Maynard James Keenan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Maynard James Keenan
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Keenan performing with A Perfect Circle in 2018
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | James Herbert Keenan |
| Also known as | Gaylord C. |
| Born | April 17, 1964 Ravenna, Ohio, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1986–present |
Maynard James Keenan (born James Herbert Keenan; April 17, 1964) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is most famous as the lead singer and main lyricist for the rock bands Tool, A Perfect Circle, and Puscifer.
Maynard grew up in Ohio and Michigan. After finishing high school, he joined the U.S. Army. Later, he studied at the Kendall College of Art and Design in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In 1988, he moved to Los Angeles to work in interior design and set building. Soon after, he started the band Tool with Adam Jones.
Besides his music, Keenan owns Merkin Vineyards and Caduceus Cellars in Arizona, where he lives. He is known for being a private person. However, he does appear publicly to support good causes and for interviews. He has also tried acting.
Contents
Early Life and Army Days
James Herbert Keenan was born in Ravenna, Ohio, on April 17, 1964. He was the only child of Judith Marie and Michael Loren Keenan. His family has Irish and Italian roots. When his parents divorced in 1968, his father moved away. Maynard saw his father only about once a year for the next 12 years.
His mother later remarried. Maynard felt that this new home limited his creativity. In 1976, when he was 11, his mother became very ill. This event later inspired songs like Tool's "Jimmy" and "Wings for Marie," and A Perfect Circle's "Judith." A few years later, his mother encouraged him to live with his father in Scottville, Michigan. Maynard says this was "the best move [he] ever made." In 1982, he graduated from Mason County Central High School in Scottville. He was a member of the wrestling team there.
Inspired by a movie, Keenan joined the United States Army. He hoped the G.I. Bill would help him pay for art school. He had lived in many states by then, including Kansas, Michigan, and Texas. He first worked as a forward observer in the Army. Then, he studied at West Point Prep School from 1983 to 1984.
At West Point Prep School, he studied math and English. He also wrestled, ran cross country, and sang in the glee club. During his time in the military, he started using the nickname "Maynard." He had made up a character with that name in high school. He did well in his training. However, he decided not to go to West Point to pursue music. He felt that the military's values were not for him.
Music Career
Early Bands and Collaborations
After prep school, Keenan studied art at Kendall College of Art and Design in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He then moved to Massachusetts and later Los Angeles. He worked in interior design and set construction.
In the 1980s, Keenan played bass for a band called TexA.N.S. He also sang for Children of the Anachronistic Dynasty. During this time, he wrote an early version of "Sober," which later became Tool's first big hit. He also performed with Green Jellö from 1990 to 1993. He played guitar and sang backup vocals on their hit song "Three Little Pigs." Around this time, he became friends with Tom Morello from Rage Against the Machine.
Tool
After moving to Los Angeles, Keenan met Adam Jones. Adam had heard Maynard sing on a demo and was very impressed. Adam suggested they start a band. Maynard agreed, and in 1990, Tool was formed. Maynard was the lead singer. The band also included guitarist Adam Jones, drummer Danny Carey, and bassist Paul D'Amour. Later, Justin Chancellor became the bassist.
Tool signed with Zoo Entertainment in 1991. They released their first EP (a short album) the next year. To support it, they toured with bands like Fishbone.
In 1993, Tool released their first full album, Undertow. It quickly became very popular, selling millions of copies.
In 1996, the band released their second album, Ænima. This album also sold millions and won a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance in 1998. After this, Tool had a long legal fight with their record label. This led to a break for the band members. During this time, Keenan worked on other music projects.
Tool members were not happy about peer-to-peer file sharing (like Napster). They felt it hurt artists who depended on selling their music. Keenan said in 2000, "The ones who get hurt by MP3s are not so much companies or the business, but the artists."
Five years after Ænima, Tool announced a new album in 2001. They first gave a fake title, Systema Encéphale, as a joke. A month later, they revealed the real title, Lateralus. This album came out in May 2001 and got great reviews. Keenan was praised for his "dark, intelligent, compelling" lyrics. He explained that Tool's music inspires everything they do, including the lyrics. Lateralus was a huge success worldwide. It reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 charts. Tool also won their second Grammy Award for the song "Schism."
