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{{Short description|American musician (1959–2017)}} | |||
'''Chuck Mosely''' is an ] singer and was the frontman in the rock band ] prior to ]. He was featured on their debut album '']'' and on their second, '']''. | |||
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2021}} | |||
{{Infobox musical artist | |||
| image = Chuck Mosley.jpg | |||
| name = Chuck Mosley | |||
| caption = Mosley in 2016 | |||
| birth_name = Charles Henry Mosley III | |||
| alias = | |||
| birth_date = {{birth date|mf=yes|1959|12|26}} | |||
| birth_place = ], U.S. | |||
| death_date = {{death date and age|2017|11|9|1959|12|26}} | |||
| death_place = ], U.S. | |||
| origin = | |||
| instrument = {{flatlist| | |||
* Vocals | |||
* guitar | |||
* keyboards | |||
}} | |||
| genre = {{flatlist| | |||
* ] | |||
* ] | |||
* ] | |||
* ] | |||
}} | |||
| occupation = {{flatlist| | |||
* Musician | |||
* singer | |||
* songwriter | |||
}} | |||
| years_active = 1979–2017 | |||
| past_member_of = {{flatlist| | |||
* ] | |||
* ] | |||
* ] | |||
* ] | |||
* Indoria | |||
* ] | |||
}} | |||
}} | |||
'''Charles Henry Mosley III''' (December 26, 1959 – November 9, 2017)<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/chuck-mosley-former-faith-no-more-singer-dead-at-57-w511563|date=November 10, 2017|author=Weingarten, Christopher|title=Chuck Mosley, Former Faith No More Singer, Dead at 57|magazine=]|access-date=November 10, 2017}}</ref> was an American musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist for the rock band ] from 1984 to 1988. He contributed to the band's early sound, combining elements of funk, punk, and rap-rock, and appeared on their first two albums, ''] (1985)'' and ''] (1987)''. After leaving ], Mosley performed with bands like ] and Cement. He continued to influence the alternative music scene until his death in 2017. | |||
Mosley was born in ], yet raised in ] and ]. Mosely befriended ] bassist ] and the pair formed a reportedly obscure band called ''The Animated''. It was after the break up of this group that Gould formed ], and Mosely formed ] (The sleeve notes to FNM's "Introduce Yourself" album contain the line: "Thanks to Haircuts That Kill for letting us borrow Chuck"). Mosely joined ] between 1984 and 1985 (after ] short stint as lead singer ended). | |||
==Biography== | |||
He was fired from the band in 1988 for a number of reasons, including alleged drug abuse (reportedly, at the release party for ''Introduce Yourself'', he fell asleep mid-concert due to excessive alcohol consumption earlier) and antagonistic behaviour (his relationship with guitarist ] reputedly descended into physical violence), though according to many he was let go because his bandmates considered him a poor vocalist: it has since been alleged by members of ] that Mosely was given money with which to buy singing lessons, but spent it on ] instead. He was replaced by ]. | |||
===Early life=== | |||
Mosley was born in Hollywood, California, but raised in South Central Los Angeles and Venice, California, adopted at a very early age. Coincidentally, both his biological parents and adoptive parents had the same ethnic backgrounds.<ref> Retrieved November 11, 2017.</ref> In a 2013 interview, Mosley said his adoptive parents "met at some kind of ]/] get-together in the '50s. They were interracial—my mom was Jewish and my dad was black and Native American. So that was something controversial in itself. My dad had a daughter and my mom had two daughters, and all they were missing was a boy, so they went out and adopted one, and it was me."<ref name="prato">{{cite web |url=https://bravewords.com/news/former-faith-no-more-singer-chuck-mosley-offers-updates-on-new-music-autobiography-current-relationship-with-ex-bandmates |title=Former FAITH NO MORE Singer CHUCK MOSLEY Offers Updates on New Music, Autobiography, Current Relationship with Ex-Bandmates - BraveWords |website=bravewords.com |access-date=15 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210323014927/https://bravewords.com/news/former-faith-no-more-singer-chuck-mosley-offers-updates-on-new-music-autobiography-current-relationship-with-ex-bandmates |archive-date=23 March 2021 |url-status=dead}}</ref> | |||
===Faith No More years=== | |||
After his dismissal from FNM, Mosely featured as singer and guitarist in ] (albums ''Cement'' and ''Man with the Action Hair''), who also featured on compilations ''Buy This Used Compact Disc: A Dutch East India Sampler'' and 'Just Add Water' and recently singer and guitarist in ] (Vandals Against Illiteracy) (sic) with their album ''Will Rap Over Hard Rock For Food''. He also had a brief stint with the band ]. | |||
Mosley first met ] in 1977, at a ], Johnny Navotnee and ] show. He then went on to play keyboards in Gould's first band The Animated in 1979. In 1984, he joined Haircuts That Kill, a ] band from the ] area.<ref name="LarkinHM">{{cite book|title=]|editor=Colin Larkin|editor-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|publisher=]|date=1995|edition=Second|isbn=0-85112-656-1|pages=76/7}}</ref> He left the band to join ] in 1985 replacing, among others, ], as lead singer. | |||
By 1987, Faith No More were gaining mainstream traction, signing with major label ] (]) and touring with prominent acts such as ]. According to Billy Gould, he and other band members began to consider firing Mosley during a 1988 tour of Europe when his behaviour became increasingly erratic. Incidents include Mosley allegedly punching Gould on stage<ref name="tr">{{cite web|url=http://teamrock.com/feature/2014-04-22/faith-no-more-the-real-story|title=Faith No More: The Real Story|date=April 22, 2014|access-date=June 3, 2017}}</ref> and one of Mosley's roadies getting into a fist fight with guitarist ].<ref name="tr"/> | |||
