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BucketheadAmerican musician, guitar virtuoso
Date of Birth: 13.05.1969
Country:  USA |
Content:
- Biography of Buckethead
- Stage Persona
- Musical Talent
- Collaborations and Contributions
- Early Years and Musical Journey
- Recent Years
Biography of Buckethead
IntroductionBuckethead, born on May 13, 1969, is an American musician, virtuoso guitarist, and multi-instrumentalist. He is well-known for his unique stage persona and his ability to play multiple musical genres. Buckethead has released 36 studio albums, 4 special releases, and 1 EP, and has contributed to over 50 albums by other musicians. He is considered one of the most prolific contemporary musicians, with his music spanning progressive metal, funk, blues, jazz, bluegrass, ambient, country, and avant-garde genres.
Stage Persona
Buckethead is famously known for his stage name, which he adopted due to his habit of wearing a KFC bucket on his head during performances. The bucket often has an orange sticker with the word "FUNERAL" attached to it. He also wears a white mask, reminiscent of a character from the Italian commedia dell'arte. His live performances include elements such as nunchaku spinning, robot dancing, and beatboxing.
Musical Talent
Buckethead is proficient in various instruments including mandolin, ukulele, piano, banjo, synthesizers, bass guitar, and violin. However, he is most renowned for his virtuosic electric guitar playing. He is ranked 8th in GuitarOne magazine's list of the 10 greatest shred guitarists of all time, and he is also included in the lists of the 25 strangest guitarists of all time and the 50 fastest guitarists in the world.
Collaborations and Contributions
Although Buckethead primarily performs as a solo artist, he has collaborated with numerous musicians throughout his career. Some notable collaborations include Bill Laswell, Bootsy Collins, Bernie Worrell, Iggy Pop, Les Claypool, Serj Tankian, Viggo Mortensen, and others. From 2000 to 2004, he was a member of the band Guns N' Roses. Apart from his live performances, Buckethead has also composed and performed music for films such as "Saw II" (2005), "Ghosts of Mars" (2001), "Beverly Hills Ninja" (1997), "Mortal Kombat" (1995), "Mortal Kombat: Annihilation" (1997), and "Last Action Hero" (1993).
Early Years and Musical Journey
Buckethead began playing the guitar at the age of 12, but he didn't take it seriously until the following summer when he moved from Huntington Beach, California, to Claremont, California. He received instruction from several teachers, including Paul Gilbert, one of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time according to Classic Rock magazine. Buckethead trained with Gilbert for over a year. In 1988, after leaving the band Class-X, he submitted a song called "Brazos" to a Guitar Player magazine competition and secured the second place. It was during this time that he started wearing his famous bucket on his head. The editor-in-chief of the magazine, Jas Obrecht, discovered a demo tape left by Buckethead and his parents at the reception. Obrecht was so impressed with the recording that he rushed into the restaurant where the Bucketheads were dining to witness this talent. They soon became friends, and in 1991, Buckethead moved into Obrecht's basement. In 1992, he released his debut album "Bucketheadland" on the Japanese label "Avant," which received positive reviews and garnered attention for Buckethead. Around the same time, he caught the attention of bassist and producer Bill Laswell and became his second guitarist in addition to playing in the supergroup "Praxis." In 1994, his second album "Giant Robot" was released on "Sony Japan." Buckethead's albums have been released on various labels, including his own label, "Bucketheadland."
Recent Years
Since 2002, Buckethead has been consistently releasing multiple studio albums each year. In 2012, he released his latest albums, "Electric Sea" on "Metastation" and "Balloon Cement" on "Bucketheadland," which are available on iTunes. In 2010, Gibson released the "Gibson Buckethead Signature Les Paul" guitar model in his honor.
