Brandon Flowers | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Brandon Richard Flowers |
Born | Henderson, Nevada, U.S. | June 21, 1981
Genres | |
Occupations |
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Instruments |
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Years active | 2001–present |
Labels | |
Member of | The Killers |
Spouse | Tana Mundkowsky (m. 2005) |
Website | brandonflowersmusic |
Brandon Richard Flowers (born June 21, 1981) is an American musician. He serves as the co-founder, lead vocalist, primary songwriter, keyboardist, and occasional bassist of the Las Vegas-based rock band the Killers, which he formed with Dave Keuning in 2001.
In addition to his work with the Killers, Flowers has released two solo albums, Flamingo (2010) and The Desired Effect (2015). He has reached number one on the UK Albums Chart ten times, [10] [11] and on the Billboard 200 once (top ten, eight times), [12] including work with the Killers.
Brandon Richard Flowers, the youngest of six children, was born on June 21, 1981, in the Las Vegas suburb of Henderson, Nevada, to Jean Yvonne (née Barlow; 1945–2010) [13] and Terry Austin Flowers. [14] He has an older brother and four older sisters. [14] His parents met as teenagers, and he wrote the song "A Dustland Fairytale" as a tribute to their marriage and lifelong romance. [15] His grandmother was from Lithuania, [16] and his cousin is Craig Barlow, an inductee to the Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame. [17]
Flowers's family lived in Henderson until Flowers was eight, when they moved to Payson, Utah, for two years before moving to Nephi, Utah, when he was in the sixth grade. [18] Flowers lived in Nephi until his junior year at Juab High School, when in 1997, at 16, he moved back to Las Vegas to live with his aunt. [19] He graduated from Chaparral High School in 1999. [20]
Flowers said that growing up in Las Vegas as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) helped prepare him for the world of rock and roll: "Really, being a Mormon in Las Vegas prepared me for the lion's den. It is Sin City. The things that go on, the lights, it's the ultimate rock and roll stage. Without Las Vegas, I would be a wreck." [21]
Flowers responded to an ad that Dave Keuning had placed in the Las Vegas Weekly in late 2001, whereupon they became the Killers. After several short-lived bassists and drummers, Flowers and Keuning were joined by bassist Mark Stoermer and drummer Ronnie Vannucci, and the line-up became official in August 2002. [22] Between 2003 and 2017, they released five consecutive chart-topping studio albums and have sold over 22 million records worldwide. [23] [24] The Killers are among those artists who have spent more than 1,000 weeks on the UK music charts during their career. Flowers wrote the lyrics to the single "All These Things That I've Done" that numbered among the "100 Greatest Songs of All Time" by The Daily Telegraph and earned one of the band's seven Grammy nominations. [25] He is also the author of the lyrics of "Mr. Brightside," which is the third biggest selling/streaming song of all time in the United Kingdom and also holds the record for most weeks spent on the UK Singles Chart, at over 408 weeks. [26] Their second album Sam's Town , paid homage to Flowers' hometown and family, and earned the band their first BRIT Awards (Best International Album and Group), and included the chart-topping single "When You Were Young". [27] Before releasing their first Billboard 200 No.1 album Wonderful Wonderful (2017) and chart topping single "The Man", the band took a one-year hiatus during which Flowers released his second and most favorably reviewed solo album to that date.
On July 4, 2010, the Killers headlined the "Salute to the Military" USO Concert at the White House. They performed "God Bless America" and favorites from their catalogue. [28] On June 22, 2013, the Killers headlined the 90,000-capacity Wembley Stadium, their biggest solo show to date. [29] [30]
Flowers debuted his solo act at the Shimmer Showroom in Las Vegas on August 15, 2010. [31] Spin named it one of the "15 Best Shows of the Summer" [32] before listing the Flamingo Road Tour as one of the "25 Best Fall Tours"/"Must-See Fall Tours". [33]
Flowers' debut solo album, Flamingo , was released worldwide and charted in the top ten albums in ten countries including the UK where it charted at number one. [34] [35] The album drew heavy influence from Flowers' hometown of Las Vegas, Nevada, and earned Flowers a Q Award nomination for Best Male Artist (2010). The first single from Flamingo, "Crossfire", was released on June 21. It became Flowers' first top ten single in the UK as a solo artist and was certified silver by the BPI. The video for "Crossfire" featured actress Charlize Theron and was nominated for Best Video at the NME Awards. Flamingo was Flowers' fourth consecutive studio album to reach no. 1 on the UK charts, including work by the Killers, who subsequently earned another two consecutive UK No. 1's. [36]
