Roddy Bottum

Last updated

Roddy Bottum
Roddy Bottum 2015 (cropped).jpg
Bottum performing with Faith No More in 2015
Background information
Birth nameRoswell Christopher Bottum
Born (1963-07-01) July 1, 1963 (age 61)
Los Angeles, California
OriginSan Francisco, California, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Musician
  • composer
Instruments
  • Keyboards
  • guitar
  • vocals
Years active1980–present
Labels
Member of

Roswell Christopher Bottum [1] (born July 1, 1963) is an American musician, best known as the keyboardist for the San Francisco alternative metal band Faith No More. He is also guitarist and co-lead vocalist for the pop group Imperial Teen, best known for their 1999 single "Yoo Hoo" used in the movie Jawbreaker. In addition to popular musical career, Bottum also scored three Hollywood movies and composed an opera entitled Sasquatch: The Opera, which premiered in New York in April 2015. [2]

Contents

Early life

Bottum was born July 1, 1963, in Los Angeles, California, to Mary (née Hustead) and Roswell Bottum II, both natives of South Dakota. [3] Bottum has three sisters, Catherine, Elizabeth, and Stephanie. [3] His father was a federal prosecutor for the United States District Court for the Southern District of California, who later went on to found the law firm Bottum and Feliton in 1981. [3]

Bottum was raised Roman Catholic. [4] As a child, he studied classical piano. [4] Bottum attended Loyola High School, a Jesuit Catholic school in Los Angeles, from which he graduated in 1981. [5] He moved to San Francisco shortly after graduating to attend San Francisco State University in 1981 as a film major. [6]

Career

Joining his schoolfriends Billy Gould and Mike Bordin in Faith No More in 1981 (replacing Wade Worthington), Bottum remained in the band until its demise in 1998. [4]

In 1985, Bottum wrote the words to Faith No More's first internationally-recognized song, "We Care a Lot".

However, after 1992's Angel Dust and its ensuing tour, Bottum's input into Faith No More was reduced significantly. His keyboards, previously prominent in the band, were almost absent on King for a Day... Fool for a Lifetime (1995). Bottum later explained that he suffered a nervous breakdown in this era and "all of that [time] is a real blur for me." He was addicted to heroin and also experienced the death of his father and witnessed the aftermath of Kurt Cobain's suicide on Courtney Love (Cobain's wife and Bottum's close friend, and also an early singer for Faith No More). [7]

In 1994 and 1995, Bottum formed Imperial Teen with Lynn Perko, another Bay Area music veteran. The band's mainstream pop sound was a stark contrast to the aggressive metal of Faith No More, and is perhaps best known for their single "Yoo Hoo", used in the 1999 film Jawbreaker .

Bottum with Imperial Teen in 2007 Imperialteen cropped.jpg
Bottum with Imperial Teen in 2007

In 2009, Bottum returned to Faith No More for a reunion tour, and in 2015, the band released their seventh studio album, Sol Invictus . [8]

In 2013, Bottum moved to New York City and produced an opera, Sasquatch: The Opera. He wrote the music and libretto for the piece about the elusive beast of the forest, describing it as a dark and gothic fairy tale about a backwoods family and the relationship between a caged woman and Sasquatch. The opera premiered in Brooklyn in 2015 and went to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in the summer of 2016 for a month of shows. Bottum also wrote a short-form opera called The Ride about the AIDS LifeCycle Ride, a charity bicycle ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles, a ride Bottum participated in twice. The piece was staged with two stationary bicycles onstage.

In 2016, Bottum joined the art music collective Nastie Band. The group features 85-year-old singer Chris Kachulis and Bottum's long-time friend, visual artist Frank Haines.

In 2018, Bottum made his acting debut in Sebastian Silva's feature film Tyrel, about racial tension in America. The ensemble cast features Jason Mitchell, Chris Abbott, Michael Cera, and Caleb Landry Jones. The film premiered at Sundance Film Festival and had a theatrical release through Magnolia Pictures in 2019.

Also in 2019, Bottum formed the band Crickets, a Brooklyn-based band, with JD Samson and Michael O'Neill. They released their eponymous debut record on Muddguts Records in 2020.

In 2020, Bottum released the song "Daddy" under the name Man on Man, with partner Joey Holman. [9] The video for "Daddy" was banned by YouTube for "violating rules of sex and nudity". The video was re-instated a month later on YouTube after receiving much criticism from the band and Rolling Stone magazine.

The second Man on Man single and video, "Baby, You're My Everything", was released by Bottum and Joey Holman in August 2020.

Man on Man released their self-titled debut album via Polyvinyl Record Co. on May 7, 2021. Their second album, "Provincetown" was released via Polyvinyl on June 16, 2023.

