Wayne Richard Wells (November 4, 1965 – November 1, 2014), known professionally as Wayne Static, was an American musician, best known as the lead vocalist, guitarist, keyboardist, and primary lyricist for
metal
A metal (from Greek μÎταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typicall ...
band
Static-X. He released his only solo studio album, ''
Pighammer
''Pighammer'' is the only solo album by American musician Wayne Static, released on October 4, 2011, through Dirthouse Records, and the final album released during his lifetime. It debuted at number 97 on the ''Billboard'' 200 with first-week sal ...
'', on October 4, 2011. Static was recognizable for his unusual hairstyle; his hair was held up in a vertical position, a process that took about 20 minutes to complete (45 minutes, according to his mother). He was also known for his signature "chintail" beard.
Early life
Wells was born in
Muskegon, Michigan
Muskegon ( ') is a city in Michigan. It is the county seat of Muskegon County. Muskegon is known for fishing, sailing regattas, pleasure boating, and as a commercial and cruise ship port. It is a popular vacation destination because of the expans ...
, to Richard and Darlene Wells.
[Wayne Static Bio](_blank)
IMDb.com; retrieved January 1, 2008.[Wayne Static Bio](_blank)
FoxyTunes.com, retrieved January 1, 2008["Static-X to perform Wednesday"](_blank)
''Deseret News'' (Salt Lake City), June 17, 2005, retrieved January 1, 2008. He grew up in
Shelby, Michigan before moving to
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
,
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
and
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
. He was three years old when he received his first toy guitar. His parents decided at age seven to get him his first real guitar, an S12 beginner model. Wells was given lessons, which paid off a year later when he won a talent contest playing "
Skip to My Lou
"Skip to My (The) Lou" is a popular American partner-stealing dance from the 1840s.
Poet and Abraham Lincoln biographer Carl Sandburg writes that "Skip-to-my-Lou" was a popular party game in US President Abraham Lincoln's youth in southern In ...
". He later played in his first band at the age of 12 and decided he wanted to be a musician. In high school, Wells played in a band for the dances with classmates. He attended
Shelby High School and had summer jobs which included working as an asparagus picker and in a cherry canning factory.
Career
After moving to Chicago, Wells created the band Deep Blue Dream in 1987 with drummer
Ken Jay
Kenneth "Ken Jay" Lacey (born June 10, 1966) is an American musician, best known as the original drummer for industrial metal band Static-X.
Biography
Jay was born in Vermilion County, Illinois. Jay began playing drums early on and had played ...
, bass player
Eric Harris
Eric David Harris (April 9, 1981 – April 20, 1999) and Dylan Bennet Klebold (; September 11, 1981 – April 20, 1999) were an American mass murder duo who perpetrated the Columbine High School massacre on April 20, 1999. Harris and Klebo ...
and
Billy Corgan; who later went on to form the
Smashing Pumpkins
Smash may refer to:
People
* Smash (wrestler) (born 1959), professional wrestler
* Moondog Rex, another professional wrestler who briefly wrestled as the original Smash, before being replaced by the above.
* DJ Smash, DJ and music producer
Ar ...
. Deep Blue Dream was short lived as Wells and Jay relocated to California. In California, Wells and Jay formed Static-X along with
Tony Campos
Antonio Campos (born March 8, 1973) is an American musician. He is the current bassist for industrial metal bands Static-X and Fear Factory and the vocalist and bassist for Asesino. He is a former bassist for metal bands Prong, Soulfly, Mini ...
on bass and
Koichi Fukuda
Koichi Fukuda (born July 1, 1975) is a Japanese musician, best known as the lead guitarist, programmer, and keyboardist for the metal band Static-X; he has been a member of the band three times, initially from 1994 to 2000, again from 2005 to 20 ...
on guitar. It was at this point Wells adopted the name Wayne Static.
Static announced in July 2007 that he would begin a side project, Pighammer, but in a December 2007 interview with Ultimate-Guitar.com, Static stated: "The Pighammer thing will happen when I have time. At the moment though, Static-X will remain my main priority." Static appears on the cover of the 2009 Static-X release, ''
Cult of Static
''Cult of Static'' is the sixth studio album by industrial metal band Static-X. It was released on March 17, 2009 via Reprise Records. The album's first single "Stingwray" was released and made available on the band's MySpace page on February 17, ...
''.
His solo album ''Pighammer'' was released on October 4, 2011. As part of his ''
Pighammer
''Pighammer'' is the only solo album by American musician Wayne Static, released on October 4, 2011, through Dirthouse Records, and the final album released during his lifetime. It debuted at number 97 on the ''Billboard'' 200 with first-week sal ...
