Jack Grisham
Encyclopedia
Jack Grisham is an American
rock music
ian, raconteur and political activist. He is the vocalist for the punk band T.S.O.L.
(True Sounds of Liberty), which emerged from the 1980s Los Angeles punk rock scene, along with Black Flag
, Circle Jerks
and Social Distortion
. Grisham has also fronted the bands The Joykiller, Tender Fury and Cathedral of Tears. He currently records with T.S.O.L. and Jack Grisham and the West Coast Dukes.
Grishams older sister was part of the hippie
subculture (or as he calls it, "Late 60's protest crap"). As a result, by the time he was six years old, Grisham was reading publications like Fritz the Cat
and Zap Comix
, and listening to albums by Frank Zappa
and The Mothers of Invention
, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones
, and Bob Dylan
. Grisham cites the albums We're Only in it for the Money
and Let it Bleed
as two of his musical influences.
In his early life, Grisham's family moved to Long Beach, California
. Growing up, he was a rebellious youth heavily into surfing, skateboarding, and in his words "causing trouble."
While in high school, he met future T.S.O.L. drummer Todd Barnes through a girlfriend. Grisham and Barnes became friends, and took off with the girlfriend's guitar and amplifier and began playing around with sounds. In the beginning, Grisham claims, "All we did was make a bunch of noise and yell,"Fuck the neighbors" all day."
After several minor tangles with the law stemming from his drug and alcohol abuse, Grisham married a 16 year-old girl in Mexico, which he claims got him on the road to sobriety. When asked how he got sober in a 2008 interview, Grisham said, "Actually, I married an underage girl. I wanted her to get clean. I said I would support her. I was like, "Hey, I’ll support you so you can get help. I’ll go to the meetings too. Then she ended up leaving and I ended up staying."
Grisham cleaned up his act on January 8 in 1989 and has been sober ever since. He has two daughters, Anastasia and Georgia, and resides in Huntington Beach, California
. When not working on a music project, Grisham is employed as a Personal Recovery Assistant (PAL).
, bassist Mike Roche, and drummer Todd Barnes.
T.S.O.L.'s initial line-up gained a fans from the hardcore punk
, art punk
, death punk
, horror punk
, and goth
genres. During his time with T.S.O.L., the band was notorious for their controversial, transgressive, and political lyrics.
The original T.S.O.L. broke up in 1983, and Ron Emory and Mike Roche enlisted vocalist Joe Wood (Grisham's brother-in-law at the time) and drummer Mitch Dean into the band, playing music that started as punk rock but with each new album changed to blues inspired hair metal (hair metal
). They spent several years touring and recording under the name T.S.O.L.
The original T.S.O.L. reformed in 1989, but lost Todd Barnes who died of a brain aneurysm in 1999. T.S.O.L. has been touring and recording steadily since 1999.
in 1995 along with Billy Persons (The Weirdos
/Gun Club) on bass, Ronnie King on keyboards, and Chris Lagerborg on drums. The Joykiller released three albums on Epitaph records prior to disbanding in 1998 and had a minor radio hit in Holland with the song "Go-Bang." They later released their "Greatest Non-Hits" in 2005.
and the Geza X
film Rage: 20 Years of Punk Rock West Coast Style (2001)(he also wrote the title track "Spit Up the Rage"). In the 1984 Penelope Spheeris
film Suburbia
, he appeared with T.S.O.L. performing "Wash Away" and "Darker My Love."
, and his lyrics were often highly critical of the government. Songs such as "Abolish Government/Silent Majority," "Peace Thru Power," and "Property Is Theft" were standard in TSOL's song sets. Grisham later changed his anti-government stance, stating, "What I realized about anarchy is that we are not responsible enough to be anarchist. There’s no way possible. We're not responsible enough to be that. That's a heavy concept."
