John Doe (musician) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids John Doe
Doe in 2006
Background information
Birth name	John Nommensen Duchac
Born	(1953-02-25) February 25, 1953 (age 72) Decatur, Illinois, United States
Origin	Los Angeles, California
Genres	Punk rock, alternative country, folk rock, roots rock
Occupation(s)	Musician singer songwriter actor poet
Instruments	Bass guitar, guitar, vocals
Years active	1973–present

John Nommensen Duchac (born February 25, 1953), known as John Doe, is an American musician, singer, and actor. He is famous for co-founding the LA punk rock band X. He is still an active member of the band.

John Doe's music mixes rock, punk, country, and folk music. As an actor, he has appeared in many TV shows and movies. He played Jeff Parker in the TV series Roswell. Besides X, Doe also performs with the band the Knitters. He has also released several albums as a solo artist.

John Doe's Career Journey

Music and Songs

John Doe moved to Los Angeles, California, in 1976. There, he met guitar player Billy Zoom through an ad. Together, they started the punk band X.

John Doe performing at Adams Avenue Street Fair, San Diego, 2006

With the band X, John Doe has been in two concert films and many music videos. He also appeared in The Decline of Western Civilization. This was a famous movie about the early 1980s L.A. punk music scene.

John Doe and Exene Cervenka wrote most of X's songs. Their album Wild Gift was named "Record of the Year" by major newspapers like Rolling Stone and The New York Times. He also helped write songs for other bands, like "Just Another Sunday" for the Blasters.

Since 1990, John Doe has released many albums on his own or with other artists. He has also added songs to movies. In the 1992 movie The Bodyguard, John Doe's version of "I Will Always Love You" plays during a dance scene.

In 2007, John Doe took part in the movie I'm Not There. He recorded two Bob Dylan songs for the film's soundtrack. He also recorded "Unforgiven" with Aimee Mann for her album A Year in the Wilderness. Later, he joined Eddie Vedder on a song called "Golden State." John Doe's song "The Meanest Man in the World" was featured in the TV show Friday Night Lights.

In 2009, he released Country Club with the band The Sadies. This album featured classic country songs and new original music. His most recent solo album, The Westerner, came out in 2016. He said it was made in the desert and has a "psychedelic soul" style.

In November 2022, John Doe released a short acoustic album called "3Sirens Session: John Doe".

Acting Roles

John Doe has had many acting roles in movies and TV shows. In the 1989 movie Great Balls of Fire!, he played J. W. Brown. He also starred in the films Roadside Prophets and Pure Country in 1992.

Other movies he has appeared in include Road House, Boogie Nights, and Wyatt Earp. On television, he has been in shows like Law & Order, Roswell, Carnivale, and The Wizards of Waverly Place.

Authoring Books

John Doe has also written books about the L.A. punk rock scene. With co-author Tom DeSavia, he wrote Under the Big Black Sun. This book shared stories from many musicians who were part of the punk scene from 1977 to 1983. He wanted it to be a collection of memories from different people.

A follow-up book, More Fun in the New World: The Unmaking and Legacy of L.A. Punk, was released in 2019. John Doe and Tom DeSavia again invited other musicians to share their stories from 1982 to 1987.

John Doe's Personal Life

John Doe was born in Decatur, Illinois. He was married to Exene Cervenka, who was also a member of the band X, from 1980 to 1985. He got married again in 1987. He has three daughters. In early 2017, he announced that he would be moving to Austin, Texas.

Discography

Selected Filmography

See also

In Spanish: John Doe (músico) para niños