Ben Moody | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Benjamin Robert Moody II |
Born | Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S. | January 22, 1981
Genres | |
Occupations |
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Instrument | Guitar |
Years active | 1994–present |
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Website | www |
Benjamin Robert Moody II [1] (born January 22, 1981) is an American guitarist, songwriter and record producer. He is best known as a co-founder of rock band Evanescence, which formed in 1994 and which he departed in 2003 after the release of their 2003 album Fallen . After leaving Evanescence, Moody co-wrote and co-produced songs for Kelly Clarkson, Avril Lavigne, Anastacia, Lindsay Lohan, Bo Bice, Daughtry, and Celine Dion.
Moody was born on January 22, 1981 in Little Rock, Arkansas. [2] [3] He described his youth in Little Rock as being lax, stating that "everybody has their fun. In Little Rock, I'm an infamous thief - it was all there was to do." [3] He began playing drums, but switched to guitar after experiencing carpal tunnel issues. [4] He did not take guitar lessons, and took influence from 1980s artists like Metallica, Ozzy Osbourne and Mötley Crüe. [4] Commenting on his favorite era of music, Moody said: "Honestly, I think I was born about 10 years too late. I listen to The Final Countdown by Europe once a week just for the hell of it". [4] He called Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett his "hero" and the reason he played guitar. [5]
This section of a biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification .(September 2022) |
In 1994, Moody met Amy Lee in Little Rock, Arkansas while at a youth camp. The two became musical collaborators and co-founded Evanescence. [6] [4] They soon began playing music at local shops. [7] Within a few years, the duo began selling EPs at local shows, culminating in their discovery by Wind-up Records and the release of their debut studio album, Fallen , in 2003. Moody abruptly left Evanescence in October 2003 during their European tour, citing creative differences. [8] [9]
In 2006, Moody signed with former Evanescence management Rider Management, which sued him in 2013 for $500,000 in unpaid commissions. [10]
In August 2010, Moody released a statement on his history with Lee and Evanescence, where he said that he was a different person at the time, his friendship with Lee had deteriorated, and they had conflicting opinions, personalities, and desires with the band. Moody apologized to Lee for comments he made to her in anger. He said he realized the band would end if he stayed and believes he made the right choice. He added, "Evanescence has progressed a great distance from the original sound, and made it clear that they intended to expand much further. Amy is very artistic and never has had a problem thinking outside of the box and defying expectations." [11]
Beginning in 2004, Moody began collaborating with several artists, co-writing the track "Nobody's Home" for Avril Lavigne's second album, Under My Skin , and co-writing the track "The End Has Come" with Jason C. Miller and Jason "Gong" Jones for The Punisher soundtrack. He then wrote with David Hodges, Kelly Clarkson, and others for Clarkson's second album, Breakaway , working on the songs "Because of You" and "Addicted". [12]
In early 2005, Moody played lead guitar for the song "Forever in Our Hearts", the 'song for tsunami relief' made exclusively for iTunes. [13] He collaborated with singer Anastacia on the song "Everything Burns", which is featured on her album Pieces of a Dream and the Fantastic Four soundtrack. Moody then assisted Lindsay Lohan on her album A Little More Personal (Raw) and worked with Bo Bice on the song "My World" (a cover from SR-71) for his debut album The Real Thing . Moody's debut solo album, You Can't Regret What You Don't Remember, was scheduled to be released in late 2005, and would feature bassist Marty O'Brien on bass, drummer Lance Garvin, guitarist Michael "Fish" Herring, and co-vocals from Jason Miller. [14]
In April 2006, Moody began working on the debut album of singer-songwriter Hana Pestle, co-producing and co-writing with Michael "Fish" Herring, as well as performing on the album. [15] He later produced the Godhead album The Shadow Line with Julian Beeston, and played a clown in their music video for the song "Push". He collaborated with Hodges again on American Idol Chris Daughtry's debut album, Daughtry (2006), for the song "What About Now".