Grisham was one of 135 candidates who ran for governor in the 2003 California gubernatorial recall election, receiving 2,200 votes. He ran on a social democratic platform as incumbent Democratic
governor Gray Davis
was recalled. During his campaign, he stressed health care and education, and supported the teaching in school of religious tolerance.
." This book has received favorable reviews by several sources.
Rob Dukes lead singer for the metal band Exodus did background vocals on the Joykiller albums Static and Three. Rob is a friend of Jack's and credits him as being one of the people who helped save him from a drug and alcohol death.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rock music
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
ian, raconteur and political activist. He is the vocalist for the punk band T.S.O.L.
TSOL
TSOL is an American punk rock band which formed in 1978 in Long Beach, California. TSOL is short for True Sounds of Liberty although they are rarely referred to by their full name....
(True Sounds of Liberty), which emerged from the 1980s Los Angeles punk rock scene, along with Black Flag
Black Flag (band)
Black Flag was an American punk rock band formed in 1976 in Hermosa Beach, California. The band was established by Greg Ginn, the guitarist, primary songwriter and sole continuous member through multiple personnel changes in the band...
, Circle Jerks
Circle Jerks
The Circle Jerks are an American hardcore punk band, formed in 1980 in Los Angeles, California. It was formed by Black Flag's original singer, Keith Morris, and future Bad Religion guitarist Greg Hetson. They were among the preeminent hardcore punk bands of the L.A. scene in the late 1970s.The band...
and 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...
. Grisham has also fronted the bands The Joykiller, Tender Fury and Cathedral of Tears. He currently records with T.S.O.L. and Jack Grisham and the West Coast Dukes.
Early life
Grisham was born in San Francisco. His father, who died in 1984, was a career military man who spent 30 years in the Navy and Coast Guard. Grisham's mother was a military housewife. Grisham was one of five children and has an older sister, two older brothers, and a younger sister.Grishams older sister was part of the hippie
Hippie
The hippie subculture was originally a youth movement that arose in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to other countries around the world. The etymology of the term 'hippie' is from hipster, and was initially used to describe beatniks who had moved into San Francisco's...
subculture (or as he calls it, "Late 60's protest crap"). As a result, by the time he was six years old, Grisham was reading publications like Fritz the Cat
Fritz the Cat
Fritz the Cat is a comic strip created by Robert Crumb. Set in a "supercity" of anthropomorphic animals, the strip focuses on Fritz, a feline con artist who frequently goes on wild adventures that sometimes involve sexcapades. Crumb began drawing this character in homemade comic books when he was a...
and Zap Comix
Zap Comix
Zap Comix is the best-known and one of the most popular of the underground comics that emerged as part of the youth counterculture of the late 1960s. While not believed to be the first underground comic to have been published, Zap is considered to mark the beginning of the "underground comix"...
, and listening to albums by Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
and The Mothers of Invention
The Mothers of Invention
The Mothers of Invention were an American band active from 1964 to 1969, and again from 1970 to 1975.They mainly performed works by, and were the original recording group of, US composer and guitarist Frank Zappa , although other members have had the occasional writing credit...
, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
, and Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
. Grisham cites the albums We're Only in it for the Money
We're Only in It for the Money
We're Only in It For the Money is the third studio album by The Mothers of Invention, released in March 1968. The album peaked at number thirty on the Billboard 200...
and Let it Bleed
Let It Bleed
Let It Bleed is the eighth British and tenth American album by English rock band The Rolling Stones, released in December 1969 by Decca Records in the United Kingdom and London Records in the United States...
as two of his musical influences.
In his early life, Grisham's family moved to Long Beach, California
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
. Growing up, he was a rebellious youth heavily into surfing, skateboarding, and in his words "causing trouble."
While in high school, he met future T.S.O.L. drummer Todd Barnes through a girlfriend. Grisham and Barnes became friends, and took off with the girlfriend's guitar and amplifier and began playing around with sounds. In the beginning, Grisham claims, "All we did was make a bunch of noise and yell,"Fuck the neighbors" all day."