'' solo-project,
[Archived a]
Ghostarchive
and th
Wayback Machine
Static formed a new line-up consisting of
Brent Ashley
Brent Ashley is a musician who was the former bassist for Combichrist and former bassist for the Natural Born Killers featuring Max Green of Escape The Fate. He is also a former member of Static-X and was also a part of Wayne Static's solo proje ...
on bass, Sean Davidson on drums, and Ashes on guitar. In 2012, this line-up went under the name Static-X for the Noise Revolution tour. However, in October 2012, the remainder of the tour was cancelled due to Static requiring medical treatment.
In an interview done on November 26, 2013, it was confirmed that Static-X disbanded in June 2013. According to Static, the disputes between himself and the band's former bassist Tony Campos over the rights to the band name had gone too far, forcing him to disband the four-piece.
He had been set to play a co-headlining tour in the U.S. with
Powerman 5000 in November 2014 with
American Head Charge
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the " United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, p ...
supporting them.
Equipment
Guitars
Static performing at 2009">Gods of Metal 2009
Static installed a single
Seymour Duncan
Seymour Duncan is an American company best known for manufacturing guitar and bass pickups. They also manufacture effects pedals which are designed and assembled in America. Guitarist and luthier Seymour W. Duncan and Cathy Carter Duncan found ...
SH-6B 'Distortion' humbucker in all his guitar's bridge positions; until switching to EMG 81's in 2012 after signing with Dean. His signature Epiphone, ESP LTD, and Dean guitars did not come with neck pickups as he did not use them.
Static used a Gibson Flying V from early in his career; seen in the videos up until 2003.
In 2004, Epiphone released a Wayne Static signature Flying V Guitar. "Special features on the Static model include a single volume control and one toggle switch for the two Epiphone USA pickups, no pickguard, Ebony fingerboard with no inlays, black hardware, Plain Black satin finish and the Static-X logo on the headstock".
In 2007, ESP produced the ESP Ltd Static-600 Wayne Static Signature Guitar. It featured an Explorer-shaped body, single Seymour Duncan Distortion humbucker, and nickel/diamond-plated scratchplate covering the entire mahogany body, as seen in live photographs.
In 2009, ESP produced the ESP LTD Static-600V GMB as Static's new signature guitar. It featured a Flying-V-shaped body with diamond plate metal screwed the front of the body, black hardware, and Static X logo at the 12th fret.
In 2012, Static joined Dean guitars and started playing custom ML Modifier. Until his death, Static played Dean guitars as an endorsee. While Dean did not release a Static signature model, Dean did produce a series of custom models for Static; fitted with his standard single bridge humbucker and single volume control.
Amps
For his live tone, Static used a simple
Marshall
Marshall may refer to:
Places
Australia
* Marshall, Victoria, a suburb of Geelong, Victoria
Canada
* Marshall, Saskatchewan
* The Marshall, a mountain in British Columbia
Liberia
* Marshall, Liberia
Marshall Islands
* Marshall Islands, an i ...
MG100HDFX. The MG100HDFX was one of the cheapest solid state amps made by Marshall during Static's touring time with Static X. On tour Static could easily and cheaply get a replacement if the amp broke. Amps breaking wasn't a common problem as solid state amps like the MG100HDFX are less prone to breaking than tube amps, another reason for its selection.
Static's cabinet of choice was the Marshall 1960A.
As of the "Cult of Static" tour in 2009, all of Static-X ditched the traditionally used touring amps and cabinets for a Line 6 Pod XT Pro direct to P.A. sound set up and maintained by longtime guitar tech Erik Fincher.
Personal life
Static with his wife (center) in 2007">Tera Wray (center) in 2007
Static was an
atheist and
pescatarian
Pescetarianism (; sometimes spelled pescatarianism) is the practice of incorporating seafood into an otherwise vegetarian diet. Pescetarians may or may not consume other animal products such as eggs and dairy products. Approximately 3% of adul ...
. After a brief courtship, he married adult film actress
Tera Wray
Tera Wray (born Tera Elizabeth Lents; April 14, 1982 – January 13, 2016) was an American pornographic actress. In his biography of Wray, performing arts researcher Harris M. Lentz III referred to her as "a star of alternative pornography".
Ear ...
in Las Vegas on January 10, 2008. They lived in
Joshua Tree, California
Joshua Tree is a census-designated place (CDP) in San Bernardino County, California, United States. The population was 7,414 at the 2010 census. At approximately above sea level, Joshua Tree and its surrounding communities are located in the High ...
