Brett Gurewitz facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Brett Gurewitz
Gurewitz in 2007
Background information
Birth name	Brett W. Gurewitz
Also known as	Mr. Brett Brett Religion The Legendary Starbolt
Born	(1962-05-12) May 12, 1962 (age 63) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Origin	Southern California, U.S.
Genres	Punk rock melodic hardcore hardcore punk skate punk
Occupation(s)	Musician songwriter producer
Instruments	Guitar
Years active	1979–present
Labels	Epitaph

Brett W. Gurewitz (born May 12, 1962), also known as Mr. Brett, is an American musician and record producer. He is famous as a co-founder and guitarist of the rock band Bad Religion. He also owns the music label Epitaph Records and other related labels.

Gurewitz has produced albums for Bad Religion. He has also worked with other bands on Epitaph Records, like NOFX, Rancid, and Pennywise. He also helped start Black Mask Studios, which publishes comic books and graphic novels.

Gurewitz started Bad Religion in 1980 with Greg Graffin, Jay Bentley, and Jay Ziskrout. He left the band in 1983 but came back three years later. He recorded five more albums with them before they signed with Atlantic Records in 1993. Because his record label, Epitaph, became very successful, Gurewitz left Bad Religion again in 1994. He wanted to focus on running the label full-time.

Music Career

Bad Religion's Journey

Brett Gurewitz was 18 years old when he formed Bad Religion in Woodland Hills in 1980. He started the band with Greg Graffin (vocals), Jay Ziskrout (drums), and Jay Bentley (bass). All four attended El Camino Real High School. Soon after, they began writing songs. Their first concert was opening for another band called Social Distortion.

In 1981, Bad Religion recorded a six-song EP (Extended Play record) called Bad Religion. It was first released as a small 7-inch record. Later, it was re-released as a larger 12-inch record.

Bad Religion's first full album, How Could Hell Be Any Worse?, came out in 1982. During the recording, Jay Ziskrout left the band. Pete Finestone took his place as the drummer. This album is seen as one of Bad Religion's most important works. Gurewitz's father loaned the band $3,000 to make it. The band was surprised when it sold 10,000 copies in less than a year. The sound of this album was much better than their first EP. Greg Hetson also played a guitar solo on one song.

In 1983, Bad Religion released their second album, Into the Unknown. This album was not as successful. It had a different sound, moving towards progressive rock with a lot of keyboards. During its recording, Bentley and Finestone left the band. They were replaced by Paul Dedona on bass and Davy Goldman on drums. Into the Unknown is no longer sold, but it is part of their 30th-anniversary box set.

After Into the Unknown, Bad Religion broke up for a short time. They reformed in 1985 without Gurewitz to make the EP Back to the Known. This EP brought back the band's original punk rock sound. It also showed influences from bands like Hüsker Dü and The Descendents. After this, Bad Religion took another break.

The original line-up, including Gurewitz, reunited in 1986. Bad Religion then released their highly praised album Suffer in 1988. This album marked a big comeback for the band. It also helped define the Southern California punk sound. This sound became popular through Gurewitz's label, Epitaph Records. The reunited band recorded two more popular albums: No Control (1989) and Against the Grain (1990). Pete Finestone left the group in early 1991.

Bobby Schayer replaced Finestone as the drummer. Bad Religion then recorded their next album, Generator. It was finished in spring 1991 but released a year later. For this album, Bad Religion made their first music video for the song "Atomic Garden". This was also their first song released as a single.

In 1993, the band left Epitaph Records and signed with Atlantic Records. Atlantic released their next album, Recipe for Hate. This album was somewhat successful. It was the first Bad Religion album to appear on any Billboard charts. Two music videos were made for the songs "American Jesus" and "Struck a Nerve".

Bad Religion became even more famous with their 1994 album, Stranger Than Fiction. This album included well-known songs like "Infected" and "21st Century (Digital Boy)". These songs are still often played at their concerts. After this album was finished, Gurewitz left Bad Religion again. He wanted to focus on Epitaph Records, which was growing fast. The Offspring became a huge band in the mid-1990s, making Epitaph very busy. Brian Baker replaced Gurewitz for the Stranger Than Fiction tour. Bad Religion recorded two albums without Gurewitz.

In 1999, Gurewitz returned to work with Bad Religion after five years. He co-wrote the song "Believe It" for their 11th album, The New America (2000). Two years later, Bad Religion left Atlantic Records. Gurewitz officially rejoined the band, and they signed back with Epitaph. Bobby Schayer also left the band around this time. Brooks Wackerman became the new drummer.

Now a six-member band, Bad Religion recorded and released several albums. These include The Process of Belief (2002), The Empire Strikes First (2004), New Maps of Hell (2007), The Dissent of Man (2010), and True North (2013). On True North, Gurewitz sang lead vocals on the song Dharma and the Bomb. Because he is very busy with Epitaph Records, Gurewitz does not often perform live with the band. He mainly helps with songwriting and recording. He does play at some shows near his home in Los Angeles. For example, he appears on the band's DVD Live at the Palladium.

Error Project

In 2003, Gurewitz joined a music project called Error. He played guitar and bass in this electronic and hardcore band. The project also included Atticus Ross and his brother Leopold. Their only release so far is a self-titled EP from 2004. After the EP, Error was looking for a singer for tours and a full album. However, the future of the band is not clear. In 2005, Error recorded one new song, "Wild World". It appeared on a tribute album for The Birthday Party in 2006. Error has been on a break since then, and it is unknown if they will return.

Personal Life

Gurewitz grew up in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles. He was raised in a Jewish family. He is married to Gina Davis, who used to work at Epitaph. They live in California. He believes in deism, which is a belief in a creator God who does not interfere with the universe.

Selected Discography

Brett Gurewitz has been involved in many albums as a musician and producer. Here are some of the key albums he worked on:

See also

In Spanish: Brett Gurewitz para niños