Greg Graffin
Encyclopedia
Gregory Walter Graffin, Ph.D. (born November 6, 1964) is an American punk rock
musician, college professor, and author. He is most recognized as the lead vocalist
and songwriter
of the noted Los Angeles
band Bad Religion
, which he co-founded in 1979 and is the band's only constant member, even though it now features two other original members, guitarist Brett Gurewitz
(who left and rejoined the band twice) and bassist Jay Bentley
(who left in 1982, but returned in 1986). He also embarked on a solo career in 1997, where he released the album American Lesion
. His follow-up album, Cold as the Clay
was released nine years later. Graffin obtained his Ph.D.
at Cornell University
and has lectured courses in life sciences
and paleontology
at the University of California, Los Angeles
.
. After making a name for themselves in the Los Angeles punk scene, releasing two EPs and two full-length albums, they disbanded around 1985. However, Bad Religion reformed in 1986 with a new line-up, consisting of Graffin on vocals, Brett Gurewitz
and Greg Hetson
on guitars, Jay Bentley
on bass, and Pete Finestone
on drums. In 1988, they released Suffer
, which was a comeback for Bad Religion as well as a watershed for the Southern California punk sound popularized by guitarist Gurewitz's Epitaph Records
. The reunion lineup, now considered the "classic" one by fans, made two more records before Finestone left the band in 1991. Despite Bad Religion's many member changes over their 30-year history, the current lineup of Graffin, Gurewitz, Hetson, Brian Baker
, Jay Bentley
and Brooks Wackerman
has remained constant since 2001.
Bad Religion has been known for its articulate and often politically charged lyrics as well as its fast-paced harmony
, melody
and counterpoint
. Graffin and Gurewitz are the band's two main songwriters, though Graffin wrote the bulk of the material on his own for a three-album period in the late 1990s after Gurewitz left the band in 1994 to concentrate on the future of Epitaph, which grew to popularity when The Offspring
had just hit the mainstream with Smash.
After a stint with major label Atlantic Records
ended in the early 2000s, Bad Religion re-signed with Epitaph and Gurewitz also rejoined. They have since continued to co-write songs and recorded four records, the latest of which, The Dissent of Man
, was released on September 28, 2010.
, which consisted of softer, more pop-oriented folk songs. Most of this album was written during the breakup of his marriage, and the songs reflect this in lyrics and style.
In 2005, Graffin recorded his second solo album Cold as the Clay
. The album is an amalgamation of new songs by Graffin and 18th- and 19th-century American folk songs. It was produced by Brett Gurewitz
and released on ANTI- Records on July 10, 2006.
, then double-majored in anthropology
and geology
as an undergraduate at the University of California, Los Angeles
. He went on to earn a master's degree in geology from UCLA and received his Ph.D.
from Cornell University
. The Ph.D. dissertation was officially a zoology
Ph.D., supervised by William B. Provine at Cornell. The dissertation was entitled "Monism
, Atheism and the Naturalist Worldview: Perspectives from Evolutionary Biology." It is described as being essentially an evolutionary biology Ph.D. but having also relevance to history and philosophy of science.
Greg Graffin spends most of his time in Upstate New York
, and teaches Life Science 1 and Earth & Space Sciences 116 (paleontology) at UCLA during the winter or fall quarters of each school year. In a June 2008 interview with Bad Religion bassist Jay Bentley
, he mentioned that Graffin would be teaching there from January to March 2009. In April 2011, Graffin revealed that he will be teaching at Cornell University
that fall. He will return to the class room to co-teach a course in evolution for 14 weeks.
Greg Graffin received the Harvard Secular Society's "Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award in Cultural Humanism" on April 26, 2008. During the award ceremony he played some acoustic versions of Bad Religion songs as well as songs from his solo career.
Preston Jones, a historian at the Christian John Brown University
in Arkansas
, sent Graffin an e-mail asking about one of his songs, and Graffin replied. Their resulting year-long e-mail exchange was published as a book in 2006, entitled "Is Belief in God Good, Bad or Irrelevant? A Professor and Punk Rocker Discuss Science, Religion, Naturalism & Christianity".
In 2009 Graffin announced that he had co-written a book with American author Steve Olson
entitled Anarchy
Evolution, released on September 28, 2010 (the same day his band Bad Religion released their 15th album The Dissent of Man
). As of April 2011, Graffin is writing another book, entitled The Population Wars, which is said to be "a bit more in depth about the process of evolution." No release date has been set.