. Static appeared as a mystery guest on an adult film Wray hosted called ''Radium Vol 2''.
On January 13, 2016, Wray died in her friend's Joshua Tree, California apartment from an apparent suicide. Her body was discovered January 14, 2016.
Death
Static died on November 1, 2014, in
Landers, California, three days before his 49th birthday. He had consumed half of an oxycodone pill as well as alcohol that morning before going to bed with his wife. She woke up later that day to find that he had died in his sleep.
His family issued a statement stating that rumors of his death being drug-related were false, noting that he and Wray had stopped using illicit drugs in 2009. An autopsy later confirmed that Static had died of multiple prescription drug toxicity, consisting of the opioid painkillers
oxycodone
Oxycodone, sold under various brand names such as Roxicodone and OxyContin (which is the extended release form), is a strong, semi-synthetic opioid used medically for treatment of moderate to severe pain. It is highly addictive and a commonly ...
,
hydromorphone
Hydromorphone, also known as dihydromorphinone, and sold under the brand name Dilaudid among others, is an opioid used to treat moderate to severe pain. Typically, long-term use is only recommended for pain due to cancer. It may be used by mou ...
, and the anti-anxiety medication
alprazolam
Alprazolam, sold under the brand name Xanax, among others, is a fast-acting, potent tranquilizer of medium duration in the triazolobenzodiazepine (TBZD) class, which are benzodiazepines (BZDs) fused with a triazole ring. It is most commonly u ...
(Xanax) combined with alcohol, although the report also noted that years of past "chronic prescription drug and alcohol abuse" was a contributing factor.
Former Static-X members
Koichi Fukuda
Koichi Fukuda (born July 1, 1975) is a Japanese musician, best known as the lead guitarist, programmer, and keyboardist for the metal band Static-X; he has been a member of the band three times, initially from 1994 to 2000, again from 2005 to 20 ...
and
Tony Campos
Antonio Campos (born March 8, 1973) is an American musician. He is the current bassist for industrial metal bands Static-X and Fear Factory and the vocalist and bassist for Asesino. He is a former bassist for metal bands Prong, Soulfly, Mini ...
paid tribute to Static. Static was cremated in California. A memorial show followed in Los Angeles, and a family service followed in Illinois.
Solo band members
Final line-up
*Wayne Static – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards, programming
*Diego "Ashes" Ibarra – lead guitar
*Sean "The Animal" Davidson – drums
*
Andy "The Kid" Cole – bass, backing vocals
Former members
*
Brent Ashley
Brent Ashley is a musician who was the former bassist for Combichrist and former bassist for the Natural Born Killers featuring Max Green of Escape The Fate. He is also a former member of Static-X and was also a part of Wayne Static's solo proje ...
– bass, backing vocals
Timeline
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Period = from:01/01/2011 till:11/01/2014
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Colors =
id:Vocals value:red legend:Lead_vocals,_rhythm_guitar
id:Guitar value:green legend:Lead_guitar
id:Bass value:blue legend:Bass,_backing_vocals
id:Drums value:orange legend:Drums
id:Keys value:purple legend:Keyboards,_programming
id:Lines value:black legend:Studio_album
id:bars value:gray(0.93)
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at:10/04/2011 color:black layer:back
BarData =
bar:Wayne text:"Wayne Static"
bar:Ashes text:"Diego Ibarra"
bar:Brent text:"Brent Ashley
bar:Andy text:"Andy Cole"
bar:Sean text:"Sean Davidson"
PlotData=
width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4)
bar:Wayne from:01/01/2011 till:11/01/2014 color:Vocals
bar:Ashes from:10/10/2011 till:11/01/2014 color:Guitar
bar:Brent from:10/10/2011 till:09/03/2012 color:Bass
bar:Andy from:10/02/2012 till:11/01/2014 color:Bass
bar:Sean from:10/10/2011 till:11/01/2014 color:Drums
width:3 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4)
bar:Wayne from:01/01/2011 till:11/01/2014 color:Keys
Discography
Solo
;Studio albums
;Singles
* 2011 – "Assassins of Youth"
Static-X
Collaborations
* 2000 –
Dead Prez
Dead Prez, often stylized as dead prez, is an American hip hop duo composed of stic.man and M-1, formed in 1996 in New York City. They are known for their confrontational style, combined with lyrics focused on both militant social justice, self ...
& Wayne Static – "Hip Hop"
* 2001 –
Mephisto Odyssey
Mephisto Odyssey is an American house music group from San Francisco, California, United States, who have been credited with helping to pioneer the San Francisco house music sound. The group went on to release a number of self-released singles ...