In 2007, Moody worked with Celine Dion on her album Taking Chances . [15] It was reported that his solo album was still in the works. [15]
In December 2008, he released the Mutiny Bootleg E.P. and announced that his solo album would be released on March 3, 2009. This release would be delayed, however, as was hinted at in February 2009, when Moody's official website displayed the release as "available 2009" instead of the March 3 release date. On June 9, 2009, Moody's debut solo album, entitled All for This , was released digitally via Amazon.com, iTunes, and Amie Street through Moody's label, FNR Records. His second album, You Can't Regret What You Don't Remember, was released on November 11, 2011.
In June 2009, it was announced that Moody had formed the rock band called We Are the Fallen, recruiting American Idol 7 finalist Carly Smithson as the lead singer, and his friends former Evanescence drummer Rocky Gray, guitarist John LeCompt, and Marty O'Brien on bass. [16] [17] We Are the Fallen made their first public appearance together for a press conference at SIR Studios in Los Angeles, CA, on June 22, 2009. Their debut album, Tear the World Down was released in May 2010. The band toured for most of the year in support of the album, and filmed their first live DVD, Cirque Des Damnés, at the Avalon Theatre. The DVD was scheduled for release in late 2011.
In 2012, Moody teamed up with former Papa Roach drummer Dave Buckner, and former Rock Star Supernova frontman Lukas Rossi, to form a new band called The Halo Method. Before their debut show on the Shiprocked cruise in November 2012, former In This Moment bassist and studio engineer Josh Newell became their bassist.
Moody started a television and film production company, Makeshift Films. [14] He made a cameo as a zombie in the 2004 horror film Resident Evil: Apocalypse . [18] He also appeared in the 2007 release of the low-budget film Dead and Gone.
Moody identified as Christian and promoted his religious beliefs in interviews in the early 2000s. [19] [6] [20] In 2005, he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. [21] He struggled with substance abuse during his time in Evanescence, [23] and entered rehab after leaving the band. [12]
Moody dated singer Hana Pestle. [24] [25]
As of June 2022, he is now divorced with 2 sons. [1]
Year | Artist | Song | Release and/or explanation | Notes |
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2004 | Avril Lavigne | "Nobody's Home" | Under My Skin | Writing credits |
Ben Moody feat. Jason Miller and Jason "Gong" Jones | "The End Has Come" | The Punisher: The Album | Main performer; writing credits | |
Kelly Clarkson (with Ben Moody, David Hodges, Marty O'Brien, and Mark Colbert) | "Because of You" | Breakaway | Writing credits, producer, and guitar | |
"Addicted" | ||||
2005 | Ben Moody | "Forever in Our Hearts" | Song for tsunami relief made exclusively for iTunes | Lead guitar |
Ben Moody feat. Anastacia | "Everything Burns" | Fantastic 4: The Album Pieces of a Dream | Main performer; writing credits and producer | |
Lindsay Lohan | "Fastlane" | A Little More Personal (Raw) | Arranger, programming, producer | |
"Edge of Seventeen" | Programming and producer | |||
Bo Bice | "My World" | The Real Thing | Producer | |
2006 | Godhead | "Push" feat. Jeffree Starr and Ben Moody | The Shadow Line | Producer |
2007 | Daughtry | "What About Now" | Daughtry | Writing credits |
Celine Dion | "Alone" | Taking Chances | Producer | |
"This Time" | Writing credits and producer | |||
"The Reason I Go On" | Producer | |||
2009 | Daughtry | "Open Up Your Eyes" | Leave This Town | Writing credits |
Halestorm | "Innocence" | Halestorm | Writing credits | |
2010 | Flyleaf | "Arise" (Ben Moody Mix) | Remember to Live | Remixer |
Evanescence is an American rock band founded in 1994 by singer and keyboardist Amy Lee and guitarist Ben Moody in Little Rock, Arkansas. After releasing independent EPs as a duo in the late '90s and a demo CD, Evanescence released their debut studio album, Fallen, on Wind-up Records in 2003. Propelled by the success of hit singles like "Bring Me to Life" and "My Immortal", Fallen sold more than four million copies in the US by January 2004, garnering Evanescence two Grammy Awards out of six nominations. They released their first live album and concert DVD, Anywhere but Home, in 2004, which sold over one million copies worldwide.
