Shaun Morgan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Shaun Morgan
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Morgan performing with Seether in 2012
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Shaun Morgan Welgemoed |
| Born | 21 December 1978 |
| Origin | Pietermaritzburg, South Africa |
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| Years active | 1999–present |
Shaun Morgan Welgemoed (born on 21 December 1978) is a talented musician from South Africa. He is best known as the lead singer, songwriter, and rhythm guitarist for the popular rock band Seether.
Contents
Early Life and Music Beginnings
Shaun Morgan grew up in South Africa. His parents separated when he was young. He is the youngest of three children. He has a sister named Lucy and a brother named Eugene.
Shaun attended Merchiston Preparatory School and Maritzburg College in Pietermaritzburg. He played rugby for his first three years of high school. After a back injury, he could no longer play rugby. This led him to start playing the guitar.
When he was fourteen, Shaun discovered the Seattle grunge music scene. He was greatly inspired after listening to Nirvana's Nevermind album. This experience made him want to become a musician.
Shaun Morgan's Music Career
Before forming the band Saron Gas, Shaun was part of a tribute band. They played songs by artists like Creed and Tom Petty. In May 1999, Shaun helped create the band Saron Gas. It started as a four-person group. However, the singer and another guitarist did not show up for the first practice. So, the band decided to continue as a three-person group. Shaun became the lead singer and guitarist.
Saron Gas became quite successful. But in January 2000, their bass player left. Shaun then contacted Dale Stewart, who was another good bass player he knew. The band released an album called Fragile later that year.
Seether: A New Name and New Beginnings
In January 2002, Shaun and Dale moved to the United States. They signed a record deal with Wind-up Records. At this time, the band's original drummer went back to South Africa. Wind-up Records asked the remaining members to choose a new band name. They decided on Seether, named after a song by the band Veruca Salt.
Around this time, Shaun started using his middle name, Morgan, as his professional last name for Seether. This was because "Welgemoed" was hard for some Americans to pronounce. Seether released their first major album, Disclaimer, on 20 August 2002. It was later remixed and re-released as Disclaimer II in 2004, with a few extra songs.
Seether's Albums and Success
Since their debut, Seether has released many more studio albums. These include:
- Karma and Effect (2005)
- Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces (2007)
- Holding Onto Strings Better Left to Fray (2011)
- Isolate and Medicate (2014)
- Poison the Parish (2017)
- Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum (2020)
- The Surface Seems So Far (2024)
In 2006, they also released a live CD/DVD called One Cold Night.
Collaborations and Influences
In 2013, Shaun Morgan worked with the famous band Lynyrd Skynyrd. He also collaborated with guitarist John 5 on a song called "Sad Song." This track appeared on a special edition of Lynyrd Skynyrd's album Last of a Dyin' Breed.
Shaun Morgan has been influenced by many great bands. Some of these include Nirvana, Portishead, Silverchair, The Beatles, Metallica, Stone Temple Pilots, Nine Inch Nails, Mad Season, Rage Against the Machine, Black Sabbath, Korn, Soundgarden, Led Zeppelin, Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, and Deftones.
Shaun Morgan's Equipment
Shaun Morgan was offered a deal to have his own signature guitar model with PRS, but he chose not to take it. Early in his career, he became supported by Schecter Guitars and used them until 2019. Now, he plays an Ernie Ball Music Man StingRay RS guitar.
Shaun Morgan's Family Life
On 13 August 2007, Shaun's brother, Eugene Welgemoed, passed away tragically. A few weeks later, Seether's album Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces was released. The album was already finished, so there was no delay. It was dedicated to Eugene and included a special memorial. Seether's song "Rise Above This" is a tribute to Eugene. Shaun has the numbers 1308 tattooed on his four right fingers and 2007 on his four left fingers. These numbers mark the date his brother died.
In May 2021, Shaun Morgan married his longtime partner, Jordan Kirby. They have a daughter and a son together.
Discography
Saron Gas
- Fragile (2000)
Seether
Studio albums
- Disclaimer (2002)
- Disclaimer II (2004)
- Karma and Effect (2005)
- Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces (2007)
- Holding Onto Strings Better Left to Fray (2011)
- Isolate and Medicate (2014)
- Poison the Parish (2017)
- Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum (2020)
- The Surface Seems So Far (2024)
Collaborations
- Art of Dying featuring Shaun Morgan – "Die Trying" (2008)
- HURT featuring Shaun Morgan – "World Ain't Right" on the album Goodbye to the Machine (2009)
- Acoustic cover of Alice in Chains' "Nutshell", with Brent Smith, lead singer of Shinedown. This song is featured on The 97X Green Room: Volume 2, a radio station album from Tampa, Florida.
See also
In Spanish: Shaun Morgan para niños