Adult life
While still in his teens, Grisham started experimenting with substances. Soon he became addicted to drugs and alcohol. He recalled, "I was a nut. I used to think I didn’t have a problem because I didn’t shoot up and I didn’t take acid."After several minor tangles with the law stemming from his drug and alcohol abuse, Grisham married a 16 year-old girl in Mexico, which he claims got him on the road to sobriety. When asked how he got sober in a 2008 interview, Grisham said, "Actually, I married an underage girl. I wanted her to get clean. I said I would support her. I was like, "Hey, I’ll support you so you can get help. I’ll go to the meetings too. Then she ended up leaving and I ended up staying."
Grisham cleaned up his act on January 8 in 1989 and has been sober ever since. He has two daughters, Anastasia and Georgia, and resides in Huntington Beach, California
Huntington Beach, California
Huntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County in Southern California. According to the 2010 census, the city population was 189,992; making it the largest beach city in Orange County in terms of population...
. When not working on a music project, Grisham is employed as a Personal Recovery Assistant (PAL).
True Sounds of Liberty (T.S.O.L.)
Childhood friends Grisham and Barnes were joined by Ron Emory and Mike Roche to form T.S.O.L. The original line-up of the band was vocalist Jack Grisham, guitarist Ron EmoryRon Emory
Ron 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...
, bassist Mike Roche, and drummer Todd Barnes.
T.S.O.L.'s initial line-up gained a fans from the 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...
, art punk
Art punk
Art punk or avant punk refers to punk rock of an experimental bent, or with connections to art school, the art world, or the avant garde....
, death punk
Deathrock
Deathrock is a term used to identify a sub-genre of punk rock incorporating horror elements and spooky atmospherics, that emerged on the West Coast of the United States in 1979.-Characteristics:...
, horror punk
Horror punk
Horror punk is a music genre that mixes Gothic and punk rock sounds with morbid imagery and lyrics, which are often influenced by horror films...
, and goth
Gothic rock
Gothic rock is a musical subgenre of post-punk and alternative rock that formed during the late 1970s. Gothic rock bands grew from the strong ties they had to the English punk rock and emerging post-punk scenes...
genres. During his time with T.S.O.L., the band was notorious for their controversial, transgressive, and political lyrics.
The original T.S.O.L. broke up in 1983, and Ron Emory and Mike Roche enlisted vocalist Joe Wood (Grisham's brother-in-law at the time) and drummer Mitch Dean into the band, playing music that started as punk rock but with each new album changed to blues inspired hair metal (hair metal
Glam metal
Glam metal is a subgenre of hard rock and heavy metal that arose in the late 1970s and early 1980s in the United States, particularly on the Los Angeles Sunset Strip music scene...
). They spent several years touring and recording under the name T.S.O.L.
The original T.S.O.L. reformed in 1989, but lost Todd Barnes who died of a brain aneurysm in 1999. T.S.O.L. has been touring and recording steadily since 1999.
The Joykiller
Grisham and Ron Emory formed The JoykillerThe Joykiller
The Joykiller are a punk rock supergroup from Huntington Beach, California. The Joykiller were formed in 1995 by Jack Grisham and Ron Emory after the disbanding of their previous band T.S.O.L., they then went on to recruit Billy Persons on bass, Ronnie King on Keyboards, and Chris Lagerborg on...
in 1995 along with Billy Persons (The Weirdos
The Weirdos
The Weirdos were an American punk rock band from Los Angeles, California. They formed in 1976 and broke up in 1981, were occasionally active in the 1980s, and recorded new material in the 1990s...
/Gun Club) on bass, Ronnie King on keyboards, and Chris Lagerborg on drums. The Joykiller released three albums on Epitaph records prior to disbanding in 1998 and had a minor radio hit in Holland with the song "Go-Bang." They later released their "Greatest Non-Hits" in 2005.