Fallen is the debut studio album by American rock band Evanescence, released on March 4, 2003 by Wind-up Records. Co-founders singer and pianist Amy Lee and guitarist Ben Moody began writing and recording songs as Evanescence in 1994, and after releasing two EPs and a demo CD, they signed to Wind-up in January 2001. Several of the songs from their earlier independent releases feature on Fallen. The album was recorded between August and December 2002 in several studios in California. It is Evanescence's only studio album to feature Moody, who left the band in October 2003.
Origin is a demo album by American rock band Evanescence. A compilation of home-recorded demos from 1996-1999, the CD was self-released and sold at local shows, and then packaged to showcase to record labels. A total of 2,000 copies were made and sold by the Bigwig Enterprises website from November 4, 2000 to 2003. Origin contains demos written and recorded by co-founders Amy Lee and Ben Moody for their earlier independent EPs in the 1990s, including "Whisper", "Imaginary", and "My Immortal", which appear on their debut album Fallen (2003).
"Bring Me to Life" is the debut single by American rock band Evanescence from their debut studio album, Fallen (2003). It was released by Wind-up as the album's lead single on January 13, 2003, following its inclusion in the soundtrack of the film Daredevil.
John Charles LeCompt is an American guitarist. He has played in multiple bands including Machina, Kill System and We Are the Fallen, and was a tour guitarist for the rock band Evanescence from 2003 to 2007.
SR-71 was an American rock band formed in Baltimore, Maryland in 1998. They are best known for their 2000 single "Right Now", their 2002 single "Tomorrow", and as the original authors of Bowling for Soup's 2004 hit "1985". The name of the band came from SR-71 Blackbird, a supersonic surveillance aircraft of the United States Air Force. The band was originally known as Honor Among Thieves, and as was later the case with SR-71, lead singer Mitch Allan was the only constant member.
William Caldwell "Rocky" Gray is an American drummer and guitarist. He is a guitarist for the bands Living Sacrifice, Even Devils Die, and Creepy Carnival, and the drummer for Soul Embraced, Mourningside, Machina, and We Are the Fallen. He played drums for Evanescence from 2003–2007 and Fatal Thirteen from 2006–2014, and was a guitarist for Shredded Corpse (1991–1998) and Solus Deus (2012–2017). Gray also released a solo album titled Accursed (2015).
David Hodges is an American songwriter and record producer from Little Rock, Arkansas. He was a studio contributor to the rock band Evanescence from 2000 to 2002, and has co-written and co-produced for pop, pop rock and country artists, including Kelly Clarkson, Celine Dion, Daughtry, Backstreet Boys, Avril Lavigne, David Archuleta, Christina Aguilera, Carrie Underwood, Jessie James, 5 Seconds of Summer, Christina Perri, and Tim McGraw.
"My Immortal" is a song by American rock band Evanescence from their debut studio album, Fallen (2003). It was released by Wind-up Records on December 8, 2003 as the album's third single, following its inclusion on the soundtrack to the film Daredevil. The song was written by singer and pianist Amy Lee and guitarist Ben Moody when they were 15. Several versions were recorded, with the earliest in 1997. Wind-up used the recording from their 2000 demo CD on Fallen against Lee's wishes, which featured Lee's demo vocals and a MIDI keyboard. Strings from Daredevil composer Graeme Revell were added during the production of Fallen. The single, dubbed the "band version", is the re-recording Lee and Moody made for Fallen, featuring guitar, drums and bass after the bridge and a string arrangement by David Campbell. An alternative version of the song appears on the band's fourth studio album Synthesis (2017).