After some of the band members wanted "to take a break from touring and the rat race," Flowers decided to keep it going and record a second solo album. [37] The Desired Effect was released on May 15, 2015. The album debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart, making it Flowers' second consecutive solo number one album. [38] Flowers stated that the album was "definitely going to be different" from his last album, and he referred to producer Ariel Rechtshaid (Vampire Weekend, Haim, Taylor Swift) as his "co-captain". [39] [40] The album featured performances by artists including Bruce Hornsby, Tony Levin (Peter Gabriel), Joey Waronker (Beck), Carlos Alomar (David Bowie), and Kenny Aronoff (John Mellencamp). [41] The Desired Effect is Flowers' highest yet ranked album on Metacritic [42] [43] and honored as the Album of the Year (2015) by The San Francisco Examiner . [44] [45] Reviews positively described the album as Flowers' finest work since Hot Fuss . [46] [47] [48] [49] The album was preceded by positively reviewed singles "Can't Deny My Love", "Still Want You", "Lonely Town", and "I Can Change". [50] [51] [52] [53] Multiple tracks from the album were listed on Best Songs of 2015 So Far lists by publications including SPIN, NPR, and Mashable. Halfway through 2015, USA Today listed the album as one of the top five best albums of 2015 so far. [54]
The Desired Effect Tour included performances in Europe and North America; it ran through October 1, 2015. [55] [56] [57] MTV rated Flowers' tour stop at London's Brixton Academy five stars. [58] Flowers performed for President Barack Obama in 2015 at the National Clean Energy Summit. [59] Flowers also performed at the Royal Variety Performance (2015) at Royal Albert Hall for members of the British Royal Family. [60] [61]
Flowers was one of two favorite artists asked to perform "Be Still" and "Home Means Nevada" at the funeral of former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on January 8, 2022. [62] As of December 2023, Brandon Flowers is working on a new solo album. [63]
In addition to his work with the Killers, Flowers has collaborated with Alex Cameron, [64] Avicii, [65] New Order, [66] and Robbie Williams. [67]
In 2023, he performed alongside Elton John at the Glastonbury Festival wearing a red suit, black shoes with a pale blue shirt. [68]
Flowers married Tana Mundkowsky in 2005 and lives in Las Vegas, Nevada, and Park City, Utah. [69] He wrote the song "Some Kind of Love" for his wife who suffers from PTSD. [70] He and his wife have three sons, born in 2007, 2009, and 2011. [71] [72] [73] Their sons attended their first Killers concert in July 2017, at London's Hyde Park. [74]
Flowers is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In 2012, he discussed his religion on Scandinavian television show Skavlan , where he debated Richard Dawkins on the subject. [75] He and his family are featured in a promotional video on the church's website. [76] [77]
His portrait was painted by British artist Joe Simpson for his "Musician Portraits" series that was exhibited at the Royal Albert Hall in 2012. [78]
From 2006 to 2016, the Killers released annual Christmas-themed singles and videos in aid of the charity Product Red, supporting The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. [79] The singles later formed the charity compilation album Don't Waste Your Wishes (2016). [80] Sir Elton John listed Flowers as one of his top five heroes while editing The Independent 's World Aids Day special edition. [81] [82] The Killers have also contributed songs for cover albums with proceeds going to charities supporting natural disaster relief ( Rhythms del Mundo Classics ) and famine-stricken areas ( AHK-toong BAY-bi Covered ). [83] [84] The Killers co-organized a benefit concert in December 2017 for those affected by the 2017 Las Vegas shooting, raising more than $700,000. [85] [86]
Flowers has listed Bruce Springsteen, Oingo Boingo, Duran Duran, Pet Shop Boys, the Smiths, the Cars, and Depeche Mode among his musical influences. [87] [88]
Flowers is regarded as a prominent frontman of the new wave revival in the 2000s. [89] [90] As a solo artist, Flowers first exhibited elements of heartland rock as well as new-wave-style alternative rock. On his second album, Flowers exhibited greater pop tendencies, prompting Rolling Stone to dub The Desired Effect "the best straight-up pop album made by a rock star in recent memory." [91] Flowers is a tenor. [92] [93] [94] [95]
U2's lead singer Bono praised Flowers' voice to The Globe and Mail in 2015, saying "We need him on the radio .... His voice!" [96]
Brandon Flowers has been awarded the Q Idol Award [97] and appeared on multiple greatest-frontman-of-all-time lists published by various outlets.
The Killers have been nominated for seven GRAMMY Awards, eight BRIT Awards, and two World Music Awards.
The music in Nevada is often associated with the Rat Pack and lounge singers like Wayne Newton playing in Las Vegas, Reno, and Carson City. However, Nevada has launched many other notable artists and bands from a variety of genres.
The Killers are an American rock band formed in Las Vegas in 2001 by Brandon Flowers and Dave Keuning. After going through a number of short-term bassists and drummers in their early days, both Mark Stoermer and Ronnie Vannucci Jr. joined the band in 2002.
"Mr. Brightside" is the debut single of American rock band the Killers. It is taken from their debut studio album, Hot Fuss (2004). Written by band members Brandon Flowers and Dave Keuning, it was one of the first songs the Killers ever wrote. Two music videos were made for the song: the first one was shot in black and white and features the band performing in an empty room and the second one was based on the 2001 film Moulin Rouge!.