''Pot and Pans | |||
Chuck Mosley's rock-star flair rubs off in the kitchen. | |||
By Jeff Niesel | |||
Published: January 4, 2001 | |||
''Subject(s): Vandals Ugainst Alliteracy, with Janis Figure and Bruhaha | |||
"Life was a big party for a long time, and I came out of it unscathed," Mosley says, raising his arms in the air in a mock victory pose. "Except for my broken back . But I never got any diseases or anything like that, even though I was a total slut." | |||
Gould stated: "By the time that happened, Chuck was already kind of out of it for me. I guess Jim and the roadie had been drinking and they got in a fight. It came a point where Jim was our guitar player, and he broke his hand fighting the guy. It's the first night of our European tour, and somebody had to go—it obviously wasn't going to be our guitar player. Chuck took it very personally, sticking up for this roadie."<ref name="tr"/> | |||
Since moving to Cleveland five years ago, Mosley, the former singer for the alternative rock band Faith No More and the hardcore group Bad Brains, has focused on two things -- holding down a job and raising a family. With his short dreadlocks shaved into a mohawk, both ears double-pierced, and his long-sleeved shirt barely covering the tattoos on his arms, Mosley still looks the part of a punk rocker. And even though he just turned 41, he's starting to get that itch again. | |||
Mosley was eventually fired after the band returned home from Europe. Gould said: "There was a certain point when I went to rehearsal, and Chuck wanted to do all acoustic guitar songs. It was just so far off the mark. The upshot was that I got up, walked out and quit the band. I just said: 'I'm done—I can't take this any longer. It's just so ridiculous'. The same day, I talked to Bordin, and he said: 'Well, I still want to play with you'. ] did the same thing. It was another one of these 'firing somebody without firing them' scenarios."<ref name="tr"/> | |||
Two months ago, he promised himself that he would have at least one of the songs he recorded with his new band Vandals Ugainst Alliteracy posted on the Internet as a downloadable MP3. He's also preparing a five-song demo tape that he plans to take with him to California in the hope of getting interest from a label. And the group, which has performed only a handful of times since its inception three years ago, will play on January 6 at the Blind Lemon. Mosley's even talking about going on tour. | |||
====Subsequent legal battles==== | |||
"When I moved out here, I promised that our second daughter would be three or four before I started getting back into music," he says. "I took jobs and made my way up to chef at this place -- which doesn't seem like much, but it's actually a decent place. This week, we're making red snapper on top of mashed potatoes with red wine. It's really fancy and stuff." | |||
Mosley sued his bandmates in 1989, claiming a partnership interest in Faith No More's financial assets. They eventually settled, and Mosley agreed to give up his rights to most of the band's works, most of its assets, and its name.<ref name="lit"/> At the time of his death, there was an ongoing legal battle between ] and Faith No More regarding the right to release the band's debut album '']''.<ref name="lit">{{cite web|url=https://www.courthousenews.com/faith-no-rock-band-snarled-litigation/|title=Faith No More Rock Band Snarled in Litigation|date=March 8, 2017|website=Courthousenews.com|access-date=June 3, 2017}}</ref> Mosley stated in January 2016, "I am distraught that I am being sued by my former band members and even more distraught if I did something that would negatively impact my future relationship with the band, which I value. I consider certain members of Faith No More as my 'family.' I would never have signed the Manifesto contract if I fully appreciated the dissention'' '' it would cause or how the band would object."<ref name="lit"/> | |||
===Post-Faith No More=== | |||
Born in Echo Park, California, a mostly Hispanic community in East Hollywood, Mosley was adopted as a child by parents whose ethnic identity mirrored that of his natural parents. His father was African American and Native American, and his mother was Jewish. He says he's only recently learned that his natural mom owned a record store and his dad was a musician. During the late '70s, as a teenager, he started playing in the Animated, a Dickies-style pop punk band. That's when he met bassist Billy Gould, who would later move to Berkeley, California, and start Faith No More. When Faith No More got rid of its original singer, Mosley joined and sang on the band's first two albums (he sang the hit "We Care a Lot"). He was fired in 1988; after his departure, the group recruited Mike Patton and went on to even more fame. | |||
] | |||
In 1990, Mosley began a stint as lead singer in the revered hardcore punk band ]. He performed at nearly 60 shows in the United States and Europe, then left the band in January 1992. | |||
Mosley went on to form a new band, ] in late 1992. They released two albums: '']'' and '']''.<ref name="LarkinHM"/> Both albums were distributed by Dutch East India Trading (United States) and ] (Europe).<ref name="LarkinHM"/> The band toured both locations promoting their music. During the first week of what was to be a year-long tour for ''Man with the Action Hair'', the band's driver fell asleep at the wheel, causing a major accident. Mosley spent a year recovering from a broken back, the tour was canceled, and the band was subsequently shelved. | |||