Jack Grisham and Hypnotherapy
Currently, Grisham has received full certification as a Clinical Hypnotherapist and Master NLP Practitioner. He has an office in Huntington Beach over-looking the Pacific and is taking select clients http://www.jackgrisham.com.Film
Grisham appeared as himself in the movies American HardcoreAmerican Hardcore (film)
American Hardcore is a documentary directed by Paul Rachman and written by Steven Blush. It is based on the book American Hardcore: A Tribal History also written by Blush. It was released on September 22, 2006 on a limited basis...
and the Geza X
Geza X
Geza Gedeon, professionally known as Geza X was a personality in the Los Angeles punk scene in the late 1970s. Geza produced records for a number of early California punk bands including the Dead Kennedys, The Germs, Black Flag, The Avengers and The Weirdos...
film Rage: 20 Years of Punk Rock West Coast Style (2001)(he also wrote the title track "Spit Up the Rage"). In the 1984 Penelope Spheeris
Penelope Spheeris
Penelope Spheeris is an American director, producer and screenwriter. She is best known as a documentary film director whose works include the trilogy titled The Decline of Western Civilization...
film Suburbia
Suburbia (film)
Suburbia, also known as Rebel Streets and The Wild Side, is a 1984 film written and directed by Penelope Spheeris about suburban punks who run away from home. The kids take up a minimalist, punk lifestyle by squatting in abandoned suburban tract homes...
, he appeared with T.S.O.L. performing "Wash Away" and "Darker My Love."
Politics
In the early years of TSOL, Grisham was an outspoken anarchistAnarchism
Anarchism is generally defined as the political philosophy which holds the state to be undesirable, unnecessary, and harmful, or alternatively as opposing authority in the conduct of human relations...
, and his lyrics were often highly critical of the government. Songs such as "Abolish Government/Silent Majority," "Peace Thru Power," and "Property Is Theft" were standard in TSOL's song sets. Grisham later changed his anti-government stance, stating, "What I realized about anarchy is that we are not responsible enough to be anarchist. There’s no way possible. We're not responsible enough to be that. That's a heavy concept."
Grisham was one of 135 candidates who ran for governor in the 2003 California gubernatorial recall election, receiving 2,200 votes. He ran on a social democratic platform as incumbent Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
governor Gray Davis
Gray Davis
Joseph Graham "Gray" Davis, Jr. is an American Democratic politician who served as California's 37th Governor from 1999 until being recalled in 2003...
was recalled. During his campaign, he stressed health care and education, and supported the teaching in school of religious tolerance.
Writing
In 2011, Grisham released his first novel "An American Demon: A MemoirAn American Demon: A Memoir
An American Demon: A Memoir is a 2011 novel by Jack Grisham that is loosely based on the author's life. This novel treats elements as diverse as religion, substance abuse, recovery programs, depression, child abuse, family relationships, punk rock, surfing, and cross dressing.- Setting :This novel...
." This book has received favorable reviews by several sources.
Trivia
- Grisham once played saxophone live onstage with the band Butthole SurfersButthole SurfersButthole Surfers is an American alternative rock band formed by Gibby Haynes and Paul Leary in San Antonio, Texas in 1981. The band has had numerous personnel changes, but its core lineup of Haynes, Leary, and drummer King Coffey has been consistent since 1983. Teresa Nervosa served as second...
. - He appeared in the Kottonmouth KingsKottonmouth KingsKottonmouth Kings is an American rap rock group from Placentia, Orange County, California. Kottonmouth Kings officially formed in 1994, and describe themselves as "psychedelic hip-hop punk rock"...
video for their cover of TSOL's song "Abolish Government" under the title "Peace Not Greed." - In keeping with his "Robin Hood" methodology, when T.S.O.L. was touring with the Vans The Warped TourWarped TourThe Warped Tour is a touring music and extreme sports festival. The tour is held in venues such as parking lots or fields upon which the stages and other structures are erected. The BMX/skateboarding shoe manufacturer Vans, among others, has sponsored the tour every year since 1995, and it is...
