Michael Stipe facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Michael Stipe
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Stipe in 2008
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| Birth name | John Michael Stipe |
| Born | January 4, 1960 Decatur, Georgia, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1980–present |
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John Michael Stipe (born January 4, 1960) is an American singer, songwriter, and artist. He is best known as the lead singer and lyricist (the person who writes the song words) for the alternative rock band R.E.M..
Michael Stipe was born in Georgia, USA, in January 1960. His father was in the military, so his family moved often. He lived in West Germany for a time and finished high school in Illinois. Stipe went to the University of Georgia in Athens. There, he became part of the local music scene. He met his future bandmates at the university and formed R.E.M. He then left college to focus on music. The band released their first song, "Radio Free Europe," and quickly became very popular.
Stipe has a unique voice. In his early career, he was known for a "mumbling" style. Later, his singing became more clear and powerful. He also helped create R.E.M.'s visual style, choosing album artwork and directing many of their music videos. Outside of music, he owns two film production companies. As a member of R.E.M., Stipe was added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007. Many famous singers, like Kurt Cobain of Nirvana and Thom Yorke of Radiohead, have said he influenced them.
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Early Life and School
John Michael Stipe was born on January 4, 1960, in Decatur, Georgia. His parents were Marianne and John Stipe. Because his father was in the United States Army, his family moved many times. They lived in West Germany, Texas, Illinois, and Alabama. His younger sister, Lynda Stipe, was born in 1962 and also became a singer. In 1978, Michael graduated from high school in Collinsville, Illinois. His senior photo is even on an R.E.M. album cover! He also worked at a local Waffle House restaurant.
When he was 14, Stipe discovered punk rock music. He read an article about the music scene in New York City. The article featured a photo of Patti Smith, who became a big inspiration for him. He bought her first album, Horses, the day it came out. He said, "Since then, I never looked back."
Music Career
Forming R.E.M.
While studying at the University of Georgia in Athens, Michael Stipe often visited the Wuxtry record store. In 1980, he met Peter Buck, who worked there. Buck noticed Stipe bought interesting records. They became friends and decided to start a band. Soon, Bill Berry and Mike Mills joined them. Stipe chose the name R.E.M. randomly from a dictionary. He was the youngest member of the group.
All four members of R.E.M. left college in 1980 to focus on their new band. Stipe was the last one to leave. Their first song, "Radio Free Europe," was a hit on college radio. They then signed with I.R.S. Records and released an EP called Chronic Town. In 1983, R.E.M. released their first full album, Murmur. Critics loved it, especially Stipe's singing and lyrics. Murmur even won "Album of the Year" from Rolling Stone magazine, beating Michael Jackson's Thriller. Their second album, Reckoning, came out in 1984.
In 1985, R.E.M. went to England to record their third album, Fables of the Reconstruction. This was a tough time for the band, and they almost broke up. Stipe later said he was feeling very tired and sad during this period. Bill Berry left R.E.M. in 1997, but the other three members continued making music. R.E.M. decided to stop playing together in 2011, but they are still good friends. Stipe confirmed in 2021 that they do not plan to reunite.
Other Music Projects
Michael Stipe has worked on many projects outside of R.E.M. In the early 1990s, he helped produce two albums for the band Chickasaw Mudd Puppies.
In 1994, Stipe planned to work with Kurt Cobain, the lead singer of Nirvana. Stipe hoped this would help Cobain, but they never got to record anything before Cobain's death. Stipe became the godfather to Cobain's daughter, Frances Bean Cobain. R.E.M. later recorded the song "Let Me In" as a tribute to Cobain.
Stipe also became good friends with singer Natalie Merchant. They recorded a song together called "Photograph." He also recorded a duet with Tori Amos in 1994 for a movie soundtrack, but they decided not to release it.
In 2006, Stipe released an EP (a short album) of six different cover songs. One version, with Coldplay's Chris Martin, became a number one hit in Canada. He also sang on songs for other bands like Placebo and New York Dolls.
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In 2008, Stipe worked with the clothing brand Lacoste to create his own special polo shirt design. He performed with Chris Martin at a concert in 2012 to raise money for victims of Hurricane Sandy. In 2013, a new song by Stipe featuring Courtney Love was released on a pirate-themed album. Stipe also created the music for the 2013 film The Cold Lands.
On April 10, 2014, Stipe welcomed the band Nirvana into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He released his first solo song, "Future, If Future," in 2018. He followed this with "Your Capricious Soul" in 2019 and "Drive to the Ocean" in 2020. In 2019, Stipe worked with the band Big Red Machine on the song "No Time For Love Like Now," which was released in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Stipe has always loved photography. He has carried a camera since he was a teenager. In 2018, he released a book of his photos called Volume 1. It included pictures of famous people like River Phoenix and Kurt Cobain. He released another book of photos in 2019. In 2023, Stipe began recording his first solo album in New York City.