Film and TV scoring

Bottum composed the music for Craig Chester's gay romantic comedy film Adam & Steve (2005) [10] and scored What Goes Up (2009). He also composed the music for the 2007 film Kabluey , starring Lisa Kudrow and Scott Prendergrast. Bottum scored Gigantic (2008), a film by Matt Aselton, starring Zooey Deschanel and Paul Dano. In 2010, he scored the documentary Hit So Hard about drummer Patty Schemel. In 2010, Bottum also scored Fred: The Movie for Nickelodeon. He has gone on to score the sequel to that film and Fred: The Show for the same network.

Personal life

Bottum revealed his homosexuality in a 1993 interview with Lance Loud for The Advocate . [11] In a 2001 interview in The Advocate, Bottum stated that "I would never have thought as a gay teen I'd be in a band that would be considered heavy metal or hard rock." [12]

A 1999 article in The Advocate said of Imperial Teen, "With lyrical allusions to wearing lipstick and male pronouns used to address love objects, Imperial Teen serves up a gay sensibility that ordinarily surfaces only from straight bands like Pulp or Pizzicato Five." [11] Bottum noted "I think there's a resistance from gay artists to go that route just because it's so predictable. But it is annoying to see bands play it as safe as they do these days. That's why something that visually screams as loud as Marilyn Manson is such a breath of fresh air." [11]

Before he came out as gay, Bottum was involved in a brief heterosexual relationship with Courtney Love in the early 1980s, concurrent with the time she sang for Faith No More. The two remain friends decades later. [13]

Discography

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Faith No More</span> American rock band

Faith No More is an American rock band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1979. Before September 1983, the band performed under the names Sharp Young Men and later Faith No Man. Bassist Billy Gould, keyboardist/rhythm guitarist Roddy Bottum and drummer Mike Bordin are the longest-remaining members of the band, having been involved since its inception. The band underwent several early lineup changes, and some major changes later. The lineup of Faith No More consists of Gould, Bordin, Bottum, lead guitarist Jon Hudson, and vocalist/lyricist Mike Patton.

<i>Angel Dust</i> (Faith No More album) 1992 studio album by Faith No More

Angel Dust is the fourth studio album by American rock band Faith No More, released on June 8, 1992, by Slash and Reprise Records. It is the follow-up to 1989's highly successful The Real Thing, and was the band's final album to feature guitarist Jim Martin. It was also the first album where vocalist Mike Patton had any substantial influence on the band's music, having been hired after the other band members had written and recorded everything for The Real Thing except vocals and most of the lyrics. The band stated that they wanted to move away from the funk metal style of their prior releases, towards a more "theatrical" sound.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chuck Mosley</span> American musician (1959–2017)

Charles Henry Mosley III was an American musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist for the rock band Faith No More from 1984 to 1988. He contributed to the band's early sound, combining elements of funk, punk, and rap-rock, and appeared on their first two albums, We Care a Lot (1985) and Introduce Yourself (1987). After leaving Faith No More, Mosley performed with bands like Bad Brains and Cement. He continued to influence the alternative music scene until his death in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billy Gould</span> American musician (born 1963)

William David Gould is an American musician and producer. He is best known as the bassist of Faith No More.

Imperial Teen is a San Francisco–based indie pop group made up of Roddy Bottum, primarily on guitar/vocals; Will Schwartz, primarily on guitar/vocals; Lynn Truell, primarily on drums and backing vocals; and Jone Stebbins, primarily on bass and backing vocals. Imperial Teen became known for its boy–girl harmonies and for all four members switching off and on instruments during shows.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Bordin</span> American drummer (born 1962)

Michael Andrew Bordin is an American musician, best known as the drummer for the rock band Faith No More. He has amicably been known as "Puffy", "Puffster" or "The Puff", in reference to the afro hair style he wore in the early 1980s. The nicknames were coined by Faith No More guitarist Jim Martin, and they stuck around even after he grew out his hair and tied it in dreadlocks, a trademark look he has worn for most of his career.

<i>Album of the Year</i> (Faith No More album) 1997 studio album by Faith No More

Album of the Year is the sixth studio album by American rock band Faith No More, released on June 3, 1997, by Slash and Reprise Records. It is the first album to feature the band's current guitarist Jon Hudson, and was their last studio album before their eleven-year hiatus from 1998 to 2009. Album of the Year has been described by AllMusic as being "more straightforward musically than past releases."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Epic (Faith No More song)</span> 1990 single by Faith No More

"Epic" is a song by American rock band Faith No More. It was released as the second single from their third album, The Real Thing (1989), in 1990 in United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe. The song was the band's breakthrough hit, peaking at number nine on the US Billboard Hot 100, number two in New Zealand, and number one in Australia for three weeks. It is among the band's most popular songs and a staple in their concerts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Digging the Grave</span> 1995 single by Faith No More

"Digging the Grave" is a 1995 single by Faith No More, from their fifth studio album, King for a Day... Fool for a Lifetime. Produced by Andy Wallace in the Bearsville Studios, the song was born out of a period of transition for the group, as they were dealing with the absence of keyboard player Roddy Bottum—who was grieving the deaths of his father and of friend Kurt Cobain—and had recently fired their previous guitar player Jim Martin.