, Grisham sold his allotted backstage passes for each show on eBay and allowed high bidders to join T.S.O.L. on-stage to sing with the band. The money was all given to charity but the practice was quickly halted by officials for the tour. - Heavy Metal band SlayerSlayerSlayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
covered two T.S.O.L. songs in a limited release EP released by Sup Pop RecordsSub PopSub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman in Seattle, Washington. Sub Pop achieved fame in the late 1980s for first signing Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and many other bands from the Seattle music scene...
in 1996. Slayer's version of Abolish Government/Superficial Love can be heard on the A-side of the album, and the original T.S.O.L. versions are on the B-side. - Grisham was once jailed briefly for driving a car backwards on the Pacific Coast Highway. Not driving down the wrong side of the street - driving the car backwards, in reverse, steering with one hand, sprawled across hood of the car, while a friend pushed the gas pedal.
LPs
- Dance With MeDance With Me (TSOL album)Dance with Me is the debut album of American punk band TSOL. A departure from the entirely political nature of their previous release , "Dance With Me" is far darker and more macabre, featuring such themes as necrophilia, and the song "Silent Scream", which is made up entirely of horror movie...
- (1981) - Beneath The ShadowsBeneath the ShadowsBeneath the Shadows is an album by the punk band TSOL. It was reissued in 2001 by Nitro Records.-Track listing:*All Songs Written By TSOL.#"Soft Focus" - 3:33#"Forever Old" - 2:51#"She'll Be Saying" - 2:48#"Beneath The Shadows" - 3:51...
- (1982) - Disappear - (2001)
- Divided We Stand - (2003)
- Who's Screwin' Who? - (2005)
- Live From Long Beach - (2007)
- Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Free Downloads - (2009)
Movie Soundtracks
- Suburbia (1984) Soundtrack
- American Hardcore: The History Of American Punk Rock 1980-1986
- Rage: 20 Years of Punk Rock West Coast Style (2001)
Filmography
- Suburbia (1984) / a Roger Corman film
- American Hardcore: The History Of American Punk Rock 1980-1986
- Rage: 20 Years of Punk Rock West Coast Style (2001)
- Punks not Dead
- Let it Rock
- Live In Hawaii (DVD) - (2004)
- Live In OC (DVD) - (2001)
- The Early Years / T.S.O.L. Live MVD release
The Joykiller
- The Joykiller (1995) on Epitaph RecordsEpitaph RecordsEpitaph 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...
- Static (1996) on Epitaph Records
- Three (1997) on Epitaph Records
- Ready Sexed Go! (2003) on Epitaph Records
Tender Fury
- Tender Fury (Posh Boy) 1988
- Garden of Evil (Triple X) 1990
- If Anger Were Soul, I'd Be James Brown (Triple X) 1991
TSOL/Slayer
- Abolish Government EP7 (Sub Pop) 1996
Rob Dukes lead singer for the metal band Exodus did background vocals on the Joykiller albums Static and Three. Rob is a friend of Jack's and credits him as being one of the people who helped save him from a drug and alcohol death.
External links
- Jack on Myspace
- Jack's 2008 interview with Ro Hurley from ZZZlist.com
- Comedian Neil Hamburger's extensive interview with Jack on Tom Green's website
- Jack Grisham for Governor Benefit Show
- The Orange County RegisterThe Orange County RegisterThe Orange County Register is a daily newspaper published in Santa Ana, California. The Register is the flagship publication of Freedom Communications, Inc., which publishes 28 daily newspapers, 23 weekly newspapers, Coast magazine, and several related Internet sites.The Register is notable for its...
article on Grisham's recall race - Trouser Press synopsis of TSOL personnel transitions