"Every day there's a certain amount of bitterness," Mosley says, of his premature dismissal. "But for a good part of the time I was with them, I was pretty miserable. We were always fighting, and they always had to have someone to pick on -- and that person was me. It all started when we were on our first tour, and I told them they needed to do more variety. I grew up listening to Motown stuff, the Stones, the Beatles, Billie Holiday -- and when punk rock came along, I was into that, too." | |||
Mosley moved to Cleveland, Ohio in March 1996, where he spent several years writing and compiling material while raising his two daughters and working as a chef in various restaurants. | |||
After working as a roadie for the L.A. glam punk band Celebrity Skin in the late '80s, Mosley fronted Bad Brains for a year and started another band called Cement. He moved to Cleveland because he had a few friends here and figured it would be a better place to raise his family. When drummer Doug Duffy, a friend of his, moved to Chicago, Mosley figured he'd be close enough to merit working with and recruited Cleveland-based guitarist Tim Parnin, bassist Ed Stevens, and guitarist Matthew Hahn to join him and Duffy. He christened the new group Vandals Ugainst Alliteracy, after a piece of graffiti. | |||
In 2009, Mosley announced an album would be released under the name of "V.U.A. (Vanduls Ugenst Allliderasy)". The band name was extended to include Mosley's name. '']'' was released on August 11, 2009<ref name="Laban">2. Laban, Linda (July 27, 2009)No More's Chuck Mosley Learns to Sing in Key Retrieved November 11, 2009</ref> by ]. Guest appearances on the LP include ] (]),<ref name="Laban" /> ] (], ]), ] (]), and ] (], ]), and Reversed Image labelmate Leah Lou. | |||
"When I first moved here, it was the first thing I saw on a bathroom wall," Mosley says of the name. "I was in Edison's peeing, and that's what I saw. It was spelled all fucked up like that. I thought it was funny. It cracked me up, coming from the most powerful and most stupid country in the world -- I thought it kinda applies and made sense to me." | |||
On April 14, 2010, Mosley made an appearance on stage at a Faith No More concert in San Francisco, the first time since 1988 that he performed with the band. Mosley performed the songs "As the Worm Turns", "Death March", "We Care a Lot", and "Mark Bowen" on his own with the band, and was joined by frontman ] during the final encore, performing a duet of "Introduce Yourself". | |||
The five songs on the demo have that funk punk sound that bands such as Jane's Addiction, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Fishbone concocted in L.A. in the early '80s. While mixing different styles doesn't sound as fresh now as it once did (especially since the dumbed-down rap-metal hybrid has tainted the entire notion of combining black and white musical styles), VUA does it well. After all, few singers can both shout and croon like Mosley, who admits he isn't sure if VUA has a place in today's modern rock scene. | |||
On November 17, 2012, Mosley re-released his album ''Will Rap Over Hard Rock for Food'' while working on an autobiography. | |||
"I don't know if we do fit in," Mosley says. "But it's my life. I have this chef thing to fall back on, but I'll still always be playing. I don't really know what's vital to these times."' | |||
- http://www.clevescene.com/ | |||
In 2014, he was interviewed extensively for the book ''Punk! Hardcore! Reggae! PMA! Bad Brains!'' by author Greg Prato,<ref>{{cite book|title=Punk! Hardcore! Reggae! PMA! Bad Brains!|publisher=Createspace|author=Prato, Greg|date=November 22, 2014|isbn=978-1503260757}}</ref> where he recounted his time as singer of the band. | |||
In 2006, Mosely announced VUA was working on recording a new album. Little information has been given, but Mosely has said that former FNM keyboardist ] was assisting them in recording a new, updated lyrically version of FNM's first hit "We Care A Lot." | |||
In late 2014, he publicly revealed that he was broke and that he and his family were on the verge of eviction: "The shocking truth is, that I'm not rich. We struggle every day, just like most everybody, more, right now, worse than ever, in a long time. I'm ashamed for being in this condition. Our band, VUA, has had to put off trying to tour or play any shows. We're starting to record new stuff, but even that is suffering at the hands of my family's financial situation."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/former-faith-no-more-vocalist-chuck-mosley-falls-on-hard-financial-times-asks-fans-for-donations/|title=Former FAITH NO MORE Vocalist CHUCK MOSLEY Falls On Hard Financial Times, Asks Fans For Donations|date=December 4, 2014|website=Blabbermouth.net|access-date=November 11, 2017}}</ref> | |||
In May 2015 he again made another appearance at a Faith No More concert, performing the track "Mark Bowen" at their Detroit show.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/video-faith-no-more-rejoined-by-former-singer-chuck-mosley-on-stage-in-detroit/|title=Video: FAITH NO MORE Rejoined By Former Singer CHUCK MOSLEY On Stage In Detroit|date=May 9, 2015|website=Blabbermouth.net|access-date=November 11, 2017}}</ref> | |||
In fall 2015, Mosley published a non-fiction essay in an anthology titled ''A Matter of Words'', about the writing and recording of the Faith No More track "Mark Bowen". | |||
