Dexter Holland
Encyclopedia
Bryan Keith "Dexter" Holland (born December 29, 1965 in Garden Grove
, California
) is the singer and rhythm guitarist for the California punk rock
band The Offspring
. Prior to that, he was a singer from a karaoke bar and the drummer for Manic Subsidal (which also featured another Offspring member, Greg K
).
, they started a local punk band called Manic Subsidal in 1984, where he played the drums. It formed after the duo failed to get into a Social Distortion
concert in 1984. (There has been a rumor that Dexter and Greg were involved in a band before Manic Subsidal called Clowns of Death.) After James Lilja was hired as their drummer and Holland switched to both vocals and guitars. They never released any albums but some demos have existed online. After some line-up changes, Manic Subsidal changed their name to The Offspring in 1986. After recording a demo in 1988, The Offspring signed a deal with a small-time label, Nemesis Records
, for whom they recorded their first full length album, The Offspring
, in March 1989. This album would eventually be re-issued on November 21, 1995 by Holland's own record label, Nitro Records.
In 1991, The Offspring signed with Epitaph Records
(home of Bad Religion
, L7
, NOFX
, Pennywise
and other similar bands). Their first release on the label was Ignition, which was released in 1992. Their last album for that label was 1994's Smash, which still holds the world record for most sales of an album on an independent label. The band then signed with Columbia Records
in 1996 (although Dexter claims that Brett Gurewitz
, owner of Epitaph and guitarist for Bad Religion
, sold the contract to Columbia) for whom they have released their next five albums, Ixnay on the Hombre
(1997), Americana (1998), Conspiracy of One
(2000), Splinter
(2003) and Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace (2008). The Offspring is currently working on a ninth studio album, which is likely due for release sometime in 2012.
Dexter often communicates with fans of The Offspring by way of the band's internet journal.
Holland was recently ranked 73rd in the March 2007 Edition of Kerrang!
100 Stars Who Rock Your World List.
at Pacifica High School in Garden Grove
, California
and was a Ph.D.
candidate in Molecular Biology
from the University of Southern California
; however, he abandoned his Ph.D. in favor of focusing on The Offspring. He has a Bachelor's degree in Biology and a Master's degree in Molecular Biology, both from the University of Southern California.
Dexter's interests include surfing, snowboarding and aviation. According to an interview he gave Adam Carolla
, he owns an Aero L-39 Albatross Trainer
. He also owns a Cessna 525A CitationJet 2, tail number N7715X, with the anarchy symbol
on the tail.
Dexter Holland is also the nephew of cult horror director Tom Holland
.
Holland married hairstylist Kristine Luna, who co-wrote the Offspring song "Session", on August 12, 1995.
Holland is also a licensed Airline Transport Pilot
and as of April 2009, a Certified Flight Instructor
who has made a solo trip around the world in ten days.
He also participated in the 2006 Los Angeles Marathon
; his charity of choice was the Innocence Project
, a non-profit legal clinic that handles legal cases where post-conviction DNA testing of evidence can yield conclusive proof of innocence.
Holland has his own brand of hot sauce
, Gringo Bandito. According to the Los Angeles Times
, the Hot Sauce is bottled in a Newport Beach facility that distributes 500 gallons a month. Holland says that Albertsons
has started carrying his hot sauce, which he reports is "huge for us".
bodies are made out of mahogany
and fitted with DiMarzio Super Distortion bridge pickups. During their latest recordings, Holland used a vintage Gibson
.
.
Garden Grove, California
Garden Grove is a city located in northern Orange County, California. The population was 170,883 at the 2010 census. State Route 22, also known as the Garden Grove Freeway, passes through the city running east-west. The city is known outside the Southern California area for being the home of Robert H...
, 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...
) is the singer and rhythm guitarist for the California punk rock
Punk 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 Offspring
The Offspring
The Offspring is an American punk rock band from Huntington Beach, California, formed in 1984. Known as Manic Subsidal until 1986, the band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Dexter Holland, lead guitarist Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman, bassist Greg K. and drummer Pete Parada...
. Prior to that, he was a singer from a karaoke bar and the drummer for Manic Subsidal (which also featured another Offspring member, Greg K
Greg Kriesel
Gregory David Kriesel , best known by his stage name Greg K., is an American bass guitarist and backing vocalist for the punk band, The Offspring.-Biography:...
).
Musical career
After Holland met friend and fellow cross-country teammate Greg KrieselGreg Kriesel
Gregory David Kriesel , best known by his stage name Greg K., is an American bass guitarist and backing vocalist for the punk band, The Offspring.-Biography:...
