Exene Cervenka | |
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 Cervenka at The Chestnut Cabaret in 1986 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Christene Lee Cervenka |
| Also known as |
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| Born | February 1, 1956 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Origin | Los Angeles, California |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, poet, visual artist |
| Years active | 1978–present |
| Labels | |
| Website | exenecervenka |
Exene Cervenka (born Christene Lee Cervenka; February 1, 1956) is an American singer, artist, and poet. She is best known for her work as a singer in the California punk rock band X. [1]
The 21-year-old Cervenka met 23-year-old musician John Doe at a poetry workshop at the Beyond Baroque Foundation in Venice, California. [2] Cervenka started working there. [3]
Billy Zoom (guitar) and John Doe (bass and vocals) founded X in 1977, [4] with D.J. Bonebrake coming aboard as drummer. Doe asked Cervenka to join soon after as a co-lead vocalist, and the duo were also the band's primary songwriters. They released their debut album, Los Angeles, in 1980 and, over the next six years, five more albums.
She learned to play guitar from Dave Alvin of The Blasters. [5]
In 1982, Cervenka published Adulterers Anonymous, her first in a series of four books in collaboration with artist Lydia Lunch. She and Lunch also released a spoken word album, Rude Hieroglyphics, in 1996 and toured in support of the project. [6]
From 1996 to 1999, John Roecker and Cervenka co-owned the Los Angeles store "You've Got Bad Taste." The store specialized in kitsch and various "off-color" novelties. [7] [8]
In 1999, as Exene Červenková, she appeared in the cult video Decoupage 2000: Return of the Goddess, along with guests Karen Black and the band L7. She gave a reading of her poem "They Must Be Angels," and appeared in an interview skit with Decoupage 2000 hostess Summer Caprice. [9]
In 2005, Cervenka's journals and mixed media collages were exhibited in a one-person exhibition titled America the Beautiful at the Santa Monica Museum of Art. The exhibit was curated by Kristine McKenna and Michael Duncan. An expanded version of the exhibition traveled to DCKT Contemporary in New York in January 2006.
Cervenka was married to John Doe from 1980 to 1985. She met her second husband Viggo Mortensen in 1986 on the set of the comedy Salvation! , a parody of televangelism. Mortensen played her husband Jerome. They married on July 8, 1987. On January 28, 1988, Cervenka gave birth to a son, Henry Blake Mortensen. Mortensen and Cervenka lived in Idaho for three years. [2] They separated in 1992, and were divorced in 1997. [10]
Cervenka married musician Jason Edge, who went on to play in her band Original Sinners. [11] Edge and Cervenka are now divorced. [12]
Cervenka moved from Los Angeles to Jefferson City, Missouri, [2] for four years, and then returned to Southern California. [13] She now lives in Orange County. [14] [15]
On June 2, 2009, Cervenka released a statement revealing that she had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. [16] [17] Well before this diagnosis, she and X had actively supported Sweet Relief, a charity that aids uninsured artists. Sweet Relief was begun by musician Victoria Williams when she herself was diagnosed with MS. [18] In 2011, Cervenka said she may have been misdiagnosed. [14] [19] However, Cervenka had to cancel a Spring 2011 tour due to problems associated with her MS. [20] During a July 2015 interview, John Doe said that the multiple sclerosis diagnosis was a misdiagnosis, that Cervenka, after consulting with various doctors who were not able to diagnose her, is healthy. [21]
Cervenka, as a self-styled "conspiracy therapist," has provoked controversy on social media and on YouTube, under the name "Christine Notmyrealname," by advancing conspiracy theories including the view that the Isla Vista shootings were a hoax designed to bring about stricter gun control laws. After the backlash, she has issued an apology on her Facebook and Twitter accounts and her conspiracy related YouTube videos are no longer available for viewing. [22] [23] [24] However, when pressed in interviews, Cervenka has insisted on a talking point of a "fake" news media, and has given tacit approval to what critics describe as fringe ideologies[ specify ] espoused on message boards and by then-President Donald Trump. [25]
X is an American punk rock band formed in Los Angeles. The original members are vocalist Exene Cervenka, vocalist-bassist John Doe, guitarist Billy Zoom and drummer D. J. Bonebrake. The band released seven studio albums from 1980 to 1993. After a period of inactivity during the mid-to-late 1990s, X reunited in the early 2000s and continues to tour as of 2023.
Viggo Peter Mortensen Jr. R is an American actor. He made his film debut in a small role in Peter Weir's 1985 thriller Witness. He appeared in several notable films, including The Indian Runner (1991), Carlito's Way (1993), Crimson Tide (1995), Daylight (1996), The Portrait of a Lady (1996), G.I. Jane (1997), A Perfect Murder (1998), A Walk on the Moon (1999), and 28 Days (2000).
John Nommensen Duchac, known professionally as John Doe, is an American singer, songwriter, actor, poet, guitarist and bass player. Doe co-founded LA punk band X, of which he is still an active member. His musical performances and compositions span rock, punk, country and folk music genres. As an actor, he has dozens of television appearances and several movies to his credit, including the role of Jeff Parker in the television series Roswell.