By 2006, Tool had a very dedicated fan base. In May 2006, they released 10,000 Days. On this album, Keenan sang about more personal topics. His mother, who inspired earlier songs, was also the inspiration for "Jambi" and the two-part song "Wings for Marie" and "10,000 Days (Wings for Marie, Pt 2)." These songs were about her passing in 2003 after 27 years of illness. The album sold over half a million copies in its first week and was No. 1 on the Billboard 200 charts.
After 10,000 Days, Tool still owed one more album to their record company. Over the next few years, they slowly worked on new music. Tool has often worked around Keenan's other projects since 1999. In 2007, Keenan said about Tool's future, "We'll make music together until one of us is dead."
In 2009, Tool announced a summer tour. They headlined major music festivals like Mile High Music Festival and Lollapalooza.
On August 7, 2019, Tool released the song "Fear Inoculum" from their new album. At the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards, the band won Best Metal Performance for their song "7empest" from the album.
A Perfect Circle
During Tool's break to deal with legal issues, Keenan started working with Billy Howerdel. Billy was Tool's guitar technician. They formed a new band called A Perfect Circle. This supergroup started performing in 1999. Their first album, Mer de Noms, came out in 2000. They released a successful second album, Thirteenth Step, in 2003. Both albums sold millions of copies.
Their 2004 album, eMOTIVe, mostly had cover songs. It also included new songs like "Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums." Keenan said this album was political. That same year, they released a DVD and CD set called aMotion, which also sold millions.
In 2006, Billy Howerdel said that A Perfect Circle was taking a break. Keenan explained that running both Tool and A Perfect Circle at the same time was difficult. He wanted Billy to have a chance to explore his own music.
In 2008, Keenan announced that he and Howerdel were writing new music for A Perfect Circle. He said they didn't plan a full tour or a new album. Instead, they would focus on releasing "one or two songs at a time" online.
However, in November 2010, the band returned after a six-and-a-half-year break. They went on a 14-show tour in the western U.S. They continued touring in 2011 and performed in 2012 and 2013.
Puscifer
In 2003, Keenan started a project called "Puscifer." He used this name for the song "REV 22:20" on the Underworld movie soundtrack. Puscifer is a way for Keenan to express his creative ideas freely. He calls it an "improvisational hardcore band" and his "anything goes" project.
When comparing Puscifer to Tool, Keenan said Puscifer is his "attempt to make music to inspire people." He described it as "groove-oriented music that makes you feel good." He wanted the music to be complex, but the lyrics to be clear.
In 2006, Puscifer contributed a song to the Underworld: Evolution soundtrack. Keenan paid for and released Puscifer's first album in October 2007. He created it while touring with Tool, working in a tour bus, hotel rooms, and studios. The album was very different from his work with Tool and A Perfect Circle.
Puscifer also has a clothing line. In 2008, Keenan opened the first Puscifer store in Jerome, Arizona. It sells clothing, local coffee, art, and special collectibles.
In 2009, Keenan debuted Puscifer live at the Pearl Concert Theater in Palms Casino Resort in Paradise, Nevada. It was a unique, cabaret-style show. Keenan said, "you just can't really describe it, you just have to see it, then it makes sense." The show featured different artists, including Milla Jovovich.
Puscifer continued to perform with changing lineups in 2009. In October 2011, Keenan released Puscifer's second album, Conditions of My Parole. The album received good reviews. In 2013, he released an EP called Donkey Punch the Night. This EP included covers of "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen and "Balls to the Wall" by Accept.
Writing and Performance Style
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Maynard James Keenan's lyrics for Tool aim to connect with listeners. He wants to encourage them to think about themselves and find their own identity. Tool did not include lyrics with their albums until Fear Inoculum. Keenan believes many people don't fully understand the lyrics, and it's not the band's main goal for them to do so. However, he often publishes his lyrics online after an album is released.
The lyrics are carefully crafted. For example, in the song "Lateralus," the number of syllables in each line matches a pattern called the Fibonacci numbers. On albums like Ænima and Lateralus, Keenan's lyrics often explore ideas about philosophy and spirituality. Topics include evolution and Jungian psychology.
In live Tool performances, Keenan often stands on a platform at the back of the stage. He usually faces away from the audience and is not in a bright spotlight. The band's live video director, Breckinridge Haggerty, says this is "mostly for Maynard." He explains that many songs are a personal journey for Keenan. He needs his own space and feels more comfortable in the shadows to express these emotions.
Keenan is considered one of the top rock vocalists. His singing style has influenced other singers. He is described as a baritone and reportedly has a vocal range of four octaves.
