Art Alexakis
Encyclopedia
Arthur Paul "Art" Alexakis (born April 12, 1962) is best known as the American singer, composer
, and lead guitarist of the rock band Everclear
. He has been a member of several notable bands, in addition to his own work as a songwriter
for other artists. Alexakis founded several record label
s throughout his career, and worked as an A&R
representative for major record labels, between and during his own musical projects. Later he became a political activist, and lobbied for special concerns which included drug awareness policies, and support of the families of the military. Along with the band Everclear, he performed for soldiers stationed in Cuba. His political involvement continued to expand, and Alexakis campaigned for the (unsuccessful) bid of former candidate John Kerry
for the position of United States President
.
, California
. Alexakis's father left the family, leaving Alexakis, his mother, his brother, and his three sisters. Soon after, financial difficulties forced Alexakis's mother to relocate the family to the Mar Vista Gardens housing projects in California, located near Culver City
. After moving to Culver City, he found himself within the area's criminal and drug culture. His brother George died of a heroin overdose when Alexakis was 12. Alexakis's 15-year-old girlfriend committed suicide
also when he was twelve years old. Not long after her death, Alexakis unsuccessfully attempted suicide by filling his pockets with sand and lead weights, and jumping off the Santa Monica Pier
. Later, he said that the vision and voice of his brother George compelled him to survive.
Over the next eight years, he was shuffled around between various family members all over the country. He spent a brief period in Houston, Texas
, living with his father, and a period in Roseburg, Oregon
, living with his sister, a born-again Christian, and her husband. Eventually, he returned to Los Angeles to live with his mother. He attended journalism
school for a time, and worked as a music reviewer for The Evening Outlook, a small newspaper in Santa Monica
. Eventually, a near-fatal cocaine
overdose pushed him to quit drugs.
. While living in Los Angeles, he organized a band called Shakin' Brave. Shakin' Brave featured a rather rough rock sound, but never really rose above the sea of music in Southern California
. Generally frustrated with the music scene in LA, Alexakis and his first wife Anita relocated to San Francisco
.
While living in San Francisco, Alexakis stumbled upon a genre of music known as "cowpunk
". The sound meshed together the two prevalent forms of music with which he grew up - which involved the tunefulness of country
and the distorted guitars/fast tempo from rock and roll
. Inspired, Alexakis established Shindig Records. Much of this period was explicitly detailed in the album, Deep in the Heart of the Beast in the Sun
, which was originally intended as a solo album, but gradually developed into a group project under the name Colorfinger
.
In 1992, within a single month, Shindig went bankrupt, Colorfinger disbanded, and Alexakis' girlfriend Jenny became pregnant. Seeking a new start, Alexakis moved with her to Portland, Oregon
. There, they married and had a daughter named Annabella Rose Alexakis.
and Scott Cuthbert. The trio became the first incarnation of Everclear. After Cuthbert was replaced by Greg Eklund
, the band spent the better part of a decade as a dominant act on alternative rock
radio. The band scored three platinum albums in Sparkle & Fade, So Much for the Afterglow
, and Songs from an American Movie, Vol. 1: Learning How to Smile
.
The instability and personal turmoil Alexakis experienced throughout his life would directly inspire his lyrics. "Father of Mine" and "Why I Don't Believe in God" described his difficult youth. "Heroin Girl", "Strawberry", and "Color Pit" touched upon his drug addictions. Everclear's first major album, Sparkle & Fade, deals with the themes of escape and redemption that pervaded his life upon leaving San Francisco.
. In 1996, he produced Frogpond's 1996 album Count to Ten. Alexakis was interviewed on Space Ghost Coast to Coast
but the interview never aired, although the interview is quickly glimpsed on Episode 60, "Lawsuit". In the early 2000s, Alexakis established his own label, Popularity Recordings, as a subsidiary of Artemis Records. Alexakis produced the label's first release, the 2002 album Volume by Flipp
. However, Alexakis chose to shutter the label in 2003.
Alexakis has also dabbled in songwriting with other artists, including co-writing the song "At the End of the Day" released on Marion Raven
's 2005 and 2007 albums, Here I Am and Set Me Free, respectively.
In August 2006, Alexakis appeared on The O'Reilly Factor
discussing the music video
for "Hater", the first single from Everclear's Welcome to the Drama Club
.
