Andrew W.K. facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Andrew W.K.
Wilkes-Krier performing in 2018
Background information
Birth name	Andrew Fetterly Wilkes-Krier
Born	(1979-05-09) May 9, 1979 (age 46) Stanford, California, U.S.
Origin	Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.
Genres	Hard rock pop metal power pop heavy metal
Occupation(s)	Musician singer songwriter record producer motivational speaker actor
Instruments	Vocals piano keyboards guitar bass drums
Years active	1993–present
Labels	Napalm Sony Hanson Bulb Island Universal Mercury

Andrew Fetterly Wilkes-Krier (born May 9, 1979), known as Andrew W.K., is an American musician, singer, and motivational speaker. He is famous for his energetic rock songs about partying and having fun. Andrew W.K. also plays many instruments, writes songs, and produces music for others.

He grew up in Michigan and started his music journey in the mid-1990s. After playing in several local bands, he moved to New York. There, he began making his own recordings as Andrew W.K. He first gained attention with his EP (a shorter album) called Girls Own Juice in 2000. His first full album, I Get Wet, came out in 2001 and made him very popular. Since then, he has done many other things, including TV, radio, motivational speaking, and writing.

Who is Andrew W.K.?

Andrew Wilkes-Krier was born in Stanford, California. He spent his childhood in Ann Arbor, Michigan. His father, James E. Krier, is a well-known law professor. His mother is Wendy Wilkes. Andrew has a younger brother named Patrick.

Andrew started learning piano at the University of Michigan School of Music when he was just four years old. He remembers that family trips to Midnight Mass helped him love music. An elementary school teacher gave him the nickname "Andrew W.K." to tell him apart from other students named Andrew. He went to Greenhills School for middle school. Later, he attended Community High School from 1993 to 1997. He continued to study piano and keyboard there.

Andrew W.K.'s Music Career

How Andrew W.K. Started (1993–1999)

In 1993, when he was 14, Andrew joined a band called Slam. This band later changed its name to Reverse Polarity. In 1996, one of his songs, "Mr. Surprise," was on a music collection called Plant the Flower Seeds. This was his first song released to the public.

For the next five years, Andrew played in many punk and heavy metal bands in Detroit. He played drums in a metal band called Kathode. He also started his own music project, Ancient Art of Boar, which was a way for him to release his early solo songs.

In 1998, Andrew moved from Michigan to New York City. He worked many different jobs, like selling bubblegum machines and opera tickets. He also worked as a fashion photographer and a waiter. He stopped his Ancient Art of Boar project. Then, he started recording new solo music under his full name, Andrew Wilkes-Krier. He released a cassette tape called Room to Breathe in 1998. In 1999, he moved to Seffner, Florida. There, he began putting together his live band with drummer Donald "D.T." Tardy.

Becoming Famous (2000–2003)

In March 2000, Andrew W.K. released his first EP, Girls Own Juice. This was his first solo music released under the name Andrew W.K. This EP showed his hard rock style and experimental ideas. People described his music as "Judas Priest mixed with Sparks."

This release created a lot of excitement for Andrew W.K. He became known for his "party rock" music. He played many solo shows in New York and other East Coast areas. Andrew and his manager sent out demo tapes with handwritten letters. One tape reached famous musician Dave Grohl. Grohl was impressed and asked Andrew W.K. to open for his band, Foo Fighters, at a concert.

Another tape reached a music executive named Lewis Largent. Largent liked the demos and went to see Andrew W.K. play live. He was amazed by how Andrew won over everyone in the audience. Andrew was surprised by the interest from Island Records. He was very excited to start working with them. After Girls Own Juice, he released another EP called Party Til You Puke in October 2000. Andrew W.K. then left Bulb Records to sign with Island Records.

His first major album, I Get Wet, came out on November 13, 2001. This album continued the sound from his earlier EPs. It was known for its heavy metal and punk rock influences. The songs were all about partying.