In mid-2016, Mosley toured the U.S. doing an "unplugged" show,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.alternativenation.net/chuck-mosley-possibility-of-reuniting-faith-no-more/|title=Chuck Mosley Talks Possibility Of Reuniting With Faith No More|first=Greg|last=Prato|date=June 17, 2016|website=Alternativenation.net|access-date=November 11, 2017}}</ref> and a reissue of the ''We Care a Lot'' album, with extra tracks.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://koolarrow.com/june-2-2016-fnmkoolarrow-re-issues-we-care-a-lot-deluxe-band-edition/|title=June 2, 2016: FNM/KOOLARROW RE-ISSUES "WE CARE A LOT -DELUXE BAND EDITION"|website=Koolarrow.com|access-date=November 11, 2017}}</ref> At a performance on July 20 that same year, Bottum joined Mosley on stage for a rendition of an ] tune.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.alternativenation.net/former-faith-no-more-bandmates-reunite/|title=Former Faith No More Bandmates Reunite|first=Greg|last=Prato|date=July 21, 2016|website=Alternativenation.net|access-date=November 11, 2017}}</ref> A month later, Mosley performed two concerts with Faith No More, billed as Chuck Mosley and Friends, which Mosley opened with an acoustic set on August 18 in San Francisco and on August 20 in Los Angeles.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/faith-no-more-reuniting-with-original-singer-chuck-mosley-for-two-shows-96080/|title=Faith No More Reuniting With Original Singer Chuck Mosley for Two Shows|first1=Jon|last1=Blistein|publisher=]|date=August 18, 2016}}</ref> This was the last time Mosley performed on stage with Faith No More, and it was also the last set of shows Faith No More did before entering a still-ongoing hiatus.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/chuck-mosley-former-faith-no-more-singer-dead-at-57-197538/|title=Chuck Mosley, Former Faith No More Singer, Dead at 57|first1=Christopher R.|last1=Weingarten|publisher=]|date=November 11, 2017}}</ref> | |||
Mosley appeared as the vocalist on ''You'll Never Make the Six'', the fourth album from the Cleveland band Indoria. The album, released August 30, 2016, featured an expanded role for Mosley, who had joined the band late during the recording of their previous release.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.stereoboard.com/content/view/202311/9|title=Chuck Mosley: A Reintroduction - Stereoboard|last=Chillingworth|first=Alec|work=Stereoboard.com|access-date=May 10, 2017|language=en}}</ref> | |||
In 2017 Mosley joined ], the ] collective created by Chris Kniker featuring guitarist ] (], ], ], ]), ] (LUXT, Blownload, Exageist), and drummer ] of ]. The lineup released sophomore album ''Soul Pretender'' with Metropolis Records on November 3, 2017, to positive reviews, just a week before Mosley's passing.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.post-punk.com/original-faith-no-more-vocalist-chuck-mosley-has-passed-away/ |title=Original Faith No More vocalist Chuck Mosley has passed away – Post-Punk.com |access-date=November 15, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171115150441/http://www.post-punk.com/original-faith-no-more-vocalist-chuck-mosley-has-passed-away/ |archive-date=November 15, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref> | |||
In July 2017, Mosley played a fictional version of himself in the film ''Like an Open Heart It Shines'', written and directed by David Collupy.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt7152588/|title=Like an Open Heart It Shines|website=IMDb.com|access-date=November 13, 2019}}</ref> | |||
In early 2018, it was announced that Mosley will be the subject of a forthcoming documentary ''Thanks. And Sorry: The Chuck Mosley Movie'', directed by his guitarist ] and produced by bandmate/manager Douglas Esper, who has written a memoir about their time together on the road and in the studio, titled ''Reintroducing Chuck Mosley''.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://teamrock.com/news/2018-02-07/chuck-mosley-documentary-announced|title=Chuck Mosley documentary announced|date=February 7, 2018|work=TeamRock|access-date=February 24, 2018|language=en-GB}}</ref> | |||
==Death== | |||
On the evening of November 9, 2017, Mosley, 57, was found dead by his partner Pip Logan and their friend on the living room floor of their Cleveland home. Drug paraphernalia was discovered at the scene, with police suspecting a heroin overdose as the cause of death.<ref>{{cite web|title=Former Faith No More Singer Chuck Mosley Suspected To Have Died Of Heroin Overdose|url=http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/former-faith-no-more-singer-chuck-mosley-suspected-to-have-died-of-heroin-overdose/|website=]|access-date=November 15, 2017|date=November 14, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Popoff |first=Martin |author-link=Martin Popoff |date=2019 |title=Satisfaction : 10 Albums That Changed My Life |publisher=Penguin Group |page=151 |isbn=978-0593190920}}</ref> His family released a statement that read: | |||
<blockquote>After a long period of sobriety, Charles Henry Mosley III lost his life, on November 9th, 2017, due to the disease of addiction. We're sharing the manner in which he passed, in the hopes that it might serve as a warning or wake up call or beacon to anyone else struggling to fight for sobriety. He is survived by long-term partner Pip Logan, two daughters, Erica and Sophie and his grandson Wolfgang Logan Mosley. The family will be accepting donations for funeral expenses. Details to follow when arranged. </blockquote> | |||
