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Pete Wentz

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Pete Wentz

Peter Lewis Kingston "Pete" Wentz III (born June 5, 1979)[1] is an American musician, lyricist and Music video director, most famous for his work with the Chicago-based band Fall Out Boy. In recent years, he has hosted the MTV program FNMTV.

Early life

Wentz was born Peter Lewis Kingston Wentz III, in Wilmette, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, Illinois.[1] He is the son of Dale Wentz, a high school admissions counselor, and Pete Wentz II, a lawyer. He attended New Trier High School and North Shore Country Day School, where he was an all-state soccer player.[2] During his freshman year of high school, he began skipping school regularly and a school counselor convinced his parents to send him to boot camp to straighten him out. During this time, Wentz began writing songs as a way to vent out his frustrations.[1] After graduating from high school in 1997, he attended DePaul University where he studied political science, dropping out one quarter shy of graduation to focus more on music.[3]

Wentz recalled in a Rolling Stone interview that his earliest musical memory was listening to The Foundations' song "Build Me Up Buttercup" in the back of his dad's car.[4]

Career

Beginnings

Fall Out Boy in concert. From left to right: Joe Trohman, Pete Wentz, Patrick Stump.

Wentz was primarily involved in the Chicago hardcore punk scene and was in several bands in the late 1990s. These included First Born, Extinction, Arma Angelus (alongside Tim McIlrath, frontman of Rise Against), Yellow Road Priest, and Racetraitor. He and Arma Angelus' bassist Joe Trohman founded the pop-punk band Fall Out Boy after Trohman introduced Pete to a musical acquaintance, Patrick Stump. Andy Hurley agreed to drum part-time, but only joined the band full-time later. In 2004, Arma Angelus, the band in which Wentz was the vocalist/screamer, played its last show.[5]

In 2002, Fall Out Boy released an EP called Fall Out Boy/Project Rocket Split EP. Soon after, in 2003, the band released Fall Out Boy's Evening Out with Your Girlfriend on Uprising Records.[6] This album would later be digitally remastered and reissued after the band's second, more successful full-album release Take This To Your Grave, on the independent label Fueled by Ramen Records. Later in 2003, Wentz and the rest of his bandmates signed with Island Records and in 2004 released an acoustic EP and DVD entitled, My Heart Will Always Be the B-Side to My Tongue through the new label.

Commercial success

Pete Wentz on December 10, 2006.

After Fall Out Boy released the My Heart EP, they released their third album, From Under the Cork Tree, in 2005. Wentz wrote the lyrics to the first single, "Sugar, We're Goin Down" with his dad in Chicago; the song peaked at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100).[7] February 6, 2007, was the release date for Fall Out Boy's fourth full-length album, Infinity On High.

Other projects

Wentz has written a book entitled The Boy With the Thorn In His Side, a story based on nightmares he had as a child.[8] The title is a reference to a track on The Smiths' album The Queen Is Dead. It was reported that he was to publish another book entitled "Rainy Day Kids", but he recently confirmed via his Twitter account that this book will never come to fruition.[9] In addition, Wentz is currently co-writing another book with William Beckett of The Academy Is....

Wentz's company, Clandestine Industries, distributes books, clothing, and other merchandise. On August 2, 2007, fashion company DKNY joined a partnership with Clandestine Industries.[10] Wentz himself has served as a model on the DKNY/Clandestine promo website.[11] Wentz's clothing line is now exclusively available in the Bp. department at Nordstrom.

Additionally, he is borrowing an imprint of Fueled by Ramen, Decaydance Records, which has signed other bands, including: And other models at Buzznet, Gym Class Heroes, Cobra Starship, October Fall, Lifetime, and The Cab. Wentz's tattoo on his pelvis, the Bartskull, is the logo for Decaydance Records, Clandestine Industries, and Bartskull Films.

Wentz also has a film production company called Bartskull Films, which put out the DVD Release the Bats, starring Wentz, his fellow bandmates, and several of his personal friends. The sequel is currently in the works.