I Get Wet received good reviews from music magazines. It had two hit songs in the UK: "Party Hard" and "She Is Beautiful". The album also reached the top spot on Billboard's Top Heatseekers chart. Andrew W.K. also became known for his very energetic live shows. He joined Ozzy Osbourne's Ozzfest tour. Many songs from I Get Wet, like "Party Hard" and "It's Time to Party," were used in video games, movies, TV shows, and commercials. In 2002, he re-recorded his song "We Want Fun" for the Jackass: The Movie soundtrack.

In late 2003, Andrew W.K. released his second album, The Wolf. For this album, Andrew played all the instruments himself. He used a technique called overdubbing to layer the instrument sounds. The album had singles like "Tear It Up" and "Never Let Down" in the US. The song "Long Live the Party" was popular in Japan. "Tear It Up" was also used as menu music in the video game Nascar Thunder TM 2004. The Wolf reached Andrew W.K.'s highest chart position ever at #61 on the Billboard 200.

During his tour for The Wolf, Andrew W.K. broke his foot on stage. But he didn't want to disappoint his fans. He signed autographs from the ambulance and performed the rest of the tour in a wheelchair.

Later Music Releases (2004–Present)

W.K. in 2006

Andrew W.K. continued to be busy even when his album Close Calls with Brick Walls didn't get a wide release in 2006. He released a live concert DVD called Who Knows? in February 2006. In November 2008, he released his fourth album, The Japan Covers. This album featured his versions of J-pop songs. He also released a collection of his best songs called The Very Best So Far.

In February 2009, Andrew W.K. started his own record label called Skyscraper Music Maker. His fifth album, 55 Cadillac, was released on this label. Andrew played only piano on this album, making up the music as he went along. He explained that legal problems had caused him a lot of stress. He said that making 55 Cadillac was "the sound of a piano being played by a free man."

In September 2009, Andrew W.K. released a Japan-only album called Gundam Rock. This album had cover songs from the Japanese anime TV series Gundam. He was asked to record it to celebrate the show's 30th anniversary. In March 2010, Andrew W.K. re-released Close Calls with Brick Walls. It came with a bonus disc of rare songs called Mother of Mankind. To promote this, he joined the 2010 Warped Tour.

In March 2011, Andrew W.K. released a new EP called The "Party All Godd**n Night" EP. It had five new songs. In September 2017, he announced a new album, You're Not Alone, which came out on March 2, 2018. In August 2018, he shared that he had started working on his next album.

In October 2020, Andrew W.K. signed with Napalm Records. He announced he was working on a new album. The first song, "Babalon," was released in February 2021. This song was a bit different from his usual positive themes.

Andrew W.K.'s sixth album, God Is Partying, was released on September 10, 2021. He played all the instruments on this album. The album release also came with a new song, "I'm in Heaven." In July 2021, the video for "Everybody Sins" was released. It featured actress Kat Dennings.

Other Things Andrew W.K. Does

Motivational Speaking

Andrew W.K. has also become known for his motivational speeches. From 2007, he performed "One Man Show" events. These often started with him playing piano alone. Then, they would turn into big parties with the audience dancing and singing on stage.

In March 2007, The New York Times wrote about Andrew's lectures. In 2008, he appeared on Late Night with Conan O'Brien to talk about his self-help work. Time magazine called him "truly cute" in November 2008.

In June 2012, Andrew W.K. spoke at a fan convention for My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. His talk was called "How to Party like Pinkie Pie." This event was even featured in Rolling Stone magazine.

In June 2014, Andrew was invited to speak at the Oxford Union in England. His talk was titled Andrew W.K. and The Philosophy of Partying. He discussed his message of positive power and self-confidence. The Oxford University Rock Society said he was a "brilliant public speaker."

In September 2014, Andrew gave a lecture on his "philosophy of partying" at the Baltimore School for the Arts. He also brought his advice column, "Ask Andrew W.K.," to life at a New York City nightclub.

In February 2018, the American Association of Suicidology named Andrew "Person of the Year." They recognized him for using positivity to help people through his music.

Writing

Andrew wrote a monthly column in FRONT Magazine in the UK. He also wrote a monthly advice column for the Japanese magazine "Rockin' On" for 10 years. All these columns were later put into a book called "I Will Change Your Life."