On October 30, 2007, he announced on MySpace
that he is planning on releasing an album of cover songs next year. He also said that he is planning on going on a solo tour. In February 2008, he announced that the album would be released on April 15, 2008, titled The Vegas Years
.
In October 2008, Alexakis entered the studio with the Minneapolis
-based band Apparently Nothing (Previously a Madison band, and later renamed to The Usual Things) to produce their debut album, tentatively titled The Middle Coast.
in support of HR 1488, the Compassion for Children and Child Support Enforcement Act. Alexakis was a delegate for the 2004 Democratic National Convention
representing Oregon's 3rd congressional district
after campaigning for John Edwards
during the 2004 Democratic Presidential primaries. He and Everclear recorded the Woody Guthrie
standard "This Land Is Your Land
", which he performed at several political events.
He has also been involved in drug awareness programs, including the taping of public service announcement
s for the Office of National Drug Control Policy
.
Along with Everclear, he has performed for U.S. soldiers in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and Hawaii
. He has also performed for Snowball Express, which provides events for military families who lost loved ones in the war.
. Two years later, he made cameo appearances in two episodes of The Chris Isaak Show
. In 2006, Alexakis appeared on an episode of Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide
on Nickelodeon
as a music teacher named Mr. Gibson (a reference to Gibson
guitars). He also had a lead role in the 2006 short film Room to Breathe.
On January 4, 2005, Alexakis filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in United States Bankruptcy Court, Central District of California. According to the filing, Alexakis owed a federal tax bill for the years 1999, 2001 and 2002 of $2.75 million, as well as nearly $230,000 to the Oregon Department of Revenue and more than $120,000 in credit card
debt spread over several accounts. As a result of the bankruptcy, he sold all his rights to the previous Everclear catalogue in order to pay some off.
During his younger years, Alexakis was an atheist
. However, in an August 2000 interview with Spin
, Alexakis stated that he is a Christian. Speaking about his then-fiancée Stephanie Greig, he said, "She's a Christian, and I'm a Christian—my ex isn't—and so I was like, it's okay to be a Christian. I'm not like a born-again... Well, I guess I am born-again, in a way. But I don't knock people over the head with it. I just kind of use my spirituality to make my life better."
Alexakis made his religious conversion more widely known in his MySpace blog
upon release of the Everclear song "Jesus Was a Democrat." Alexakis stated that he is a "left-wing Christian
".
:
With Colorfinger
:
With Everclear
:
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, and lead guitarist of the rock band Everclear
Everclear (band)
Everclear is a rock band formed in Portland, Oregon in 1992 best known for their radio hits spanning more than a decade. For most of its existence, Everclear has consisted of Art Alexakis , Craig Montoya , and Greg Eklund . Eklund replaced original drummer Scott Cuthbert in 1994...
. He has been a member of several notable bands, in addition to his own work as a songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
for other artists. Alexakis founded several record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
s throughout his career, and worked as an A&R
A&R
Artists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
representative for major record labels, between and during his own musical projects. Later he became a political activist, and lobbied for special concerns which included drug awareness policies, and support of the families of the military. Along with the band Everclear, he performed for soldiers stationed in Cuba. His political involvement continued to expand, and Alexakis campaigned for the (unsuccessful) bid of former candidate John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
for the position of United States President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
.
Early life
Alexakis was born in Los AngelesLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Alexakis's father left the family, leaving Alexakis, his mother, his brother, and his three sisters. Soon after, financial difficulties forced Alexakis's mother to relocate the family to the Mar Vista Gardens housing projects in California, located near Culver City
Culver City, California
Culver City is a city in western Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 38,883, up from 38,816 at the 2000 census. It is mostly surrounded by the city of Los Angeles, but also shares a border with unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County. Culver...
. After moving to Culver City, he found himself within the area's criminal and drug culture. His brother George died of a heroin overdose when Alexakis was 12. Alexakis's 15-year-old girlfriend committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
also when he was twelve years old. Not long after her death, Alexakis unsuccessfully attempted suicide by filling his pockets with sand and lead weights, and jumping off the Santa Monica Pier
Santa Monica Pier
The Santa Monica Pier is a large double-jointed pier located at the foot of Colorado Avenue in Santa Monica, California and is a prominent, 100-year-old landmark.-Pacific Park:...
. Later, he said that the vision and voice of his brother George compelled him to survive.
