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| |Name = Michael Stipe | |Name = Michael Stipe | ||
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| |Birth_name = John Michael Stipe | |Birth_name = John Michael Stipe | ||
Revision as of 21:57, 4 March 2007
Template:Infobox musical artist 2
John Michael Stipe (born January 4, 1960 in Decatur, Georgia) is the lead singer of the American rock band R.E.M. Stipe has become well-known (and occasionally parodied) for the "mumbling" style of his early career and for his complex, surreal lyrics, as well as his social and political activism. Stipe and the other members of R.E.M. are known as pioneers of alternative rock and are credited with having inspired many of the acts that went on to make up the 1990s' alternative music scene.
Career
Stipe met Peter Buck, Bill Berry and Mike Mills in 1980 (see 1980 in music) while studying photography and painting at the University of Georgia. They formed R.E.M. that year and issued their debut single, "Radio Free Europe", on Hib-Tone. The song was a college radio success and the band signed to I.R.S. Records for the release of the Chronic Town EP one year later. Beginning with 1983's Murmur (see 1983 in music), R.E.M. released a series of critically acclaimed albums with a wide variety of mainstream success. A few hit singles and growing visibility as a social activist eventually made Stipe a star and also earned him a devoted fanbase. River Phoenix was among his friends, and 1994's Monster had the dedication "For River" in the liner notes. Nirvana's Kurt Cobain, was also one of his close friends. According to Stipe, they planned a collaboration project, but didn't manage to compose or record anything before Cobain's death. He is also godfather of Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love's daughter, Frances Bean Cobain.
Stipe and the other band members are also friendly with the members of Radiohead due in part to Radiohead's stint as the opening act on R.E.M.'s 1995 tour in support of "Monster". On Radiohead's 2003 tour, Stipe occasionally sang lead vocals on the song "Lucky". Likewise, Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke appeared at a few R.E.M. shows, singing the backing vocals on "E-Bow the Letter". Yorke credits Stipe as being an integral part in his personal life as he helped him deal with depression issues in the late '90s. Specifically, the title for the Radiohead song "How to Disappear Completely" originates from advice that Stipe gave Yorke.
Stipe was once very close to fellow singer Natalie Merchant and has recorded a few songs with her, including one entitled "Photograph" which appeared on a pro-choice benefit album entitled Born to Choose and they have appeared live with Peter Gabriel singing Gabriel's single "Red Rain".
In 1998, Stipe published a collection called Two Times Intro: On the Road with Patti Smith (one of his personal heroes) and worked on Single Cell, a film production company which released several arthouse / indie movies (Velvet Goldmine, starring Ewan McGregor, as well as Being John Malkovich, American Movie in 1999, American Psycho in 2000 and Saved! in 2004). The company as a whole recently purchased the rights to Canadian author Douglas Coupland's All Families are Psychotic and is considering it as a film.
He wrote haikus for a book published by Soft Skull Press called The Haiku Year.
In 2006, Stipe released an EP that comprised six different cover versions of Joseph Arthur's "In the Sun" for the Hurricane Katrina disaster relief fund. One version, recorded in a collaboration with Coldplay's Chris Martin, reached number one on the Canadian Singles Chart.. Also in 2006, Stipe appeared on the song "Broken Promise" on the Placebo release Meds. Continuing his non-R.E.M. work in 2006, Stipe sang the song "L'Hôtel" on the tribute album to Serge Gainsbourg entitled Monsieur Gainsbourg Revisited and appeared on the song "Dancing on the Lip of a Volcano" on the New York Dolls album "One Day It Will Please Us to Remember Even This".
Personal life
In a 2001 Newsweek interview Stipe described himself as a "queer artist". In previous interviews he has described himself as "an equal opportunity Lech" and said he doesn't define himself as gay, straight or bisexual, but that he was "just sexual" and was attracted to and had relationships with both men and women .
Trivia
- Stipe was originally offered the role of "John Doe" in the 1995 film Se7en. The part ultimately went to Kevin Spacey.
- Stipe made a cameo appearance in an episode of The Adventures of Pete and Pete as Captain Scrummy, an ice cream salesman. R.E.M. also made a guest appearance in The Simpsons episode "Homer the Moe," performing "It's the End of the World as We Know It (and I Feel Fine)" in Homer's garage.
- The Canadian author Douglas Coupland, a close personal friend of Stipe, dedicated a story in his book Life After God to Stipe. The story was entitled "In the Desert."
- Stipe's vocal contributions to songs on other artists' albums include backing vocals on the Indigo Girls' "Kid Fears," Placebo's "Broken Promise", and two tracks by Hugo Largo. He also sings on the Neneh Cherry song "Trout," and his voice is sampled in many tracks on the Utah Saints album Two.
- Stipe was the one who suggested the name "Concrete Blonde" to IRS labelmates Dream 6.
- Stipe mentioned in a 1983 interview for Trouser Press the artists who most influenced his vocals were female country singers Kitty Wells, Patsy Cline, Skeeter Davis, and Wanda Jackson.
- Stipe is mentioned in fourth line of the song "Let Her Cry" by Hootie & the Blowfish.
Discography
- For releases with R.E.M., see R.E.M. discography
- With Community Trolls: "Tainted Obligation" (1983) on To Understand: The Early Recordings of Matthew Sweet (2002).
Singles
- 2006 "In the Sun" , #1 (Canada)
