1-55022-619-3 p. 47] He was introduced to music very early on in his life, making his first musical purchase of Barry Manilow's 1976 album This One's for You.Luerssen D., John. "Rivers' Edge: The Weezer Story". ECW Press, 2004, ISBN 1-55022-619-3 p. 47] Shortly after his fifteenth birthday he went to his first concert, seeing Van Halen. As a result he was inspired to start taking drum lessons with friend Greg Czarnecki.Luerssen D., John. "Rivers' Edge: The Weezer Story". ECW Press, 2004, ISBN 1-55022-619-3 p. 47] By his senior year in high school at Clarence High School, Wilson and his friend Greg began teaching the instrument, eventually amassing over 30 students. Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 48]

After graduating high school in 1987, Wilson attended a local college briefly, dropping out after one semester. Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 48] He commented, "College is such bunk. Too much politics and jockeying for favor. I just couldn't do it. College is great if you want to learn, but that's not what college is about, it's about making your professor happy and getting good grades and getting into an IBM. Any place that says that they're only accepting college graduates is not a place I'm very interested in being." Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 48]

Growing tired of the local music scene, at the urge of friend Patrick Finn, Wilson at the age of 21 moved to Los Angeles. Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 49] Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 48] Shortly after arriving in Los Angeles, he joined the shortlived band Bush (not Gavin Rossdale's Bush) Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 49] While in Bush, Wilson met future Weezer bass player Matt Sharp, with whom he developed a friendship. Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 50] Eventually by the spring of 1991, Wilson started a band with Patrick Finn, Matt Sharp and later Jason Cropper called The Wrong Sausage. Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 51]

Meanwhile Wilson was also in another band with future Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo called Fuzz, which dissolved within three months. Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 54] "By the time I had met Matt Sharp, and we were trying to figure out something to do. We had a lot of passion and interested in certain kinds of music, but we didn't know how that was going to translate into what we were going to do. So we met Rivers - 'He's got an 8-track, let's get with him' - and we convinced him to move into this apartment with us. Rivers was just starting to write songs and he asked me to play drums on a song for him. That turned into a band called Fuzz, with this girl bass player. That was pretty cool, but it had to die." Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 55]

In the summer of 1991, Sharp moved north to Berkeley to pursue what Karl Koch called, "some sorta symphonic keyboard sequencing music." Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 56] Other members of the band moved to separate apartments during this time. Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 58] During this time, Wilson performed in a number of different bands such as The Dum Dums and United Dirt. Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 57] Eventually Cuomo, Wilson and Cropper would reunite in a called called Sixty Wrong Sausages with Patrick Finn. Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 59] Matt Sharp would later replaced Finn. Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 60] During this time Wilson and Cuomo embarked on the "50 song project" in which they would dedicate themselves to writing 50 new songs. Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 61] Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 60] Out of this project, future Weezer songs would be created such as "Undone—The Sweater Song," "My Name Is Jonas," "Lullaby For Wayne," and "The World Has Turned and Left Me Here." Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 61]

In January of 1992, Sharp reconnected with his former bandmates; Cuomo, Wilson and Cropper, when Wilson showed him material from his and Cuomo's "50 song project." Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 62] Sharp was pleased with the material and returned to Los Angeles to join the band, consisting of Rivers Cuomo, Patrick Wilson and Jason Cropper, now under the name Weezer. Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 62]

With Weezer

In addition to his drum duties, Wilson has three song co-writing credits on Weezer songs "The World has Turned and Left Me Here," "Surf Wax America," "My Name is Jonas," and a solo writing credit on "Automatic." However, Rivers Cuomo and Pat Wilson have written far more songs collaboratively including Lemonade (released on ), Lullaby For Wayne (Released on The Blue Album Deluxe).

In the past, Wilson's amusing stunts on skateboards, scooters, and bicycles have been video taped and released on Weezer's official website. Some of these videos can be seen on Weezer's DVD, Video Capture Device, released in 2004. Wilson can be seen playing guitar for Weezer when they play acoustic versions of songs on tour; during the Foozer tour, Wilson played lead guitar and sang for the song "Photograph," which was always followed by him leading a cover of Blur's "Song 2."

Wilson and Rivers Cuomo are the only two founding members of Weezer that have remained in the band.

Wilson wrote and performed lead vocals/guitars on "Automatic," on Weezer's third self-titled album. The song was remixed by LA Riots for the video game "Gran Turismo 5 Prologue". Wilson also sang lead vocals on "Red Album" b-sides "Life's What You Make It" (a Talk Talk cover), a cover of "Love My Way" by The Psychedelic Furs and lead vocals in parts of Weezer's cover of Gary Numan's "Are 'Friends' Electric?," which he had sung live with Weezer in 2005.

On Weezer's 2008 Troublemaker tour, Wilson plays drums and sings lead vocals first on a three part lead vocal with Scott Shriner and Rivers Cuomo on "My Name is Jonas", sings lead vocals and plays lead guitar on "Automatic" and covers of Nirvana's "Sliver" and Oasis's "What's the Story (Morning Glory)" and plays drums and sings back-up vocals on "The Greatest Man That Ever Lived".

Other Projects

Wilson records and performs with his own band, The Special Goodness, for which he writes songs, performs vocals, and plays the majority of the instruments. The band has released several albums, and Wilson himself has made songs available on his website in the past.

Almost immediately after Weezer's initial success, Wilson played drums on The Rentals' first record "Return of the Rentals" but never toured with the band.

Wilson and Weezer guitarist Brian Bell collaborated on a cover of the Velvet Underground song "Heroin" for the 2006 film "Factory Girl". Additionally, Wilson and Bell were given small roles in the film as John Cale and Lou Reed, respectively.

Personal life

Wilson is married to Mrs. Jennifer Wilson (wed 1994) and they also have two sons, Charlie, born in 2004, and Ian Patrick Wilson in early 2008. He also participated in [http://twit.tv/mbw82 episode 82] of MacBreak Weekly, Leo Laporte's Weekly Mac Podcast.

Discography

With Weezer

* 1994 - "Weezer"
* 1996 - "Pinkerton"
* 2001 - "Weezer"
* 2002 - "Maladroit"
* 2005 - "Make Believe"
* 2008 - "Weezer"

With The Special Goodness

* 1998 - "Special Goodness"
* 2001 - "At Some Point, Birds and Flowers Became Interesting" (aka "Pinecone")
* 2003 - "Land Air Sea"

With The Rentals

* 1995 - "Return of the Rentals"

With Rivers Cuomo

* 2007 - "" (co-wrote and plays drums on "Lemonade")

With Homie

* 1998 - "Meet the Deedles" Soundtrack (plays drums on "American Girls")

References

External links

* [http://www.weezernet.com/index.php?page=bios&bid=4 Patrick Wilson - Biography]
* [http://www.twitter.com/patrick_wilson Patrick Wilson on Twitter]