Wild Gift is the second studio album by American rock band X, released on May 4, 1981 by Slash Records. It was very well received critically, and was voted the year's second best album in The Village Voice's Pazz & Jop poll. Wild Gift was later ranked at number 334 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
Los Angeles is the debut studio album by American rock band X, released in April 1980, by Slash Records. It was produced by ex-Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek and includes a cover of the 1967 Doors song "Soul Kitchen".
Under the Big Black Sun is the third studio album by American rock band X, and their major-label debut. It was released on Elektra Records in July 1982 and reissued on Rhino Records in 2001 with bonus tracks. It was re-released in its original format by Fat Possum Records in 2018.
More Fun in the New World is the fourth studio album by American rock band X, released in 1983 by Elektra Records. It was reissued with four bonus tracks by Rhino Records in 2002. It was the last X album produced by Ray Manzarek. The band supported the album with a North American tour.
Ain't Love Grand is the fifth studio album by American rock band X, released in July 1985 by Elektra Records. The album was their first not produced by Ray Manzarek. It was reissued with four bonus tracks by Rhino Records in 2002. The album included the minor radio hit "Burning House of Love", which the band performed on American Bandstand in September 1985, their largest television exposure to date. The album also includes a cover of the Small Faces song "All or Nothing". Lead guitarist Billy Zoom left the band after this album but he later returned to the group in 1998 during a tour and the original line-up released their next full-length studio album in 2020 with Alphabetland.
Live at the Whisky a Go-Go on the Fabulous Sunset Strip is the seventh album and first live album by American rock band X, released April 29, 1988 by Elektra Records. The album was recorded on December 13, 15 and 16 in 1987 at the Whisky a Go Go nightclub in West Hollywood, California, United States.
The Best: Make the Music Go Bang! is a compilation album by American rock band X, released July 27, 2004, by Elektra Records/Rhino Entertainment. The album included liner notes by Tony Alva, K. K. Barrett, Tito Larriva, Ray Manzarek, Paul Reubens and Henry Rollins, among others.
Travis Dickerson is an American musician and producer best known for his work with Buckethead and Viggo Mortensen. He also runs TDRS music, a recording studio with its own record label that has released albums by Bill Laswell, Jethro Tull, Linda Ronstadt, and Vince DiCola. Dickerson can be heard playing keyboards on many albums he has recorded and produced.
Cheryl Lyndsey is an American singer–songwriter and musician best known as touring member of alternative rock band The Breeders. She is noted as guitarist for Exene Cervenka's solo band and contributed to Exene's 2011 album The Excitement of Maybe. She was declared "One of LA's Best" by LA Weekly. She currently hosts a podcast titled Livin with Me.
X: The Unheard Music is a 1986 rockumentary film directed by W.T. Morgan about the Los Angeles punk band X. The film stars John Doe, Exene Cervenka, Billy Zoom, and D.J. Bonebrake.
The People Speak is a 2009 American documentary feature film that uses dramatic and musical performances of the letters, diaries, and speeches of everyday Americans. The film gives voice to those who, by insisting on equality and justice, spoke up for social change throughout U.S. history and also illustrates the relevance of this to today's society.
Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center is a literary arts center located at 681 Venice Boulevard, Venice, Los Angeles, California, founded in 1968. The center is based near the beach in Los Angeles's old Venice City Hall, built in 1906. It offers an extensive program of public readings, workshops, a project room, bookstore, publications, and chapbook/small press archive.
Claude Bessy, also known as Kickboy Face, was a French writer, magazine editor, singer, video producer, and painter. He is noted as an early organizer in the Los Angeles punk scene in the mid-1970s and was involved in the British post-punk scene in the 1980s.
Skating Polly is an American rock band formed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, in 2009. The band was founded by multi-instrumentalist step-siblings Kelli Drew Mayo and Peyton Mckenna Bighorse, who were 9 and 14 years old respectively. Kelli's brother Kurtis Lee Mayo joined the band on drums in 2017 so that Peyton and Kelli could focus on guitar and bass respectively. The band is noted for their alternating instruments among each member, poetic lyrics, intense live shows, melodic arrangements, and an eclectic array of songs that vary in style from riot grrrl to grunge to piano-based indie pop.
Alphabetland is the eighth studio album by American punk rock band X. Released digitally in April 2020, it is their first studio release in 27 years and the first with their original line-up in the past 35 years. X released the album with no prior announcement to coincide with the 40th anniversary of their debut album Los Angeles and credited songwriting to all four members for the first time in their career. The release has received positive reviews from critics.
"Destroying Angels" is a 2018 stand-alone single released by alternative rock band Garbage with John Doe and Exene Cervenka of the American punk rock band X. The song was written and recorded for 2018's Black Friday Record Store Day event in North America, with a digital release worldwide the following year.
Old Wives' Tales is an album by the American musician Exene Cervenka, released in 1989. Cervenka told the Los Angeles Times that she considered the album to be "for and about women."
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