Over the next eight years, he was shuffled around between various family members all over the country. He spent a brief period in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, living with his father, and a period in Roseburg, Oregon
Roseburg, Oregon
Roseburg is a city in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is the county seat of Douglas County. The population was 21,181 at the 2010 census.-History:...
, living with his sister, a born-again Christian, and her husband. Eventually, he returned to Los Angeles to live with his mother. He attended journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
school for a time, and worked as a music reviewer for The Evening Outlook, a small newspaper in Santa Monica
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
. Eventually, a near-fatal cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
overdose pushed him to quit drugs.
Early bands
After quitting drugs, Alexakis briefly attended UCLA film schoolFilm school
The term film school is used to describe any educational institution dedicated to teaching aspects of filmmaking, including such subjects as film production, film theory, digital media production, and screenwriting. Film history courses and hands-on technical training are usually incorporated into...
. While living in Los Angeles, he organized a band called Shakin' Brave. Shakin' Brave featured a rather rough rock sound, but never really rose above the sea of music in Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
. Generally frustrated with the music scene in LA, Alexakis and his first wife Anita relocated to San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
.
While living in San Francisco, Alexakis stumbled upon a genre of music known as "cowpunk
Cowpunk
Cowpunk or Country punk is a subgenre of punk rock and New Wave that began in the UK and California in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It combines punk rock or New Wave with country music, folk music, and blues in sound, subject matter, attitude, and style...
". The sound meshed together the two prevalent forms of music with which he grew up - which involved the tunefulness of country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
and the distorted guitars/fast tempo from rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
. Inspired, Alexakis established Shindig Records. Much of this period was explicitly detailed in the album, Deep in the Heart of the Beast in the Sun
Deep in the Heart of the Beast in the Sun
Deep in the Heart of the Beast in the Sun is an album by Colorfinger, released in 1990 on Shindig Records.The album started out as a solo album for future Everclear singer Art Alexakis. Before the album was complete, he produced a handful of cassette copies with the same title under the name...
, which was originally intended as a solo album, but gradually developed into a group project under the name Colorfinger
Colorfinger
Colorfinger is best known for being Art Alexakis' last band before being in Everclear. Although starting out as a solo project, Alexakis decided to make it a full band. They were a part of the San Francisco cowpunk scene, which involved a form of rock music with elements of country music and punk...
.
In 1992, within a single month, Shindig went bankrupt, Colorfinger disbanded, and Alexakis' girlfriend Jenny became pregnant. Seeking a new start, Alexakis moved with her to Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. There, they married and had a daughter named Annabella Rose Alexakis.
Everclear
Following the move to Portland, Alexakis placed an ad in The Rocket seeking a bass player and a drummer to form a new band. Alexakis had two respondents, Craig MontoyaCraig Montoya
Craig Montoya is the American bassist of Castella and Tri-Polar and former bassist of Everclear.-Early life:...
and Scott Cuthbert. The trio became the first incarnation of Everclear. After Cuthbert was replaced by Greg Eklund
Greg Eklund
Greg Eklund was the American drummer for the rock band, Everclear, until 2003.Eklund attended high school at Lake Braddock Secondary School in Burke, Virginia, graduating in 1988...
, the band spent the better part of a decade as a dominant act on alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
radio. The band scored three platinum albums in Sparkle & Fade, So Much for the Afterglow
So Much for the Afterglow
-Personnel:* Art Alexakis - Banjo, Guitar, Mandolin, Piano, Guitar , Keyboards, Vocals, Producer, Vocal Arrangement, Horn Arrangements, String Arrangements, Cover Art Concept, Cover Design, Toy Piano...
, and Songs from an American Movie, Vol. 1: Learning How to Smile
Songs from an American Movie, Vol. 1: Learning How to Smile
Songs from an American Movie, Vol. 1: Learning How to Smile is an album by Everclear, released on July 11, 2000. The album is a loose concept album based around lead singer Art Alexakis' second divorce...
.
The instability and personal turmoil Alexakis experienced throughout his life would directly inspire his lyrics. "Father of Mine" and "Why I Don't Believe in God" described his difficult youth. "Heroin Girl", "Strawberry", and "Color Pit" touched upon his drug addictions. Everclear's first major album, Sparkle & Fade, deals with the themes of escape and redemption that pervaded his life upon leaving San Francisco.