David Brent Keuning is an American musician, best known for being the lead guitarist of the rock band The Killers, which he founded alongside frontman Brandon Flowers in 2001 and with whom he has recorded six studio albums. Keuning played every show with The Killers since its inception up until the show at Chicago's Lollapalooza in August 2017. From 2017 to the end of 2020, Keuning was on hiatus from the band. He returned to The Killers to assist in recording their 2021 album Pressure Machine. Keuning released a solo album titled Prismism under his surname Keuning in 2019.
"All These Things That I've Done" is a song by American rock band the Killers. The song was released as the third single from the band's debut studio album, Hot Fuss (2004), on August 30, 2004. It was written by frontman Brandon Flowers and features gospel choir The Sweet Inspirations. The song is about television host Matt Pinfield, and his work with the US Army, as part of a program that mentored wounded/PTSD-stricken soldiers returning from Iraq.
Ronald Vannucci Jr. is an American musician, best known for being the drummer for the rock band the Killers. He is also involved in a side project called Big Talk and became the drummer of the Rentals in 2018.
Theodore Sablay is an American musician, musical director and songwriter. He has been a touring guitarist and keyboardist for The Killers since 2006 and musical director for the band's live concerts since 2022.
Flamingo is the debut solo studio album by American singer-songwriter and The Killers lead singer Brandon Flowers. It was released on September 3, 2010, by Island Records. It was recorded at Battle Born Studios in Winchester, Nevada, and Henson Recording Studios in Hollywood, California. The album debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart.
"Crossfire" is the debut solo single from singer-songwriter and frontman of The Killers, Brandon Flowers. Written by Flowers himself, and produced by Brendan O'Brien, it is the first single from his debut solo album, Flamingo. A video for the single was released on July 8, 2010, and features actress Charlize Theron.
Battle Born Studios is a 2,000-square-foot (190 m2) recording studio located in the Las Vegas Valley, Nevada. It is owned by rock band the Killers.
The Flamingo Road Tour was the first solo concert tour by American recording artist, Brandon Flowers, who is the lead vocalist for the rock band, The Killers. Visiting North America and Europe, the tour supported his debut album, Flamingo. The tour has received praise from both spectators and critics alike, including being named one of the "Best Shows of the Summer" and "'Must See Fall Tours" by Spin.
"Shot at the Night" is a song by American rock band The Killers. The song serves as the lead single from the band's second compilation album, Direct Hits. The track was unveiled on September 16, 2013, the tenth anniversary of the band's first London show, and sent immediately to mainstream radio.
The Desired Effect is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter and The Killers frontman Brandon Flowers. It was released on May 15, 2015, by Island Records. It was produced by Ariel Rechtshaid and Flowers and mixed by Alan Moulder. The album debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart, becoming Flowers' second solo number-one album and sixth overall.
The discography of American singer Brandon Flowers, consists of two studio albums, and seven singles.
The Desired Effect Tour is the 2015 solo concert tour by American recording artist, Brandon Flowers, who is also the lead vocalist for the rock band, The Killers. Visiting North America and Europe, the tour supported his second album, The Desired Effect. The tour received praise from both spectators and critics alike, including a five star review by MTV.
"Run for Cover" is a song by American rock band the Killers from their fifth studio album, Wonderful Wonderful (2017). Originally released as a promotional single on July 28, 2017, the song was sent to alternative radio in the United States on November 14, 2017, serving as the album's second single.
"The Man" is a song by American rock band the Killers from their fifth studio album, Wonderful Wonderful (2017). It was released on June 14, 2017, as the lead single from the album.
Wonderful Wonderful is the fifth studio album by American rock band the Killers, released on September 22, 2017, by Island Records. It was their first studio album in five years, since Battle Born (2012), and their fifth consecutive studio album to top the UK Albums Chart. It is also their first album to top the Billboard 200, moving 118,000 album-equivalent units in its first week. Wonderful Wonderful is the Killers' most recent album to feature the band's core line-up, with lead guitarist Dave Keuning and bassist Mark Stoermer being absent on Imploding the Mirage (2020) and Pressure Machine (2021), respectively.
"Wonderful Wonderful" is a song by American rock band The Killers for their fifth studio album Wonderful Wonderful (2017). It was released on August 24, 2017 as the first promotional single from the album. Nearly a year later on August 23, 2018, the band released a music video for the title track.
Imploding the Mirage is the sixth studio album by American rock band the Killers, released on August 21, 2020, by Island Records in the United States and internationally by EMI. To date, it is the band's only album without lead guitarist Dave Keuning, who took an indefinite hiatus from the band in 2017. Guitar parts are covered by Killers bassist Mark Stoermer, producer Jonathan Rado, and a variety of guest musicians, including Lindsey Buckingham and Adam Granduciel.
I'm a Father, a Husband, and a Rock Star. And I'm a Mormon.
The Killers frontman Brandon Flowers makes 'I'm a Mormon' video: Watch it here