Adam Horovitz
Encyclopedia
Adam Keefe Horovitz better known as Ad-Rock or King Ad-Rock, is an American musician
, guitarist
, rapper, producer, and actor
. He is best known as a member of the pioneering hip hop
group, Beastie Boys
.
, the son of Doris Keefe and playwright Israel Horovitz
.
band, The Young and the Useless
, who would often perform with Beastie Boys
. When Beastie Boys
guitarist John Berry quit, Horovitz replaced him in 1982, when he was 16 years old. After Horovitz joined the band, the Beastie Boys changed their sound, evolving from a hardcore punk
band to a more hip-hop oriented group. The band was signed to Def Jam, and released their debut album Licensed to Ill
in 1986. The album was a huge commercial success, and spawned six hit singles.
In addition to his work with the Beastie Boys, Horovitz also remixes numerous tracks for other artists under the alias 41 Small Stars.
Horovitz has also acted in several motion pictures and television shows. Some of his roles include Tim 'Chino' Doolan in Lost Angels
(1989), Sam in Roadside Prophets
(1992), and Repulski in Godspeed (2007).
, having a major seizure caused by flash photography. His epilepsy is now under control, although he must be under constant medical supervision. He was married to actress Ione Skye
from 1992-1999. Currently, he is married to riot grrrl
artist Kathleen Hanna
and has been involved with her since 1997, marrying her in 2006.
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
, rapper, producer, and actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
. He is best known as a member of the pioneering hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
group, Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
.
Early life
Horovitz was born in South Orange, New JerseyNew Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, the son of Doris Keefe and playwright Israel Horovitz
Israel Horovitz
Israel Horovitz is an American playwright and screenwriter.-Theatre career:An American dramatist, Horovitz has written more than 70 produced plays, many of which have been translated and performed in more than 30 languages worldwide . The 70/70 Horovitz Project was created by NYC Barefoot Theatre...
.
Career
Horovitz began his music career with a stint in the punk rockPunk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band, The Young and the Useless
The Young and the Useless
The Young and the Useless were an American punk band formed in the early 1980s that consisted of , , David Scilken and current Beastie Boys member Adam Horovitz. They were managed by former Beastie Boys manager Nick Cooper. Their first recording "Real Men Don't Floss" was released by Ratcage Records...
, who would often perform with Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
. When Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
guitarist John Berry quit, Horovitz replaced him in 1982, when he was 16 years old. After Horovitz joined the band, the Beastie Boys changed their sound, evolving from a hardcore punk
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
band to a more hip-hop oriented group. The band was signed to Def Jam, and released their debut album Licensed to Ill
Licensed to Ill
In 1998, the album was selected as one of The Sources 100 Best Rap Albums.It is still the only album by a white hip-hop act to receive the coveted 5 mics from The Source....
in 1986. The album was a huge commercial success, and spawned six hit singles.
In addition to his work with the Beastie Boys, Horovitz also remixes numerous tracks for other artists under the alias 41 Small Stars.
Horovitz has also acted in several motion pictures and television shows. Some of his roles include Tim 'Chino' Doolan in Lost Angels
Lost Angels
Lost Angels is a movie starring Donald Sutherland and Adam Horovitz of the Beastie Boys. It was released in 1989 and is an independent film. The movie was directed by Hugh Hudson and written by Michael Weller. It was filmed in and around San Antonio, Texas, that city "standing in" for Los Angeles...
(1989), Sam in Roadside Prophets
Roadside Prophets
Roadside Prophets is a 1992 cult film written and directed by Abbe Wool, featuring musicians John Doe of the L.A. punk band X, and Adam Horovitz of the Beastie Boys, with cameo appearances by, amongst others, Timothy Leary, Arlo Guthrie, David Carradine, an uncharacteristic performance by John...
(1992), and Repulski in Godspeed (2007).
Personal life
Horovitz suffers from epilepsyEpilepsy
Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disorder characterized by seizures. These seizures are transient signs and/or symptoms of abnormal, excessive or hypersynchronous neuronal activity in the brain.About 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, and nearly two out of every three new cases...
, having a major seizure caused by flash photography. His epilepsy is now under control, although he must be under constant medical supervision. He was married to actress Ione Skye
Ione Skye
Ione Skye Lee is an English-born American actress, who became a teen idol after the 1989 movie Say Anything.... In 2006 VH1 placed her at number 84 in the "100 Greatest Teen Stars" list.-Early life:...
from 1992-1999. Currently, he is married to riot grrrl
Riot grrrl
Riot grrrl was an underground feminist punk movement based in Washington, DC, Olympia, Washington, Portland, Oregon, and the greater Pacific Northwest which existed in the early to mid-1990s, and it is often associated with third-wave feminism...
artist Kathleen Hanna
Kathleen Hanna
Kathleen Hanna is an American musician, feminist activist, and punk zine writer. In the early- to mid-1990s she was the lead singer and songwriter of Bikini Kill, before fronting Le Tigre in the late 1990s and early 2000s...
and has been involved with her since 1997, marrying her in 2006.