Film and TV Work
In 1987, Michael Stipe helped start C-00 Films, a company that worked on different kinds of film projects. He has been an executive producer for several movies, including Being John Malkovich and Man on the Moon. He also helped produce the 2004 film Saved! In 1998, he worked with Single Cell Pictures, another film company that released independent movies.
Stipe has also appeared in films and on television. He was on an episode of The Adventures of Pete & Pete as an ice cream man. He appeared with R.E.M. on Sesame Street, singing a fun version of their song "Shiny Happy People" called "Furry Happy Monsters." He also appeared in an episode of The Simpsons.
Stipe provided the voice for Schnitzel the Reindeer in the 1999 movie Olive, the Other Reindeer.
Political Activism
Michael Stipe has used his voice to support causes he believes in. In March 2006, he joined other musicians in a protest concert against the Iraq War. In March 2018, Stipe joined the "March for Our Lives" rallies. These rallies supported stricter gun control laws after a school shooting. He even shared a new song at the rally.
Stipe has described himself as a democratic socialist. He has supported Bernie Sanders' presidential campaigns in 2016 and 2020. In October 2023, he signed an open letter with other artists asking President Joe Biden to call for a ceasefire in Gaza during the 2023 Israel–Hamas war.
Personal Life
Michael Stipe is a vegetarian. He used to co-own a vegetarian restaurant in Athens, Georgia. He lives with his long-term partner, photographer Thomas Dozol, in New York and Berlin.
In 1983, Stipe met Natalie Merchant of the band 10,000 Maniacs. They became good friends.
Michael Stipe has spoken openly about his identity. In 2001, he described himself as a "queer artist" and said he had been in a relationship with "an amazing man" for three years. In a 2004 interview, he explained that "queer" is a term that includes more "grey areas" than just "gay."
Musical Style
Michael Stipe has a baritone singing voice, which is a deep male voice. When writing songs for R.E.M., he wrote the lyrics and created the melodies. While all band members had an equal say, Stipe's ideas for lyrics were usually followed. His singing style has been compared to Celtic folk artists. Stipe often sings harmonies with Mike Mills in R.E.M. songs.
In the early days of R.E.M., Stipe's singing was sometimes hard to understand. He said in 1984, "It's just the way I sing." He also said that many of his early lyrics were "nonsense." However, many early R.E.M. songs did have carefully written lyrics. Stipe explained that he started with "simple pictures" in his lyrics, but then began to experiment with words that didn't make perfect sense.
As Stipe's singing became clearer in the mid-1980s, the band decided their lyrics should be more direct. Mills said that Stipe gained the confidence to express clearer messages. After what Stipe called "The Dark Ages of American Politics" (referring to the Reagan/Bush years), R.E.M. began to include more political ideas in their songs. Stipe said their political songs were a reaction to the "horror" they saw around them. While he continued to write political songs, later albums also explored other topics like life, death, and culture.
Discography
Solo Songs
- "Arms of Love" (1993)
- "Full Moon" (1993)
- "In the Sun" (with Chris Martin) (2006)
- "Rio Grande" (with Courtney Love) (2013)
- "Your Capricious Soul" (2019)
- "Drive to the Ocean" (2020)
- "No Time for Love Like Now" (with Big Red Machine) (2020)
- "Sunday Morning" (2021)
Guest Appearances
- With the Golden Palominos: "Boy (Go)", "Omaha" and "Clustering Train" (1985); "Alive and Living Now" (1991)
- With 10,000 Maniacs: "A Campfire Song" (1987)
- With Warren Zevon: "Bad Karma" (1987)
- With the Indigo Girls: "Kid Fears" (1989)
- With Syd Straw: "Future 40's" (1989)
- With the Blue Aeroplanes: "What It Is" (1990)
- With Robyn Hitchcock: "She Doesn't Exist" (1991)
- With Billy Bragg: "You Woke Up My Neighbourhood" (1991)
- With Neneh Cherry: "Trout" (1992)
- With Kristin Hersh: "Your Ghost" (1994)
- With Patti Smith: "Last Call" (1997); "Glitter in Their Eyes" (2000)
- With Placebo: "Broken Promise" (2006)
- With Miguel Bosé: "Lo que hay es lo que ves" (2007)
- With Maria Taylor: "Cartoons And Forever Plans" (2009)
- With Mykki Blanco: "Family Ties" (2022)
Production Work Michael Stipe has also produced music for other artists:
- Hugo Largo: "Drum" (1988)
- Chickasaw Mudd Puppies: White Dirt (1990) and 8 Track Stomp (1991)
- Vic Chesnutt: "Little" (1990), "West of Rome" (1992)
- Magnapop: Magnapop (1992)
- Fischerspooner: Sir (2018)
Books by Michael Stipe
- Michael Stipe: Volume 1. (2018) - A book of his photographs.
- Our Interference Times: A Visual Record. (2019) - With Douglas Coupland.
- Michael Stipe: Michael Stipe. (2021)
- Even the Birds Gave Pause. (2023)
See also
In Spanish: Michael Stipe para niños
