Greg Dulli (born May 11, 1965) is an American musician from Hamilton, Ohio. Debuting as a member of the rock band

the Afghan Whigs The Afghan Whigs are an American rock band from Cincinnati, Ohio. They were active from 1986 to 2001 and have since reformed as a band. The group – with core members Greg Dulli (vocals, rhythm guitar), Rick McCollum (lead guitar), and John Cu ...

in 1986, Dulli has been a member of

the Twilight Singers The Twilight Singers are an American indie rock band. The group was formed in 1997 by Greg Dulli as a side project during a hiatus from his group The Afghan Whigs. After the Afghan Whigs disbanded, Dulli used The Twilight Singers as his own arti ...

, Gutter Twins, and in 2020 released his debut solo album, '' Random Desire''. Dulli is known as the voice of

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...

in the 1994 film ''

Backbeat In music and music theory, the beat is the basic unit of time, the pulse (regularly repeating event), of the ''mensural level'' (or ''beat level''). The beat is often defined as the rhythm listeners would tap their toes to when listening to a p ...

'', and has produced music for musicians such as Afterhours, and is known as a regular collaborator of Mark Lanegan and

Joseph Arthur Joseph Arthur (born September 28, 1971) is an American singer-songwriter and artist from Akron, Ohio. He is best known for his solo material, and as a member of Fistful of Mercy and RNDM. Arthur has built his reputation over the years through ...

Early life

Dulli grew up in Hamilton, Ohio. In 1983, he studied film at the

University of Cincinnati The University of Cincinnati (UC or Cincinnati) is a public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 1819 as Cincinnati College, it is the oldest institution of higher education in Cincinnati and has an annual enrollment of over 44,0 ...

, but later dropped out after a year and a half, moving to

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

and working at

Tower Records Tower Records is an international retail franchise and online music store that was formerly based in Sacramento, California, United States. From 1960 until 2006, Tower operated retail stores in the United States, which closed when Tower Recor ...

Sunset Boulevard Sunset Boulevard is a boulevard in the central and western part of Los Angeles, California, that stretches from the Pacific Coast Highway in Pacific Palisades east to Figueroa Street in Downtown Los Angeles. It is a major thoroughfare in ...

while attempting to become an actor. Inspired to become a musician by the band

the Dream Syndicate The Dream Syndicate is an American alternative rock band from Los Angeles, California, originally active from 1981 to 1989, and reunited since 2012. The band is associated with neo-psychedelia and the Paisley Underground music movement; of the ba ...

, Dulli moved back to

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

and formed a band called the Black Republicans.

Career

1986–2001: The Afghan Whigs

Dulli formed

in late 1986 with bassist John Curley, who had also been a member of the Black Republicans, Rick McCollum, a guitarist who Dulli bonded with over their shared love of R&B, and later drummer Steve Earle. The band independently released their debut album ''

Big Top Halloween ''Big Top Halloween'' is the first album by the band The Afghan Whigs. It was released in 1988 via Ultrasuede. Two thousand copies of the record were pressed. Critical reception ''Trouser Press'' wrote that "there's a surprising amount of subtle ...

'' in 1988, which had been recorded in Curley's home studio. The release caught the attention of

Jonathan Poneman Jonathan Poneman is an American record executive and co-founder of two record labels: Sub Pop and Hardly Art. Early life and education The third child of Harold and Beverly Poneman, Jonathan Poneman was born October 9, 1959 in Toledo, Ohio and ...

, the co-founder of Seattle-based indie label Sub Pop, who signed the band in 1989. The band released their first album with Sub Pop, ''

Up in It ''Up in It'' is the second album by the Afghan Whigs, released in 1990 via Sub Pop. It marked the first time Sub Pop had released an album by a band hailing from outside the northwestern United States. Production The album was produced by Jack En ...

'', in 1990, and a follow-up in 1992, ''

Congregation A congregation is a large gathering of people, often for the purpose of worship. Congregation may also refer to: * Church (congregation), a Christian organization meeting in a particular place for worship *Congregation (Roman Curia), an administr ...

''. The band's success led to a contract with major label Elektra Records in 1992, where they released '' Gentlemen'' (1993) and ''

Black Love Black is a color which results from the absence or complete Absorption (electromagnetic radiation), absorption of visible spectrum, visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or fi ...