He also wrote on his Twitter
page that he was filming and co-producing a television series called "Punk Professor".
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
musician, college professor, and author. He is most recognized as the lead vocalist
Lead vocalist
The lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
and songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
of the noted Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
band Bad Religion
Bad Religion
Bad Religion is a punk rock band that formed in Los Angeles in 1979. Their current line-up consists of Greg Graffin , Brett Gurewitz , Jay Bentley , Greg Hetson , Brian Baker and Brooks Wackerman . Gurewitz is also the founder of the label Epitaph Records, which has released almost all of the...
, which he co-founded in 1979 and is the band's only constant member, even though it now features two other original members, guitarist Brett Gurewitz
Brett Gurewitz
Brett W. Gurewitz , nicknamed Mr. Brett, is the guitarist and a songwriter of Bad Religion. He is also the owner of the music label Epitaph Records and sister-labels ANTI-, Burning Heart Records, Fat Possum Records, and Hellcat Records...
(who left and rejoined the band twice) and bassist Jay Bentley
Jay Bentley
Jay Dee Bentley is the bassist and co-founding member of the punk rock group Bad Religion. He has played with the band through its whole existence with a small break between 1983 and 1985.-Bad Religion:...
(who left in 1982, but returned in 1986). He also embarked on a solo career in 1997, where he released the album American Lesion
American Lesion
American Lesion is a solo album by Greg Graffin, the lead singer of the punk band, Bad Religion. Like the album Into the Unknown, this album is a massive departure for Graffin, whose songs generally revolve around loud guitars and harmonies...
. His follow-up album, Cold as the Clay
Cold as the Clay
Cold as the Clay is the second solo album by Bad Religion's vocalist Greg Graffin released on July 10, 2006 in Europe, and the following day in the USA. It was released on the label ANTI- . It follows on from Graffin's 1997 release of American Lesion.Graffin has described the album as "honor[ing]...
was released nine years later. Graffin obtained his Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
at Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
and has lectured courses in life sciences
Life sciences
The life sciences comprise the fields of science that involve the scientific study of living organisms, like plants, animals, and human beings. While biology remains the centerpiece of the life sciences, technological advances in molecular biology and biotechnology have led to a burgeoning of...
and paleontology
Paleontology
Paleontology "old, ancient", ὄν, ὀντ- "being, creature", and λόγος "speech, thought") is the study of prehistoric life. It includes the study of fossils to determine organisms' evolution and interactions with each other and their environments...
at the University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
.
Career with Bad Religion
In 1979, at the age of 15, Greg Graffin and a few high school classmates formed Bad Religion in Southern California's San Fernando ValleySan Fernando Valley
The San Fernando Valley is an urbanized valley located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area of southern California, United States, defined by the dramatic mountains of the Transverse Ranges circling it...
. After making a name for themselves in the Los Angeles punk scene, releasing two EPs and two full-length albums, they disbanded around 1985. However, Bad Religion reformed in 1986 with a new line-up, consisting of Graffin on vocals, Brett Gurewitz
Brett Gurewitz
Brett W. Gurewitz , nicknamed Mr. Brett, is the guitarist and a songwriter of Bad Religion. He is also the owner of the music label Epitaph Records and sister-labels ANTI-, Burning Heart Records, Fat Possum Records, and Hellcat Records...
and Greg Hetson
Greg Hetson
Greg Hetson is an American guitarist. He was born in Brooklyn, New York and has lived in Los Angeles, California since he was 2 years old...
on guitars, Jay Bentley
Jay Bentley
Jay Dee Bentley is the bassist and co-founding member of the punk rock group Bad Religion. He has played with the band through its whole existence with a small break between 1983 and 1985.-Bad Religion:...
on bass, and Pete Finestone
Pete Finestone
Pete Finestone was the second drummer of the punk rock band Bad Religion. He played in the band in 1981-1982 and again from 1984 to 1991....
on drums. In 1988, they released Suffer
Suffer (album)
Suffer is the third album by American punk rock band Bad Religion, released on the Californian independent record label Epitaph Records on September 8, 1988. It was the first album that was both released and distributed by the label...