Comedy and Acting
Keenan has appeared in several parts of the TV show Mr. Show. He played the lead singer of a fake band called "Puscifer" in one sketch. He also sang on a track for the Mr. Show movie, Run Ronnie Run.
In 1999, Keenan was on the cover of Pop Smear magazine. He dressed up as Charles Manson for a photo essay. When asked which role was harder, he said Manson, because Manson was a real person that people knew.
In the mid-1990s, Keenan created "Free Frances Bean" T-shirts. This was a joke that became popular, and he started giving them away.
On April 1, 2005, the official Tool website played an April Fools' Day prank. They announced that "Maynard has found Jesus" and would leave the band. A reporter asked Keenan about it, and he gave a joking confirmation. A week later, the website revealed it was a hoax. Keenan later said, "If you fall for that on April Fools' Day, there's nothing I can do for you." He has been part of other Tool April Fools' jokes, including one about him being in a bus accident.
Keenan had a small role in the 2009 movie Crank: High Voltage. In 2015, he also appeared in an episode of Comedy Bang! Bang! as a fictional punk musician.
Winemaking and Other Projects
Maynard James Keenan's grandparents and great-uncle made wine in Italy. He now owns Merkin Vineyards and Caduceus Cellars in Arizona, where he lives. He also has a share in Stronghold Vineyards, which makes affordable wines in Arizona.
Keenan's mother passed away in 2003. He honored her by scattering her ashes in one of his vineyards. He also named one of his wines, "Nagual del Judith," after her. In 2009, he announced that this wine was the first 100 percent Arizona wine from his own vineyard. His earlier wines were named after relatives of the Chiricahua Apache chief Cochise.
In 2008 and 2009, Keenan promoted his wine with signing events at Whole Foods Markets. In July 2009, he opened an organic market. It has a tasting room for his Arizona wines and a food court.
Keenan is featured in Blood Into Wine, a documentary film. It tells the story of Keenan and his business partner Eric Glomski making wine in the Arizona desert. The film includes appearances by other famous people.
Another documentary, The Heart is a Drum Machine, also features Keenan. This film explores why people create and listen to music.
Autobiography
In 2013, Keenan announced he was working on his autobiography. He said, "I think there are a lot of misconceptions with some people that, all of a sudden, I was born when my first band came out. I actually had a life before that." He wanted the book to explain his journey.
Keenan's official biography, A Perfect Union of Contrary Things, was released on November 8, 2016.
Helping Others
Keenan performed at a 1997 benefit concert for RAINN. He is also a notable performer for Axis of Justice. This group brings together musicians and fans to support social justice. In 2004, Axis of Justice released an album with two songs featuring Keenan's vocals.
In 2005, Keenan made a surprise appearance at a benefit concert in Seattle. This concert raised money for victims of the 2004 earthquake and tsunami in southern Asia. He performed with a partly reunited Alice in Chains.
Personal Life
Keenan has a son named Devo. Devo sang backup vocals on A Perfect Circle's Thirteenth Step. He also played cello at Keenan's 50th birthday concert.
Two songs are named after Keenan's mother, Judith Marie: "Wings for Marie (Pt. 1)" by Tool and "Judith" by A Perfect Circle.
Keenan is known for being private and controlling his public image. He dislikes how celebrities are sometimes worshipped. He once carried business cards with the name "Jesus H. Christ" on them. He has used a paintball gun to keep trespassers off his property.
Keenan practices Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He once used a move to take down a fan who ran on stage during a performance. In 2021, he earned a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. In January 2024, he was promoted to black belt in the art.
In June 2010, it was announced that Keenan was engaged to Lei Li, who works at his Caduceus winery. In 2012, Keenan mentioned his wife in an article. On July 25, 2014, Keenan and his wife had a daughter.
Selected Discography
With TexA.N.S.
- Live at Sons and Daughters Hall (1984)
- Never Again (1985)
With Children of the Anachronistic Dynasty
- Fingernails (1986)
- Dog.House (1987)
With Tool
- Undertow (1993)
- Ænima (1996)
- Lateralus (2001)
- 10,000 Days (2006)
- Fear Inoculum (2019)
With A Perfect Circle
- Mer de Noms (2000)
- Thirteenth Step (2003)
- Emotive (2004)
- Eat the Elephant (2018)
As Puscifer
- Conditions of My Parole (2011)
- Existential Reckoning (2020)
See also
In Spanish: Maynard James Keenan para niños
- List of Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners
- List of celebrities who own wineries and vineyards