'' (1996). In 1994, Dulli was featured in ''

'', a film detailing the pre-fame years of

the Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developmen ...

, where he portrayed

's singing voice. Dulli also appeared on Foo Fighters' debut album in 1995, as the only credited musician other than Dave Grohl. In 1997, Dulli moved to

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

, renting

R.E.M. R.E.M. was an American rock band from Athens, Georgia, formed in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the first alternati ...

guitarist

Peter Buck Peter Lawrence Buck (born December 6, 1956) is an American musician and songwriter. He was a co-founder and the lead guitarist of the alternative rock band R.E.M. He also plays the banjo and mandolin on several R.E.M. songs. Throughout his ca ...

's house. Dulli also worked with directors

Ted Demme Edward Kern Demme ( ; October 26, 1963 – January 13, 2002) was an American director, producer, and actor. Early life Demme was born in New York City, the son of Gail (née Kern) and Frederick Rogers Demme. He grew up in Rockville Centre, New ...

and Joel Stillerman to produce a film script based on author Ann Imbrie's novel ''Spoken in Darkness'' (1993), which Elektra agreed to finance as a part of the band's 1992 contract, but the film was never made. Disappointed with the management and lack of promotion through Elektra, the band signed with Columbia Records (who had to pay out Elektra for the contract), and in 1998 the group released '' 1965'', which happened at the same time Dulli was receiving treatment for depression. The band, having not performed together since September 1999, announced their split in February 2001 due to the difficulties of working together as each member lived in different US states. Dulli co-purchased Short Stop, a bar in

, soon after the announcement.

2000-2011: The Twilight Singers, The Gutter Twins

Dulli's main musical project became

. First formed in 1997 as a side project featuring

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

-based musicians, the group released their debut album ''

Twilight as Played by The Twilight Singers ''Twilight as Played by The Twilight Singers'' is the first album by The Twilight Singers, released by Columbia Records in 2000. Critical reception ''The Washington Post'' wrote that "the hushed, claustrophobic approach to soul music recalls th ...

'' in 2000. Dulli began working on a solo record, however due to the death of his close friend

the sessions were shelved, and Dulli was inspired to write the band's second album ''

Blackberry Belle ''Blackberry Belle'' is the second full-length album released by The Twilight Singers. It was released by One Little Indian Records on October 14, 2003 and features guest appearances by Mathias Schneeberger, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Stanton Moore, ...

'' (2003) instead. The solo material Dulli had written was eventually released as ''

Amber Headlights ''Amber Headlights'' is an album by Greg Dulli, released in 2005. Production In 2001, Dulli started to work on the follow-up to The Twilight Singers' debut album '' Twilight as Played by The Twilight Singers''. However, the death of his clos ...

'' in 2005. The Twilight Singers released the covers album ''

She Loves You "She Loves You" is a song written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney and recorded by English rock band the Beatles for release as a single in 1963. The single set and surpassed several sales records in the United Kingdom charts, and set a record i ...

'' in 2004, followed by '' Powder Burns'' in 2006, and '' Dynamite Steps'' (2011). Dulli and Mark Lanegan formed a group named

the Gutter Twins The Gutter Twins was a musical collaboration between rock musicians Greg Dulli and Mark Lanegan. Dulli and Lanegan had regularly contributed to each other's projects since 2000, most notably in Dulli's Twilight Singers; of the duo's origins, Dul ...

, and signed to Sub Pop in 2008, releasing their debut album '' Saturnalia'' on the label, as well as an

extended play An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record.

'' Adorata'' in the same year. Dulli first met Lanegan in the early 1990s, and had been close friends and collaborators since the year 2000. Later that year, Dulli released a solo live album, featuring content he had recorded at

The Triple Door The Triple Door is a dinner theater, lounge and music venue founded in the fall of 2003, located at 216 Union Street in Seattle, Washington. The building often hosts concerts for Folk music, folk, independent music, indie, and World music groups. ...

in Seattle, for the ''A Drink for the Kids'' fundraising effort by

The Vera Project The Vera Project, or VERA, is an all-ages, non-profit youth arts organization in Seattle, Washington. Overview Based on the Vera club in Groningen, Netherlands. The name Vera comes from the phrase Veri Et Recti Amici, which is Latin meaning "t ...

