Beck facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Beck
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Beck in 2018
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Bek David Campbell
July 8, 1970 Los Angeles, California, U.S.
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| Years active | 1988–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Marissa Ribisi
(m. 2004; div. 2021) |
| Children | 2 |
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| Awards | Full list |
| Musical career | |
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Beck David Hansen (born Bek David Campbell; July 8, 1970), known as Beck, is an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He is also a record producer. Beck became famous in the early 1990s. He was known for his unique and experimental music style. He often mixed many different types of music together.
His music includes folk, funk, soul, hip hop, electronic, alternative rock, country, and psychedelia. He has released 14 studio albums. He also has many singles and a book of sheet music.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Beck loved hip hop and folk music as a teenager. He started performing in local coffeehouses and clubs. In 1989, he moved to New York City. There he joined the city's anti-folk music scene. He returned to Los Angeles in the early 1990s. His song "Loser" became a big hit in 1993.
After signing with DGC Records, "Loser" reached number ten on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It was the first song from his third album, Mellow Gold (1994). His next album, Odelay (1996), was loved by critics and won many awards. He released the country-style album Mutations in 1998. The funk-inspired Midnite Vultures followed in 1999.
Sea Change (2002) showed a more serious side of Beck. Guero (2005) went back to the sample-based sound of Odelay. The Information (2006) was inspired by electro-funk and hip hop. Modern Guilt (2008) had a 1960s pop feel. His folk-influenced album Morning Phase (2014) won Album of the Year at the 57th Grammy Awards.
His 2017 album, Colors, won awards for Best Alternative Album. It also won Best Engineered Album at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards. His fourteenth studio album, Hyperspace, came out in 2019. In 2022, Beck was nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Critics praise Beck for his unique creativity. He blends musical styles and uses interesting lyrics. He often mixes samples, drum machines, and live instruments. Two of his most famous albums are Odelay and Sea Change. Both are on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. Beck has sold millions of records. He has also worked with many other artists.
Contents
Early Life and Musical Beginnings
Beck was born Bek David Campbell in Los Angeles on July 8, 1970. His mother, Bibbe Hansen, was a visual artist. His father, David Campbell, was a composer. Bibbe Hansen grew up around Andy Warhol's art scene in New York City. Beck's grandfather, Al Hansen, was an artist from Norway. He was a leader in the Fluxus art movement. Beck's grandmother was Jewish. Beck says he considers himself Jewish because he celebrated Jewish holidays growing up.
As a child, Beck lived in a working-class area of Los Angeles. His family sometimes struggled financially. He also spent time with his grandparents in Kansas. His grandfather there was a minister, so Beck heard church music and hymns. He also traveled in Europe with his maternal grandfather.
After his parents separated when he was 10, Beck stayed with his mother and brother in Los Angeles. He was influenced by the city's many types of music. This included hip hop, Latin music, and his mother's art world. All these sounds later appeared in his music.
Beck got his first guitar at 16. He became a street musician, often playing songs by Lead Belly. In his teens, Beck discovered bands like Sonic Youth. But he mostly liked folk music for a long time. The first modern music that truly connected with Beck was hip hop. He heard Grandmaster Flash records in the early 1980s. He grew up in a mostly Latin neighborhood. He learned how to breakdance.
When he was 17, Beck heard a Mississippi John Hurt record. He spent hours trying to play like Hurt. Soon after, Beck explored more blues and folk music. He discovered artists like Woody Guthrie and Blind Willie Johnson.
Beck left school after junior high. He felt unsafe there. He tried to get into a performing arts high school but was not accepted. He spent time at Los Angeles City College. He looked at records, books, and old sheet music in the library. He worked many different jobs, like loading trucks.
Early Career and First Albums
Beck started as a folk musician. He played different styles like country blues and traditional folk. He performed on city buses, mixing old songs with his own improvised lyrics. He was also in a band called Youthless. They put on unique, free-form shows in coffee shops.
In 1989, Beck went to New York City with little money. He found the anti-folk scene in Manhattan's Lower East Side. He joined a group of acoustic musicians. They wanted to break old rules and create new music. Beck said this time gave him freedom. He started writing surreal songs about everyday things. He lived with another musician, Paleface. After a cold New York winter, Beck returned to Los Angeles in 1991.
Back in Los Angeles, Beck worked at a video store. He started performing in art clubs and coffeehouses. To keep audiences interested, he played in a spontaneous, funny way. He would play strange folk songs between acts. Sometimes he wore a Star Wars stormtrooper mask. He began making demos and sharing cassette tapes.