Solo projects
While finding success as a musical act and songwriter, Alexakis began taking on other projects within the music industry. For several years, he served as an A&R representative for Capitol RecordsCapitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
. In 1996, he produced Frogpond's 1996 album Count to Ten. Alexakis was interviewed on Space Ghost Coast to Coast
Space Ghost Coast to Coast
Space Ghost Coast to Coast is an American animated parody talk show hosted by the 60s Hanna-Barbera cartoon character Space Ghost. The show premiered on April 15, 1994 on Cartoon Network...
but the interview never aired, although the interview is quickly glimpsed on Episode 60, "Lawsuit". In the early 2000s, Alexakis established his own label, Popularity Recordings, as a subsidiary of Artemis Records. Alexakis produced the label's first release, the 2002 album Volume by Flipp
Flipp
Flipp is a Minneapolis-based band which attempted to revive the Glam-rock era of the early 1970s using its combination of tongue-in-cheek social commentary, self-deprecating wit, cartoonish stage costumes and bizarre, non-sensical electronics, pyrotechnics and production elements...
. However, Alexakis chose to shutter the label in 2003.
Alexakis has also dabbled in songwriting with other artists, including co-writing the song "At the End of the Day" released on Marion Raven
Marion Raven
Marion Elise Ravn, born 25 May 1984 in Lørenskog, Norway, is a Norwegian singer-songwriter, and former child actress. Her surname is of Norse origin, with Ravn meaning Raven, which she adopted as her stage name Marion Raven as well as her trademark raven logo. She was one-half of the now defunct...
's 2005 and 2007 albums, Here I Am and Set Me Free, respectively.
In August 2006, Alexakis appeared on The O'Reilly Factor
The O'Reilly Factor
The O'Reilly Factor, originally titled The O'Reilly Report from 1996 to 1998 and often called The Factor, is an American talk show on the Fox News Channel hosted by commentator Bill O'Reilly, who often discusses current controversial political issues with guests.The program was the most watched...
discussing the music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for "Hater", the first single from Everclear's Welcome to the Drama Club
Welcome to the Drama Club
Welcome to the Drama Club is the title of an album from rock band Everclear. It was released on September 12, 2006 by Eleven Seven Music. It was the first album to include the new line-up of Everclear, established following the departure of Craig Montoya and Greg Eklund after Everclear's previous...
.
On October 30, 2007, he announced on MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
that he is planning on releasing an album of cover songs next year. He also said that he is planning on going on a solo tour. In February 2008, he announced that the album would be released on April 15, 2008, titled The Vegas Years
The Vegas Years
The Vegas Years is a compilation of cover songs by American rock band Everclear. It was released on April 15, 2008, via Capitol Records.The album features tracks recorded throughout the band's career, including a few tracks that were previously released as B-sides. "American Girl" was recorded in...
.
In October 2008, Alexakis entered the studio with the Minneapolis
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
-based band Apparently Nothing (Previously a Madison band, and later renamed to The Usual Things) to produce their debut album, tentatively titled The Middle Coast.
Political activism
In 2000, Alexakis testified before CongressUnited States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
in support of HR 1488, the Compassion for Children and Child Support Enforcement Act. Alexakis was a delegate for the 2004 Democratic National Convention
2004 Democratic National Convention
The 2004 Democratic National Convention convened from July 26 to July 29, 2004 at the FleetCenter in Boston, Massachusetts, and nominated John Kerry and John Edwards as the official candidates of the Democratic Party for President and Vice President of the United States, respectively, in the 2004...
representing Oregon's 3rd congressional district
Oregon's 3rd congressional district
Oregon's 3rd congressional district covers most of Multnomah County, including Portland east of the Willamette River, Gresham, and Troutdale. It also includes the northern part of Clackamas County, including Milwaukie. Parts of northwest Portland also lie within the district...
after campaigning for John Edwards
John Edwards
Johnny Reid "John" Edwards is an American politician, who served as a U.S. Senator from North Carolina. He was the Democratic nominee for Vice President in 2004, and was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004 and 2008.He defeated incumbent Republican Lauch Faircloth in...
during the 2004 Democratic Presidential primaries. He and Everclear recorded the Woody Guthrie
Woody Guthrie
Woodrow Wilson "Woody" Guthrie is best known as an American singer-songwriter and folk musician, whose musical legacy includes hundreds of political, traditional and children's songs, ballads and improvised works. He frequently performed with the slogan This Machine Kills Fascists displayed on his...
standard "This Land Is Your Land
This Land Is Your Land
"This Land Is Your Land" is one of the United States' most famous folk songs. Its lyrics were written by Woody Guthrie in 1940 based on an existing melody, in response to Irving Berlin's "God Bless America", which Guthrie considered unrealistic and complacent. Tired of hearing Kate Smith sing it on...
