Bob Rock facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bob Rock
Rock presenting at the 2009 Juno Awards
Background information
Birth name	Robert Jens Rock
Born	(1954-04-19) April 19, 1954 (age 71) Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Origin	Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Genres	Rock heavy metal punk rock pop
Occupation(s)	record producer recording engineer musician
Instruments	Bass guitar keyboards vocals
Years active	1976–present
Associated acts	Payola$ Rock and Hyde Rockhead Metallica

Robert Jens Rock, born on April 19, 1954, is a super talented Canadian record producer, recording engineer, and musician. He is famous for helping many rock and metal bands create their biggest hits.

Bob Rock started his career in 1976 at Little Mountain Sound Studios. He worked as a sound engineer, helping to record and mix music. He helped create famous albums like Bon Jovi's Slippery When Wet (1986) and Aerosmith's Permanent Vacation (1987).

He also played music himself! He formed the band Payola$ in 1978 with singer-songwriter Paul Hyde. They were known for their song "Eyes of a Stranger" and won four Juno Awards. Later, they also recorded music as Rock and Hyde.

Some of Bob Rock's most famous work as a producer includes Dr. Feelgood by Mötley Crüe (1989), the Cult's Sonic Temple (1989), and Metallica's 1991 self-titled album, often called the Black Album. These albums became the best-selling records for these bands.

Bob Rock has been nominated for many awards. He won the Recording Engineer of the Year in 1982 and the Producer of the Year award multiple times. He was even welcomed into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 2007. In 2014, he won a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for his work on Michael Bublé's album To Be Loved.

Early Life and Musical Beginnings

Bob Rock was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba. When he was 12, his family moved to Victoria, British Columbia. He played in different bands during his school years. He loved British blues-rock bands like The Yardbirds and Led Zeppelin.

At Belmont Secondary School, he met Paul Hyde, who would become his bandmate in Payola$. They were inspired by artists like David Bowie and T. Rex. Together, they formed the Paul Kane Blues Band and performed around Vancouver Island in the mid-1970s.

Becoming a Top Music Producer

In 1976, Bob Rock started working at Little Mountain Sound Studios in Vancouver. He learned a lot about recording music. He helped record songs for punk bands like the Young Canadians. He also worked with producer Bruce Fairbairn on big rock albums.

After working on Permanent Vacation for Aerosmith, Bob Rock decided he wanted to focus more on producing music. He wanted to guide the whole sound of an album, not just engineer it.

Working with The Cult

The Cult's guitarist, Billy Duffy, asked Bob Rock to produce their 1989 album Sonic Temple. Billy admired Bob's previous work. Sonic Temple became a huge success for The Cult. This started a long partnership, with Bob producing several more albums for them. The band's singer, Ian Astbury, said Bob Rock was the best person to produce them because he understood their powerful sound.

Producing Mötley Crüe's Biggest Album

Mötley Crüe's manager suggested Bob Rock for their 1989 album, Dr. Feelgood. The band spent almost a year in Vancouver working with him. Dr. Feelgood became Mötley Crüe's best-selling album and reached number one on the Billboard 200 chart. It was also nominated for two Grammys.

Working with Pop Stars

While Bob Rock is famous for rock and metal, he has also produced music for many pop artists. These include Cher, Nelly Furtado, Jann Arden, Sarah McLachlan, and Michael Bublé. His work on Michael Bublé's album To Be Loved even won him a Grammy Award!

Working with Metallica

Metallica loved Bob Rock's work on Dr. Feelgood. They asked him to produce their fifth studio album, Metallica, which fans often call The Black Album.

This album was a big change for Metallica. It had a slower, softer, and more thoughtful sound at times. Songs like "The Unforgiven" and "Nothing Else Matters" even featured acoustic guitar. Bob Rock helped singer James Hetfield explore new ways of singing, beyond just yelling.

Before this album, Metallica members usually recorded their parts separately. Bob Rock convinced them to record the song "Enter Sandman" with all four band members playing together in the same room. This helped capture their live energy. Bob's son even provided the voice for the child's prayer in "Enter Sandman"!

Metallica became a massive hit, reaching number one on the Billboard 200 chart. It won a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance. It is still one of the best-selling albums of all time.

Bob Rock continued to produce Metallica's albums, including Load (1996), ReLoad (1997), and St. Anger (2003). For St. Anger, Bob Rock even played all the bass guitar parts because the band's bassist, Jason Newsted, had left.

In 2006, Metallica decided to work with a different producer, Rick Rubin. This ended their long partnership with Bob Rock. Fans had asked for a change, feeling that Bob had too much influence on the band's sound. However, Bob Rock joined Metallica on stage in 2011 for their 30th Anniversary Concert, playing bass on a couple of songs.

Payola$ and Rock and Hyde

After joining Little Mountain Sound Studios, Bob Rock and Paul Hyde formed the band Payola$ in 1978. Paul Hyde was the singer, and Bob Rock played guitar. They were the main members, though other musicians joined them over the years.

