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Revision as of 09:53, 23 December 2006
Template:Infobox musical artist 2 Travis Landon Barker (born November 14, 1975) is an American musician, best known as the drummer for blink-182. He currently is the drummer for +44. He has also played for Box Car Racer, The Transplants, Expensive Taste, The Suicide Machines, and The Aquabats (as Baron Von Tito). He is known for exemplifying the bro lifestyle with his mohawk, tattoo-clad image, and low-riding pants.
Biography
Travis Barker was born in Fontana, California. Barker received his first drum set from his mother at the age of four. He was exposed to many different styles of music and studied with a jazz drum set in his youth. His mother's death, the day before he began high school, inspired him to become more serious about his drumming. During high school, he joined the jazz ensemble and made the second chair snare drum in the marching band. After graduating from Poway High School in 1993, he gained more experience as a drummer in a few early bands including Feeble. When Barker was a teenager, he was treated rudely by veteran drummer/producer Bill Stevenson of Descendents, whom Barker admired. Travis was very offended by this. Barker has since repeated this story, omitting Stevenson's name.
Barker grew up playing Latin and jazz. His influences include everything from Run-D.M.C.. to King Diamond to the Clash[1]. He has stated that a few of his favorite drummers are Stewart Copeland of the Police, Tommy Lee of Mötley Crüe, Tre Cool of Green Day, Ringo Starr of The Beatles, and Keith Moon of The Who.
Blink 182 Debut (1998)
In 1998, Travis Barker was touring with his band,The Aquabats, under the stage name "Baron Von Tito". During this tour, the original drummer for Blink 182, Scott Raynor, left the band and as a result Travis was asked to fill in, requiring him to learn the entire set (over 20 songs) in less than two hours and perform them at that night's show. Travis' efforts earned him appreciation, respect, and an offer to joining blink 182, which he accepted.
Famous Stars And Straps (1999-Present)
Still making records and touring with blink-182, Travis founded what has become a very sought-after clothing line called Famous Stars and Straps. Travis has said the brand's trademark "F" for the logo was chosen for its resemblance to a car logo but mainly for the fact that it can stand on its own. He also found time to explore his other musical interests in hip hop and rap. In 2001, he appeared playing drums in P. Diddy's video, "Bad Boy for Life"[2], and in 2003 he played the drums in Bubba Sparxxx's video for "Back In The Mudd".
Box Car Racer, Transplants and Expensive Taste (2002-2004)
In a 2002 interview with MTV, Travis stated, "I probably listen to more hip-hop and drum'n'bass than I do punk rock music, and same with Tim and Rob..."[1]. Not being able to explore this genre within blink-182, he began several side projects including Box Car Racer, Transplants, and Expensive Taste. Box Car Racer is a side project with Tom DeLonge of blink-182. Their self-titled album was released in 2002. Transplants is a hip-hop induced punk band for which Travis partnered with Tim Armstrong of Rancid. Transplants released two records, the first being self-titled Transplants in 2002. The second Transplants record, Haunted Cities, was released by LaSalle, a label created by Barker in 2004. Travis and Rob Aston have joined Paul Wall in forming a new hip-hop band called Expensive Taste.
Post-Blink Career (2005-present)
After having been the drummer for Blink 182 for 7 years, in February 2005 the band announced they are taking an "indefinite hiatus". He has since joined a new project, +44, which is a synth-based rock band. For this, Barker and Hoppus recruited former vocalist of for the all-female punk band Get the Girl, Carol Heller. Heller has since left the band and will no longer be part of the project. 2 songs, however, were left on the album. These songs were labeled "No, It Isn't" and "Make You Smile." Instead, Hoppus has drafted guitarists Craig Fairbaugh (ex-Transplants) and Shane Gallagher (formerly of The Nervous Return), to fill the void. In addition, Barker has begun the process of filing for the trademark The Phenomenons apparently for a band name but that remains to be seen.