", which he performed at several political events.
He has also been involved in drug awareness programs, including the taping of public service announcement
Public service announcement
A public service announcement or public service ad is a type of advertisement featured on television, radio, print or other media...
s for the Office of National Drug Control Policy
Office of National Drug Control Policy
The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy , a former cabinet level component of the Executive Office of the President of the United States, was established in 1989 by the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988...
.
Along with Everclear, he has performed for U.S. soldiers in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. He has also performed for Snowball Express, which provides events for military families who lost loved ones in the war.
Acting
While pursuing a music career, Alexakis has also dabbled in acting. In 2000, he made brief appearances in the Heather Graham comedy CommittedCommitted (2000 film)
- Plot :The ever-optimistic Joline faces a challenge when her husband, flaky news photographer Carl , leaves her to find himself in Texas. Joline tracks Carl down and observes him, acquainting herself with his schedule and new friends - Plot :The ever-optimistic Joline (Heather Graham) faces a...
. Two years later, he made cameo appearances in two episodes of The Chris Isaak Show
The Chris Isaak Show
The Chris Isaak Show is a television sitcom which follows a fictionalized version of the life of American rock musician Chris Isaak. The show portrays Isaak and his band members as everyday people with everyday problems...
. In 2006, Alexakis appeared on an episode of Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide
Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide
Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide, commonly called Ned's Declassified for short, is an American live-action situation comedy on Nickelodeon that debuted in the channel's Sunday night TEENick scheduling block on September 12, 2004. The series' actual pilot episode aired on September 7, 2003...
on Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
as a music teacher named Mr. Gibson (a reference to Gibson
Gibson
Gibson may refer to:* Gibson Amphitheatre* Gibson Appliance* Gibson Girl* Gibson Guitar Corporation* Gibson * Gibson Generating Station-Places:In the United States:* Gibson, Arkansas* Gibson, Georgia* Gibson, Iowa* Gibson, Louisiana...
guitars). He also had a lead role in the 2006 short film Room to Breathe.
Personal life
Alexakis has been married three times, and is currently engaged. He has a daughter named Annabella Rose (born 1992), from his relationship with Jenny Dodson. He and his current fiancee have a daughter named Arizona Star, born on November 10, 2007.On January 4, 2005, Alexakis filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in United States Bankruptcy Court, Central District of California. According to the filing, Alexakis owed a federal tax bill for the years 1999, 2001 and 2002 of $2.75 million, as well as nearly $230,000 to the Oregon Department of Revenue and more than $120,000 in credit card
Credit card
A credit card is a small plastic card issued to users as a system of payment. It allows its holder to buy goods and services based on the holder's promise to pay for these goods and services...
debt spread over several accounts. As a result of the bankruptcy, he sold all his rights to the previous Everclear catalogue in order to pay some off.
During his younger years, Alexakis was an atheist
Atheism
Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities...
. However, in an August 2000 interview with Spin
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
, Alexakis stated that he is a Christian. Speaking about his then-fiancée Stephanie Greig, he said, "She's a Christian, and I'm a Christian—my ex isn't—and so I was like, it's okay to be a Christian. I'm not like a born-again... Well, I guess I am born-again, in a way. But I don't knock people over the head with it. I just kind of use my spirituality to make my life better."
Alexakis made his religious conversion more widely known in his MySpace blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
upon release of the Everclear song "Jesus Was a Democrat." Alexakis stated that he is a "left-wing Christian
Christian left
The Christian left is a term originating in the United States, used to describe a spectrum of left-wing Christian political and social movements which largely embraces social justice....
".
Partial discography
With The Easy HoesThe Easy Hoes
The Easy Hoes was a San Francisco, CA based cow-punk band. They formed in 1987, released one album, Tragic Songs of Life, in 1989 and broke up later that year....