"Everybody's Fool" is a song by American rock band Evanescence from their debut studio album, Fallen. Wind-up Records released the song on May 31, 2004, as the album's fourth and final single. It was written by Amy Lee in 1999 about the promotion of unrealistic and hyper-sexualized ideals of perfection in the music industry, with detrimental influence on the youth's expectations and self-image. Guitarist Ben Moody and David Hodges also share songwriting credits on the song, which was produced by Dave Fortman.
"Going Under" is a song by American rock band Evanescence from their debut studio album, Fallen (2003). It was released by Wind-up Records as the album's second single on August 18, 2003. Lee wrote the song about coming out of a difficult relationship. Guitarist Ben Moody and David Hodges share songwriting credits on the song, produced by Dave Fortman. Musically, "Going Under" is primarily a nu metal song featuring electronic drum beats and a piano interlude.
Christopher Adam Daughtry is an American singer, musician, actor, and comic book artist. He is the lead vocalist and a guitarist for the rock band Daughtry, which he formed after placing fourth on the fifth season of American Idol. Released by RCA Records, Daughtry's self-titled debut album became the fastest selling debut rock album in Nielsen SoundScan history, selling more than one million copies within five weeks of release, and music's top-selling album of 2007. The album was recorded before the band was officially formed, making him the only official member present on the album.
The Open Door is the second studio album by American rock band Evanescence, released on September 25, 2006, by Wind-up Records. Amy Lee had full creative control of the record, incorporating new elements into their previous musical styles, including her classical influences, homemade sounds, industrial rock, symphonic metal, progressive rock, electronica and the use of choirs on several songs. The album was written in the course of 18 months, and the recording process was delayed as a result of guitarist Terry Balsamo's stroke. Most of the songs were co-composed by Lee and Balsamo, with production handled by Dave Fortman.
Daughtry is an American rock band formed and fronted by namesake Chris Daughtry, who was a finalist on the fifth season of American Idol. Their self-titled debut album was released in November 2006 and reached number one on the Billboard 200. The album went on to sell more than six million copies in the United States, and has been certified six times platinum by the RIAA. Daughtry was also named the best selling album of 2007 by Billboard, becoming the fastest-selling debut rock album in Nielsen SoundScan history. The album produced four top 20 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including top five hits "It's Not Over" and "Home".
Amy Lynn Lee is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She is the co-founder, lead vocalist, lead songwriter and keyboardist of the rock band Evanescence. A classically trained pianist, Lee began writing music at age 11 and co-founded Evanescence at age 13, inspired by various musical genres and film scores from an early age. Lee has also participated in other musical projects, including Nightmare Revisited and Muppets: The Green Album, and composed music for several films, including War Story (2014), Indigo Grey: The Passage (2015), and the song "Speak to Me" for Voice from the Stone (2017). She has also released the covers EP Recover, Vol. 1 (2016), the soundtrack album to War Story, the children's album Dream Too Much (2016), and collaborated with other artists such as Korn, Seether, Bring Me the Horizon, Lindsey Stirling, Body Count, and Wagakki Band. Lee has a mezzo-soprano voice type.
Terry Philip Balsamo II is an American guitarist who is best known as the former guitarist of the rock bands Cold and Evanescence. Balsamo is noted for his onstage expression of his fondness for Michael Myers of the Halloween film franchise.
Hana Gabrielle Pestle, known mononymously as Hana, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer based in Los Angeles.
We Are the Fallen is an American hard rock band consisting of Irish singer and former American Idol contestant Carly Smithson, guitarist Ben Moody, guitarist John LeCompt, drummer Rocky Gray, and bassist Marty O'Brien. Moody, LeCompt, and Gray are former members of American rock band Evanescence. Their debut album, Tear the World Down, was released in May 2010.