Beck met Margaret Mittleman from BMG Music Publishing. He also met the people behind the independent label Bong Load Custom Records. They thought Beck was unique. In 1992, Beck worked with producer Carl Stephenson. They created the hip hop song "Loser." Beck didn't think much of it, but he agreed to release it.
Breakthrough with "Loser" and Mellow Gold
By 1993, Beck was living in a small shed in Los Angeles. Bong Load released "Loser" as a single in March 1993. Only 500 copies were made. But "Loser" unexpectedly got played on the radio. College radio stations in Los Angeles played it first. Then, KROQ-FM started playing it almost every hour.
As "Loser" became popular, major record labels wanted to sign Beck. In December 1993, he signed with Geffen Records. His contract allowed him a lot of creative freedom. He could still release music on smaller labels. For example, Flipside Records released Stereopathetic Soulmanure, a collection of 25 early songs.
When Beck released his first album for Geffen, Mellow Gold, on March 1, 1994, "Loser" was already a top 40 hit. Its music video was popular on MTV. "Loser" quickly reached number ten on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It also topped the Modern Rock Tracks chart. The song was popular in the UK, Australia, and Europe.
The media called Beck the "King of Slackers." They linked him to the "slacker" movement. But Beck disagreed. He said he was working hard to survive, not being lazy.
Odelay and Continued Success
After "Loser," some people thought Beck was just a one-hit wonder. He felt he had to keep proving himself. At some concerts, he played long reggae or jazz versions of "Loser." He sometimes changed the lyrics so no one could sing along. He wanted to challenge his audience. Despite this, other musicians like Tom Petty respected him.
Beck wanted to record an album in a continuous way. This became Odelay. He mixed country, blues, rap, jazz, and rock. He spent a year and a half cutting, pasting, and sampling sounds. Beck worked with the Dust Brothers, who produced the Beastie Boys' album Paul's Boutique. Their style of using samples fit Beck's idea for a fun, catchy album.
Odelay was released on June 18, 1996. It was a big success and got great reviews. The album had hit singles like "Where It's At", "Devils Haircut", and "The New Pollution". It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 1997. It won a Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album. "Where It's At" also won a Grammy for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance.
Odelay sold two million copies. This proved that Beck was not a one-hit wonder. He also contributed the song "Deadweight" to the film A Life Less Ordinary (1997).
Mutations and Midnite Vultures
Beck wanted to record new music quickly. He put together songs he had for years. In 1998, he and his band wrote songs in just fourteen days for Mutations. Beck hired Nigel Godrich, who produced Radiohead's album OK Computer. The album was recorded fast to capture the live performance of the musicians. This was different from the sample-heavy style of Odelay.
Geffen Records released Mutations even though Beck wanted it on a smaller label. This led to legal issues between Beck and the labels. Beck later won Best Alternative Music Performance for Mutations at the 42nd Grammy Awards.
Beck's next album, Midnite Vultures, was originally planned as a double album. More than 25 songs were left off. Beck and his producers studied modern hip hop and R&B. They wanted to include these sounds in their music. The musicians worked at Beck's home in Pasadena. They focused on making an upbeat album that would be fun to play live.
Geffen released Midnite Vultures in November 1999. Some fans and critics were confused, wondering if it was serious or a joke. The New York Times said the album "never won the audience it deserved." Beck supported the album with a big world tour. His live shows were full of energy. Midnite Vultures was nominated for Best Album at the 43rd Annual Grammy Awards.
Sea Change and Guero
In 2000, Beck's nine-year relationship with Leigh Limon ended. This made him feel sad and thoughtful. He wrote the acoustic songs for Sea Change during this time. Beck didn't want to share his personal life at first. But he decided the songs spoke to a common experience. In 2001, he recorded the songs with Godrich.
Sea Change, released in September 2002, was a commercial success and loved by critics. Rolling Stone called it "the best album Beck has ever made." The magazine later listed it as one of the best albums of the decade. Sea Change led to a quiet, acoustic tour. He also toured with The Flaming Lips as his backing band. Beck was playful on tour, sometimes covering songs by other bands.
After Sea Change, Beck wrote about 35 more songs. He kept the demos on tapes in a suitcase. But the tapes were lost backstage during a concert. This was upsetting for Beck. He took a break from songwriting in 2003. He then went into the studio with the Dust Brothers to finish an old project. Many of these songs were from the 1990s.
