Daron Malakian facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Daron Malakian
Malakian performing with System of a Down in 2011
Background information
Born	(1975-07-18) July 18, 1975 (age 49) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres	Alternative metal alternative rock nu metal
Occupation(s)	Musician singer songwriter record producer
Instruments	Guitar vocals
Years active	1990–present

Daron Malakian (Armenian: Դարոն Մալաքյան; born July 18, 1975) is an American musician. He is best known as the guitarist, songwriter, and a singer for the metal band System of a Down. He is also the lead singer, lead guitarist, and songwriter for Scars on Broadway.

Daron Malakian is considered one of the top guitarists in hard rock and metal music. He was ranked 47th on Loudwire's list of "Top 50 Hard Rock + Metal Guitarists of All Time." MusicRadar also placed him at number 11 in their poll for "The 20 Greatest Metal Guitarists Ever."

Early Life and Music

Daron Malakian was born on July 18, 1975, in Hollywood, California. His parents, Vartan and Zepur Malakian, are both artists. His father is a painter and dancer, and his mother is a sculptor.

Daron loved heavy metal music from a young age. When he was four, a cousin played him a Kiss record. He soon started listening to bands like Van Halen, Aerosmith, Black Sabbath, and Iron Maiden. Daron originally wanted to play drums. However, his parents bought him a guitar instead, saying drums were too loud.

He started playing guitar at age 11. Daron learned by ear for the first year and a half. He became known as a good guitar player in high school. By age 16 or 17, he realized that the guitar was great for writing songs. He sees himself more as a songwriter than a guitar expert. Later, Daron also found inspiration in bands like the Beatles, the Kinks, and the Who.

Daron went to the Rose and Alex Pilibos Armenian School. His future bandmates, Shavo Odadjian and Ontronik "Andy" Khachaturian, also went there. Serj Tankian, the lead singer of System of a Down, attended the same school but was older.

Forming System of a Down

Daron Malakian met Serj Tankian in 1993. They were both practicing with different bands in the same studio. They decided to form a band called Soil. Later, Shavo Odadjian joined them.

Soil eventually broke up. Daron, Serj, and Shavo (who switched to bass guitar) formed a new band. They named it "Victims of a Down" after a poem Daron wrote. Shavo suggested changing "Victims" to "System." He thought "System of a Down" would appeal to more people. It also meant their records would be shelved closer to their favorite band, Slayer. They then found drummer Andy Khachaturian. In 1997, John Dolmayan became their new drummer.

Daron helped produce System of a Down's albums. He worked with Rick Rubin on these records.

Malakian playing with System of a Down in 2006

Scars on Broadway

After System of a Down took a break, Daron started a new band called Scars on Broadway. He was the lead guitarist and singer. John Dolmayan, the drummer from System of a Down, also joined.

They worked with other musicians for about nine months. Daron played most of the instruments on their first album, Scars on Broadway, released in 2008. The album included the popular song "They Say." However, Daron canceled the tour for the album. He said his "heart wasn't into touring" at the time. This led to rumors that the band had broken up.

Daron stayed out of the public eye for over a year. In 2009, he made a surprise appearance at a Halloween party. He played some songs with Shavo Odadjian, John Dolmayan, and Franky Perez. This was the first time these band members had played together in years.

In 2010, Daron reunited with Scars on Broadway for a show in West Hollywood. They played songs from their album and some new ones. Later that year, System of a Down announced they would reunite for a European tour in 2011. They played many shows together.

In 2014, Daron played guitar on the song "Rebellion" for Linkin Park's album The Hunting Party. In 2017, he performed "Rebellion" again with Linkin Park members at a tribute concert for their singer, Chester Bennington.

On April 23, 2018, Daron and Scars on Broadway released a new song called "Lives." It was about the history and culture of Armenia. On July 20, 2018, they released their second album, Dictator.

Personal Life

Daron Malakian is a big sports fan. He has always supported the Edmonton Oilers (a hockey team) and the Los Angeles Kings (another hockey team). He has many items related to the Oilers. He has also had season tickets for the Kings since 1999. Daron is also a fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team.

Discography

Here are some of the musical works Daron Malakian has been a part of.

Features

System of a Down

• System of a Down (1998)
• Toxicity (2001)
• Steal This Album! (2002)
• Mezmerize (2005)
• Hypnotize (2005)

Scars on Broadway

• Scars on Broadway (2008)
• Dictator (2018)

Other appearances

Production Credits

Daron Malakian has also helped produce many albums for other artists and his own bands.

See also

In Spanish: Daron Malakian para niños

• History of the Armenian Americans in Los Angeles