Official bio:
I was born the son of a rice farmer in Cullman, Alabama. We were dirt poor (probably because we couldn't grow rice), but even then all the chicks liked to hang out and change my diapers. I really got hooked on music around the age of 9, listening to bands such as KISS, Journey, Boston, and Aerosmith. Later after I got pubic hair, I discovered girls and the guitar at the same time. I learned all the Van Halen, Led Zeppelin, Beatles, and Thin Lizzy songs I could. I also discovered that if I played really loud I could piss off a lot of people.
I played in my first band called "Tyrant" - with my buddy Jeff Johnson (and some other dudes I can't recall the names of) - which was an exercise in buying cheap gear, drinking cheap beer, and finding out that going to jail wasn't free. I formed my first real gigging band in 1984 after seeing Van Halen, Ozzy, and Motley Crue at the '83 US Festival. I named it "Pyrate," (my drummer Jeff Stewart and I pulled out my dictionary, flipped the pages, and my finger landed on it. Of course I changed it to a 'Y'). Now I had something that would occupy my time other than masturbating, watching David Letterman and Sanford & Son reruns, and hanging out at the Chevron drinking Icees. I played my first real club date on January 26, 1986 on Morris Avenue (in Birmingham) at a place called "The Eclectic Theater." I think we made $75. We got better, got better gigs, started making enough money to buy cigarettes AND porno magazines, and soon I was traveling across the country with my redneck friends (which included Charlie Brodie, Mark Verwyst, Tate Beckham, Craig Mullins, Tim Ward, Tom Brown, Tommy Travis, Joey Ledbetter, and Alex Garmen), learning how to beg for food and wash clothes in a laundry mat. We played lots of shows in places you've never heard of, and about eleventy billion shows at a dirty little bar called Al's Crossroads here on the west side of Birmingham. I had my own couch and pool table there.
I caught the recording bug after I bought my first 4 track, a cheap Fostex X-15 cassette deck. I figured if the Beatles could do something that great with 4 tracks, so could I. (I failed to realize at the time they actually wrote really good songs, and had George Martin to produce them - little did I fncking know.) I learned the fine art of overdubbing (it's where you punch in and out without sounding like a jet plane landed), and then I created my own little project studio called Blue Nite Recorders. I also did one smart thing in my life - I went back to college and earned a degree in electronics. It gave me a very keen ability to tinker with computers until they either work or explode. I learned how to build websites by hacking into porn sites and uploading doctored photos of people who pissed me off.
Don't ask me where I learned to hack, it wouldn't be pleasant.
I took a break from music for a few years after school because basically I was about burned out and tired of being poor and thought I wanted a normal life. Yeah, that was really ignorant of me - someone who's NOT normal like me wanting normalcy. After getting fat and trying my hand at being a couch potato I got up off my lazy ass, went to the gym, and then formed the hard rock band Scream Sophie in 1997. It was with this band (and my old Pyrate brother Timmi G) that I grew my first real goatee. I also wrote, recorded and produced 2 full length CDs. We played over 100 shows throughout the southeast and got our music out on the internet, and subsequently made fans worldwide. After several member changes (mostly bass players - aren't bass players all jerks?) Scream Sophie took an extended hiatus in August 2003. Tim and I really just wanted to play more golf.
I did a brief stint on bass guitar (hey I wanted my shot at being a jerk too!) with the pop/rock band Empty Fall from 2003-2004. We released one CD which is now out of print. We were hated by everyone in Birmingham, so I quit that band and hid under a rock for about 2 months. Shortly after that I put together another project called Traumatide. We released our debut CD 'This Thing Called Life' in 2005. You can buy it at CDBaby.com. During that time I also played a bit of lead guitar for country artist Chris Scott.
In 2007 I joined up with some golfing buddies over Led Zeppelin and beers, and I'm now playing lead guitar in a phenomenal band called Citizen Jayne, which is proving to be quite intense. We're playing a bunch of shows and are on the verge of taking the world by storm... or at least the chicks on the front 3 rows.
Now back to my music. I've always written music. Lyrics come harder, but when I'm inspired they usually come quickly, or either I'll slap stupid myself until the coolest phrase you've ever heard jumps out of the pen. Where do the songs come from? Sometimes I wake up at 5am with a song, sometimes I feel like playing and a song will come out. I hardly practice [guitar] technique anymore, probably because nobody does Yngwie licks anymore anyway. Anytime (do those last 3 words sound like the name of a CD? See? I'm always thinking) I sit down to play I usually end up writing something. Which is good because I have to do something with all the recording gear I have. I love recording - I love the endless possibilities, I love the feeling of hearing a guitar solo after adding just the right amount of delay, I love listening to a newly mixed and mastered recording loudly through headphones, and I love being able to immediately share it with the whole world. But nothing beats playing live, hitting that bend on the 15th fret, shaking the hell out it, and watching the looks on people's face - if they're sitting still long enough to see it.
Update (01/05/2008): My first ever "solo" CD '420 Homegrown Avenue' is available now at CDBaby.com, or direct from me at any of my shows.