Barker continues to stay involved with other genres of music. He has worked on albums with the Black Eyed Peas, P!nk, Pharrell Williams, Bun B, and he was featured in the opening sequence of the Dem Franchise Boys music video, "Ridin Rims," in 2006. In 2006 he was a producer on T.I.'s fourth album, King. Travis has also appeared in Xzibit's music video "Hey Now (Mean Muggin')", T.I.'s video "What You Know", and Three 6 Mafia's "Side 2 Side (remix)" video. Most recently, Barker has played drums for a few songs on Avril Lavigne's third album.Travis Barker is also featured on the outkast music video "Morris Brown". Also, he is seen playing drums in The Game's AOL Session.
Barker recently broke his arm, delaying +44's debut tour. While shooting the video for +44's first single, "When Your Heart Stops Beating", Travis fractured his right arm but was unaware. He went on to play the whole European tour in a great deal of pain and finally found out his arm was broken when he returned home to L.A. Travis openly apologized, but most fans appreciated this and sent their regards, especially on his myspace page. Travis hopes to recover soon. Barker is currently touring North America with +44 playing without the use of his right arm. The configuration of his drums has changed to include electronic "triggers" that, among other things, allow him to simulate the sound of a snare drum with his left foot.
Discography
Credits
Travis has appeared in numerous films and television shows, most notably his own reality show, Meet the Barkers, with ex-wife Shanna Moakler which debuted in 2005. In 2003, he appeared in an episode of MTV's Punk'd, a Candid Camera-esque television show, in which he took part in a set up bareknuckle boxing match. In 2006 Barker starred in a Boost Mobile commercial [3], which was detailed in an episode of Meet the Barkers. He's also played a few guest starring roles such as a rapper on the popular crime drama, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and a voiceover for an episode of The Simpsons. He's been a presenter for several award shows such as the Much Music Awards in 2002 and the MTV Video Music Awards in 2000. In a slight departure from his usual genres, he made an appearance on the 41st annual CMA Awards in 2006, performing a medley of songs by country icon Buck Owens with a group of artists including Dwight Yoakam, ZZ Top guitarist Billy Gibbons, and former Byrds bass player Chris Hillman [4]. Also, in 2001, he appeared with Tom Delonge and Mark Hoppus in the skit "Leave it to Blink-182", a parody of "Leave it to Beaver", on the late night tv show MADtv.[5]
Also in 2003 He appeared on an episode of Ride with Funkmaster Flex in which Flex shows Travis his cars and does a music session (Travis on Drums, Flex on turntables)
Film and television
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | American Pie (film) | Garage band member | incorrectly credited |
| The Urethra Chronicles | blink-182 | ||
| Two Guys, a Girl, and a Pizza Place | Himself | ||
| 2000 | Jailbait | blink-182 | |
| 2001 | Mad TV | Blink-182 | Leave it to Blink-182 |
| 2002 | Riding in Vans with Boys | blink-182 | |
| 2003 | Ride with Funkmaster Flex | Himself | |
| The Urethra Chronicles II | blink-182 | ||
| 2005 | Give 'Em the Boot | Transplants | |
| Meet the Barkers | Himself | 2005–2006 | |
| 2006 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Hi Def | |
| Live Freaky Die Freaky | Cop #2 (voice) |
Videography
| Year | Song | Band | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | "Super Rad" | The Aquabats! | |
| 1999 | "All The Small Things" | blink-182 | |
| "What's My Age Again" | blink-182 | ||
| 2000 | "Man Overboard" | blink-182 | |
| "Adam's Song" | blink-182 | ||
| 2001 | "First Date" | blink-182 | |
| "Bad Boys For Life | P.Diddy | ||
| "Stay Together For The Kids" | blink-182 | ||
| "The Rock Show" | blink-182 | ||
| 2002 | "I Feel So" | Box Car Racer | |
| "There Is" | Box Car Racer | ||
| 2003 | "Feeling This" | blink-182 | |
| "Back in the Mud" | Bubba Sparxxx | ||
| "Diamonds and Guns" | Transplants | ||
| "D.J. D.J." | Transplants | ||
| 2004 | "Always" | blink-182 | |
| "Down" | blink-182 | ||
