Pete Wentz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pete Wentz
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Wentz in 2015
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Peter Lewis Kingston Wentz III
June 5, 1979 Wilmette, Illinois, U.S.
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| Years active | 1993–present |
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| Partner(s) | Meagan Camper (2011–present) |
| Children | 3 |
| Musical career | |
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Peter Lewis Kingston Wentz III (born June 5, 1979) is an American musician. He is best known as the bassist and main songwriter for the rock band Fall Out Boy. Before Fall Out Boy started in 2001, Pete was active in the Chicago hardcore music scene. He was the lead singer and songwriter for Arma Angelus, a metalcore band.
During Fall Out Boy's break from 2009 to 2012, Wentz formed an experimental electropop and dubstep group called Black Cards. He also owns a record label, DCD2 Records. This label has signed popular bands like Panic! at the Disco and Gym Class Heroes.
Fall Out Boy returned in February 2013. Since then, they have released four albums: Save Rock and Roll, American Beauty/American Psycho, Mania, and So Much (for) Stardust.
Pete Wentz has also worked on other projects outside of music. These include writing, acting, and fashion. In 2005, he started a clothing company called Clandestine Industries. He hosted the first two seasons of the TV show Best Ink. He also runs a film production company called Bartskull Films. Pete is also a part-owner of the Phoenix Rising FC, a professional soccer team.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Peter Lewis Kingston Wentz III was born in Wilmette, Illinois. This is a suburb near Chicago. His parents are Dale, a high school counselor, and Pete Wentz II, a lawyer. Pete has English and German roots from his father's side. His mother's family is of Afro-Jamaican descent. He has a younger sister, Hillary, and a younger brother, Andrew. His grandfather, Arthur Winston Lewis, was a U.S. Ambassador to Sierra Leone. Arthur Winston Lewis's cousin was General Colin Powell.
Wentz went to North Shore Country Day School. He was a talented soccer player there. He thought about playing soccer professionally. However, he chose music instead. He felt music was a bigger challenge and more interesting. After high school in 1997, he studied political science at DePaul University. He left college early to focus on Fall Out Boy.
Music Career Milestones
Early Bands and Arma Angelus (1993–2002)
Pete Wentz was very involved in the Chicago hardcore punk music scene. He played in several bands in the late 1990s. His first band, First Born, started in 1993. He also played bass for Racetraitor.
Wentz then formed the metalcore band Novena, later known as Arma Angelus. Other members included Adam Bishop, Daniel Binaei, and Timothy Miller. They released their first EP, the Grave End of the Shovel, in 2000. Later, Tim McIlrath and Joe Trohman also joined the band. In 2001, Arma Angelus released their album Where Sleeplessness Is Rest From Nightmares. They toured with bands like Throwdown and Hatebreed.
Around this time, Wentz also played in bands like Birthright and Yellow Road Priest. He and Arma Angelus's bassist Joe Trohman started the pop-punk band Fall Out Boy. Trohman introduced Wentz to Patrick Stump. Andy Hurley later joined as the full-time drummer. Arma Angelus played its last show in 2002.
Fall Out Boy's Journey (2001–Present)
In 2002, Fall Out Boy released an EP. In 2003, they released their mini-LP Fall Out Boy's Evening Out with Your Girlfriend. Later that year, their first full album, Take This to Your Grave, came out. Fall Out Boy then signed with Island Records. In 2004, they released an acoustic EP and DVD.
Their second album, From Under the Cork Tree, was released in 2005. Wentz wrote the lyrics for the song "Sugar, We're Goin Down" with his dad. This song became very popular.
In 2007, Fall Out Boy's third album, Infinity on High, was a big success. It debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. The song "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race" was a top ten hit. Their fourth album, Folie à Deux, came out in 2008. The band toured a lot to support these albums.
In November 2009, the band announced they would take a break. Wentz felt his fame and marriage to singer Ashlee Simpson were making things harder for the band. He said, "I think the world needs a little less Pete Wentz."
On February 4, 2013, Fall Out Boy surprised everyone by announcing their return. They released a new album, Save Rock and Roll, on April 12, 2013. The lead single was My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up). The album reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Fall Out Boy toured worldwide in 2013 and 2014. In October 2013, they released an EP called PAX AM Days.
The band's sixth album, American Beauty/American Psycho, also hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200. It included the popular song Centuries. Another hit from the album was Uma Thurman.
In April 2017, Fall Out Boy released "Young and Menace." This was the first song from their seventh album, Mania. Mania came out on January 19, 2018. It also debuted at number one on the Billboard 200.
In 2018, Fall Out Boy played a big show at Wrigley Field in Chicago. This was a special moment for the band in their hometown.
Black Cards Project (2010–2012)
In July 2010, Wentz formed the ska/electropop band Black Cards. He was joined by singer Bebe Rexha, guitarist Nate Patterson, and drummer Spencer Peterson. Wentz wanted to mix ska, dance, and reggae music with 80s British rock and pop. He aimed for a new, experimental sound.
