Peter Buck facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Peter Buck
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Buck in 2022
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Peter Lawrence Buck |
| Born | December 6, 1956 Berkeley, California, U.S. |
| Genres | Alternative rock, folk rock, punk rock |
| Occupations | Musician, songwriter |
| Instruments | Guitar, mandolin, banjo, bass guitar |
| Years active | 1976–present |
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Peter Lawrence Buck (born December 6, 1956) is an American musician and songwriter. He is best known as a co-founder and the lead guitarist of the famous alternative rock band R.E.M.. Besides playing guitar, he also played instruments like the banjo and mandolin on some of R.E.M.'s songs.
During his time with R.E.M. from 1980 to 2011, and in his solo career since, Buck has been part of many other bands and music projects. Some of these groups include The Minus 5, The Baseball Project, and Filthy Friends. He has also worked as a record producer for other bands and played as a guest session musician on albums by artists like The Replacements and The Decemberists.
Contents
Early Life and Meeting R.E.M.
Peter Lawrence Buck was born in Berkeley, California. His family later moved to the Atlanta area in Georgia. After graduating from Crestwood High School in 1975, he went to Emory University for a while before leaving.
Buck then moved to Athens, Georgia, where he worked at the Wuxtry Records store. This job was very important for his future. It was at the record store that he met Michael Stipe, who would become the lead singer of R.E.M. He also met the band's future manager, Bertis Downs.
Musical Career
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Buck's guitar playing has a simple but unique style. He often uses open strings to create catchy, chiming melodies. For many years, his sound was closely linked to Rickenbacker guitars, especially a black model 360. As R.E.M. grew and experimented, he used many other instruments as well.
U2's lead singer Bono once described Buck's stage presence. He said, "When Peter plays guitar, there's a strong sense of ... off that comes from his side of the stage... I like that energy a little bit, and that gives them their aggression."
Work Outside of R.E.M.
Besides his work with R.E.M., Buck has produced albums for many bands, including Uncle Tupelo, The Fleshtones, and The Feelies. He has also played on albums for other musicians, such as Billy Bragg and Eels.
He has been a member of many side project bands. With his R.E.M. bandmates and the musician Warren Zevon, he recorded an album under the name Hindu Love Gods. He has also been a member of the bands The Minus 5, Tuatara, and The Baseball Project.
In 2006, Buck toured as the lead guitarist for Robyn Hitchcock and the Venus 3. He has also written liner notes, which are the informational booklets included with albums, for R.E.M. and other artists like The Beach Boys.
The Stolen Guitar
On September 9, 2008, after an R.E.M. concert in Helsinki, Finland, Buck's famous Rickenbacker guitar was stolen from the stage. He had used this guitar since 1982. Luckily, the guitar was returned nine days later by someone who wished to remain anonymous.
Solo Career
After R.E.M. broke up in 2011, Buck began a solo career. He released his first solo album, titled Peter Buck, in 2012. He has released several other solo albums since then, including I Am Back to Blow Your Mind Once Again (2014) and Warzone Earth (2015).
He also formed new groups, like Arthur Buck with singer-songwriter Joseph Arthur, and Filthy Friends with musicians like Corin Tucker from the band Sleater-Kinney.
Personal Life
Buck has twin daughters, who were born in 1994. He is known for his huge knowledge of music and owns a very large personal record collection. In the late 1990s, he estimated he had about 25,000 records, including vinyl singles, LPs, and CDs.
In the 1990s, Buck moved to the Pacific Northwest and has lived in Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington.
Discography
This is a list of some of Peter Buck's most important work.
With R.E.M.
- Chronic Town EP (1982)
- Murmur (1983)
- Reckoning (1984)
- Fables of the Reconstruction (1985)
- Lifes Rich Pageant (1986)
- Document (1987)
- Green (1988)
- Out of Time (1991)
- Automatic for the People (1992)
- Monster (1994)
- New Adventures in Hi-Fi (1996)
- Up (1998)
- Reveal (2001)
- Around the Sun (2004)
- Accelerate (2008)
- Collapse into Now (2011)
Solo Albums
- Peter Buck (2012)
- I Am Back to Blow Your Mind Once Again (2014)
- Warzone Earth (2015)
- Beat Poetry for Survivalists (2020)
Selected Work with Other Bands
- The Good Earth (1986) with The Feelies (as producer)
- MacDougal Blues (1990) with Kevn Kinney (as producer)
- Hindu Love Gods (1990) with Hindu Love Gods
- West (1997) with Mark Eitzel
- Old Liquidator (1995) with The Minus 5
- Breaking the Ethers (1997) with Tuatara
- Olé! Tarantula (2006) with Robyn Hitchcock and the Venus Three
- Volume 1: Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails (2008) with The Baseball Project
- The Place We Ran From (2010) with Tired Pony
- Invitation (2017) with Filthy Friends
- Arthur Buck (2018) with Arthur Buck
See also
In Spanish: Peter Buck para niños