| "I Miss You" | blink-182 | ||
| "Hey Now" | Xzibit | ||
| 2005 | "What I Can't Describe" | Transplants | |
| "Gangsters & Thugs" | Transplants | ||
| 2006 | "What You Know" | T.I. | |
| "When Your Heart Stops Beating" | +44 | ||
| "Chapter 13" | +44 | ||
| "God's Gonna Cut You Down" | Johnny Cash | ||
| "Ridin' Rims" | Dem Franchize Boyz | ||
| "Side 2 Side" | Three 6 Mafia | ||
| "Moriss Brown" | Outkast |
Merchandise
Barker owns an accessory/apparel company called Famous Stars and Straps which he started in 1999, and LaSalle Records, a record company to which Transplants are signed. Travis developed a shoe for DC Shoe Company called the "Alias Remix" and is endorsed by Orange County Drum and Percussion and Zildjian. He has also opened a Wahoo's Fish Tacos restaurant in Norco, California. [6]
He also has his own line of drumming products, sponsored by Zildjian, which includes [7]:
- Travis Barker Signature Drumsticks
- Travis Barker Double Drumsticks (these feature a small mallet tip on the butt end of the stick)
- Travis Barker Stick Bag
- Travis Barker Cymbal Bag
- Travis Barker Tour Drum MicKit picture
Tattoos
Travis' first tattoo was the word "BONES" (a nickname when he was a kid) on his leg which he got when he was 17 years old.[8] Another notable addition is the phrase "SELF MADE" spelled out across his knuckles which he got in 2000.[8] Some of Travis' numerous tattoos include religious art as he says he was brought up Catholic[8]. He has a portrait of Jesus above his left biceps, hands in prayer on the left side of his head (visible with his signature mohawk) and a sacred heart. He has a few tattoos that symbolize his love for cars and Cadillacs in particular - two race flags on the side of his neck with the number 66 which symbolizes the year of his favorite Cadillac and a Cadillac emblem surrounded by mud-flap "trucker ladies" on his chest as well as spark plugs[8].
Much of his body art is devoted to his love of music such as the phrase "Can I Say" which is the name of Dag Nasty's first album, a microphone, and a boom box on his stomach for his love of breakdancing when he was growing up.[8] He also has the word "HOPE" on his back because of the Descendents' song and something positive after his mother's death. He has another tribute to the Descendents on his leg - the cover art to the album, I Don't Want To Grow Up, and drumsticks and musical notes on his right arm. Travis also makes several tributes to his family with the phrase "familia" on his arm, Japanese flowers on the back of his neck with a heart that says "Mom", and another heart with "SHANNA", his soon-to-be ex-wife's name, on the banner.[8] He also has an old relic, the name of his first wife, "Melissa," just above the racing flags on the side of his neck.
He considers his right arm his "good luck arm" and so has many luck emblems tattooed on that arm such as a deck of cards, dice, a dollar sign, his lucky number seven, a skull with the number 13 in the eye sockets (13 is a lucky number in the tattoo culture), and a rabbit's foot, in addition to a martini glass, his initials, a devil from Black Label skateboards, and a spider web surrounding his elbow[8]. In explanation of his large number of tattoos Travis has said, "I tattooed my body so I couldn't fall back on anything. I purposely did that so I couldn't get a normal job and live a normal life. I did it so I had to play music." Travis claims to have spent over $30,000 on his body art[9].
Family
Travis has married twice and is soon to be divorced for the second time. He married relatively long time girlfriend, Melissa Kennedy, on September 22, 2001. The couple divorced August 6, 2002 after 11 months. Barker then married actor and Miss USA 1995, Shanna Moakler, on October 30, 2004. The couple had a Gothic-style ceremony inspired by the Tim Burton film, The Nightmare Before Christmas, which was held on the eve of Halloween. [10].
Barker and Moakler have two children, Landon Asher and Alabama Luella. Along with Atiana Cecilia de la Hoya, Moakler's child with former boyfriend Oscar de la Hoya, the foursome appeared in a reality television series, Meet the Barkers, which aired on MTV from 2005-2006.