In September 2013, Andrew announced that his first book about partying, "The Party Bible," would be published. In January 2014, The Village Voice started a new weekly advice column from Andrew called "Ask Andrew W.K." This column appeared in the newspaper and online.

In September 2016, Vice Media also announced a new weekly column from Andrew W.K. He wrote about a different topic each week on the Vice website.

Other Projects

Andrew has also worked with and produced music for other artists. He appeared on the band To Live and Shave in L.A.'s album in 2004. He also helped produce their 2006 album, Noon and Eternity.

In late 2006, Andrew changed his song "Fun Night" to be a theme song for the Arizona Sundogs, a hockey team. The song was called "Sundogs (It Just Got Hotter)." "Fun Night" was also used in the movie Old School. Andrew was also a judge for the Independent Music Awards.

On July 7, 2007, Andrew was one of 77 drummers in a concert called 77 Boadrum. This event was held in Brooklyn, New York. In September 2007, Andrew's piano playing was featured on a jazz fusion CD called "électricité."

Andrew has played electric bass guitar for the artist Baby Dee. He played bass and drums on Dee's Safe Inside the Day album. He also produced and mixed her 2011 album, Regifted Light. Andrew has performed bass guitar with the band Current 93 on several tours.

In December 2008, a fan of Andrew W.K. passed away. The fan had always wanted Andrew W.K. to play at his funeral. After friends reached out, Andrew came to the wake and played classical piano.

Andrew formed a group called The Brill Sisters with guitarist Matt Sweeney and producer Don Fleming. He has also worked with Nardwuar the Human Serviette and his band The Evaporators.

In 2013, Andrew set a world record for the Longest Drum Session in a Retail Store. He drummed non-stop for 24 hours at the MTV Music Awards. In June 2014, Andrew co-hosted the Relentless Kerrang! Awards with Scott Ian.

Andrew has appeared as himself in the Cyanide & Happiness show. He also played a fictional version of himself, "Intern Andrew W.K.," in a live show for Welcome to Night Vale. Andrew is featured on the band Nekrogoblikon's album Heavy Meta. He also played the character "Redeye" in the video game Fallout 4 DLC.

TV and Film Appearances

Andrew has been on MTV, MTV2, and VH1 many times. He hosted shows like The Most Outrageous Frontmen. He was also the main focus of a live performance at Cleveland's Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame, shown on MTV. He has appeared on shows like I Love The 90's and The Osbournes. Andrew was also featured on an MTV show called Crashing With Andrew W.K.. This show followed his visit to a girl's dorm.

In 2004, Andrew had his own TV show on MTV2 called Your Friend, Andrew W.K.. In this show, fans would write to Andrew asking for help. Andrew would pick letters and go visit the fans. The show had 11 episodes. During filming, Andrew was in a car crash but was not seriously hurt.

Andrew has performed on TV shows like Late Night with Conan O'Brien and Saturday Night Live. He had a small role in the show Aqua Teen Hunger Force, singing "Party Party Party." Andrew's only confirmed movie role is playing himself in Punk Rock Holocaust.

Andrew was also featured on the show Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List. He was Kathy's date in New York. Late Night with Conan O'Brien has had Andrew as a guest twice. Andrew was also a frequent guest on the Fox News show, Red Eye w/ Greg Gutfeld. He has also been an interviewer and guest on The Daily Show. In 2011, he appeared in A Day to Remember's music video for "All I Want."

Cartoon Network used Andrew W.K. in a music video for their new live-action shows. The song, "Hearing What I Say," was shown a lot on Cartoon Network. In 2011, Andrew was part of a stunt with motocross star Robbie Maddison for the Cartoon Network's Hall of Game Awards.

Andrew hosted Cartoon Network's live-action show Destroy Build Destroy. He also had a small role on Cartoon Network's Mad. In 2014, Andrew appeared on Fuse TV's Insane Clown Posse Theater. Andrew also starred in Lil BUB's Special Special on Animal Planet.