, they started a local punk band called Manic Subsidal in 1984, where he played the drums. It formed after the duo failed to get into a Social Distortion
Social Distortion
Social Distortion is an American punk rock band formed in 1978 in Fullerton, California. The band currently consists of Mike Ness , Jonny Wickersham , Brent Harding and David Hidalgo, Jr...
concert in 1984. (There has been a rumor that Dexter and Greg were involved in a band before Manic Subsidal called Clowns of Death.) After James Lilja was hired as their drummer and Holland switched to both vocals and guitars. They never released any albums but some demos have existed online. After some line-up changes, Manic Subsidal changed their name to The Offspring in 1986. After recording a demo in 1988, The Offspring signed a deal with a small-time label, Nemesis Records
Nemesis Records
Nemesis Records is an independent record label from United States. The label released The Offspring's debut studio album, The Offspring, in 1989 as well as their 1991 EP Baghdad....
, for whom they recorded their first full length album, The Offspring
The Offspring (album)
-Side 1:-Side 2:* Track 11 was removed from album printings after June 2001. On the official Offspring website, "Kill the President" is not mentioned in the track list.-Track notes:* Track 1, "Jennifer Lost the War", is featured on Punk-O-Rama Volume 1....
, in March 1989. This album would eventually be re-issued on November 21, 1995 by Holland's own record label, Nitro Records.
In 1991, The Offspring signed with Epitaph Records
Epitaph Records
Epitaph Records is a Hollywood, California based independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. The label was originally "just a logo and a P.O. box" created in the 1980s for the purpose of selling Bad Religion records, but has evolved into a large independent record...
(home of Bad Religion
Bad Religion
Bad Religion is a punk rock band that formed in Los Angeles in 1979. Their current line-up consists of Greg Graffin , Brett Gurewitz , Jay Bentley , Greg Hetson , Brian Baker and Brooks Wackerman . Gurewitz is also the founder of the label Epitaph Records, which has released almost all of the...
, L7
L7 (band)
L7 was an American rock band from Los Angeles, that was active from 1985 to 2000. Due to their sound and image, they are often associated with the grunge movement of the late 1980s and early 1990s.-History:...
, NOFX
NOFX
NOFX is an American punk rock band from Los Angeles, California .The band was formed in 1983 by vocalist/bassist Fat Mike and guitarist Eric Melvin. Drummer Erik Sandin joined NOFX shortly after. In 1991 El Hefe joined to play lead guitar and trumpet, rounding out the current line-up...
, Pennywise
Pennywise (band)
Pennywise is a Californian punk rock band from Hermosa Beach, California, formed in 1988. The name is derived from the monster, It, from the Stephen King novel of the same title....
and other similar bands). Their first release on the label was Ignition, which was released in 1992. Their last album for that label was 1994's Smash, which still holds the world record for most sales of an album on an independent label. The band then signed with Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
in 1996 (although Dexter claims that Brett Gurewitz
Brett Gurewitz
Brett W. Gurewitz , nicknamed Mr. Brett, is the guitarist and a songwriter of Bad Religion. He is also the owner of the music label Epitaph Records and sister-labels ANTI-, Burning Heart Records, Fat Possum Records, and Hellcat Records...
, owner of Epitaph and guitarist for Bad Religion
Bad Religion
Bad Religion is a punk rock band that formed in Los Angeles in 1979. Their current line-up consists of Greg Graffin , Brett Gurewitz , Jay Bentley , Greg Hetson , Brian Baker and Brooks Wackerman . Gurewitz is also the founder of the label Epitaph Records, which has released almost all of the...
, sold the contract to Columbia) for whom they have released their next five albums, Ixnay on the Hombre
Ixnay on the Hombre
-In popular culture:* "The Meaning of Life" is featured on the soundtrack to Tekken: The Motion Picture.* "All I Want", "Way Down the Line" and "Change the World" were all featured in 1999 video game Crazy Taxi....
(1997), Americana (1998), Conspiracy of One
Conspiracy of One
-Bonus tracks:-Album length:-Notes:* First pressings in Australia and UK had the track "Huck It" listed as track 14, later reprints have it unlisted as well as the original Mature audiences rating reduced to a PG rating in Australia....
(2000), Splinter
Splinter (The Offspring album)
-Enhanced version:The Enhanced CD portion of the CD contains the following:* Da Hui Video* Da Hui Video * Demo Studio Tour* 4 wallpapers* 2 MP3 tracks:*"The Kids Aren't Alright" *"When You're in Prison"...
(2003) and Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace (2008). The Offspring is currently working on a ninth studio album, which is likely due for release sometime in 2012.