:
- 1989 – Tragic Songs of LifeTragic Songs of LifeTragic Songs of Life was the only album released by The Easy Hoes.Although this album is best known as being one of Art Alexakis pre-Everclear projects, Art was not a primary songwriter...
With Colorfinger
Colorfinger
Colorfinger is best known for being Art Alexakis' last band before being in Everclear. Although starting out as a solo project, Alexakis decided to make it a full band. They were a part of the San Francisco cowpunk scene, which involved a form of rock music with elements of country music and punk...
:
- 1990 – Deep in the Heart of the Beast in the SunDeep in the Heart of the Beast in the SunDeep in the Heart of the Beast in the Sun is an album by Colorfinger, released in 1990 on Shindig Records.The album started out as a solo album for future Everclear singer Art Alexakis. Before the album was complete, he produced a handful of cassette copies with the same title under the name...
- 1990 – Demonstration
With Everclear
Everclear (band)
Everclear is a rock band formed in Portland, Oregon in 1992 best known for their radio hits spanning more than a decade. For most of its existence, Everclear has consisted of Art Alexakis , Craig Montoya , and Greg Eklund . Eklund replaced original drummer Scott Cuthbert in 1994...
:
- 1993 – World of NoiseWorld of NoiseWorld of Noise is the debut album recorded by the band Everclear. It was recorded in a friend's basement for $400 with Art Alexakis on vocals/lead guitar, Craig Montoya on bass, Scott Cuthbert on drums and was released in 1993 by Tim Kerr Records....
- 1995 – Sparkle and FadeSparkle and FadeSparkle and Fade is the second album by Everclear, released on May 23, 1995. It was their first album to be released exclusively on Capitol Records; their previous effort, World of Noise, was re-released on Capitol after its introduction through the Portland, Oregon based label, Tim/Kerr...
- 1997 – So Much for the AfterglowSo Much for the Afterglow-Personnel:* Art Alexakis - Banjo, Guitar, Mandolin, Piano, Guitar , Keyboards, Vocals, Producer, Vocal Arrangement, Horn Arrangements, String Arrangements, Cover Art Concept, Cover Design, Toy Piano...
- 2000 – Songs from an American Movie, Vol. 1: Learning How to SmileSongs from an American Movie, Vol. 1: Learning How to SmileSongs from an American Movie, Vol. 1: Learning How to Smile is an album by Everclear, released on July 11, 2000. The album is a loose concept album based around lead singer Art Alexakis' second divorce...
- 2000 – Songs from an American Movie, Vol. 2: Good Time for a Bad AttitudeSongs from an American Movie, Vol. 2: Good Time for a Bad AttitudeSongs from an American Movie, Vol. 2: Good Time for a Bad Attitude is an album by Everclear, released on November 21, 2000. They recorded Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 in the same year and released them only a few months apart. Both albums are loose concept albums based around Art Alexakis' second divorce...
- 2003 – Slow Motion DaydreamSlow Motion DaydreamSlow Motion Daydream is an album by Everclear that was released by Capitol Records on March 11, 2003 . Recorded in 2002...
- 2004 – Ten Years Gone: The Best of Everclear 1994-2004Ten Years Gone: The Best of Everclear 1994-2004Ten Years Gone: The Best of Everclear 1994–2004 is a 'Best of' album by Everclear. It was released on October 5, 2004. It includes tracks from all of their albums up to 2003, as well as two tracks not previously released on any album...
- 2006 – Welcome to the Drama ClubWelcome to the Drama ClubWelcome to the Drama Club is the title of an album from rock band Everclear. It was released on September 12, 2006 by Eleven Seven Music. It was the first album to include the new line-up of Everclear, established following the departure of Craig Montoya and Greg Eklund after Everclear's previous...
- 2008 – The Vegas YearsThe Vegas YearsThe Vegas Years is a compilation of cover songs by American rock band Everclear. It was released on April 15, 2008, via Capitol Records.The album features tracks recorded throughout the band's career, including a few tracks that were previously released as B-sides. "American Girl" was recorded in...
- 2009 – In a Different LightIn a Different LightIn a Different Light is Avalon's third studio album, released on March 23, 1999. It is the first album with group member Cherie Adams, who replaced Nikki Hassman-Anders. This is Avalon's second album to be certified Gold by the RIAA. The project was an instant hit at Christian radio, containing...