Here are some interesting facts about singer, songwriter, and record producer Beck.
(Photo: Fanart.tv)
= His full name is Beck David Hansen (born Beck David Campbell). He was born on July 8, 1970, in Los Angeles, California.
= He is the son of Canadian composer David Campbell and American visual artist Bibbe Hansen.
= His maternal grandmother was Jewish. he has said that he considers himself Jewish because he was raised celebrating Jewish holidays.
= Beck's fond memories of Passover celebrations with his mother's friends, blending Jewish and party traditions.
= His maternal grandfather was Al Hansen, a founder of the avant-garde Fluxus movement.
= In his teens, Beck was influenced by LA's diverse musical styles from hip hop to Latin music. Then he discovered the music of "Sonic Youth", "Pussy Galore", and "X".
= The first record he ever bought might have been the soundtrack to the movie "Xanadu".
= Beck obtained his first guitar at 16 and became a street musician.
= He began performing on city buses, playing Mississippi John Hurt covers with improvised lyrics, while some drunk guy would yell at him calling him Axl Rose.
= He was a member of the band "Youthless", known for freeform performances in coffee houses.
= In 1994 he released "Loser", which catapulted him to international fame.
= It was followed by his first studio album "Mellow Gold" released in 1994.
= His early musical style was lo-fi, experimental style, blending folk, blues, and country. later his music spanned more genres like alternative rock, hip-hop, electronica, and more.
= Since his second album "Odelay" released in 1996, his father, David Campbell, has handled string arrangements on his albums.
= "Odelay" earned beck two Grammy Awards in 1997. This album entered the "Rolling Stone's" list of the "500 greatest albums of all time".
= He released "Sea Change" in 2002, inspired by his breakup with Leigh Limon, considered one of his most emotionally resonant albums. This will be the second Beck's album to enter the "Rolling Stone's" list of the "500 greatest albums of all time".
= Beck suffered a serious spinal injury while filming the “E-Pro” music video in 2005, affecting his ability to perform.
= He started the "Record Club" in 2009, a project whereby an entire classic album—by The Velvet Underground, Leonard Cohen, INXS, Yanni—would be covered by another singer in the span of a single day.
= He released "Morning Phase" in 2014. The album won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 2015.
= Beck worked with many artists like "The Black Keys", "Gorillas", "Danger Mouse", Gnarls Barkley, Pharrell Williams, Jack White, "Bat For Lashes", "The Flaming Lips" and more.
= He contributed music to films like "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World," "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse," and "Baby Driver.", but he was turned down composing the score for "Mad Men" multiple times. One of his beautiful covers was "Everybody's Got to Learn Sometime" (By the Korgis) for the film "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind".
= Beck created album artwork and visual installations.
= He is fluent in Spanish and showcased his linguistic skills in some of his songs.
= Beck is a vegetarian and advocate for animal rights.
= He is renowned for creatively incorporating sampled sounds into his tracks.
= He explores themes like love, identity, and human experience in his music.
= Beck is known for his energetic and captivating live performances.
= He was one of the faces for "Yves Saint Laurent's" spring 2013 collection.
= He produced albums for Stephen Malkmus, Thurston Moore, and Charlotte Gainsbourg.
= In 2013 he recreated David Bowie's "Sound and Vision" with over 160 musicians.
= Beck won seven Grammy Awards throughout his career.
= He received the Brit Award for International Male Solo Artist.
= He collaborated with Paul McCartney on "Find My Way" for the album "McCartney III Imagined" in 2021.
= He appeared in movies and TV shows like "Population: 1," "Southlander," and "The Larry Sanders Show" and in the movie "Echo in the Canyon" about the popular music that came out of L.A.'s Laurel Canyon neighborhood in the mid-1960s.
= He joined Billy Gibbons, Ben Harper, and Will Ferrell for a performance on the final episode of "The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien."
= As for 2019 he released 14 studio albums .
Comments