Andrew's trip to a safari park is in the documentary film, Party Safari (2014). In August 2014, Andrew hosted his own show on Kerrang! TV called Andrew W.K.'s Party Hard 100. He also co-hosted six episodes of Pivot's TakePart Live.

Andrew appeared as a guest on The SDR Show. He also returned to Cartoon Network on the animated series Uncle Grandpa. He hosted a party in the episode "Shower Party."

Music Producer

Andrew has produced and mixed his own music for albums like I Get Wet and God Is Partying. He has also produced music for other artists and for commercials.

In 2008, Andrew recorded a song called "The McLaughlin Groove." This song was based on a TV show. In 2004, Andrew recorded a jingle for Kit Kat candy bars. He rewrote their "Give Me a Break" slogan into a new song.

Andrew's first work producing for others was with the group Wolf Eyes. He also produced and mixed the album Through The Panama for the band Sightings.

In late 2007, Andrew produced a new album, Repentance, for reggae artist Lee "Scratch" Perry. This album was nominated for "Best Reggae Album" at the 2009 Grammy Awards. In February 2008, Andrew released a special ringtone for the Japanese mobile phone market. It was called "Sonna no Kankei Ne Rock."

Nightclub Owner

In 2008, Andrew and three partners opened a nightclub and concert hall in downtown Manhattan, New York City. The place was called Santos Party House. It had a large dance floor and concert areas. It was designed for dancing and live music. Santos Party House won many awards, including Best Night Club. In 2010, it was rated the "Top Dance Club" in New York City.

Santos Party House closed on May 29, 2016.

Andrew W.K.'s Look

W.K. in 2011 wearing his usual concert outfit

Andrew W.K. is known for his long hair. He often wears a white outfit, including a white t-shirt, white jeans, and sneakers. The cover art for his album I Get Wet shows Andrew with a bloody nose. This image is often used on his merchandise. Andrew W.K. has six tattoos, which are straight lines on his arms.

Andrew W.K.'s Personal Life

Andrew W.K. used to live in Midtown Manhattan. He married Cherie Lily on October 4, 2008. Cherie Lily also performed as a singer and hypewoman with Andrew W.K.'s band from 2006 to 2018. Andrew W.K. has two children, but he keeps their lives private. His younger brother, Patrick Wilkes-Krier, is a professional golfer.

In May 2021, Andrew W.K. announced that he and Cherie had started divorce proceedings in late 2019. He also confirmed he was dating actress Kat Dennings. They met in Los Angeles in early 2021. A week later, on May 13, 2021, they announced their engagement. They got married on November 27, 2023, at their home in Los Angeles.

Andrew W.K.'s Live Band Members

Current Members

• Erik Payne – guitars, backing vocals (1999–present)
• Gregg Roberts – bass, backing vocals (1999–present)
• Dave Pino – guitars, backing vocals (2012–present)
• Amanda Lepre – guitars, backing vocals (2016–present)
• Clark Kegley – drums (2016–present)

Former Members

• Donald Tardy – drums (1998–2003)
• Frank Werner – guitars, backing vocals (1999–2013)
• Jimmy Coup – guitars, backing vocals (1999–2004)
• Jeff Victor – keyboards (2001–2002)
• Rich Russo – drums (2003–2016)
• Kenny Andrews – guitars, backing vocals (2003–2011)
• Johnny "Beans" Sutton (2004–2005)
• Derek Weiland – keyboards (2006–2007)
• Cherie Lily – vocals (2006–2018)
• Justin Payne – guitars (2008–2013)
• Blake Canaris – bass, backing vocals (2010–2016)
• Erica E.T. Pino – keyboards, backing vocals (2018–2019)

Timeline of Band Members

Andrew W.K.'s Albums

Studio Albums

• I Get Wet (2001)
• The Wolf (2003)
• Close Calls with Brick Walls (2006)
• 55 Cadillac (2009)
• You're Not Alone (2018)
• God Is Partying (2021)

Andrew W.K.'s Film and TV Roles

Movies

Television Shows

Video Games

See also

In Spanish: Andrew W.K. para niños