Dave Fortman facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dave Fortman
Fortman in 2016
Background information
Born	(1967-07-11) July 11, 1967 (age 58) Orlando, Florida, U.S.
Genres	Hard rock alternative rock alternative metal heavy metal
Occupation(s)	Record producer musician
Instruments	Guitar
Years active	1989–present

Dave Fortman, born on July 11, 1967, is an American record producer and musician. He plays guitar for the rock band Ugly Kid Joe. Dave has also helped many other bands make their music, working as a producer. Some of these bands include Godsmack, Mudvayne, Slipknot, Simple Plan, and Evanescence.

Dave Fortman's Early Life

Dave Fortman was born in Orlando, Florida. His mom, Marge Ann Singleton Fortman, was a kindergarten teacher. His dad, Jon Richey Fortman, was a biology professor. When he was in junior high school in Covington, Louisiana, Dave played the trumpet in the marching band.

In 1984, while still in high school, he started a band called SX with two friends, John Licali and John McNeely. In 1990, the band moved to Los Angeles to try and get a record deal. That same year, Dave joined another band called Sugartooth.

Through Sugartooth's lawyer, Dave met Ugly Kid Joe's lead singer, Whitfield Crane, and guitarist, Klaus Eichstadt.

Dave Fortman and Ugly Kid Joe

Dave Fortman joined the band Ugly Kid Joe in 1992. He took the place of their previous guitarist, Roger Lahr. Dave played guitar on their very popular album, America's Least Wanted. This album sold millions of copies. He also wrote one of the songs on the album called "Busy Bee."

Dave played and wrote songs with Ugly Kid Joe until the band stopped playing together in 1997. He helped write many songs on their albums Menace to Sobriety and Motel California.

The band got back together in 2011. Dave played guitar and helped produce their EP (a shorter album) called Stairway to Hell in 2012. He also worked on their full album, Uglier Than They Used ta Be, which came out in 2015.

Fortman with Ugly Kid Joe at Wacken Open Air 2017

In the summer of 2017, Dave joined Ugly Kid Joe on their European tour. This was his first time touring with them since 1997. During this tour, he performed with Amy Lee from Evanescence on stage in Belgium. She sang the song "Cats in the Cradle" with the band. Dave also toured with Ugly Kid Joe in Australia in December 2017. He joined them for an "Americas Least Wanted Anniversary tour" in Europe in April 2018.

Dave Fortman's Production Career

After Ugly Kid Joe broke up in 1997, Dave Fortman moved back to Covington, Louisiana. He started a small recording studio called Balance Studios with his friend Gene Joanen. Some of the first bands he recorded and produced there included Superjoint Ritual, Crowbar, and Soilent Green.

In 2001, Dave recorded a demo for a local band called 12 Stones. This demo quickly became popular and helped the band get a record deal. In 2002, Dave was hired to produce music for Evanescence. At that time, Evanescence was a new band from Little Rock, Arkansas.

Producing Hit Albums

In March 2003, Evanescence's album Fallen was released. This album sold 17 million copies around the world. It also received four Grammy nominations, including Song of the Year for "Bring Me to Life".

In the summer of 2004, Dave produced Mudvayne's album Lost and Found. This album was very successful, selling over 1 million copies. It is still Mudvayne's most popular album. Later that year, he worked with Amy Lee again to make Evanescence's second album, The Open Door. This album came out in 2006 and was number one in the US, Australia, Germany, Greece, and Switzerland. It sold more than 7 million copies worldwide.

In late 2007, Dave Fortman was hired to produce Slipknot's album All Hope Is Gone. When it was released in 2009, this album had five popular songs, including "Snuff" and "Psychosocial". The album sold over 1 million copies in the US and more than 2 million worldwide.

In late 2009, Dave worked with Shannon Larkin, the drummer for Ugly Kid Joe, again. Shannon was now the drummer for Godsmack. Dave was hired to produce Godsmack's album The Oracle. This album was certified gold in 2011, meaning it sold a lot of copies.

Dave Fortman worked with Godsmack again in 2014 for their album 1000 HP. He also produced the vocals and mixed the solo album for Godsmack's lead singer, Sully Erna. That album, called Hometown Life, came out in 2016.

Discography

Ugly Kid Joe Albums

• America's Least Wanted (1992)
• Menace to Sobriety (1995)
• Motel California (1996)
• Uglier Than They Used ta Be (2015)
• Rad Wings of Destiny (2022)

Albums Dave Fortman Produced

See also

In Spanish: Dave Fortman para niños