Ben Shepherd facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ben Shepherd
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Shepherd in 2012
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Hunter Benedict Shepherd |
| Also known as | HBS |
| Born | September 20, 1968 Okinawa, USCAR (now Okinawa, Japan) |
| Origin | Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
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| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter |
| Instruments | Bass guitar |
| Years active | 1990–present |
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Hunter Benedict Shepherd (born September 20, 1968) is an American musician. He is best known as the bassist for the rock band Soundgarden. As a member of Soundgarden, Shepherd has won two Grammy Awards.
Ben Shepherd was born in Okinawa, Japan, and grew up in Washington, USA. He became interested in music after watching Johnny Cash on TV. He played in several punk-rock bands before joining Soundgarden as their bassist in 1990. Shepherd helped shape the band's sound and wrote many songs. In 1993, he started a side project called Hater. Soundgarden broke up in 1997, and Shepherd played in other bands. Soundgarden reunited in 2010 and continued until Chris Cornell's death in 2017.
Shepherd released his own solo album, In Deep Owl, in 2013. He has two children and lives on Bainbridge Island, Washington. He also partly owns a bar in Seattle called Hazlewood.
Contents
Early Life and First Bands
Ben Shepherd was born on an American military base in Okinawa. His father played the guitar and worked in the Nike missile program. His family later moved to Kingston, Washington, where Ben grew up. He became very interested in music after seeing Johnny Cash on television. When Ben asked for a guitar, his father agreed, but only if he learned every chord from a big book. Ben did, with help from his cousin, and then got his first guitar.
As a teenager, Shepherd played in many punk-rock bands with friends. These bands included March of Crimes, Mind Circus, and 600 School. During this time, he met other musicians who would become famous, like Stone Gossard, Krist Novoselic, and Matt Cameron. After high school, he worked as a carpenter.
Musical Journey
Joining Soundgarden (1990–1997)
Shepherd was a big fan of Soundgarden from their early days. When their first bassist, Hiro Yamamoto, left in 1989, Shepherd tried out for the band. Even though he mainly played guitar, the band members liked his energy. They first chose another bassist, but later, in 1990, they asked Shepherd to join. Soundgarden felt that Ben helped their music grow. Guitarist Kim Thayil said Ben brought a "creative and emotional punch" to the band.
Besides playing bass, Shepherd also started singing and writing more songs for Soundgarden. On his first album with the band, Badmotorfinger, he helped write songs like "Slaves & Bulldozers" and "Jesus Christ Pose". He also wrote "Face Pollution" and "Somewhere" by himself. Shepherd also introduced new guitar tunings to the band, which you can hear in songs like "The Day I Tried To Live" and "My Wave".
In 1993, Shepherd and Soundgarden's drummer, Matt Cameron, started a side project called Hater. Shepherd sang and played guitar in Hater. He wrote several songs for their first album. They recorded a second album in 1995, but it was not released until 2005.
In 1994, Soundgarden released their famous album Superunknown. This album included Shepherd's songs "Half" and "Head Down." "Head Down" was inspired by The Beatles. "Half" had an Indian sound, and it was the first Soundgarden song where Shepherd sang the main vocals. He said he wrote "Half" for his daughter, in case she ever wanted to learn guitar.
In 1996, Soundgarden released Down on the Upside. On this album, Shepherd wrote or co-wrote six of the sixteen songs. These included "Zero Chance," "Dusty," and "Ty Cobb." He once said he wrote the music for "Never Named" when he was only sixteen. "Ty Cobb" was the first song Shepherd wrote that was released as a single.
The Down on the Upside tour ended in February 1997. During the last show, Shepherd became very frustrated with technical problems and broke his bass. He left the stage, and the band announced they were breaking up two months later. They said it was due to "artistic differences."
After Soundgarden (1997–2010)
After Soundgarden broke up, Hater also stopped playing. However, Shepherd, Cameron, and John McBain formed a new band called Wellwater Conspiracy. Shepherd was the lead singer on their first album, Declaration of Conformity. He left the band in 1998.
