James Levesque is best known as the bass

Bass guitar

The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....

 player from surf punk band Agent Orange

Agent Orange (band)

Agent Orange is an American punk rock band formed in Orange County, California in 1979. The band is one of the first to mix punk rock with surf music. They first gained attention with their song "Bloodstains" which they released on their own 7" E.P. An early demo of the song was presented to...

. Levesque was the bass player for the touring punk band from 1979-1988, along with original members Mike Palm and Scott Miller. Levesque's songwriting and artistic influences on the bands most notable releases (Living in Darkness

Living in Darkness

Living in Darkness is the 1981 release by the hardcore punk band Agent Orange. It was released on Posh Boy Records in 1981. It showcases their punk sound with its metal and surf influences....

, This is the Voice) helped create the explosive music scene in Orange County, California

Orange County, California

Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...

 in the early 1980s. The melodic guitar driven surf punk with vocal harmonies influenced bands such as Nirvana

Nirvana (band)

Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...

, 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...

, 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...

 and Green Day

Green Day

Green Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...

.

Agent Orange is considered to be the originator of "skate rock" after their music was used in the Vision Skateboard video "Skate Visions" that crowned them Kings of the skater bands. The video spawned many imitators and is the best-selling skateboard music video of all time.

Levesque is a BMI

Broadcast Music Incorporated

Broadcast Music, Inc. is one of three United States performing rights organizations, along with ASCAP and SESAC. It collects license fees on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers and distributes them as royalties to those members whose works have been performed...

 affiliated songwriter and co-writer of such punk classics as "Everything Turns Grey", "Living in Darkness", "Voices in the Night", and "In Your Dreams Tonight".

Levesque is currently a music and entertainment publicist in Beverly Hills, California

Beverly Hills, California

Beverly Hills is an affluent city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. With a population of 34,109 at the 2010 census, up from 33,784 as of the 2000 census, it is home to numerous Hollywood celebrities. Beverly Hills and the neighboring city of West Hollywood are together...

and represented Larry Birkhead and attorney Debra Opri in the Anna Nicole Smith paternity battle.

External links

• The Official Agent Orange Website