Faith No More released the following statement on its Facebook page:<ref>{{cite web|title=Former Faith No More Frontman Chuck Mosley Has Died|url=https://www.stereogum.com/1971351/former-faith-no-more-frontman-chuck-mosley-has-died/obit/|website=]|access-date=November 10, 2017|date=November 10, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Faith No More - Posts|url=https://www.facebook.com/faithnomore/posts/10155874256493415 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/facebook/16942753414/10155874256493415 |archive-date=2022-02-26 |url-access=limited|website=]|access-date=November 10, 2017|date=November 10, 2017}}{{cbignore}}</ref> | |||
<blockquote>It's with a heavy, heavy heart we acknowledge the passing of our friend and bandmate, Chuck Mosley. He was a reckless and caterwauling force of energy who delivered with conviction and helped set us on a track of uniqueness and originality that would not have developed the way it had had he not been a part. How fortunate we are to have been able to perform with him last year in a reunion style when we re-released our very first record. His enthusiasm, his sense of humor, his style and his bravado will be missed by so many. We were a family, an odd and dysfunctional family, and we'll be forever grateful for the time we shared with Chuck. </blockquote> | |||
==Legacy and influences== | |||
Some of Mosley's influences included ], ], ], ], ], ] and ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.faithnomoreblog.com/2013/05/chuck-mosley-q-and-the-answers.html|title=Chuck Mosley Q and A - The Answers|website=Faithnomoreblog.com|access-date=November 11, 2017}}</ref> His rock/rap singing style has been cited as an influence by successful ] and ] groups such as ], ], and ].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.csindy.com/coloradosprings/faith-no-more-refugee-chuck-mosley-still-cares-a-lot/Content?oid=3839020|title=Faith No More refugee Chuck Mosley still cares a lot|first=Bill|last=Forman|website=Colorado Springs Independent|access-date=June 3, 2017}}</ref> Regarding the rap rock genre, Mosley stated in 2017 "I would say I am the originator. Some will argue and say the ], and I will say 'No, that was ]'. Some will say the ], and I'll say 'No, they were playing ], then they started playing the beats, then they started playing the rock'."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.alternativenation.net/ex-faith-no-member-claims-red-hot-chili-peppers-didnt-create-rap-rock/|title=Ex-Faith No More Member Claims Red Hot Chili Peppers Didn't Create Rap Rock: 'I Did'|first=Greg|last=Prato|date=July 13, 2017|website=Alternativemation.net|access-date=November 11, 2017}}</ref> | |||
The original recording of Faith No More's "We Care a Lot", for which he performed the vocals, has been featured as the theme song for the show '']'' as well as in the movies '']'' and '']'', and it has been used in Major League Baseball games to introduce relief pitchers due to the refrain "it's a dirty job, but someone's gotta do it."{{citation needed|date=November 2017}} | |||
==Discography== | |||
{{see also|List of songs recorded by Chuck Mosley}} | |||
===The Animated=== | |||
*''Four Song EP'' (keyboards) (1981) | |||
===Faith No More=== | |||
*'']'' (1985) | |||
*'']'' (1987) | |||
===Cement=== | |||
*''Cement'' (1993) | |||
*''The Man with the Action Hair'' (1994) | |||
===Chuck Mosley and VUA=== | |||
* '']'' (2009) | |||
* ''Ericalution (Digital Single)'' (2015) <ref>{{cite web |title=Chuck Mosley on new music, the Detroit show and Sol Invictus| url=https://www.newfaithnomore.com/2015/06/16/interview-chuck-mosley-on-new-music-the-detroit-show-and-sol-invictus |access-date=July 19, 2020}}</ref> | |||
* ''Demos for Sale'' (2016) | |||
===Primitive Race=== | |||
* '']'' (2017) | |||
===Chuck Mosley=== | |||
*''Joe Haze Session#2'' (2019) | |||
*''First Hellos and Last Goodbyes'' (2020)<ref>{{cite web |title=Chuck Mosley - First Hellos and Last Goodbyes |url=https://recordstoreday.com/SpecialRelease/12337 |access-date=June 18, 2020}}</ref> | |||
===Guest appearances=== | |||
* ''Indoria'' - "What I Feel", guest vocals (2014) | |||
* ''Indoria'' - "You'll Never Make the Six", vocals and guitar (2016) | |||
==References== | |||
{{Reflist}} | |||
==External links== | ==External links== | ||
{{cc}} | |||
HAIRCUTS THAT KILL on MYSPACE: http://www.myspace.com/cutsthatkill | |||
*{{facebook}} | |||
* | |||
* | |||
{{Bad Brains}} | {{Bad Brains}} | ||
{{Faith No More}} | {{Faith No More}} | ||
{{Drew Fortier}} | |||
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{{Authority control}} | |||
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Latest revision as of 16:59, 26 December 2024
American musician (1959–2017)
Chuck Mosley | |
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Mosley in 2016 | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Charles Henry Mosley III |
Born | (1959-12-26)December 26, 1959 Hollywood, California, U.S. |
Died | November 9, 2017(2017-11-09) (aged 57) Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. |
Genres | |
Occupations |
|
Instruments |
|
Years active | 1979–2017 |
Formerly of |
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Charles Henry Mosley III (December 26, 1959 – November 9, 2017) was an American musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist for the rock band Faith No More from 1984 to 1988. He contributed to the band's early sound, combining elements of funk, punk, and rap-rock, and appeared on their first two albums, We Care a Lot (1985) and Introduce Yourself (1987). After leaving Faith No More, Mosley performed with bands like Bad Brains and Cement. He continued to influence the alternative music scene until his death in 2017.