In the years that followed, Shepherd worked with other musicians. He played bass and guitar on Josh Homme's Desert Sessions albums. He also played bass with Mark Lanegan on his albums I'll Take Care of You (1999) and Field Songs (2001). In 2005, he formed a short-lived band called Unkmongoni and released Hater's second album.
Around 2008, all of Soundgarden's equipment, including Shepherd's guitars and amplifiers, was stolen from their storage place. This made Shepherd feel very down, and he thought about quitting music. But he was later encouraged to make his solo album and reunite with Soundgarden.
Soundgarden Reunion (2010–2017)
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On January 1, 2010, Chris Cornell announced that Soundgarden would get back together. Ben Shepherd rejoined as their bassist. The band played their first show in 13 years on April 16, 2010, in Seattle.
The band released a collection of songs called Telephantasm in September 2010. Then, in November 2012, they released King Animal, their first new studio album since 1996. Shepherd contributed two songs he had written years before, "Taree" and "Attrition." He also worked with Chris Cornell on "Been Away Too Long" and "Rowing."
Soundgarden continued to tour often. However, Chris Cornell's sudden death on May 17, 2017, led to the cancellation of their remaining tour dates.
Solo Music
In the summer of 2010, Shepherd finished recording his own solo project. He started writing the songs in 2009. It began as an acoustic project but became an electric concept album. Matt Cameron and Matt Chamberlain helped by playing drums on the album.
On June 25, 2013, Shepherd announced his solo album, In Deep Owl. It was released on August 27, 2013, under the name HBS. He released the first song, "Baron Robber," on Spin magazine.
Musicians who played on the album include:
- Ben Shepherd – Guitar, Bass guitar, Vocals, Mandolin, Drums
- Matt Cameron – Drums, percussion
- Matt Chamberlain – Drums, percussion
- Joseph Braley – Drums, percussion
- Greg Gilmore – Drums, percussion
- Klaus – Winds (Sax)
Personal Life
Ben Shepherd has two children. He lives on Bainbridge Island, Washington. He is also a part-owner of a bar in Seattle called Hazlewood.
Musical Style
Shepherd started playing bass by trying to match the style of Soundgarden's previous bassist, Hiro Yamamoto. He also learned from punk rock bassists like Chuck Dukowski and Mike Watt.
Shepherd often plays bass using his fingers, but sometimes he uses a pick for different sounds. He thinks of guitars like a "horn section" with different parts, while the bass is more free. Instead of always playing exactly with the drummer, Shepherd often plays his bass along with the vocals. He feels this helps the music sound more harmonious.
When he sings, Shepherd tries to find his own unique voice. He usually writes songs on the guitar, since other Soundgarden members also play guitar. Songs that focus mainly on the bass, like "Switch Opens," are less common because it's hard to write a bass line without knowing what the drums and guitar will do.
Musical Gear
In 2008, Ben Shepherd's musical equipment was stolen. This meant he had to buy new instruments and amplifiers.
He often uses Fender Precision Bass guitars. He likes them for their "immediate response and heaviness." He also uses Ampeg SVT and Mesa Boogie amplifiers. For strings, he uses GHS Bass Boomers. He prefers his strings to be well-worn, sometimes keeping them on for years!
Discography
HBS
- In Deep Owl (2013)
600 School
- Live recording (circa 1982)
Tic Dolly Row
- Live recording (1987)
Soundgarden
- Badmotorfinger (1991)
- Superunknown (1994)
- Songs from the Superunknown (1995)
- Down on the Upside (1996)
- A-Sides (1997)
- Telephantasm (2010)
- Live on I-5 (2011)
- King Animal (2012)
Hater
- Hater (1993) - vocals, guitar
- "Convicted", a song recorded for Hempilation: Freedom Is NORML (1995) - vocals, guitar
- The 2nd (2005) - lead vocals, guitar, piano
Wellwater Conspiracy
- Declaration of Conformity (1997) - vocals
With Mark Lanegan
- I'll Take Care of You (1999) - bass
- Field Songs (2001) - acoustic & electric guitar, bass, piano, vocals, lap steel guitar; wrote track 10, "Blues for D"
Ten Commandos
- Ten Commandos (2015)
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See also
In Spanish: Ben Shepherd para niños