Influences
Frequentyly Asked Questions:
1. Who maintains this page? Who replies to your messages? I do. When I have time.
2. How come I'm not on your Top Friends anymore? Aliens did it... You're actually no. 40... You didn't return the DVD I let you borrow. ;) I wish I could put everybody there, but there's only so many spots. I rotate a few every now and then, that's life. If I remove you, please don't take it personal, and PLEASE don't message me asking "why did you remove me?"
3. Will my friend request be approved? Most likely. No need to message me to be added, just click "add to friends."
4. Why no HTML comments?The comments get really cluttered and images tend to wreck the layout, so I don't allow it. Also no spam of any kind please. The main focus is to keep this profile about, well... me. If you are a "real" friend of mine and post a small comment about a show or your new website, I'll probably allow it. If you don't know me and add me as a friend just to post a big comment about your new "widget of the day" I'll probably delete it. Sorry, my profile is not a "free billboard." HTML comments are now allowed!
5. Can I send fan mail here? Will it get to you? Exactly.
6. Can I hire you or your band to play at my party? Sure. Hit me up.
7. I heard you are a photographer. Can I hire you? Yes, depending on my schedule. Please see my photography profile here.
The Beatles, Van Halen, King's X, KISS, Thin Lizzy, Motley Crue, Quiet Riot, Randy Rhoads, Steve Vai, Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Aerosmith, Boston, Montrose, The Ramones, The Police, Journey, Derek Trucks, The Allman Brothers, Brother Cane, Brad Delp, Tom Scholtz, Weezer, Journey, Green Day, Third Eye Blind, Ian Thornley, Ray Charles, Pink Floyd, The Doors, and so many more.
Tom Petty, Aerosmith, The Cult, Ted Nugent, STP, Nirvana, Motley Crue, Iggy Pop, George Harrison, Paul McCartney, Third Eye Blind, King's X.
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I'm also a multimedia artist, combining my love of photography and graphic design. To view my work, see my client list, or purchase my custom prints, click the image below:
The next Citizen Jayne shows are Friday July 24th at Gabriel's in Hoover AL, and Saturday July 25th at Geno's Live in Scottsboro AL! Spread the word - Repost this banner image! Copy the code below.
Buy my other band CDs at CDBaby.com!
Check out my stuff! Shirts, mugs, pillows, even a poster! Curt Granger for president? Why not?!
Top ten favorite artists/bands: The Beatles, King's X, The Police, Van Halen, Led Zeppelin, Die So Fluid, Jimi Hendrix, The Black Crowes, Thin Lizzy, Damon Johnson (Brother Cane/The Welfare/Slave to the System/Whiskey Falls)
Top ten favorite movies: Star Wars (all of 'em!), The Terminator series, The Matrix series, Shawshank Redemption, Patton, Ray, Forrest Gump, Dr. Strangelove, The Fifth Element, The Legend of Bagger Vance
Makes me smile: Homemade ice cream, oatmeal raisin cookies w/ milk, Mellow Mushroom pizza, cold beer w/ friends, the feeling after finishing a really intense workout, hot tubs, back massages, finished a new amplifier build and blasting a few choice riffs through it, golf, dancing girls at the front of the stage.
Dream Car: 2000 550 Barchetta Ferrari OR 2005 Aston Martin AMV8 Vantage
Weirdest autograph: Um, better not go there!
Guitars of Choice: (Electric) Gibson Les Paul Standard, Yamaha Ty Tabor (autographed), Fender Strat, ESP Custom, OLP MM1s, (Acoustic) Epiphone AJ18SCE
Amps of Choice: Granger CG50, G50, or anything else I build or modify.
Camera of Choice: Nikon D80 (I'm a photographer too)
Favorite foods: Chicken, oatmeal, Fruit & yogurt smoothies, tuna, chicken, an occasional buffalo steak, salads, watermelon, and most other fruits and vegetables... peach cobbler, white Zinfandel, anything from Olive Garden.
What's in the CD player these days? The Foo Fighters, Van Halen, Chickenfoot, Dave Meniketti, Thin Lizzy, Jimi Hendrix, Die So Fluid, and dUg Pinnick.
hello my dear. we had a blast fri & sat, u know i always love hangin with u 4 guys, ya some of my best friends, even tho aint a 1 of us right & with becki added in now, yall just got another crazy fun chic friend as a citizen jayne girl. when & wheres the show u wanted us to come to?
Hey Curt, you're a great guitar player, your songs rock and your amps sound glorious! I guess you're just badass all around. Ha! I'd really like to check out one of your Granger amps.
So....I hear you've been missing a lot of work lately.
"Well...I wouldn't say I've been MISSING it, Bob..."
Yeah...I don't think I would either! Enjoy your last day of work! Do something crazy...clean fish at your cubicle or play video games on your computer. Or just sit and watch TAGS all day...hehe!
Congrats again on your retirement to pursue your true calling of making amps and music. I wish you the very best!
Thanks for joining the band-site. Hows your summer been going? I enjoyed checking out your site. I'm starting on CD #2 'Insurrection'. As well I'll be posting a new song-track soon. We just brought in a vocalist Quimby Lewis (ex-Skullview) & drummer Jasin Marxx (ex-Dreamzfate). T-Shirts are now avaliable. All the Best to you this year. Anytime you want to chat, drop me a line or leave us a comment. Take care, Nikko
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