Biography
Early life
Mosley was born in Hollywood, California, but raised in South Central Los Angeles and Venice, California, adopted at a very early age. Coincidentally, both his biological parents and adoptive parents had the same ethnic backgrounds. In a 2013 interview, Mosley said his adoptive parents "met at some kind of socialist/communist get-together in the '50s. They were interracial—my mom was Jewish and my dad was black and Native American. So that was something controversial in itself. My dad had a daughter and my mom had two daughters, and all they were missing was a boy, so they went out and adopted one, and it was me."
Faith No More years
Mosley first met Billy Gould in 1977, at a The Zeros, Johnny Navotnee and Bags show. He then went on to play keyboards in Gould's first band The Animated in 1979. In 1984, he joined Haircuts That Kill, a post-punk band from the San Francisco area. He left the band to join Faith No More in 1985 replacing, among others, Courtney Love, as lead singer.
By 1987, Faith No More were gaining mainstream traction, signing with major label Slash Records (Warner Music Group) and touring with prominent acts such as Red Hot Chili Peppers. According to Billy Gould, he and other band members began to consider firing Mosley during a 1988 tour of Europe when his behaviour became increasingly erratic. Incidents include Mosley allegedly punching Gould on stage and one of Mosley's roadies getting into a fist fight with guitarist Jim Martin.
Gould stated: "By the time that happened, Chuck was already kind of out of it for me. I guess Jim and the roadie had been drinking and they got in a fight. It came a point where Jim was our guitar player, and he broke his hand fighting the guy. It's the first night of our European tour, and somebody had to go—it obviously wasn't going to be our guitar player. Chuck took it very personally, sticking up for this roadie."
Mosley was eventually fired after the band returned home from Europe. Gould said: "There was a certain point when I went to rehearsal, and Chuck wanted to do all acoustic guitar songs. It was just so far off the mark. The upshot was that I got up, walked out and quit the band. I just said: 'I'm done—I can't take this any longer. It's just so ridiculous'. The same day, I talked to Bordin, and he said: 'Well, I still want to play with you'. Roddy Bottum did the same thing. It was another one of these 'firing somebody without firing them' scenarios."
Subsequent legal battles
Mosley sued his bandmates in 1989, claiming a partnership interest in Faith No More's financial assets. They eventually settled, and Mosley agreed to give up his rights to most of the band's works, most of its assets, and its name. At the time of his death, there was an ongoing legal battle between Manifesto Records and Faith No More regarding the right to release the band's debut album We Care a Lot. Mosley stated in January 2016, "I am distraught that I am being sued by my former band members and even more distraught if I did something that would negatively impact my future relationship with the band, which I value. I consider certain members of Faith No More as my 'family.' I would never have signed the Manifesto contract if I fully appreciated the dissention it would cause or how the band would object."
Post-Faith No More
In 1990, Mosley began a stint as lead singer in the revered hardcore punk band Bad Brains. He performed at nearly 60 shows in the United States and Europe, then left the band in January 1992.
Mosley went on to form a new band, Cement in late 1992. They released two albums: Cement and Man with the Action Hair. Both albums were distributed by Dutch East India Trading (United States) and Rough Trade (Europe). The band toured both locations promoting their music. During the first week of what was to be a year-long tour for Man with the Action Hair, the band's driver fell asleep at the wheel, causing a major accident. Mosley spent a year recovering from a broken back, the tour was canceled, and the band was subsequently shelved.
Mosley moved to Cleveland, Ohio in March 1996, where he spent several years writing and compiling material while raising his two daughters and working as a chef in various restaurants.
In 2009, Mosley announced an album would be released under the name of "V.U.A. (Vanduls Ugenst Allliderasy)". The band name was extended to include Mosley's name. Will Rap Over Hard Rock for Food was released on August 11, 2009 by Reversed Image Unlimited. Guest appearances on the LP include Jonathan Davis (Korn), John 5 (Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie), Michael Cartellone (Lynyrd Skynyrd), and Roddy Bottum (Imperial Teen, Faith No More), and Reversed Image labelmate Leah Lou.