. Dulli released a solo single in 2009, covering the

Eddie Hinton Eddie Hinton (15 June 1944 – 28 July 1995) was an American songwriter and session musician, best known for his work with soul music and R&B singers. He played lead guitar for Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section from 1969 to 1971 and after leaving th ...

tracks "Hard Luck Guy" and "Cover Me", as a part of Shake It Records' series vinyl single tributes to Hinton. In October 2010, for the first time in his career Greg Dulli embarked on a solo tour, which saw him perform twenty-nine shows in five different countries.

2011 onward: The Afghan Whigs revival, solo debut

In 2011 the Afghan Whigs announced that they were reuniting, the first time the band had been together since recording two songs in 2006 for the Afghan Whigs compilation album '' Unbreakable: A Retrospective 1990–2006''. The band toured internationally for their 2012 reunion tour, reaching sixteen countries, and in the following year Dulli teamed up with

Steve Kilbey Steven John Kilbey (born 13 September 1954) is an English-Australian singer-songwriter and bass guitarist for the rock band the Church. He is also a music producer, poet, and painter. As of 2020, Kilbey has released 14 solo albums and has col ...

of The Church for several live performances in Los Angeles. In 2014, the band released their first album in 16 years, ''

Do to the Beast Do to the Beast is the seventh studio album by American alternative rock band The Afghan Whigs, their first in 16 years. It was released on April 15, 2014 on Sub Pop Records, the same label that released their albums '' Up in It'' and ''Congregati ...

'', which debuted at number 32 on ''Billboard''s Top 200 Albums and the #8 spot and #7 spot on the rock albums and alternative albums charts respectively. This was followed with a second revival album in 2017, titled ''

In Spades ''In Spades'' is the eighth studio album by American alternative rock band The Afghan Whigs, released on May 5, 2017 on Sub Pop Records. Reception The album received mainly positive reviews; according to online review aggregator Metacritic M ...

''. After the release of ''In Spades'' and the death of Afghan Whigs' guitarist

Dave Rosser Dave Rosser was an American rock guitarist known for his work for the Afghan Whigs, who he joined in 2014. He played guitar on their albums ''Do to the Beast'' and '' In Spades''. Previously, he was a member of the Gutter Twins and the Twilight Si ...

, Dulli began to work on his first solo album. The album, '' Random Desire'' (2020), took influence from

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. T ...

and

Todd Rundgren Todd Harry Rundgren (born June 22, 1948) is an American multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, multimedia artist, sound engineer and record producer who has performed a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of the band Ut ...

's methods of writing and performing almost every instrument on their records. Dulli's tour for the album was originally meant to be an international tour held from March to May, however this was postponed due to the effects of the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

Personal life

Dulli co-owns several bars across the United States. Dulli co-owns three bars in

: Short Stop on

(which he purchased in 2001), Club Tee Gee in

Atwater Village Atwater Village is a neighborhood in the 13th district of Los Angeles, California. Much of Atwater Village lies in the fertile Los Angeles River flood plain. Located in the northeast region of the city, Atwater borders Griffith Park and Silver L ...

and Footsies in Cypress Park. Additionally, Dulli co-owns three bars in his former residence

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

: the Royal Street Inn and R Bar in

Faubourg Marigny The Faubourg Marigny ( ; sometimes called The Marigny) is a neighborhood of the city of New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. Its boundaries, as defined by the City Planning Commission, are North Rampart Street and St. Claude Avenue to the ...

, Bud Rip's in Bywater.

Discography

Studio albums

Compilation albums

Live albums

References

External links

The Afghan Whigs official site

The Twilight Singers official site

The Gutter Twins official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dulli, Greg 1965 births Living people 20th-century American guitarists 20th-century American male musicians American male guitarists American male singers American people of Greek descent American punk rock guitarists American rock guitarists Guitarists from Ohio People from Hamilton, Ohio Singers from Ohio The Afghan Whigs members The Gutter Twins members The Twilight Singers members University of Cincinnati alumni