Jay Bentley

Last updated
Jay Bentley
13-08-10 Taubertal Bad Religion Jay Bentley 1.JPG
Bentley playing with Bad Religion in 2013.
Background information
Born (1964-06-06) June 6, 1964 (age 59)
Wichita, Kansas, U.S.
Origin Santa Clarita, California, U.S.
Genres Punk rock
Occupation(s)Musician
Instrument(s)
  • Bass guitar
  • guitar
  • vocals
Years active1979–present
Labels

Jay Dee Bentley (born June 6, 1964) is the bassist and co-founding member of the punk rock group Bad Religion. [1] He has played with the band through its whole existence with a small break between 1983 and 1985.[ citation needed ] Along with vocalist Greg Graffin, Bentley has appeared on nearly all of Bad Religion's studio albums, with the sole exception being their second album Into the Unknown (1983).

Contents

Career

Jay Bentley grew up in Santa Clarita, California, and later moved to Woodland Hills. As with guitarist Brett Gurewitz and lead singer Greg Graffin, he was a student of El Camino Real High School. He played in Bad Religion for three years (1980–1983), [2] and left while the band was in the midst of writing and recording their second album, Into the Unknown .[ citation needed ]

Bentley was a onetime member of such notable L.A. groups as Wasted Youth, T.S.O.L., The Circle Jerks and Cathedral Of Tears. He rejoined Bad Religion in late 1985 while the How Could Hell Be Any Worse? line-up – adding Circle Jerks' Greg Hetson as the band's second guitarist – was reuniting to record the first three reunion albums, Suffer , No Control and Against the Grain , which are often considered their best releases[ citation needed ]. Today, Bentley continues touring and recording with Bad Religion. He has appeared on every Bad Religion release, with the exceptions of Into the Unknown (1983) and the Back to the Known (1985) EP. The band's most recent studio album, Age of Unreason , was recorded in 2018 and 2019, with a May 1, 2019 release. [3] Since the early 2010s, Bentley has been the regular touring member of Me First And The Gimme Gimmes filling in on bass and backup vocals for Fat Mike.[ citation needed ]

Personal life

Bentley has two sons: Miles (born 1991), who played bass in Dave Hause and The Mermaid, and Hunter (born 1993). [4] He also has a daughter named Peribeau and a son named Dragon and lives with his wife Natalia Fabia in Costa Mesa, California. [5]

In the past, Bentley has had struggles with alcoholism. He first quit drinking in 1990 but relapsed in 1998. Since 2005, he is completely alcohol abstinent. [6]

Equipment

Bentley's main basses have been Fender models for most of his career in Bad Religion, primarily a black and/or white Precision models; in recent years, however, he has been an endorser of Epiphone and has his own Jack Casady signature. [7] [8] Bentley often plays bass with a pick.[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bad Religion</span> American punk rock band

Bad Religion is an American punk rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1980. The band's lyrics cover topics related to religion, politics, society, the media and science. Musically, they are noted for their melodic sensibilities and extensive use of three-part vocal harmonies. The band has experienced multiple line-up changes, with singer Greg Graffin being the band's only constant member, though fellow founding members Jay Bentley and Brett Gurewitz have also been with the band for most of their history while guitarist Brian Baker has been a member of the group since 1994. Guitarist Mike Dimkich and drummer Jamie Miller have been members of the band since 2013 and 2015 respectively. To date, Bad Religion has released seventeen studio albums, two live albums, three compilation albums, three EPs, and two live DVDs. They are considered to be one of the best-selling punk rock acts of all time, having sold over five million albums worldwide.

<i>Suffer</i> (album) 1988 studio album by Bad Religion

Suffer is the third album by American punk rock band Bad Religion, released on the Californian independent record label Epitaph Records on September 8, 1988. It was the first album that was both released and distributed by the label. Following the release of the EP Back to the Known (1985), Bad Religion went on a temporary hiatus, then reunited with its original members and went to work on their first full-length studio album in five years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greg Graffin</span> American singer and academic

Gregory Walter Graffin is an American singer and evolutionary biologist. He is most recognized as the lead vocalist and only constant member of punk rock band Bad Religion, which he co-founded in 1980. He embarked on a solo career in 1997, when he released the album American Lesion. His follow-up album, Cold as the Clay, was released nine years later. His newest solo work is Millport, released in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brett Gurewitz</span> American guitarist

