William DuVall facts for kids

Quick facts for kids William DuVall
DuVall performing with Alice in Chains in 2019
Background information
Birth name	William Bradley DuVall
Born	(1967-09-06) September 6, 1967 (age 57) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Genres	Alternative metal hard rock grunge alternative rock heavy metal
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter musician
Instruments	Vocals guitar
Years active	1983–present

William Bradley DuVall (born September 6, 1967) is an American musician. He is best known as the co-lead singer and rhythm guitarist for the famous rock band Alice in Chains. He joined Alice in Chains in 2006, taking on the role after the band's original lead singer. William DuVall shares singing duties with guitarist and vocalist Jerry Cantrell.

With Alice in Chains, DuVall has helped create three albums: Black Gives Way to Blue (2009), The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here (2013), and Rainier Fog (2018). He also won an ASCAP Pop Music Award in 1996 for helping write the song "I Know" for Dionne Farris. As a member of Alice in Chains, he has been nominated for three Grammy Awards.

DuVall is also a co-founder, lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter for the band Comes with the Fall. Since 2016, he has been the lead singer for the supergroup Giraffe Tongue Orchestra. Throughout his long music career, he has played in many different bands and explored various music styles, including the punk rock group Neon Christ. William DuVall released his first solo album, One Alone, in 2019.

William DuVall's Musical Journey

Early Years and First Bands

DuVall performing in 2009

William Bradley DuVall was born in Washington, D.C., on September 6, 1967. When he was 14, he moved to Atlanta, Georgia, with his mother and stepfather.

DuVall has said that Jimi Hendrix was an early inspiration for him. He was very impressed by Hendrix's guitar playing after listening to his cousin's album Band of Gypsys when he was eight years old.

DuVall's music career began in the early 1980s in the Atlanta hardcore punk music scene. His very first band was called Awareness Void of Chaos.

In 1983, DuVall helped start the Atlanta-based hardcore punk band Neon Christ. He played guitar and wrote lyrics for their albums. Other members of this band included Randy DuTeau, Danny Lankford, and Jimmy Demer. Neon Christ became quite popular after a few short tours and releasing two albums. The band used its popularity to support many good causes.

Neon Christ broke up in 1986. The original members reunited for a special show on December 24, 2004. They later filmed a documentary that ended with a show in Lawrenceville, Georgia, in 2008.

After Neon Christ first broke up, DuVall briefly played second guitar in the northern California hardcore punk band Bl'ast. He helped write a small part of their second album, It's in My Blood. This album was released on SST Records, a label started by Greg Ginn from the band Black Flag. However, DuVall did not stay with Bl'ast long enough to record on the album.

In 1987, DuVall formed the band Final Offering with Randy Gue, Mike Dean, and Greg Psomas. However, they had trouble working consistently. Dean later went back to work with his band Corrosion of Conformity.

DuVall spent the late 1980s playing with a band called No Walls, which was inspired by Jimi Hendrix. Other members included Hank Schroy and Matthew Cowley. DuVall gave a demo tape to Living Colour guitarist Vernon Reid in 1989. Reid then helped No Walls join the Black Rock Coalition and arranged some shows for them in New York. They also recorded a demo at Jimi Hendrix's Electric Lady Studios in New York with Reid's help. No Walls released one album in 1992 and then broke up that same year.

In the late 1980s, DuVall earned a degree in philosophy from Georgia State University.

Madfly, Comes with the Fall, and Jerry Cantrell

In 1994, DuVall helped write the song "I Know" for fellow Atlanta musician Dionne Farris. This song stayed on Billboard's Hot 100 chart for 38 weeks, reaching number 4. DuVall won an ASCAP Pop Music Award for it in 1996.

In the late 1990s, DuVall started the band Madfly with Nico Constantine, Bevan Davies, and Jeffery Blount. He was the guitarist, singer, and songwriter. Madfly released two albums: Get the Silver and White Hot in the Black.

In 1999, DuVall, Bevan, and Nico formed Comes with the Fall, adding Adam Stanger as their bassist. Comes with the Fall released their first album in 2000 and their second, The Year Is One, in 2001.

In early 2000, Comes with the Fall moved to Los Angeles. Soon after, DuVall met Alice in Chains guitarist and vocalist Jerry Cantrell. Cantrell liked Comes with the Fall's music and started spending time with the band, sometimes even joining them on stage. The next year, Comes with the Fall opened for Cantrell's solo tour. DuVall also sang the parts originally sung by Layne Staley during these concerts from 2001 to 2002.