Dexter often communicates with fans of The Offspring by way of the band's internet journal.
Holland was recently ranked 73rd in the March 2007 Edition of Kerrang!
Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
100 Stars Who Rock Your World List.
Personal life
Holland was the class valedictorianValedictorian
Valedictorian is an academic title conferred upon the student who delivers the closing or farewell statement at a graduation ceremony. Usually, the valedictorian is the highest ranked student among those graduating from an educational institution...
at Pacifica High School in Garden Grove
West Garden Grove, Garden Grove, California
West Garden Grove is a community encompassing the western portions of the city of Garden Grove in Orange County, California. The term is used on an unofficial basis and is not recognized by the city of Garden Grove...
, 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...
and was a Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
candidate in Molecular Biology
Molecular biology
Molecular biology is the branch of biology that deals with the molecular basis of biological activity. This field overlaps with other areas of biology and chemistry, particularly genetics and biochemistry...
from the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
; however, he abandoned his Ph.D. in favor of focusing on The Offspring. He has a Bachelor's degree in Biology and a Master's degree in Molecular Biology, both from the University of Southern California.
Dexter's interests include surfing, snowboarding and aviation. According to an interview he gave Adam Carolla
Adam Carolla
Adam Carolla is an American radio personality, television host, comedian, and actor. He currently hosts The Adam Carolla Show, a talk show distributed as a podcast on the ACE Broadcasting Network...
, he owns an Aero L-39 Albatross Trainer
Aero L-39
The Aero L-39 Albatros is a high-performance jet trainer aircraft developed in Czechoslovakia to meet requirements for a "C-39" during the 1960s to replace the L-29 Delfín...
. He also owns a Cessna 525A CitationJet 2, tail number N7715X, with the anarchy symbol
Anarchist symbolism
While anarchists have historically largely denied the importance of symbols to political movement, they have embraced certain symbols for their cause, including most prominently the circle-A and the black flag...
on the tail.
Dexter Holland is also the nephew of cult horror director Tom Holland
Tom Holland (director)
-Early life:Holland was born in Poughkeepsie, New York, the son of Lee and Tom Holland. He graduated from Worcester Academy in 1962. He is the uncle of Dexter Holland, the singer and guitarist for the American punk rock band, The Offspring, and father of American actor Josh Holland.-Dead Rabbit...
.
Holland married hairstylist Kristine Luna, who co-wrote the Offspring song "Session", on August 12, 1995.
Holland is also a licensed Airline Transport Pilot
Airline Transport Pilot License
The Airline Transport Pilot License , or in the United States of America, an Airline Transport Pilot Certificate is the highest level of aircraft pilot rating -- or license...
and as of April 2009, a Certified Flight Instructor
Flight instructor
A flight instructor is a person who teaches others to fly aircraft. Specific privileges granted to holders of a flight instructor qualification vary from country to country, but very generally, a flight instructor serves to enhance or evaluate the knowledge and skill level of an aviator in pursuit...
who has made a solo trip around the world in ten days.
He also participated in the 2006 Los Angeles Marathon
Los Angeles Marathon
The Honda LA Marathon is an annual running event held each spring in Los Angeles, California. The 26.219 mile footrace, inspired by the success of the 1984 Summer Olympic Games, has been contested every year since 1986...
; his charity of choice was the Innocence Project
Innocence Project
An Innocence Project is one of a number of non-profit legal organizations in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand dedicated to proving the innocence of wrongly convicted people through the use of DNA testing, and to reforming the criminal justice systems to...
, a non-profit legal clinic that handles legal cases where post-conviction DNA testing of evidence can yield conclusive proof of innocence.
Holland has his own brand of hot sauce
Hot sauce
Hot sauce, chili sauce or pepper sauce refers to any spicy sauce made from chili peppers and other ingredients.-Ingredients:There are many recipes for hot sauces - the common ingredient being any kind of peppers. A group of chemicals called capsaicinoids are responsible for the heat in chili peppers...
, Gringo Bandito. According to the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, the Hot Sauce is bottled in a Newport Beach facility that distributes 500 gallons a month. Holland says that Albertsons
Albertsons LLC
Albertsons LLC is a North American grocery company based in Boise, Idaho, with over 240 supermarkets located in Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Florida under the Albertson's and Super Saver Foods banners...
has started carrying his hot sauce, which he reports is "huge for us".