Guero, Beck's eighth studio album, was recorded over nine months. During this time, his girlfriend, Marissa Ribisi, became pregnant. They got married, and their son, Cosimo, was born. They also moved homes. Beck worked with the Dust Brothers again. They used high-tech methods to create a lo-fi sound. Guero was released in March 2005.
Guero debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 chart. It sold 162,000 copies, his highest sales ever. The song "E-Pro" reached number one on Modern Rock radio. Beck also worked with artists 8-Bit and Paza on Hell Yes, an EP released in 2005. In December 2005, Geffen released Guerolito, a remixed version of Guero.
The Information, Beck's ninth album, started production in 2003. He worked with Godrich again. They built a studio in Beck's garden. Beck said the album was "introspective hip hop." He described the recording process as "painful" because he edited songs constantly. For this album, Beck released low-budget videos for each song. He also included stickers with the CD so buyers could customize the cover.
Modern Guilt and Other Projects
In 2007, Beck released the song "Timebomb." It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance. For his tenth album, Beck worked with producer Danger Mouse. They recorded two songs in two days. Beck called the recording process "the most intense work I've ever done." Modern Guilt (2008) had a 1960s feel with unique rhythms.
Modern Guilt was Beck's last album under his contract with Geffen Records. He became an independent artist. Beck started focusing more on his own record label. He also worked as a producer for other artists. He started Record Club, a project where musicians cover entire classic albums in one day. Beck provided four songs for the film Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010). He also worked with artists like Philip Glass and Jack White.
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Song Reader, released in December 2012, is a book of 20 songs presented only as sheet music. Beck wanted musicians to record their own versions. The idea came to him after Odelay was released. He became interested in music before recordings existed. In 2013, Beck started playing special Song Reader concerts with guest musicians.
In 2013, Beck was working on two new albums. One was an acoustic album, and the other was a follow-up to Modern Guilt. He planned to release both independently. He released three singles: "Defriended", "I Won't Be Long", and "Gimme". In October 2013, Beck signed with Capitol Records.
Recent Albums and Activities
On January 20, 2014, Beck released "Blue Moon." It was the first song from his twelfth album, Morning Phase. The album was released on February 21, 2014. Beck worked with many of the same musicians from his 2002 album Sea Change. Because of this, the two albums have a similar sound.
On February 8, 2015, Morning Phase won three Grammys at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards. It won Best Engineered Album, Best Rock Album, and Album of the Year.
After Morning Phase, Beck said he was working on another album. This new album would be more pop-focused. On June 15, 2015, he released the first song from it, "Dreams." He said he wanted to make something good for live shows. On June 2, 2016, Beck released a new song called "Wow." He announced his new album would come out in October 2016. However, the album was delayed.
On September 8, 2017, Beck released "Dear Life." This was followed by "Up All Night" on September 18. Colors was released on October 13, 2017. Beck and co-producer Greg Kurstin played almost every instrument themselves. The album got good reviews. The song 'Colors' was included in the video game Forza Horizon 4.
On April 15, 2019, Beck released "Saw Lightning." This song was co-produced with Pharrell Williams. It was from his fourteenth album, Hyperspace. The album was released on November 22, 2019.
Latest Music
On September 25, 2022, Beck released a cover of Neil Young's song "Old Man." This was to promote a Sunday Night Football game. The song was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance.
On February 10, 2023, he released "Thinking About You." This was his first new solo song since 2019. Music critics said it sounded like his folk albums Morning Phase and Sea Change. It is not yet known if this means a new album is coming.
On June 21, 2023, Beck released "Odyssey" with the French band Phoenix. They also went on a co-headlining summer tour together.
Collaborations and Other Works
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In 1999, Beck contributed to a tribute album called Dimension Mix. It was released in 2005 to benefit Cure Autism Now.
On June 20, 2009, Beck started an experiment called Record Club. He and other musicians would record cover versions of entire albums in one day. The first album they covered was The Velvet Underground & Nico. Later, they covered Songs of Leonard Cohen with artists like MGMT. The Record Club has also covered albums by INXS and Yanni.
In 2009, Beck also started "Planned Obsolescence," a weekly DJ set. He also added sections to his website for interviews and music videos. In 2009, Beck worked with Charlotte Gainsbourg on her album IRM. Beck wrote the music and co-wrote the lyrics.