<i>Jawbreaker</i> (film) 1999 film by Darren Stein

Jawbreaker is a 1999 American teen black comedy crime film written and directed by Darren Stein. The film stars Rose McGowan, Rebecca Gayheart, and Julie Benz as girls in an exclusive clique in their high school. Charlotte Ayanna has a non-speaking cameo role as the murdered fourth member of the group. The film was inspired by the 1988 film Heathers, and is often compared to it, particularly the use of bright pastels, the plot involving a popular female clique, and the ostensibly accidental killing of one of its members.

Lynn Perko-Truell is an American musician, best known as the drummer, bass guitarist, and co-singer for the San Francisco indie rock band Imperial Teen. She is also known as the drummer for the San Francisco-based blues grunge band Sister Double Happiness, and the San Francisco version of the hardcore punk band The Dicks. Perko-Truell was an iconic figure and a pioneering female in the American hardcore punk and alternative rock movements of the 1980s and 1990s and remains active.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Another Body Murdered</span> 1993 single by Faith No More and Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E.

"Another Body Murdered" is a 1993 single by Faith No More and Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E., taken from the soundtrack album for the film Judgment Night. The brainchild of Cypress Hill's manager, Happy Walters, the soundtrack paired rock and hip-hop acts on each of its songs; Faith No More sought out the American-Samoan Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. after becoming interested in Samoan a capella singing. Charting in several countries, including Ireland, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, "Another Body Murdered" has received mixed reactions from music critics, with some seeing it as a harbinger of later acts such as Korn or Limp Bizkit, and others comparing it unfavourably to Public Enemy and Anthrax's earlier crossover single "Bring the Noise".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ricochet (Faith No More song)</span> Song by Faith No More

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<i>What Is Not to Love</i> 1998 studio album by Imperial Teen

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evidence (Faith No More song)</span> 1995 single by Faith No More

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<i>King for a Day... Fool for a Lifetime</i> 1995 studio album by Faith No More

King for a Day... Fool for a Lifetime is the fifth studio album by American rock band Faith No More, released on March 13, 1995, by Slash and Reprise Records. It was their first album recorded without longtime guitarist Jim Martin. The album showcased a variety of musical genres, with Rolling Stone calling the result a "genre shuffle". King for a Day... Fool for a Lifetime spawned three singles: "Digging the Grave", "Ricochet" and "Evidence".

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References

  1. Lance Loud (June 15, 1993). "Heavy Metal Homo". The Advocate . Archived from the original on July 11, 2012. Retrieved June 22, 2008.
  2. "Story Binge". Experiments in Opera. June 11, 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 "Obituary: Roswell Bottum (1936–1993)". Rush Funeral Home. Archived from the original on May 16, 2021. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 Traynor, Cian (July 28, 2017). "Faith No More's Roddy Bottum on learning to love Bigfoot". Huck . Archived from the original on July 23, 2019.
  5. "'Requiescat in Pace'–May They Rest in Peace". Loyola Magazine (Fall 2020). Loyola High School: 24. October 14, 2020. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
  6. Murphy, Tom (September 8, 2015). "Roddy Bottum of Faith No More: "Bigotry Is Chickenshit."". Westword. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  7. "Metal Hammer: Blog Archive: Story Behind the Album – Faith No More". Metal Hammer. March 13, 2009. Archived from the original on December 10, 2010. Retrieved April 9, 2011.
  8. "Faith No More News". Faithnomore.ipower.com. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
  9. "Man on Man, Feat. Roddy Bottum (Faith No More), Release "Daddy" Single". Metalsucks. May 24, 2020.
  10. "Roddy Bottum teams with Courtney Love on Adam & Steve soundtrack " – The Advocate Archived September 27, 2007, at the Wayback Machine March 18, 2005
  11. 1 2 3 The Advocate. Here Publishing. February 16, 1999.
  12. The Advocate. Here Publishing. August 14, 2001.
  13. "Gay singer Roddy Bottum on tours, Courtney Love – Gay Lesbian Bi Trans News Archive – Windy City Times". Windy City Times. May 29, 2012. Retrieved June 5, 2016.