, which was a comeback for Bad Religion as well as a watershed for the Southern California punk sound popularized by guitarist Gurewitz's Epitaph Records
Epitaph Records
Epitaph Records is a Hollywood, California based independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. The label was originally "just a logo and a P.O. box" created in the 1980s for the purpose of selling Bad Religion records, but has evolved into a large independent record...
. The reunion lineup, now considered the "classic" one by fans, made two more records before Finestone left the band in 1991. Despite Bad Religion's many member changes over their 30-year history, the current lineup of Graffin, Gurewitz, Hetson, Brian Baker
Brian Baker (musician)
Brian Baker is an American punk rock musician. He is best known as one of the founding members of the hardcore punk band Minor Threat, and as a guitarist in Bad Religion since 1994 alongside Greg Hetson...
, Jay Bentley
Jay Bentley
Jay Dee Bentley is the bassist and co-founding member of the punk rock group Bad Religion. He has played with the band through its whole existence with a small break between 1983 and 1985.-Bad Religion:...
and Brooks Wackerman
Brooks Wackerman
Brooks Wackerman is the current drummer for the American punk band Bad Religion and the younger brother of Chad Wackerman, formerly a member of Frank Zappa's band.-Career:...
has remained constant since 2001.
Bad Religion has been known for its articulate and often politically charged lyrics as well as its fast-paced harmony
Harmony
In music, harmony is the use of simultaneous pitches , or chords. The study of harmony involves chords and their construction and chord progressions and the principles of connection that govern them. Harmony is often said to refer to the "vertical" aspect of music, as distinguished from melodic...
, melody
Melody
A melody , also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones which is perceived as a single entity...
and counterpoint
Counterpoint
In music, counterpoint is the relationship between two or more voices that are independent in contour and rhythm and are harmonically interdependent . It has been most commonly identified in classical music, developing strongly during the Renaissance and in much of the common practice period,...
. Graffin and Gurewitz are the band's two main songwriters, though Graffin wrote the bulk of the material on his own for a three-album period in the late 1990s after Gurewitz left the band in 1994 to concentrate on the future of Epitaph, which grew to popularity when The Offspring
The Offspring
The Offspring is an American punk rock band from Huntington Beach, California, formed in 1984. Known as Manic Subsidal until 1986, the band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Dexter Holland, lead guitarist Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman, bassist Greg K. and drummer Pete Parada...
had just hit the mainstream with Smash.
After a stint with major label Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
ended in the early 2000s, Bad Religion re-signed with Epitaph and Gurewitz also rejoined. They have since continued to co-write songs and recorded four records, the latest of which, The Dissent of Man
The Dissent of Man
-Track listing:-Personnel:* Greg Graffin – vocals* Brett Gurewitz – guitar, backing vocals* Brian Baker – guitar* Greg Hetson – guitar* Jay Bentley – bass, backing vocals* Brooks Wackerman – drums* Joe Barresi – producer...
, was released on September 28, 2010.
Solo career
Graffin recorded a solo album in 1997, called American LesionAmerican Lesion
American Lesion is a solo album by Greg Graffin, the lead singer of the punk band, Bad Religion. Like the album Into the Unknown, this album is a massive departure for Graffin, whose songs generally revolve around loud guitars and harmonies...
, which consisted of softer, more pop-oriented folk songs. Most of this album was written during the breakup of his marriage, and the songs reflect this in lyrics and style.
In 2005, Graffin recorded his second solo album Cold as the Clay
Cold as the Clay
Cold as the Clay is the second solo album by Bad Religion's vocalist Greg Graffin released on July 10, 2006 in Europe, and the following day in the USA. It was released on the label ANTI- . It follows on from Graffin's 1997 release of American Lesion.Graffin has described the album as "honor[ing]...
. The album is an amalgamation of new songs by Graffin and 18th- and 19th-century American folk songs. It was produced by Brett Gurewitz
Brett Gurewitz
Brett W. Gurewitz , nicknamed Mr. Brett, is the guitarist and a songwriter of Bad Religion. He is also the owner of the music label Epitaph Records and sister-labels ANTI-, Burning Heart Records, Fat Possum Records, and Hellcat Records...
and released on ANTI- Records on July 10, 2006.
Personal life
Graffin attended El Camino Real High SchoolEl Camino Real High School
El Camino Real Charter High School is a public secondary school located in the Woodland Hills district of the San Fernando Valley region of the city of Los Angeles, California...