Brett W. Gurewitz, nicknamed Mr. Brett, is an American musician best known as the co-founder and lead guitarist of Bad Religion. He is also the owner of the music label Epitaph Records and a number of sister labels. He has produced albums for Bad Religion as well as Epitaph Records labelmates NOFX, Rancid, and Pennywise, among others. Gurewitz also had a project called Error, which also featured Atticus Ross, Leopold Ross, and Greg Puciato. He is also the co-founder of comic book and graphic novel publisher, Black Mask Studios.

<i>Stranger Than Fiction</i> (Bad Religion album) 1994 studio album by Bad Religion

Stranger than Fiction is the eighth full-length studio album and major label debut by American punk rock band Bad Religion, released in 1994. It was a major breakthrough for Bad Religion, being certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America and becoming the band's first album to chart on the Billboard 200, peaking at 87.

<i>The New America</i> 2000 studio album by Bad Religion

The New America is the eleventh studio album by punk band Bad Religion. It was released in 2000 and is their last album on Atlantic Records.

<i>No Control</i> (Bad Religion album) 1989 studio album by Bad Religion

No Control is the fourth album by American punk rock band Bad Religion, released on November 2, 1989, through Epitaph Records. Bad Religion began work on the album while touring in support of their previous album, Suffer (1988). No Control is stylistically faster than its predecessor, owing more to hardcore punk. Additionally, it was the first Bad Religion album not to feature a lineup change from the previous album.

<i>Into the Unknown</i> (Bad Religion album) 1983 studio album by Bad Religion

Into the Unknown is the second studio album by Bad Religion, released in August 1983 through Epitaph Records. The album marks a distinct departure from the band's previous album; instead of featuring hardcore punk, the album is characterized by slower tempos, use of electronic organ and pianos, and a prog-influenced hard rock sound. Into the Unknown is the only Bad Religion album to feature Paul Dedona on bass and Davy Goldman on drums. Dedona was ejected from the band before their next recording and replaced by Tim Gallegos, while former drummer Pete Finestone returned to the band in 1986. The album also features Bad Religion's longest track to date, "Time and Disregard", which is seven minutes long.

<i>Against the Grain</i> (Bad Religion album) 1990 studio album by Bad Religion

Against the Grain is the fifth album by American punk rock band Bad Religion, released on November 23, 1990. It was the last album recorded with drummer Pete Finestone, who left in 1991 to concentrate with his new project The Fishermen. Following his departure, the band's music would take a different direction on their next album, 1992's Generator. Against the Grain was also the first Bad Religion album not to feature a lineup change from the previous two albums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greg Hetson</span> American musician

Greg Hetson is an American guitarist. He was born in Brooklyn, New York and has lived in the Los Angeles area since he was 2 years old. He is Jewish. Active since 1979, Hetson is best known as the guitarist for the influential hardcore punk bands Redd Kross, Circle Jerks and Bad Religion. He is known for his high energy stage antics which people have coined the term "The Hetson Leap". Hetson was a founding member of and also plays guitar in another supergroup, Punk Rock Karaoke, and the hardcore punk band G.F.P.

<i>Bad Religion</i> (EP) 1981 EP by Bad Religion

Bad Religion is the first official recording by the Los Angeles punk rock band Bad Religion. It was released in February 1981 by guitarist Brett Gurewitz's record label Epitaph Records, with the catalog number EPI 001.

<i>How Could Hell Be Any Worse?</i> 1982 studio album by Bad Religion

How Could Hell Be Any Worse? is the debut studio album by American punk rock band Bad Religion, released on January 19, 1982 by Epitaph Records. Released almost a year after their self-titled EP, it was financed from the sales of the self titled EP and partly by a $1,000 loan by guitarist Brett Gurewitz's father. Its success surprised the band when it sold 10,000 copies in under a year.

<i>Back to the Known</i> 1985 EP by Bad Religion

Back to the Known is the second EP released by American punk rock band Bad Religion. The name of the EP is a reference to the band abandoning the progressive rock influences of its previous album, 1983's Into the Unknown, and returning to its punk roots.

