Wayne Static facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wayne Static
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Static performing in 2005
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| Born |
Wayne Richard Wells
November 4, 1965 Muskegon, Michigan, U.S.
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| Died | November 1, 2014 (aged 48) Landers, California, U.S.
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| Other names |
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| Occupation | Musician, songwriter |
| Spouse(s) |
Tera Wray
(m. 2008) |
| Musical career | |
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| Instruments |
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| Years active | 1978–2014 |
Wayne Richard Wells (born November 4, 1965 – died November 1, 2014), known as Wayne Static, was an American musician. He was famous as the lead singer, guitarist, keyboard player, and main songwriter for the band Static-X. He also released his own album, Pighammer, in 2011. Wayne Static was easy to recognize because of his unique hairstyle. His hair stood straight up, which took about 20 minutes to do. He also had a special "chintail" beard.
Contents
Early Life and Music Beginnings
Wayne Wells was born in Muskegon, Michigan. He grew up in Shelby, Michigan, and later moved to Chicago, Illinois, and then to California. He got his first toy guitar when he was three years old. When he was seven, his parents bought him a real guitar.
Wayne took lessons and won a talent contest a year later by playing "Skip to My Lou". He played in his first band at age 12 and decided he wanted to be a musician. In high school, he played in a band for school dances.
Music Career Highlights
After moving to Chicago, Wayne started a band called Deep Blue Dream in 1987. He was with drummer Ken Jay, bass player Eric Harris, and Billy Corgan, who later formed the band Smashing Pumpkins. Deep Blue Dream didn't last long, as Wayne and Ken Jay moved to California.
In California, Wayne and Ken Jay formed the band Static-X. They were joined by Tony Campos on bass and Koichi Fukuda on guitar. This is when Wayne Wells started using the name Wayne Static.
In 2007, Wayne announced he would start a solo project called Pighammer. However, he said that Static-X would remain his main focus. His solo album, Pighammer, was released on October 4, 2011. For his solo project, Wayne formed a new band with Brent Ashley on bass, Sean Davidson on drums, and Ashes on guitar. In 2012, this group toured under the name Static-X for the Noise Revolution tour. However, the tour was stopped early because Wayne needed to take a break for his health.
In 2013, Static-X officially broke up. Wayne said this was due to disagreements between him and the band's former bassist, Tony Campos, about who owned the band's name. Wayne was planning a tour with Powerman 5000 in November 2014, with American Head Charge as a supporting band.
Wayne Static's Guitars and Amps
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Wayne Static used special guitars for his music. He often used Gibson Flying V and Gibson Explorer guitars early in his career. Later, companies like Epiphone, ESP, and Dean made signature guitars for him. These guitars were designed to his liking, often with a single pickup and simple controls.
For his live sound, Wayne used Marshall MG100HDFX amps. These amps were reliable and easy to replace if needed while touring. He also used Marshall 1960A speaker cabinets. Later, Static-X switched to a digital sound system for their tours, using a Line 6 Pod XT Pro.
Personal Life
Wayne Static was an atheist and a pescatarian, meaning he ate fish but no other meat. After a short time together, he married Tera Wray in Las Vegas on January 10, 2008. They lived in Joshua Tree, California.
His Passing
Wayne Static passed away on November 1, 2014, in Landers, California. This was just three days before his 49th birthday. Former Static-X band members Koichi Fukuda and Tony Campos shared their sadness and paid tribute to him. Wayne was cremated in California. A memorial show was held in Los Angeles, and a family service took place in Illinois.
Solo Music and Collaborations
Solo Albums
- 2011: Pighammer
Solo Singles
- 2011: "Assassins of Youth"
Music with Other Artists
Wayne Static also worked with many other musicians and bands:
- 2000: Dead Prez & Wayne Static – "Hip Hop"
- 2001: Mephisto Odyssey & Static-X – "Crash"
- 2002: Jonathan Davis & Richard Gibbs featuring Wayne Static – "Not Meant for Me"
- 2003: Godhead featuring Wayne Static – "The Giveaway"
- 2004: Skinny Puppy featuring Wayne Static – "Use Less"
- 2006: SOiL featuring Wayne Static – "Give It Up"
- 2008: O'''*''' for the Masses featuring Wayne Static – "21st Century Time Bomb"
- 2009: Dirge Within featuring Wayne Static - "Inhuman"
- 2010: Raymond Herrera & Wayne Static – "Decimator"
- 2011: 9 Electric featuring Wayne Static – "Destroy As You Go"
- 2013: DMC from Run-DMC featuring Wayne Static – "Noise Revolution"
Music Video Appearances
Wayne Static also appeared in several music videos:
- 2002: He was in The X-Ecutioners music video "It's Goin' Down", with Mike Shinoda and Mr. Hahn from Linkin Park.
- 2006: He appeared in Silent Civilian's video "Rebirth of The Temple".
- 2009: He appeared at 98 Rockfest in Tampa, Florida.
- 2010: He was a villain in Issue 4 of the Eternal Descent Comic Book series.
See also
In Spanish: Wayne Static para niños
