Michael Fitzpatrick (musician)
Encyclopedia
Michael Sean "Fitz" Fitzpatrick (born c. 1970) is a Los Angeles
musician who is the lead vocalist and principal songwriter of the soul
indie pop
band Fitz and The Tantrums.
Fitz and The Tantrums were heralded as a "band to watch" in an April 2011 profile in Rolling Stone. Their 2010 debut full-length album Pickin' Up the Pieces
has received critical acclaim and reached #1 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart. They have performed their hit single "MoneyGrabber" on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live
, on TBS' Conan and on NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
.
, is Irish and his mother is French. He attended the L.A. County High School for the Arts
, studying Vocal Music, and then studied experimental film at the California Institute of the Arts, where he met fellow band member James King. Although he now composes primarily on the piano and organ, he only had formal piano training later in life. He has said, "I’d always been a decent singer, but I got frustrated by my inability to play piano by anything more than by ear. I took piano lessons when I was 32, and it opened up a whole new vocabulary for me." Fitzpatrick grew up mostly listening to classical music, as he was discouraged from listening to other music styles in the household. One concession, however, was being allowed to listen to a local oldie radio station in the car driving to and from school.
After college he worked for many years behind the scenes as a sound engineer for producer Mickey Petralia, who produced Beck
, Ladytron
, Flight of the Conchords
, and The Dandy Warhols
.
In late 2008, Fitzpatrick received a call from an ex-girlfriend to tell him about a neighbor who needed to unload a church organ for $50. Fitzpatrick told her to pay the neighbor the $50 and arranged to have the organ moved to his apartment that same day. That evening, inspired by the organ, he wrote the song "Breakin' the Chains of Love". He has stated, "I immediately knew it was the best song I'd written. I could astral plane out and hear myself, like, 'wow!' Not bad!". Fitzpatrick decided to form a band, and contacted friend and saxophonist James King. Through phone calls they assembled the band, with King recommending singer Noelle Scaggs
and drummer John Wicks, and Wicks in turn bringing in bassist Ethan Phillips and keyboardist Jeremy Ruzumna. The band met for its first rehearsal a week later and instantly clicked.
In interviews he has emphasized his eclectic musical tastes. He has said, "We [the band] all have a love affair with soul and funk music. For me, it’s obviously Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye, the Supremes, all that stuff. My musical taste runs the gamut from Radiohead to Zeppelin to Major Lazer. My older brother was really into 80s new wave, so a lot of the first records I got to borrow and steal were his."
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
musician who is the lead vocalist and principal songwriter of the soul
Soul
A soul in certain spiritual, philosophical, and psychological traditions is the incorporeal essence of a person or living thing or object. Many philosophical and spiritual systems teach that humans have souls, and others teach that all living things and even inanimate objects have souls. The...
indie pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
band Fitz and The Tantrums.
Fitz and The Tantrums were heralded as a "band to watch" in an April 2011 profile in Rolling Stone. Their 2010 debut full-length album Pickin' Up the Pieces
Pickin' Up the Pieces (album)
Pickin' Up the Pieces is the debut studio album by American soul group Fitz and The Tantrums. Produced by Chris Seefried and vocalist Michael Fitzpatrick, the album was first released on August 24, 2010 in the United States on independent label Dangerbird Records. After the success of their...
has received critical acclaim and reached #1 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart. They have performed their hit single "MoneyGrabber" on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live
Jimmy Kimmel Live
Jimmy Kimmel Live! is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and broadcast on ABC.The nightly hour-long show made its debut on January 26, 2003, following Super Bowl XXXVII. Jimmy Kimmel Live! is produced by Jackhole Productions in association with ABC Studios...
, on TBS' Conan and on NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jay Leno that initially aired from May 25, 1992 to May 29, 2009, and resumed production on March 1, 2010. The fourth incarnation of the Tonight Show franchise made its debut on May 25, 1992, three days following Johnny...
.
Life and career
Fitzpatrick grew up in Los Angeles, California. His father, Robert FitzpatrickRobert Fitzpatrick (art executive)
Robert Fitzpatrick is an art academic and executive, entrepreneur and former politician. In 1972, he was elected as Baltimore, Maryland's youngest city council member while also serving as a professor of medieval French literature and dean of students, at Johns Hopkins University. Time Magazine...
, is Irish and his mother is French. He attended the L.A. County High School for the Arts
Los Angeles County High School for the Arts
Los Angeles County High School for the Arts is a Visual and Performing Arts high school located on the campus of California State University, Los Angeles in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1984, the public, tuition-free school offers both college preparatory courses and...
, studying Vocal Music, and then studied experimental film at the California Institute of the Arts, where he met fellow band member James King. Although he now composes primarily on the piano and organ, he only had formal piano training later in life. He has said, "I’d always been a decent singer, but I got frustrated by my inability to play piano by anything more than by ear. I took piano lessons when I was 32, and it opened up a whole new vocabulary for me." Fitzpatrick grew up mostly listening to classical music, as he was discouraged from listening to other music styles in the household. One concession, however, was being allowed to listen to a local oldie radio station in the car driving to and from school.
After college he worked for many years behind the scenes as a sound engineer for producer Mickey Petralia, who produced Beck
Beck
Beck Hansen is an American musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, known by the stage name Beck...
, Ladytron
Ladytron
Ladytron are an English electronic band formed in 1999 in Liverpool, Merseyside. The group consists of Helen Marnie , Mira Aroyo , Daniel Hunt and Reuben Wu .Their sound blends electropop with New Wave and shoegazing elements. Ladytron described their sound as "electronic pop"...
, Flight of the Conchords
Flight of the Conchords
Flight of the Conchords are a New Zealand-based comedy duo composed of Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement. The duo's comedy and music became the basis of a BBC radio series and then an American television series, which premiered in 2007 on HBO, also called Flight of the Conchords.They were named...
, and The Dandy Warhols
The Dandy Warhols
The Dandy Warhols are an American alternative rock band formed in Portland, Oregon in 1994. The band was founded by singer-guitarist Courtney Taylor-Taylor and guitarist Peter Holmström, with keyboardist Zia McCabe and drummer Eric Hedford later joining. Hedford left in 1998 and was replaced by...
.
In late 2008, Fitzpatrick received a call from an ex-girlfriend to tell him about a neighbor who needed to unload a church organ for $50. Fitzpatrick told her to pay the neighbor the $50 and arranged to have the organ moved to his apartment that same day. That evening, inspired by the organ, he wrote the song "Breakin' the Chains of Love". He has stated, "I immediately knew it was the best song I'd written. I could astral plane out and hear myself, like, 'wow!' Not bad!". Fitzpatrick decided to form a band, and contacted friend and saxophonist James King. Through phone calls they assembled the band, with King recommending singer Noelle Scaggs
Noelle Scaggs
Noelle Scaggs is a singer-songwriter from Los Angeles. As a singer for soul band Fitz and The Tantrums, she has toured extensively in the United States and abroad, and has performed on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live, on TBS' Conan and on NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.- Biography :She was the lead...
and drummer John Wicks, and Wicks in turn bringing in bassist Ethan Phillips and keyboardist Jeremy Ruzumna. The band met for its first rehearsal a week later and instantly clicked.
In interviews he has emphasized his eclectic musical tastes. He has said, "We [the band] all have a love affair with soul and funk music. For me, it’s obviously Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye, the Supremes, all that stuff. My musical taste runs the gamut from Radiohead to Zeppelin to Major Lazer. My older brother was really into 80s new wave, so a lot of the first records I got to borrow and steal were his."