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Doug Pinnick

Doug Pinnick (born September 3, 1950 in Braidwood, Illinois) is an American musician known as the bass guitarist, songwriter, and co-lead vocalist for the hard rock/progressive metal band King's X. He has 12 albums with King's X, 4 solo albums, and numerous side projects and guest appearances to his credit.

History

Doug Pinnick was born in Braidwood, Illinois then moved to Joliet, Illinois when he was fourteen. He grew up in a musical family where everyone either sang or played an instrument. He was raised by his great-grandmother, a devoutly religious woman, and was reared in a very strict Southern Baptist environment. He has seventeen brothers and sisters, all half from three mothers and two fathers. When he was in grade-school, Pinnick participated in choir and played saxophone. He listened as a teenager to classic R&B and Motown artists such as Stevie Wonder, Little Richard, and Aretha Franklin. Pinnick sang in bands throughout high school, one of the earliest being a group called "Stone Flower" which Doug described as "Chicago Transit Authority meets Sly & The Family Stone". While attending Joliet Junior College in 1969, Pinnick was inspired by hard rock bands such as Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix. Around this time, he also started listening to perhaps his biggest influence, Sly & The Family Stone. His dream was to form a band that combined all of these varied influences but with a Christian message.

After attending college for roughly six months, Pinnick dropped out and joined a travelling gospel band called The Spurlows.

At some point in the early seventies, Pinnick moved to a Christian community in Florida. There, he remained involved in the music business by promoting small shows by Christian rock bands. He soon grew tired of that and moved back to Joliet.

In the mid seventies, Pinnick formed a band called Servant with keyboardist Matt Spransy. They were described as a progressive Art Rock type of band along the lines of Yes and Emerson, Lake & Palmer. The band played all over the midwest and even put together a demo of original songs. Oddly enough, there was another band from Canada that also called themselves Servant who had actually scored a recording contract. Spransy ended up joining the other version of Servant and that band recorded a song that he and Pinnick had written together called "I'm Gonna Live".

Pinnick was also part of Alpha as well as his own "Doug Pinnick Band" for a brief time, shortly after Spransy joined the Canadian Servant.

In 1979, Pinnick was invited to join a band that was forming in Springfield, MO. with singer Greg X. Volz of Petra fame. Doug accepted the offer and re-located only to have the band dissolve within a month of his arrival. He was soon offered a spot with guitarist Phil Keaggy's touring band along with the drummer from the failed Volz project, one Jerry Gaskill. Pinnick has a co-writing credit on the track "Just A Moment Away" from Keaggy's album Ph'lip Side. Pinnick toured with Keaggy for about a year before returning to Springfield and set about looking for a new musical project.

He soon became involved with guitarist Ty Tabor after seeing him play a concert at Evangel College. Jerry Gaskill was also included and the band The Edge was born. The trio also recorded an album in 1983 under the name Sneak Preview. The Edge bloomed into King's X several years (and a move to Houston) later.

Pinnick has become one of the most respected voices in rock today. He is highly sought after for guest appearances as well as membership in several side projects.

In 1998, Pinnick confirmed his homosexual orientation during an interview for Regeneration Quarterly. Diamante Music Group cancelled distribution of King's X material in Christian retailers following this revelation.

Besides King's X, Pinnick is active with side projects, solo albums and producing other bands in his own Hound Pound studio in Texas.

Projects

Pinnick's first solo project Poundhound released two albums, Massive Grooves and Pineappleskunk, with King's X bandmate Jerry Gaskill on drums. Doug dropped the Poundhound moniker for his third solo album, Emotional Animal, instead crediting himself as "dUg Pinnick." The album, released by Magna Carta Records, features Gaskill's son, Joy, on drums.

Pinnick was also a member of the short-lived band Supershine, along with long-time Trouble guitarist, Bruce Franklin. Supershine released only one self-titled album in 2000 on Metal Blade Records.

He sang lead vocals on the eponymous debut album by former Winger guitarist Reb Beach's band The Mob, released in 2005. He also stood in for lead singer Corey Glover on Living Colour's European tour in August 2006.

Other vocal appearances by Doug Pinnick include Dream Theater's "Lines In The Sand" (guest vocals in the choruses) from the Falling into Infinity album, "Welcome To The Machine" from the An All Star Lineup Performing the Songs of Pink Floyd album, "Parasite" on an all-star tribute to Kiss entitled Spin the Bottle, as well as "Taxman" on a Beatles tribute album entitled Butchering the Beatles.

Complete Discography

Solo albums

Poundhound - Massive Grooves... (1998)
Poundhound - Pineappleskunk (2001)
Emotional Animal (2005)
''Songs From The Closet (released by Molken Music 2006) A collection of King's X demos with 2 previously unreleased songs
Strum Sum Up (2007)Side bands
Supershine - s/t (2000)
The Mob - s/t (2005)