In April 2007, Pete came out with his own signature Squier Precision Bass. It has a black body with a red shell pickguard and special graphics that include Wentz’s own red design on the body, plus a black bat/diamond fingerboard inlay at the 12th fret. It also features Wentz’s signature on the back of the headstock.[12]

Wentz opened a nightclub in New York with his bandmates as well as members of Gym Class Heroes, The Academy Is..., and Cobra Starship; the bands' managers are also involved in the enterprise. Called Angels & Kings, the club occupies the former space on 11th Street near Avenue A that housed the Orchid Lounge. Notable guests, including Tommy Hilfiger, arrived for the grand opening on April 20, 2007.[13]

Wentz was in a multi-episode arc of the show One Tree Hill, appearing second at Tric (the local all-ages club in Tree Hill) with the entire band. The band first appeared in an episode "An Attempt to Tip the Scales", where they played their single "Dance, Dance" and went on to appear on Peyton and Ellie's (also One Tree Hill's album) tribute album, "Friends with Benefit" to support cancer awareness. Pete made his first solo cameo in the episode "When It Isn't Like It Should Be" as the romantic interest of Peyton Sawyer, a senior at Tree Hill who had booked the band to play at Tric. The band continued to influence the One Tree Hill musical soundtrack, but the show no longer had a role for Wentz except in name and reference only.

On February 6, 2008, it was reported that Wentz was the leading candidate for writer Diablo Cody's follow-up film to Juno, Jennifer's Body. The movie is said to be about an emo-band, with Wentz playing the role of the frontman of the band. The other two candidates are said to be Joel Madden of Good Charlotte and One Tree Hill's Chad Michael Murray.[14] The role ended up being given to Adam Brody.

On February 24, 2008, Wentz appeared in comedian Jimmy Kimmel's video "I'm Fucking Ben Affleck" as a chorus member (along with many other celebrities). The video was in response to one made by Kimmel's then girlfriend, Sarah Silverman, "I'm Fucking Matt Damon".

He celebrated the opening of his bar, Angels & Kings, in Chicago in April 2007.[15]

On December 13, 2008, Wentz, along with Travis McCoy of Gym Class Heroes, opened an art gallery in Los Angeles, CA called "Without You, I'm Just Me." The gallery closed on December 24, 2008.

Wentz appeared in the season 5 episode of CSI: NY, "Point Of No Return", and is due to appear in the next episode of season 9 of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Wentz also hosted the Australia MTV VMAs on March 27, 2009.

In June 2009, it was announced Wentz is working on a five-issue comic book mini-series called Fall Out Toy Works,[16] to be published by Image Comics.[17] The idea was conceived by Wentz and designer Darren Romanelli.[17] The plot is loosely based on the Fall Out Boy song "Tiffany Blews" and focuses on "a mysterious toymaker, a cyborg gal named Tiffany and a kid in a bear suit that looks lifted from the cover of Fall Out Boy's Folie á Deux".[17] It is to be written by writer Brett Lewis, art from Sam Basri and the first issue will be released on September 2, 2009.[18]

Personal life

Wentz has bipolar disorder.[19] In February 2005, Wentz attempted suicide by taking an overdose of the anxiety medication Ativan, and as a result, spent a week in the hospital. Commenting on the event to a magazine, he said:

I was isolating myself further and further, and the more I isolated myself, the more isolated I'd feel. I wasn't sleeping. I just wanted my head to shut off, like, I just wanted to completely stop thinking about anything at all.

The suicide attempt was soon put into song form, "7 Minutes in Heaven (Atavan Halen)" and was released on their album, From Under The Cork Tree. After this event, Wentz moved back in with his parents.[20]

Wentz later spoke of his suicide attempt to the support site Halfofus.com and cites Jeff Buckley's version of the Leonard Cohen classic "Hallelujah" as a song that saved his life.[21]

In March 2006, nude photos of Wentz were posted on the Internet to the LiveJournal celebrity gossip community Oh No They Didn't. The LiveJournal poster reported that she received the photos third-hand, and that Wentz originally sent the pictures to a woman with whom he allegedly had romantic interests. After the pictures spread across the Internet, Wentz posted a response on Fall Out Boy's website and blog asserting that the pictures were stolen from his T-Mobile Sidekick, and that after "feeling badly about this for about 24 hours, I am now ready to get back to laughing."[22] The video for the single "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race" contains a scene that references the incident.

In a Rolling Stone photo shoot,[volume & issue needed] Wentz and Ashlee Simpson took a picture together for the opening of Wentz's bar, Angels & Kings, and were labeled as a couple. Eventually the two began to acknowledge the relationship. On April 9, 2008, Simpson confirmed on an episode of TRL that she and Wentz were engaged.[23] On April 14, 2008, rumors surfaced that the couple was expecting a baby but soon after these rumors appeared, Pete emailed MTV News to say that these rumors resulted from a "witch hunt" and that Simpson was not pregnant. Wentz married Simpson in Encino, CA on May 17, 2008 at Simpson's parents' residence, where Joe Simpson officiated at the ceremony.