On January 12, 2012, the band announced that Bebe Rexha was no longer a member.
Musical Instruments and Gear
Wentz often used the Fender Precision Bass. He said his first "real" bass was a 1957 Fender Precision Bass. In 2007, he worked with Fender to create his own signature Precision Bass. In 2023, Wentz partnered with Sterling by Music Man. They released his own signature StingRay Bass.
Other Creative Projects
Besides music, Pete Wentz has started many other businesses. His company, Clandestine Industries, sold books, clothes, and other items. In 2007, the fashion company DKNY partnered with Clandestine Industries. Wentz also modeled for their website.
In April 2007, Wentz released his own signature Squier Precision Bass. It has a black body with a red design and his special bat/heart logo.
Wentz opened a nightclub in New York called Angels & Kings. He did this with his bandmates and members of other bands. In June 2007, a second Angels & Kings opened in Chicago.
In December 2008, Wentz created art for an exhibit in Los Angeles. He appeared in an episode of CSI: NY with his then-wife Ashlee Simpson. Wentz also hosted the Australia MTV VMAs in 2009.
Wentz worked with Mark Hoppus on a song for the Almost Alice soundtrack. This was for the 2010 movie Alice in Wonderland. He was also a judge for the Independent Music Awards.
Friends or Enemies was a blogging website created by Wentz. It shared content from bands signed to DCD2. The site allowed users to create their own pages and post updates. It became a place for bands to announce tours and share news. The website was active until 2013.
Writing Books and Comics
Wentz has written a book called The Boy with the Thorn in His Side. This story is based on nightmares he had as a child. He said writing books is another way to express himself, beyond songwriting.
In February 2012, Wentz shared that he was editing another book. It was titled Gray and was released on February 26, 2013. He wrote it with MTV News writer James Montgomery.
In June 2009, it was announced that Wentz was working on a comic book series. It was called Fall Out Toy Works and published by Image Comics. The story was inspired by the Fall Out Boy song "Tiffany Blews."
Film and Television Work
Wentz also has a film production company called Bartskull Films. They released a DVD called Release the Bats.
Wentz appeared in several episodes of the TV show One Tree Hill. His band, Fall Out Boy, played at a club in the show. Wentz also had a solo role as a romantic interest.
He made a brief appearance in the show Californication. In 2009, he had a cameo in Degrassi Goes Hollywood. In 2016, he was a guest on the Nickelodeon series School of Rock.
In 2017, Wentz and his bandmates guest-starred in Cartoon Network's Teen Titans Go!. They played themselves in parts of "The Night Begins to Shine."
Wentz hosts the TV show Best Ink. He also directed a music video for the song "If It's Love" by the band Train. He was a contestant on the Nickelodeon game show Double Dare. In 2020, he appeared on two episodes of the Nickelodeon show All That.
Personal Life
In 2006, Wentz began dating singer Ashlee Simpson. They got engaged in April 2008 and married on May 17, 2008. Their son was born on November 20, 2008. They later separated in 2011.
Wentz is currently in a relationship with Meagan Camper. They have two children together, a son born in 2014 and a daughter born in 2018.
Helping Others
Wentz supports Invisible Children, Inc.. This group helps refugees in Uganda. He and Fall Out Boy visited Uganda. They filmed the music video for "I'm Like a Lawyer... (Me & You)" there. He also took part in an event called "Displace Me." Activists slept outside to raise awareness for displaced people.
Wentz also works with UNICEF's Tap Project. This project helps bring clean drinking water to people around the world.
Discography
Arma Angelus
- Where Sleeplessness Is Rest from Nightmares (2001)
Fall Out Boy
- Take This to Your Grave (2003)
- From Under the Cork Tree (2005)
- Infinity on High (2007)
- Folie à Deux (2008)
- Save Rock and Roll (2013)
- American Beauty/American Psycho (2015)
- Mania (2018)
- So Much (For) Stardust (2023)
Black Cards
Other Work
Singles
| Year | Title | Album | Contributions | Other artist(s) | Label |
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| 2007 | "If You Could Remember" | In This Life or the Next | Vocals | Damnation A.D., Patrick Stump | Victory Records |
| "One And Only" | Shock Value | Co-writer | Timbaland | Blackground Records | |
| 2009 | "Catch Me If You Can" | The Quilt | Co-writer | Gym Class Heroes, Patrick Stump | Decaydance, Fueled by Ramen |
| "You're Not In on the Joke" | Hot Mess | Musician | Cobra Starship | ||
| 2010 | "In Transit" | Almost Alice | Co-writer, vocals | Mark Hoppus | Buena Vista Records |
| 2023 | "CYAN1DE" | Void Eternal | Featured artist | nothing,nowhere. | Fueled by Ramen |
Albums
| Year | Title | Contributions | Artist | Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Hypocrisy Breeds Traitors | Bass | Extinction | Catalyst Records |
| 2007 | The Live and Learn EP | Vocals | Not Enough Gold | Hewhocorrupts Inc. |
See also
In Spanish: Pete Wentz para niños