On August 8, 2006, Barker filed for divorce from Moakler after nearly 2 years of marriage, [11][12] joining the ranks of two other MTV reality show couples who are now divorced or separated: Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey who starred in Newlyweds, and Carmen Electra and Dave Navarro who starred in 'Til Death Do Us Part: Carmen + Dave. Barker was dating singer socialite, Paris Hilton [13] but they later broke up [1]
Trivia
- Founder of Famous Stars And Straps.
- Owner of LaSalle Records.
- Barker collects Cadillacs.
- Travis Barker had a poster mugshot of Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious in the frontroom of his house that he lived in during season 2 of Meet the Barkers
- Was a vegetarian before he broke his arm. Was ordered by his doctor to eat meat to help his arm heal.
- Barker is left handed but plays drums right handed
- Broke his foot whilst getting off a stationary bus whilst on tour in Australia - He had to switch the way he usually plays as well as cancel shows. He also filmed the video for "Down" by blink-182 with the broken foot.
- Barker has made cameos in many hip hop music videos including T.I.'s music video "What You Know", Outkast's "Morris Brown", and Dem Franchise Boys' "Ridin' Rims" "noodles"
- Travis Barker is to be featured in the Video Game Tony Hawk's Project 8 for PS2, PS3, Xbox, and the Xbox 360 as a hidden character and can be unlocked by entering the code plus44.
- Travis Barker is featured in Johnny Cash's 2006 Music Video God's Gonna Cut you Down
- Was featured in a Boost Mobile commercial in which, if he didn't have boost, he would've been led into the world of competitive bodybuilding, ultimately leading to a compound hernia.
- Has been on the cover of DRUM! magazine twice.
- Travis is frequently listed among the top ten drummers whenever popular magazines or websites do a list ranking the top all time drummers.
External links
- Famous Stars And Straps Official Website
- Travis's myspace
- Famous Stars And Straps' myspace
- +44's myspace
- Expensive Tastes's myspace
- Travis' drum kit and equipment list
- Travis Barker by aliens-exist.net
- Video of a Travis drumsolo
- Travis Barker Joins the Gumball 3000 2005.
- Travis Barker at IMDb
- Interview at ThePunkSite.com (10 December, 2003)
- Artist Feature at DRUM! Magazine (June 2005)
- Travis Barker at DrummerWorld.com
- KROQ Christmas With Tom DeLonge Info about the upcoming blink album "One For The Kids"
| Studio albums | |
|---|---|
| Live albums | |
| Compilation albums | |
| Demos | |
| EPs | |
| Video albums | |
| Tours |
|
| Associated acts | |
| Related articles | |
- ^ a b "Transplants Fuse Bands And Styles, Much To Ire Of Punk Police" MTV.com. October 23, 2002. Retrieved on August 20, 2006.
- ^ Bliss, Karen. "Blink Drummer Plans New Band" RollingStone.com. August 24, 2001. Retrieved on July 29, 2006.
- ^ "Travis' TV AD" BoostMobilePivotalMoments.com. Retrieved on July 29, 2006.
- ^ "Chesney, Dixie Chicks in spotlight at award show" Reuters.com. May 24, 2006. Retrieved on May 25, 2006.
- ^ "MAD Tv: Episode #707" tv.com. November 21, 2001. Retrieved on November, 20, 2006.
- ^ "Biography for Travis Barker". IMDB.com. Retrieved on July 29, 2006.
- ^ "Artists: Travis Barker" Zildjian.com. Retrieved on July 29, 2006.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Travis Barker" PunkDisasters.com. Retrieved on July 29, 2006.
- ^ "Artist Bio" Artistopia.com. Retrieved on July 29, 2006.
- ^ "KINDRED SPIRITS: On Halloween Eve, rocker Travis Barker wed Shanna Moakler in gothic style." People Weekly v62 i20 p78. November 15, 2004.
- ^ "Meet the Barkers' Travis, Shanna Split" People.com. August 8, 2006. Retrieved on August 9, 2006.
- ^ "Blink-182 drummer files for divorce" NineMSN.com. August 10, 2006. Retrieved on August 10, 2006.
- ^ "Bizarre: Paris is Blinkin' Bonkin'" The Sun Online. September 7, 2006. Retrieved on October 1, 2006.