On April 14, 2010, Mosley made an appearance on stage at a Faith No More concert in San Francisco, the first time since 1988 that he performed with the band. Mosley performed the songs "As the Worm Turns", "Death March", "We Care a Lot", and "Mark Bowen" on his own with the band, and was joined by frontman Mike Patton during the final encore, performing a duet of "Introduce Yourself".
On November 17, 2012, Mosley re-released his album Will Rap Over Hard Rock for Food while working on an autobiography.
In 2014, he was interviewed extensively for the book Punk! Hardcore! Reggae! PMA! Bad Brains! by author Greg Prato, where he recounted his time as singer of the band.
In late 2014, he publicly revealed that he was broke and that he and his family were on the verge of eviction: "The shocking truth is, that I'm not rich. We struggle every day, just like most everybody, more, right now, worse than ever, in a long time. I'm ashamed for being in this condition. Our band, VUA, has had to put off trying to tour or play any shows. We're starting to record new stuff, but even that is suffering at the hands of my family's financial situation."
In May 2015 he again made another appearance at a Faith No More concert, performing the track "Mark Bowen" at their Detroit show.
In fall 2015, Mosley published a non-fiction essay in an anthology titled A Matter of Words, about the writing and recording of the Faith No More track "Mark Bowen".
In mid-2016, Mosley toured the U.S. doing an "unplugged" show, and a reissue of the We Care a Lot album, with extra tracks. At a performance on July 20 that same year, Bottum joined Mosley on stage for a rendition of an Imperial Teen tune. A month later, Mosley performed two concerts with Faith No More, billed as Chuck Mosley and Friends, which Mosley opened with an acoustic set on August 18 in San Francisco and on August 20 in Los Angeles. This was the last time Mosley performed on stage with Faith No More, and it was also the last set of shows Faith No More did before entering a still-ongoing hiatus.
Mosley appeared as the vocalist on You'll Never Make the Six, the fourth album from the Cleveland band Indoria. The album, released August 30, 2016, featured an expanded role for Mosley, who had joined the band late during the recording of their previous release.
In 2017 Mosley joined Primitive Race, the industrial collective created by Chris Kniker featuring guitarist Mark Gemini Thwaite (Peter Murphy, Tricky, The Mission, Gary Numan), Erie Loch (LUXT, Blownload, Exageist), and drummer Dale Crover of Melvins. The lineup released sophomore album Soul Pretender with Metropolis Records on November 3, 2017, to positive reviews, just a week before Mosley's passing.
In July 2017, Mosley played a fictional version of himself in the film Like an Open Heart It Shines, written and directed by David Collupy.
In early 2018, it was announced that Mosley will be the subject of a forthcoming documentary Thanks. And Sorry: The Chuck Mosley Movie, directed by his guitarist Drew Fortier and produced by bandmate/manager Douglas Esper, who has written a memoir about their time together on the road and in the studio, titled Reintroducing Chuck Mosley.
Death
On the evening of November 9, 2017, Mosley, 57, was found dead by his partner Pip Logan and their friend on the living room floor of their Cleveland home. Drug paraphernalia was discovered at the scene, with police suspecting a heroin overdose as the cause of death. His family released a statement that read:
After a long period of sobriety, Charles Henry Mosley III lost his life, on November 9th, 2017, due to the disease of addiction. We're sharing the manner in which he passed, in the hopes that it might serve as a warning or wake up call or beacon to anyone else struggling to fight for sobriety. He is survived by long-term partner Pip Logan, two daughters, Erica and Sophie and his grandson Wolfgang Logan Mosley. The family will be accepting donations for funeral expenses. Details to follow when arranged.
Faith No More released the following statement on its Facebook page:
It's with a heavy, heavy heart we acknowledge the passing of our friend and bandmate, Chuck Mosley. He was a reckless and caterwauling force of energy who delivered with conviction and helped set us on a track of uniqueness and originality that would not have developed the way it had had he not been a part. How fortunate we are to have been able to perform with him last year in a reunion style when we re-released our very first record. His enthusiasm, his sense of humor, his style and his bravado will be missed by so many. We were a family, an odd and dysfunctional family, and we'll be forever grateful for the time we shared with Chuck.
Legacy and influences
Some of Mosley's influences included David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Roxy Music, Killing Joke, Motown, Michael Jackson and Black Sabbath. His rock/rap singing style has been cited as an influence by successful rap rock and nu metal groups such as Korn, Disturbed, and Limp Bizkit. Regarding the rap rock genre, Mosley stated in 2017 "I would say I am the originator. Some will argue and say the Chili Peppers, and I will say 'No, that was funk'. Some will say the Beastie Boys, and I'll say 'No, they were playing punk rock, then they started playing the beats, then they started playing the rock'."
The original recording of Faith No More's "We Care a Lot", for which he performed the vocals, has been featured as the theme song for the show Dirty Jobs as well as in the movies Grosse Pointe Blank and Bio-Dome, and it has been used in Major League Baseball games to introduce relief pitchers due to the refrain "it's a dirty job, but someone's gotta do it."