Alice in Chains and Giraffe Tongue Orchestra

DuVall, Jerry Cantrell, and Sean Kinney performing at an Alice in Chains concert in 2007

DuVall joined Alice in Chains as their lead singer for the band's reunion concerts in 2006. His first public performance with the band was at VH1's Decades Rock Live! concert, where he sang Alice in Chains' song "Rooster". According to Jerry Cantrell, DuVall got the job after just one audition. For his first practice with the band, DuVall sang "Love, Hate, Love". After they finished, drummer Sean Kinney looked at his bandmates and said, "I think the search is pretty much over." Bassist Mike Inez noted that DuVall did not try to copy the original singer, which is what attracted them to him.

At first, the band members said the reunion was just a tribute to their original singer and their fans. They weren't sure if they would continue as a band. However, fans were very excited about the reformed Alice in Chains. This convinced the four members to keep the band name.

In 2007, Alice in Chains began touring with other bands. They toured many European cities and parts of the United States and Canada. For the first time in 15 years, Alice in Chains also toured Australia. Around this time, the Alice in Chains website announced that the band, with DuVall officially as lead singer, was working on new music. Their album, Black Gives Way to Blue, was released on September 29, 2009. DuVall shares singing duties with Cantrell on this album. "Last of My Kind" is the only song on the album where DuVall sings lead vocals alone. DuVall also wrote the lyrics for this song.

DuVall and Jerry Cantrell performing with Alice in Chains in 2006

In 2011, Alice in Chains took a break after touring in over 30 countries. DuVall hinted that another album might be coming soon.

In March 2011, it was announced that Alice in Chains would start recording a new album later that year. In May 2013, the album The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here was released. DuVall sings lead vocals on the songs "Hung on a Hook" and "Phantom Limb". He also wrote the lyrics and the guitar solo for "Phantom Limb," which was his first solo for Alice in Chains.

Jerry Cantrell is the main lead singer on Alice in Chains' albums released after their original singer. DuVall often sings the original singer's parts when the band performs old songs live.

In 2016, DuVall released the album Broken Lines with the supergroup Giraffe Tongue Orchestra. This group was started by lead guitarist Ben Weinman and also includes guitarist Brent Hinds, drummer Thomas Pridgen, and bassist Wielbert Collinson.

Alice in Chains' sixth studio album, and their third with DuVall, is called Rainier Fog. It was released on August 24, 2018. The song "So Far Under" was written by DuVall, who also played the guitar solo on it. The song "Never Fade" was co-written by DuVall and Cantrell. They also share lead vocals on this song, with DuVall singing the verses and pre-chorus, and Cantrell singing the chorus. The song was inspired by the deaths of DuVall's grandmother and the singer of Soundgarden, Chris Cornell.

In December 2018, DuVall and Jerry Cantrell were ranked among the top rock guitarists in the world by Total Guitar and MusicRadar.

On January 16, 2019, DuVall, along with Cantrell and members of Pearl Jam, performed Soundgarden's "Hunted Down" at a tribute concert for Chris Cornell.

Solo Career

DuVall released his first solo album, One Alone, on October 4, 2019. The first song from the album, "Til The Light Guides Me Home", was first played on BBC Radio 1 on July 21, 2019. The second song, "White Hot", came out on October 1, 2019.

He started a U.S. tour to promote the album on October 21, 2019, in Atlanta. DuVall also announced a European tour for March and April 2020.

In 2023, DuVall added his vocals to a new version of the song "This Is Mongol" by the Mongolian folk metal band the Hu. This song is on the deluxe edition of their album Rumble of Thunder, which was released on June 30, 2023.

Other Projects

DuVall had small roles in a few films. He was an extra in the 2001 science fiction movie Mimic 2. He also had a non-speaking role in the 2003 film Confidence, where he played a bar patron.

DuVall directed a documentary about jazz drummer Milford Graves, called Ancient to Future: The Wisdom of Milford Graves. As of 2022, this film was in the final stages of production.

In 2011, DuVall reunited with his former Neon Christ bandmates to work on a documentary film. It is called All Alone Together: Neon Christ and Atlanta Hardcore.

In February 2018, Framus Guitars released the "William DuVall Talisman Signature" guitar model. DuVall designed this guitar himself.

Personal Life

William DuVall has a son, who was born on March 18, 2009. This was the same day he finished recording his first studio album with Alice in Chains, Black Gives Way to Blue.

Discography

Videography

See also

In Spanish: William DuVall para niños