, then double-majored in anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
and geology
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
as an undergraduate at the University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
. He went on to earn a master's degree in geology from UCLA and received his Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
from Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
. The Ph.D. dissertation was officially a zoology
Zoology
Zoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...
Ph.D., supervised by William B. Provine at Cornell. The dissertation was entitled "Monism
Monism
Monism is any philosophical view which holds that there is unity in a given field of inquiry. Accordingly, some philosophers may hold that the universe is one rather than dualistic or pluralistic...
, Atheism and the Naturalist Worldview: Perspectives from Evolutionary Biology." It is described as being essentially an evolutionary biology Ph.D. but having also relevance to history and philosophy of science.
Greg Graffin spends most of his time in Upstate New York
Upstate New York
Upstate New York is the region of the U.S. state of New York that is located north of the core of the New York metropolitan area.-Definition:There is no clear or official boundary between Upstate New York and Downstate New York...
, and teaches Life Science 1 and Earth & Space Sciences 116 (paleontology) at UCLA during the winter or fall quarters of each school year. In a June 2008 interview with Bad Religion bassist Jay Bentley
Jay Bentley
Jay Dee Bentley is the bassist and co-founding member of the punk rock group Bad Religion. He has played with the band through its whole existence with a small break between 1983 and 1985.-Bad Religion:...
, he mentioned that Graffin would be teaching there from January to March 2009. In April 2011, Graffin revealed that he will be teaching at Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
that fall. He will return to the class room to co-teach a course in evolution for 14 weeks.
Greg Graffin received the Harvard Secular Society's "Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award in Cultural Humanism" on April 26, 2008. During the award ceremony he played some acoustic versions of Bad Religion songs as well as songs from his solo career.
Preston Jones, a historian at the Christian John Brown University
John Brown University
The main campus in Northwest Arkansas has been the site of the university since it was founded in 1919. JBU has 2,183 students as of the 2011-2012 school year, 1,279 of which are traditional undergraduates. Of these, 878 live on campus. The Graduate School has 468 students...
in Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, sent Graffin an e-mail asking about one of his songs, and Graffin replied. Their resulting year-long e-mail exchange was published as a book in 2006, entitled "Is Belief in God Good, Bad or Irrelevant? A Professor and Punk Rocker Discuss Science, Religion, Naturalism & Christianity".
In 2009 Graffin announced that he had co-written a book with American author Steve Olson
Steve Olson (writer)
Steve Olson is a US writer who specializes in science, mathematics, and public policy. He is the author of two nonfiction trade books: Mapping Human History: Genes, Race, and Our Common Origins, which was nominated for the National Book Award in 2002, and Count Down: Six Kids Vie for Glory at...
entitled Anarchy
Anarchy
Anarchy , has more than one colloquial definition. In the United States, the term "anarchy" typically is meant to refer to a society which lacks publicly recognized government or violently enforced political authority...
Evolution, released on September 28, 2010 (the same day his band Bad Religion released their 15th album The Dissent of Man
The Dissent of Man
-Track listing:-Personnel:* Greg Graffin – vocals* Brett Gurewitz – guitar, backing vocals* Brian Baker – guitar* Greg Hetson – guitar* Jay Bentley – bass, backing vocals* Brooks Wackerman – drums* Joe Barresi – producer...
). As of April 2011, Graffin is writing another book, entitled The Population Wars, which is said to be "a bit more in depth about the process of evolution." No release date has been set.
He also wrote on his Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
page that he was filming and co-producing a television series called "Punk Professor".
Solo discography
- For all his contributions with Bad Religion, see Bad Religion discographyBad Religion discographyThis is a comprehensive discography of Bad Religion, a Southern California-based punk rock band. The band has released fifteen studio albums, two extended plays , two live recording, three compilation albums, and twenty four singles...
- American LesionAmerican LesionAmerican Lesion is a solo album by Greg Graffin, the lead singer of the punk band, Bad Religion. Like the album Into the Unknown, this album is a massive departure for Graffin, whose songs generally revolve around loud guitars and harmonies...
(1997) - Cold as the ClayCold as the ClayCold as the Clay is the second solo album by Bad Religion's vocalist Greg Graffin released on July 10, 2006 in Europe, and the following day in the USA. It was released on the label ANTI- . It follows on from Graffin's 1997 release of American Lesion.Graffin has described the album as "honor[ing]...
(2006)
- American Lesion