& Static-X – "Crash"
* 2002 –
Jonathan Davis
Jonathan Howsmon Davis (born January 18, 1971), also known as JD or JDevil, is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He is best known as the lead vocalist and frontman of nu metal band Korn, who are considered a pioneering act of the nu ...
&
Richard Gibbs
Richard "Ribbs" Gibbs (born December 5, 1955) is an American film composer and music producer whose credits include '' Dr. Dolittle'', ''Big Momma's House'', '' Queen of the Damned'', the television series '' Battlestar Galactica'' and the fir ...
featuring Wayne Static – "
Not Meant for Me"
* 2003 –
Godhead featuring Wayne Static – "The Giveaway"
* 2004 –
Skinny Puppy featuring Wayne Static – "Use Less"
* 2006 –
SOiL
Soil, also commonly referred to as earth or dirt
Dirt is an unclean matter, especially when in contact with a person's clothes, skin, or possessions. In such cases, they are said to become dirty.
Common types of dirt include:
* Debri ...
featuring Wayne Static – "Give It Up"
* 2008 –
Opiate for the Masses
Opiate for the Masses was an American rock band from Los Angeles, California in 1999.
History
Opiate for the Masses was founded in 1999 by singer Ron Underwood, drummer Elias Mallin, guitarist/keyboardist Jim Kaufman, and guitarist Dustin Lyon. ...
featuring Wayne Static – "21st Century Time Bomb"
* 2009 –
Dirge Within
Dirge Within (known as The Bloodline from 2013 to 2017) was an American metal band from Chicago that formed in 2007.
History
Formation
Dirge Within formed in January 2007, originally calling themselves Dirge, composed of former guitarist of the ...
featuring Wayne Static - "Inhuman"
* 2010 –
Raymond Herrera & Wayne Static – "
Decimator"
* 2011 â€
9 Electricfeaturing Wayne Static – "Destroy As You Go"
* 2013 –
DMC from
Run-DMC featuring Wayne Static – "Noise Revolution"
Appearances
* 2002 – Static appeared in
The X-Ecutioners
The X-Ecutioners are a group of American hip hop DJs/ turntablists from New York City, New York. The group formed in 1989 and currently consists of three DJs, including Total Eclipse, DJ Boogie Blind, DJ Precision. Original members of the gro ...
music video "
It's Goin' Down", along with
Mike Shinoda
Michael Kenji Shinoda (; ja, ç¯ ç”° 賢治, Shinoda Kenji; born February 11, 1977) is an American musician, singer, rapper, songwriter and record producer. He co-founded the rock band Linkin Park in 1996 and was the band's collaborative vocal ...
and
Mr. Hahn
Joseph Hahn (born March 15, 1977) is an American musician, DJ, director and visual artist best known as the DJ of the American rock band Linkin Park, doing the scratching, turntables, sampling, and programming for all seven of Linkin Park's ...
of
Linkin Park
* 2006 – Static appeared in
Silent Civilian
Silent Civilian is an American heavy metal band originating from Los Angeles, California. Following his departure from nu metal band Spineshank in 2004, frontman Jonny Santos felt he wanted to move in a different direction musically and start ...
's video "
Rebirth of The Temple
''Rebirth of the Temple'' is the first studio album by the American metalcore band Silent Civilian. It was released on May 2, 2006, by Mediaskare Records. The album contains two enhanced videos – one music video for the song "Rebirth of the T ...
"
* 2009 – Static appeared in 98 Rockfest in Tampa, Florida
* 2010 – Static appeared as a villain in Issue 4 of the
Eternal Descent
IDW Publishing is an American comic book publishing house. They are known, in particular, for the popular horror franchise '' 30 Days of Night'', as well as producing comics based on licensed media, such as ''G.I. Joe'', '' The Transformers'', '' ...
Comic Book series
References
External links
Static-X's official website*
ESP GuitarsWayne Static's official websiteWayne Static Playlist on wave.cat
{{DEFAULTSORT:Static, Wayne
1965 births
2014 deaths
American atheists
American male singers
American heavy metal keyboardists
American heavy metal musicians
American heavy metal singers
American industrial musicians
American rock guitarists
American male guitarists
Drug-related deaths in California
Guitarists from Michigan
Nu metal singers
People from Joshua Tree, California
People from Muskegon, Michigan
Pigface members
Rhythm guitarists
Singers from Michigan
Static-X members
20th-century American guitarists
20th-century American male musicians
Industrial metal musicians