<i>Punk Rock Songs</i> 2002 greatest hits album by Bad Religion

Punk Rock Songs (The Epic Years) is a compilation album by Bad Religion, released in 2002. All songs on this compilation are from their tenure on Atlantic and Epic Records from 1994 to 2000, in addition to four live tracks and both the English and German versions of "Punk Rock Song". Punk Rock Songs was released by Epic without any input from the band members, as Bad Religion had already returned to Epitaph Records, and as of 2017, it has not been released in the United States.

<i>Live at the Palladium</i> (Bad Religion video) 2006 video by Bad Religion

Live at the Palladium is a live concert DVD by the punk band Bad Religion, released in March 2006. It features footage from two nights at the Palladium in Hollywood, California on November 21 and 22, 2004.

<i>Along the Way</i> 1990 American film

Along the Way is the first live concert DVD from punk band Bad Religion. The concert footage was taken from fourteen different European stops on their 1989 tour for the album, Suffer. It was originally released on VHS in Germany in 1990 and in the United States in the following year, and on DVD for the first time in 2004, coinciding with the reissues of the band's pre-Recipe for Hate albums. Both the VHS and DVD have the same cover shown on the right, which depicts Jay Bentley with his bass, while the European VHS depicts guitarist Brett Gurewitz and singer Greg Graffin singing along with each other.

<i>The Dissent of Man</i> 2010 studio album by Bad Religion

The Dissent of Man is the fifteenth studio album by American punk rock band Bad Religion, which was released on September 28, 2010. It was their first album in three years, following the release of New Maps of Hell in 2007. The band commenced writing new material in 2008, but would not begin studio work until May 2010. The writing and recording process spanned two years and was slowed down considerably by touring schedules. The album was finally finished in June 2010. Some of the material was originally performed live by Bad Religion on its 30th anniversary tour in early 2010. "The Devil in Stitches" was released as a single to accompany the release of this album, while "Cyanide" and "Wrong Way Kids" also received radio airplay. Clocking in at 43 minutes, The Dissent of Man is Bad Religion's longest album to date.

<i>80–85</i> 1991 compilation album by Bad Religion

80–85 is the first compilation album by Bad Religion, released in 1991. It is a collection of their early recordings, predating their third studio album Suffer (1988), excluding their controversial 1983 album Into the Unknown.

<i>Age of Unreason</i> (album) 2019 studio album by Bad Religion

Age of Unreason is the seventeenth studio album by American punk rock band Bad Religion, released on May 3, 2019. It is the band's first studio album to feature guitarist Mike Dimkich and drummer Jamie Miller, replacing Greg Hetson and Brooks Wackerman respectively, and the first one to be produced by Carlos de la Garza, thus ending their collaboration with Joe Barresi, who had produced, mixed or engineered every Bad Religion album since 2004's The Empire Strikes First; Barresi did, however, mix "The Kids Are Alt-Right", which had already been released as a one-off single in 2018.

References

  1. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Biography: Bad Religion". AMG . Retrieved 12 May 2010.
  2. "Bad Religion – 30 Years". BadReligion.com. Retrieved 2016-03-14.
  3. "BAD RELIGION to Release 'Age of Unreason' Album in May". 26 February 2019.
  4. https://www.facebook.com/HunterBentleyMusic [ user-generated source ]
  5. Fadroski, Kelli Skye (July 19, 2014). "Bad Religion has good fun in Costa Mesa". The Orange County Register . p. Life 2.
  6. "Jay bentley on Instagram: "I was told to write my sobriety date in my big book, and I did just that. I found my way into aa in sept 1990, but fell out in late 1998. I had a pretty good time for a minute, but spent the next few years struggling on and off, and by 2004 I was lost. I've been told that when you're finally desperate enough, you may have a moment of clarity, I was fortunate to be that desperate. This is what it has been like for me. All of our paths have some differences, but if we are honest with ourselves we end up in the same place. Thank you. All of you who were there for me then and who are there now, carrying the message and giving back what was freely given to us. Today I am 11"".
  7. "An-Interview-With-Jay-Bentley-Of-Bad-Religion". Archived from the original on 2017-12-02.
  8. "Mixdown | Media | the Bad Religion Page - Since 1995".