Their first single, "China Boys," came out in 1979. They soon signed with A&M Records. Their 1982 album No Stranger to Danger was produced by the famous Mick Ronson. This album included their hit single "Eyes of a Stranger," which won a Juno Award for best single. Bob Rock also won Recording Engineer of the Year for his work on the album.

In 1987, the band changed their name to Rock and Hyde. They had two hit songs in Canada: "Dirty Water" and "I Will." The Payola$ even reunited briefly in 2007 to release an EP called Langford Part One.

Other Musical Projects

In 1991, Bob Rock started another band called Rockhead with former Payola$ drummer Chris Taylor. They released one album in 1992 before the band broke up.

More recently, in 2023, an album called Lustre Parfait was released. It featured songs Bob Rock created with The Tragically Hip frontman Gord Downie between 2009 and 2016. Gord Downie wrote the lyrics and sang, while Bob Rock wrote the music, played guitar, and produced the songs. This album was released five years after Gord Downie's passing.

Helping Others: Charity Work

Bob Rock has also used his talents to help others. In 1985, he was one of the engineers for the song "Tears Are Not Enough." This song was recorded by a Canadian supergroup called Northern Lights to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia. Bob Rock and Paul Hyde even helped come up with the song's title and some of the French lyrics.

In 2005, Bob Rock was an executive producer for the War Child benefit album Help!: A Day in the Life. This album helped raise money for children affected by war.

Awards and Recognition

Bob Rock has received many awards throughout his career. He has been nominated for 27 Juno Awards and has won nine of them! These awards recognize his amazing work as a recording engineer, composer, and producer.

In 2007, he was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. This is a huge honor that celebrates his lasting contributions to music in Canada.

In 2014, Bob Rock won a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for his work on Michael Bublé's album To Be Loved.

Juno Awards Highlights

The Juno Awards are given every year to Canadian musicians. Bob Rock has won several:

• 1982: Won Recording Engineer of the Year for songs by Loverboy.
• 1983: Won Recording Engineer of the Year for No Stranger to Danger by Payola$. Payola$ also won Most Promising Group of the Year, and Bob Rock and Paul Hyde won Composer of the Year and Single of the Year for "Eyes of a Stranger".
• 2000: Won Producer of the Year for songs by Tal Bachman.
• 2005: Won Producer of the Year for songs by Simple Plan and Metallica.
• 2007: Inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.
• 2010: Won Producer of the Year for songs by Michael Bublé.

Grammy Award Highlight

The Grammy Awards celebrate the best in the music industry in the United States.

• 2013: Won Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for To Be Loved by Michael Bublé. This was a joint award with Michael Bublé.

Personal Life

For much of his career, Bob Rock lived in White Rock, British Columbia. In 1995, he moved with his family to Maui, Hawaii. There, he built his own recording studio called Plantation Studios. Bob Rock has six children: two boys and four girls.

Discography

Bob Rock has contributed to many albums both as a musician and as a producer or engineer.

As a Musician

• Payolas – In a Place Like This (1981)
• Payolas – No Stranger to Danger (1982)
• Payolas – Hammer on a Drum (1983)
• Rock and Hyde – Under the Volcano (1987)
• Mötley Crüe – Dr. Feelgood (1989) (played bass on one track)
• Rockhead – Rockhead (1992)
• Metallica – St. Anger (2003) (played bass)
• Gord Downie – Lustre Parfait (2023)
• The Offspring – Supercharged (2024)

As a Producer

• Pointed Sticks – Perfect Youth (1980)
• The Cult – Sonic Temple (1989)
• Mötley Crüe – Dr. Feelgood (1989)
• Metallica – Metallica (The Black Album) (1991)
• Bon Jovi – Keep the Faith (1992)
• Cher – Love Hurts (1992)
• Metallica – Load (1996)
• Metallica – Reload (1997)
• Bryan Adams – On a Day Like Today (1998)
• Metallica – Garage Inc. (Disc 1) (1998)
• Michael Bublé – Call Me Irresponsible (2007)
• The Offspring – Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace (2008)
• Michael Bublé – Crazy Love (2009)
• Jann Arden – Uncover Me 2 (2011)
• Michael Bublé – Christmas (2011)
• The Cult – Choice of Weapon (2012)
• The Offspring – Days Go By (2012)
• Nelly Furtado – The Spirit Indestructible (2012)
• Michael Bublé – To Be Loved (2013)
• Sarah McLachlan – Shine On (2014)
• The Cult – Hidden City (2016)
• The Offspring – Let the Bad Times Roll (2021)
• The Offspring – Supercharged (2024)

As an Engineer/Mixer

• Loverboy – Loverboy (1980)
• Loverboy – Get Lucky (1981)
• Bon Jovi – Slippery When Wet (1986)
• Aerosmith – Permanent Vacation (1987)
• Bon Jovi – New Jersey (1988)
• Kirk Hammett – Portals (2022)

See also

In Spanish: Bob Rock para niños

• Music of Canada
• Canadian Music Hall of Fame