Musical equipment
All of Holland's Ibanez RGIbanez RG
The Ibanez RG series has the maximum subtypes of guitars under the Ibanez Electric Guitar catalog and a popular series of Ibanez electric guitars produced by Hoshino Gakki. The Ibanez RG was originally designed as a derivative of Steve Vai's JEM\Universe series and released in 1987. Manufacture of...
bodies are made out of mahogany
Mahogany
The name mahogany is used when referring to numerous varieties of dark-colored hardwood. It is a native American word originally used for the wood of the species Swietenia mahagoni, known as West Indian or Cuban mahogany....
and fitted with DiMarzio Super Distortion bridge pickups. During their latest recordings, Holland used a vintage Gibson
Gibson Guitar Corporation
The Gibson Guitar Corporation, formerly of Kalamazoo, Michigan and currently of Nashville, Tennessee, manufactures guitars and other instruments which sell under a variety of brand names...
.
The Offspring
Holland appears on all eight of The Offspring's albums. For a more comprehensive list, see The Offspring discographyThe Offspring discography
This is a comprehensive discography of The Offspring, a Southern California-based punk rock band. The band has released eight studio albums, four extended plays , three compilation albums, three videos, one demo, one box set and twenty-five singles...
.
Guest appearances
- The VandalsThe VandalsThe Vandals are an American rock band established in 1980 in Huntington Beach, California. They have released ten full-length studio albums and two live albums and have toured the world extensively, including performances on the Vans Warped Tour...
- Hitler Bad, Vandals GoodHitler Bad, Vandals GoodHitler Bad, Vandals Good is the seventh studio album by the southern California punk rock band The Vandals, released in 1998 by Nitro Records. Much of the album is characterized by the pop-punk music and humorous lyrics for which the band is known, and it became their most popular and commercially...
(1998) (co-wrote "Too Much Drama") - AFIAFI (band)AFI is an American alternative rock band from Ukiah, California that formed in 1991. They have consisted of the same lineup since 1998: lead vocalist Davey Havok, drummer and backup vocalist Adam Carson, with bassist Hunter Burgan and guitarist Jade Puget, who both play keyboard and contribute...
- Black Sails in the SunsetBlack Sails in the SunsetBlack Sails in the Sunset is the fourth studio album by American alternative rock band AFI. It was released on May 18, 1999 through Nitro Records.-Release:Black Sails in the Sunset was released on May 18, 1999 through Nitro Records...
(1999) ("Clove Smoke Catharsis" and "The Prayer Position") - The AquabatsThe AquabatsThe Aquabats are an American rock band formed in 1994 in Orange County, California. They have released five full-length studio albums and have toured internationally. They are best known for their mythology, in which they claim to be superheroes on a quest to save the world from evil through music...
- The Aquabats vs. the Floating Eye of Death! (1999) (co-wrote "Amino Man!") - The VandalsThe VandalsThe Vandals are an American rock band established in 1980 in Huntington Beach, California. They have released ten full-length studio albums and two live albums and have toured the world extensively, including performances on the Vans Warped Tour...
- Look What I Almost Stepped In...Look What I Almost Stepped In...Look What I Almost Stepped In... is the eighth studio album by the southern California punk rock band The Vandals, released in 2000 by Nitro Records. It was the band's final album for Nitro, as they moved to their own label Kung Fu Records the following year...
(2000) (co-wrote "Jackass" and does backing vocals on that song) - DwarvesDwarves (band)Dwarves is an American punk band formed in Chicago, Illinois, as The Suburban Nightmare, in the mid-1980s. They are currently based in San Francisco, California. Formed as a garage punk band, their career subsequently saw them move in a hardcore direction before settling into an eclectic punk rock...
- The Dwarves Must DieThe Dwarves Must DieThe Dwarves Must Die is the 2004 release by the American punk band Dwarves. It is the band's first release on the Sympathy for the Record Industry label...
(2004) ("Salt Lake City" and "Massacre") - Ron EmoryRon EmoryRon Emory is an American rock musician and guitarist for the punk rock band T.S.O.L. . An original member of the band, founded in Southern California in 1979, Emory left in 1987 prior to the release of the album Hit and Run. In 1996, he joined the other original members of T.S.O.L. to reform the...
- Walk That Walk (2010) (backing vocals on "I'm Not Alone") - DwarvesDwarves (band)Dwarves is an American punk band formed in Chicago, Illinois, as The Suburban Nightmare, in the mid-1980s. They are currently based in San Francisco, California. Formed as a garage punk band, their career subsequently saw them move in a hardcore direction before settling into an eclectic punk rock...
- The Dwarves Are Born AgainThe Dwarves Are Born AgainThe Dwarves Are Born Again is the 2011 release by the American punk rock band Dwarves. It is the band's eighth full-length original album.-Album information:...
(2011) ("Looking Out for Number One" and "Happy Birthday Suicide")