Art Alexakis Guitarist, singer and vocalist of the band "Everclear" Country: USA

Biography of Art Alexakis

Art Alexakis, the talented guitarist, singer, and vocalist of the band Everclear, was born in 1962 in Los Angeles, California. Growing up, he faced numerous challenges and was raised by a single mother after his father abandoned them. Due to financial difficulties, the family had to move to the affordable neighborhood of Mar Vista Gardens in Los Angeles, where Art was exposed to the criminal activities and the drug scene, particularly heroin.

Art's troubled childhood took a tragic turn when his brother died from a heroin overdose and his 15-year-old girlfriend took her own life. Devastated by these losses, Art also contemplated suicide. However, he was stopped by the sight of his deceased brother, George, which he claims saved his life. For the next eight years, Art wandered around the country, living with various relatives in Texas and Oregon, all the while struggling with drug addiction.

Eventually, Art returned to Los Angeles and enrolled in journalism school. He briefly worked as a music critic for a small newspaper in Santa Monica. It was during this time that Art decided to overcome his drug addiction after experiencing a cocaine overdose that brought him to the brink of death. Although his first musical endeavor, a band called "Shakin' Brave," was met with little success in Los Angeles, Art moved to San Francisco and became acquainted with the Cowpunk music scene. He formed another band called "Colorfinger" and released an album, but the group disbanded shortly after. Art then relocated to Portland with his pregnant wife.

In Portland, Art became a father to a beautiful daughter and placed an advertisement in a local newspaper to form a new band. This led to the creation of "Everclear." The band signed a record deal and released an album primarily comprised of reworked material from Art's previous band. In 1994, Everclear experienced a breakthrough when they signed with Capitol Records. They subsequently released a couple of hit albums and became one of the leading alternative rock bands of their time.

Art drew inspiration from his own experiences and those of the people around him when writing song lyrics. In addition to his work with Everclear, Art pursued several solo projects and collaborated with other artists in the late 90s. He is also known for his political activism and social work, performing concerts to support underprivileged children and actively speaking out against drug abuse.