In 2010, Beck collaborated with electronic artist Tobacco on two songs. He also produced songs for the new Jamie Lidell album, Compass. In the summer of 2010, Beck contributed songs to the soundtracks for The Twilight Saga: Eclipse and True Blood. He also contributed songs to the film Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.
In 2011, he worked with Seu Jorge on a song for the Red Hot+Rio 2 album. Sales from this album help fight AIDS/HIV.
In October 2011, Beck worked with composer Philip Glass to create a remix album of Glass's works. The album, Rework Philip Glass Remixed, was released in 2012. Beck was a curator and performer on the album. His 22-minute song "NYC: 73–78" was praised.
Beck has also contributed three new songs to the video game Sound Shapes. He collaborated on two songs for Childish Gambino's "Royalty" mixtape in 2012. In 2014, Beck worked with Sia on the song "Moonquake Lake" for the Annie film soundtrack.
In 2015, Beck collaborated with Nate Ruess on the song "What This World Is Coming To." He also worked with The Chemical Brothers on their song "Wide Open." In 2016, Beck collaborated with M83 on "Time Wind." He was also featured on "Tiny Cities" by Flume. He also worked with Lady Gaga on "Dancin' in Circles."
In 2016, Beck performed with the remaining members of Nirvana at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards. They played "The Man Who Sold the World" as a tribute to David Bowie and Kurt Cobain. Beck and Nirvana teamed up again in 2020 for a fundraiser.
In 2017, Beck appeared in the film The American Epic Sessions. He recorded "14 Rivers, 14 Floods" with a gospel choir. He used a 1920s electrical sound recording system.
In 2021, Beck collaborated with Paul McCartney on the song "Find My Way" for the album McCartney III Imagined.
In 2023, Beck worked with The Chemical Brothers again on "Skipping like a Stone." In 2024, Beck appeared on "Boom Boom Back" by the band Hinds. He also featured on the Orville Peck song "Death Valley High."
Musical Style
Beck's music is often called alternative and indie. He often plays many instruments in his songs himself. He has also remixed songs for other artists like David Bowie and Björk.
Beck is known for mixing many different musical styles. These include folk, electronic, country, Latin music, hip hop, funk, soul, blues, noise music, jazz, and various types of rock. Because of this unique approach, Beck is seen as a postmodern musician. He often uses sounds and ideas from Los Angeles in his songs.
Critics have praised his ability to blend different sounds. For example, his album Midnite Vultures mixes elements of Prince, Talking Heads, and hip hop. One of Beck's songs, "Harry Partch," pays tribute to the composer of the same name. It uses Partch's special 43-tone musical scale.
Art Career
In 1998, Beck's art collaborations with his grandfather Al Hansen were shown in an exhibition. It was called "Beck & Al Hansen: Playing With Matches." The show featured their collages, drawings, and poetry. It traveled to museums and galleries in Santa Monica, New York City, and Winnipeg.
Personal Life
Beck's album Sea Change (2002) was inspired by the end of his nine-year relationship with designer Leigh Limon. He wrote most of the songs for the album shortly after their breakup.
In April 2004, Beck married actress Marissa Ribisi. She is the twin sister of actor Giovanni Ribisi. They got married just before their son was born. Their daughter was born in 2007. Beck filed for divorce from Ribisi in February 2019. Their divorce was finalized in September 2021.
Beck has said he was raised celebrating Jewish holidays and considers himself Jewish. He has also been linked to Scientology through his parents. However, in a November 2019 interview, he stated, "I'm not a Scientologist. I don't have any connection or affiliation with it."
Beck's mother, Bibbe Hansen, is an artist, writer, and performer. His siblings are fiber artist Channing Hansen and poet Rain Whittaker.
Beck had a spinal injury while filming the music video for "E-Pro" in 2005. This injury affected his touring schedule for a few years, but he has since recovered.
Discography
Studio albums
- Golden Feelings (1993)
- Stereopathetic Soulmanure (1994)
- Mellow Gold (1994)
- One Foot in the Grave (1994)
- Odelay (1996)
- Mutations (1998)
- Midnite Vultures (1999)
- Sea Change (2002)
- Guero (2005)
- The Information (2006)
- Modern Guilt (2008)
- Morning Phase (2014)
- Colors (2017)
- Hyperspace (2019)
Awards and nominations
See also
In Spanish: Beck (músico) para niños
- List of people from Los Angeles
- List of singer-songwriters