Discography
See also: List of songs recorded by Chuck MosleyThe Animated
- Four Song EP (keyboards) (1981)
Faith No More
- We Care a Lot (1985)
- Introduce Yourself (1987)
Cement
- Cement (1993)
- The Man with the Action Hair (1994)
Chuck Mosley and VUA
- Will Rap Over Hard Rock for Food (2009)
- Ericalution (Digital Single) (2015)
- Demos for Sale (2016)
Primitive Race
- Soul Pretender (2017)
Chuck Mosley
- Joe Haze Session#2 (2019)
- First Hellos and Last Goodbyes (2020)
Guest appearances
- Indoria - "What I Feel", guest vocals (2014)
- Indoria - "You'll Never Make the Six", vocals and guitar (2016)
References
- Weingarten, Christopher (November 10, 2017). "Chuck Mosley, Former Faith No More Singer, Dead at 57". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
- Vellucci, Justin (March 14, 2017). Popdose Profile: It's a Dirty Job, but Someone's Gotta Do It." Popdose. Retrieved November 11, 2017.
- "Former FAITH NO MORE Singer CHUCK MOSLEY Offers Updates on New Music, Autobiography, Current Relationship with Ex-Bandmates - BraveWords". bravewords.com. Archived from the original on March 23, 2021. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
- ^ Colin Larkin, ed. (1995). The Guinness Who's Who of Heavy Metal (Second ed.). Guinness Publishing. pp. 76/7. ISBN 0-85112-656-1.
- ^ "Faith No More: The Real Story". April 22, 2014. Retrieved June 3, 2017.
- ^ "Faith No More Rock Band Snarled in Litigation". Courthousenews.com. March 8, 2017. Retrieved June 3, 2017.
- ^ 2. Laban, Linda (July 27, 2009)No More's Chuck Mosley Learns to Sing in Key Retrieved November 11, 2009
- Prato, Greg (November 22, 2014). Punk! Hardcore! Reggae! PMA! Bad Brains!. Createspace. ISBN 978-1503260757.
- "Former FAITH NO MORE Vocalist CHUCK MOSLEY Falls On Hard Financial Times, Asks Fans For Donations". Blabbermouth.net. December 4, 2014. Retrieved November 11, 2017.
- "Video: FAITH NO MORE Rejoined By Former Singer CHUCK MOSLEY On Stage In Detroit". Blabbermouth.net. May 9, 2015. Retrieved November 11, 2017.
- Prato, Greg (June 17, 2016). "Chuck Mosley Talks Possibility Of Reuniting With Faith No More". Alternativenation.net. Retrieved November 11, 2017.
- "June 2, 2016: FNM/KOOLARROW RE-ISSUES "WE CARE A LOT -DELUXE BAND EDITION"". Koolarrow.com. Retrieved November 11, 2017.
- Prato, Greg (July 21, 2016). "Former Faith No More Bandmates Reunite". Alternativenation.net. Retrieved November 11, 2017.
- Blistein, Jon (August 18, 2016). "Faith No More Reuniting With Original Singer Chuck Mosley for Two Shows". Rolling Stone.
- Weingarten, Christopher R. (November 11, 2017). "Chuck Mosley, Former Faith No More Singer, Dead at 57". Rolling Stone.
- Chillingworth, Alec. "Chuck Mosley: A Reintroduction - Stereoboard". Stereoboard.com. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
- "Original Faith No More vocalist Chuck Mosley has passed away – Post-Punk.com". Archived from the original on November 15, 2017. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
- "Like an Open Heart It Shines". IMDb.com. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
- "Chuck Mosley documentary announced". TeamRock. February 7, 2018. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
- "Former Faith No More Singer Chuck Mosley Suspected To Have Died Of Heroin Overdose". Blabbermouth.net. November 14, 2017. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
- Popoff, Martin (2019). Satisfaction : 10 Albums That Changed My Life. Penguin Group. p. 151. ISBN 978-0593190920.
- "Former Faith No More Frontman Chuck Mosley Has Died". Stereogum. November 10, 2017. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
- "Faith No More - Posts". Facebook. November 10, 2017. Archived from the original on February 26, 2022. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
- "Chuck Mosley Q and A - The Answers". Faithnomoreblog.com. Retrieved November 11, 2017.
- Forman, Bill. "Faith No More refugee Chuck Mosley still cares a lot". Colorado Springs Independent. Retrieved June 3, 2017.
- Prato, Greg (July 13, 2017). "Ex-Faith No More Member Claims Red Hot Chili Peppers Didn't Create Rap Rock: 'I Did'". Alternativemation.net. Retrieved November 11, 2017.
- "Chuck Mosley on new music, the Detroit show and Sol Invictus". Retrieved July 19, 2020.
- "Chuck Mosley - First Hellos and Last Goodbyes". Retrieved June 18, 2020.
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- 1959 births
- 2017 deaths
- American male singers
- American heavy metal singers
- Singers from Los Angeles
- Faith No More members
- Alternative metal musicians
- American adoptees
- Bad Brains members
- Deaths by heroin overdose in Ohio
- Drug-related deaths in Ohio
- African-American male singers
- African-American rock singers
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