Scott Raynor facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Scott Raynor
Raynor in 1995
Background information
Birth name	Scott William Raynor Jr.
Born	(1978-05-23) May 23, 1978 (age 47) Poway, California, U.S.
Genres	Punk rock skate punk
Occupation(s)	Musician, police officer
Instruments	Drums guitar
Years active	1992–2020

Scott William Raynor Jr. (born May 23, 1978) is an American musician and police officer. He is best known as the first drummer for the rock band Blink-182. Scott joined Blink-182 when he was only 14 years old. He played with the band for six years.

With Scott, the band recorded their first demo, Buddha (1994). They also made their first album, Cheshire Cat (1995). Another album, Dude Ranch (1997), became very popular. Scott left the group in 1998 and Travis Barker became the new drummer. Scott has played with other bands since then. As of 2023, he works as a police officer in San Diego.

Scott Raynor's Early Life and Music Journey

Scott Raynor started playing drums when he was very young. At age 11, he formed a band with his friend Ryan Kennedy. They played at a school show. Scott remembers it as a "show and tell" type of event. They were inspired by bands like Metallica at first. But they found Metallica's songs too hard to play. Instead, they played songs by Danzig and the Misfits. Scott's first real performance was playing a cover of "Vlad the Impaler" by Gwar.

How Scott Met Blink-182 Members

Scott went to Rancho Bernardo High School. The school often held "Battle of the Bands" contests. Scott's band, The Necropheliacs, played a song called "Creeping Death" by Metallica. At one of these contests, he met Tom DeLonge. Tom had just moved to the school. Tom played his own song to a big crowd.

Scott was introduced to Tom at a party. They found they had a lot in common. Tom was looking for a band to make music with. Scott and Tom started writing songs at Scott's house. Their music was a mix of metal and punk. They tried out different bass players for their band.

Tom DeLonge later met Mark Hoppus in August 1992. Mark's sister, Anne Hoppus, introduced them. Scott said he thought they were very funny. He felt more independent by hanging out with them. The three of them started practicing in Scott's room. They used empty egg cartons to make the room soundproof. This helped keep the noise down for the neighbors.

Blink-182 playing at the Gorilla Pit in 1993

The three friends spent a lot of time together. They went to punk shows and movies. They also played jokes on each other. At first, their band had different names, like Duck Tape. Then Tom renamed the band "Blink". Mark Hoppus left the band for a short time. But he came back when Scott and Tom started recording a demo tape. They used a four-track recorder with their friend Cam Jones.

The band started playing with other local groups. They began to open for bands at SOMA. This was a local music venue for all ages. Scott said it was a mix of fear and excitement. He felt this when he saw people lining up to hear them play.

An early Blink-182 show at the Soul Kitchen in El Cajon

The band played many shows at places like SOMA. This caught the attention of Cargo Music, an independent record label. Mark Hoppus was the only one who signed the contract at first. Tom was at work, and Scott was still a minor (under 18).

The recording sessions for their first album, Cheshire Cat, were supposed to be Scott's last with the band. His family was moving to Reno, Nevada. Scott stayed with his sister for the summer of 1993. This was so he could rehearse for the album. After recording, Scott moved to Reno. A school friend, Mike Krull, briefly replaced him.

But the band saved money to fly Scott to shows. Eventually, Scott moved back to San Diego. He lived with Mark Hoppus and his family. His parents let him leave full-time school to play with the band. He still finished his diploma by doing homework while on tour. Scott said living with Mark's family was one of the best summers of his life. He left home at 17, bought a van, and made their first music video. He felt his dreams were coming true.

Blink-182's Rise to Fame and Scott's Departure

Blink-182 at the Whiskey in 1996

By 1996, big record labels started noticing Blink-182. There was a competition between Interscope, MCA, and Epitaph to sign the band. MCA won because they were very serious and promised the band full artistic freedom. The band started recording their second album, Dude Ranch, that winter.

The album came out the next summer. The band then went on the Warped Tour. Scott called this tour one of the best experiences he had with the band. When their song "Da***t" started playing on a big radio station in Los Angeles, other stations noticed. The song became popular on rock radio stations across the country.

The band was touring a lot and felt tired. They started to have disagreements. Scott had always planned to go to college one day. He even joked in 1994 that he didn't want to be 30 and still in a punk-rock band. After Dude Ranch was released, Scott started to feel differently about being in a major label band. He felt it offered less creative freedom. He had wanted to sign with Epitaph Records, not MCA. Scott felt he was not fully committed to the band anymore. He felt like "dead weight" and decided to step back.

The disagreements became more serious in February 1998. The band was on the SnoCore Tour, a winter version of the Warped Tour. They were more successful than ever. But the problems between the band members grew. Things got very difficult after a show in Nebraska. After SnoCore, they had a short tour along the West Coast. This ended with a sold-out show at the Hollywood Palladium. The band had always dreamed of playing there.

Scott had a difficult personal event during this tour. He had to fly home. This meant the band needed a temporary drummer. Travis Barker, from the support band The Aquabats, stepped in. Travis learned all the drum parts for the show in just 45 minutes. Scott returned for the Hollywood Palladium show. But the band members were still uneasy, and arguments continued. Scott later said he was told he was no longer in the band through a phone call. The band kept the details of his departure private in later interviews. Blink-182 later wrote a song, "Man Overboard", about Scott's departure.

Scott's Work After Blink-182

After leaving Blink-182, Scott Raynor stayed busy with music. He played guitar for a group called The Axidentals. They recorded an extended play (EP) and a full album. The album was not released at first. This was because Vagrant Records wanted to sign the band. But by the time the deal happened, Scott had disagreements with the group and left. The band later released their album as 'Death on Wednesday' in 2000.

Scott also started helping a charity called StandUp for Kids. This group helps young people who are homeless. He also taught music to teenagers who had been in trouble. This was part of a program called Street of Dreams.

From 2000 to 2001, Scott played with a group called Grimby. They recorded an EP at Doubletime Studios. Scott described their music as a funny mix of Black Sabbath, Ramones, and "Weird Al" Yankovic. In 2003, a false rumor spread online that Scott had died. He sent an email to websites to say it wasn't true. He also used the chance to bring attention to the StandUp for Kids organization.

In 2004, Scott worked with Nirvana producer Jack Endino. They recorded an EP with Scott's band, The Spazms. Scott felt the music on that record truly expressed him.

As of 2017, Scott was the drummer for a band called The Wraith. They played post-punk music in Los Angeles. Pictures in 2018 showed he was no longer with the band. But he rejoined in May 2019 and stayed for the rest of that year. Scott appeared in The Wraith's music video for "Wing of Night." He did not help write the song, though. In January 2020, Scott left The Wraith again. The band continued with a new drummer.

Discography

With Blink-182

See also

In Spanish: Scott Raynor para niños