On May 28, 2008, Wentz and Simpson announced on Fall Out Boy's official website that they were expecting their first child.[24] "While many have speculated about this, we wanted to wait until the press was gone to have our first child. This is truly the most joyous time in our lives and we are excited to share the happy news and start our family."[25] On November 20, 2008, Simpson gave birth to their son, Bronx Mowgli Wentz.[26] Wentz stated on his personal blog that the couple has made the decision not to sell pictures of Bronx to any magazines yet.

Sexuality

In a Blender interview in March 2007, Wentz stated that he has kissed other men and that "anybody above the waist is totally fair game."[27] In the May 2007 issue of The Advocate, Wentz opened up about his sexuality, stating that he is sexually attracted to males but hasn't had sexual relations with other men because "I'm not a fan of penises."[28]

Later in July 2008, Wentz appeared on the front cover of Out Magazine with the headline, "Yeah, I am a fag." Wentz reasoned that "It’s all because I know I’m going to get a reaction."[29]

References

  1. ^ a b c Apar, Corey. "Pete Wentz Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 2008-11-10.
  2. ^ "Celebrity Beat: Politicking with Pete Wentz". Chicago. 2008-01-24. Retrieved 2008-11-10.
  3. ^ "Pete Wentz Opens Up to CC…We Admire His Eyeliner". College Candy. 2008-06-12. Retrieved 2008-11-10.
  4. ^ Scaggs, Austin. "Q&A: Pete Wentz". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2008-11-10.
  5. ^ Norris, John (June 5, 2006). MTV News Raw: Fall Out Boy. MTV.com. Accessed 2006-07-18.
  6. ^ Loftus, Johnny. "Biography: Fall Out Boy". All Music Guide. Accessed April 14, 2006.
  7. ^ Billboard Hot 100 Charts. Billboard.com. 15 March 2006.
  8. ^ Product page. Amazon.com. Accessed April 12, 2001987.
  9. ^ The Music Edge. Accessed April 12, 2009.
  10. ^ "Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz Partners With Fashion Giant DKNY." About Top40.
  11. ^ Clandestine Industries for DKNY Jeans. DKNYJeans Promo.com.
  12. ^ The Squier Pete Wentz Precision Bass Guitar. Squire Guitars. Accessed on 2007-06-21.
  13. ^ Rolling Stone staff (May 2, 2007). "Pete Wentz Opens NYC Dive Bar." Rolling Stone Magazine. Accessed 2007-06-21.
  14. ^ "Pete Wentz, Joel Madden for Juno Follow Up." Rocksound.tv.
  15. ^ People
  16. ^ Fall Out Toy Works official site
  17. ^ a b c Parkin, JK (2009-06-04). "Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz to write Fall Out Toyworks for Image". Robot 6. Comic Book Resources. Retrieved 2009-06-05.
  18. ^ Wigler, Josh (2009-07-03). "Wentz & Romanelli Talk "Fall Out Toy Works"". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved 2009-07-03.
  19. ^ Nancy Schimelpfening. "Pete Wentz Admits He Has Bipolar Disorder" About.com; August 7, 2007
  20. ^ Greenwald, Andy (December 2005), "It's a Holiday in Suburbia", Spin Magazine{{citation}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  21. ^ Video of Wentz at halfofus.com
  22. ^ James Montgomery. "Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz Comments On ... You Know, Those Photos" VH1; March 9, 2006. VH1. Accessed May 6, 2006.
  23. ^ Natalie Finn. " Ashlee and Pete Fall into Engagement" E! Online; April 9, 2008
  24. ^ Breaking News From Pete And Ashlee
  25. ^ Gil Kaufman (2008-05-29). "Ashlee Simpson And Pete Wentz Finally Confirm Pregnancy". MTV News. MTV Networks. Retrieved 2008-10-24.
  26. ^ Laudadio, Marisa (2008-11-21). "It's a Boy for Ashlee & Pete!". People. Retrieved 2008-11-21.
  27. ^ Weiner, Jonah (2007). "Who Does Pete Wentz Think He Is?". Blender Magazine. Retrieved 2007-08-01. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  28. ^ "Big Gay Following: Pete Wentz". The Advocate. 2007. Retrieved 2008-01-04. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  29. ^ Pete Wentz front cover of Out Out.com. 2008.
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