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Mike NessAmerican musician, leader of the band Social Distortion
Date of Birth: 03.04.1962
Country:  USA |
Content:
Biography of Mike Ness
Mike Ness is an American musician and the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter of the punk rock band 'Social Distortion'. The band was formed in 1978 and to this day, Ness is the only surviving member of the group.
Early Life
Michael James Ness was born in 1962 in Stoneham, Massachusetts. He grew up with his brother Troy and frequently mentions their childhood together. At the age of 15, Ness was kicked out of his home by his father, and their family was living in Orange County, California at the time. During his youth, Ness developed a serious interest in blues, rock and roll, and country music. He later gravitated towards the punk scene.
Social Distortion
In 1978, 'Social Distortion' was formed, and their first release was the 'Mainliner/Playpen 7' in the same year. Their album 'Mommy's Little Monster' was released in 1983. In the 1990s, the band released three more albums - 'Social Distortion', 'Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell', and 'White Light, White Heat, White Trash'. After that, there was a significant hiatus in the band's creative output.
Throughout their career, the band faced the typical hardships of rock musicians, including struggles with drugs. However, Ness himself has been drug-free since 1985.
Solo Projects and Personal Life
In 1999, Ness released his solo project album 'Cheating at Solitaire'. Later that year, he released another solo album called 'Under the Influences'.
In 2000, Ness faced a major personal loss when his childhood friend and co-founder of 'Social Distortion', Dennis Danell, passed away. Many songs on the album 'Sex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll', released in 2004, were dedicated to Danell.
Despite ongoing rumors of a breakup, 'Social Distortion' continued to perform and record sporadically throughout the 2000s. In 2011, the band released the album 'Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes'.
In his personal life, Mike Ness married Christine Marie in the early 1990s, and they have two sons together named Julian (born in 1992) and Johnny (born in 1997). Today, Mike and his family reside in Newport Beach, California. He is an avid collector of vintage toys and other antique trinkets, and he owns two vintage cars - a 1954 Chevrolet and a 1936 Ford. Mike Ness is also known to be a vegetarian.
