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Adam Levine
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Adam Levine | ||
|---|---|---|
| Background information | ||
| Birth name | Adam Noah Levine | |
| Born | March 18, 1979 (age 28) Los Angeles, California, USA |
|
| Genre(s) | rock music, pop music | |
| Occupation(s) | Vocalist, Musician | |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, Guitar | |
| Years active | 1997 - present | |
| Label(s) | Song BMG Octone Records |
|
| Associated acts |
Maroon 5 | |
| Notable instrument(s) | ||
| Guitar | ||
Adam Noah Levine (born March 18, 1979) is the lead singer / guitarist for the rock / pop group, Maroon 5.[1]
Contents |
Levine was born in Los Angeles, California to Patsy Noah and Fred Levine. He is Jewish.[2] Levine has one brother, Michael, a stepsister, Julia, and two half siblings, Sam and Liza, from his father's remarriage to Lisa. Lisa and Fred Levine own two fashion stores geared toward men. Because of this, Levine claims he's always been ahead of the fashion curve. In 2005, he and Ryan Seacrest of American Idol attended the inauguration of M. Fredric MAN, his parents' second store, in Studio City.[3]
Levine attended the private Brentwood School, where he met the original members of the band Kara's Flowers, Jesse Carmichael, Mickey Madden and Ryan Dusick. On his first day at Brentwood School, Levine met the third member of Maroon 5, Mickey Madden. Levine is noted as describing Mickey as a "musical encyclopedia" and it is thought that Levine's influence played a major role in Madden acquiring his first bass guitar soon after. The two friends improvised, Madden taking up drums and Levine occasionally playing bass in their early jam sessions.
Levine first became friends with Jesse Carmichael, who playing clarinet in Regis High School Orchestra, while playing together at the French Woods Festival of the Performing Arts. As freshmen in high school, the two formed the bond that would make them best friends to this day. Levine, Madden and Carmichael played their first show together as Edible Nuns at their Jr. High dance, playing only cover versions of nineties favorites such as Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains.
As the trio progressed to high school, Edible Nuns drummer left the band. He was replaced by Amy Wood, a friend of one of the current members. She would soon leave the band and again the group was one drummer short, leaving a window of opportunity open for Adam. He would reconnect with Ryan Dusick, who completed the band on drums.
In 1997, the band released an album titled The Fourth World. The album never had much success, and its only single "Soap Disco" failed. Disappointed with the results of their album, the band went on hiatus and went their separate ways.
Levine and bandmate Carmichael left California to study at a small liberal arts college in New York. This was reportedly the first time the two Los Angeles natives were exposed to a completely different music scene, a cultural awakening for the two young men. On MTV News in 2002, Levine said, "That's when I started waking up to the whole hip hop, R&B thing. We had friends named Chaos and shit. It was not Brentwood High".[3]
After dropping out of Five Towns College, Adam and Jesse reunited with Mickey and Ryan, but added former Square guitarist, James Valentinein 1999. Renaming the band Maroon 5, Adam and his friends began to compile all of their newfound musical influences into their music. Levine's expressive voice helped the band to achieve much success in the record charts. Their debut album, Songs about Jane, is about Levine's ex-girlfriend, a girl who, as he says, has inspired him over the years, and most of the lyrics of the songs are inspired by their stormy relationship. Currently, Levine is working on the new Maroon 5 album, It Won't Be Soon Before Long, currently slated for a May/June 2007 release. The Maroon 5 website shows a time that the 2007 album will be released.[4]
In 2005, Levine featured on the Ying Yang Twins song "Live Again" and later appeared on Kanye West's Late Registration album, on the third single, "Heard 'Em Say". He is also featured in the song "Wild Horses" on Alicia Keys latest album Alicia Keys: MTV Unplugged.
On television, he was featured as a musical guest on Beverly Hills, 90210, along with the rest of Kara's Flowers and was a guest star on Evening Shade. He has performed on the television show Saturday Night Live twice, with Maroon 5, and has given a tour of his house on MTV Cribs, which he shared with bandmate, James Valentine. In 2005, Maroon 5 recieved a Grammy Award for Best New Artist.
In 2006, he also co-wrote the track "Say It Again" on Natasha Bedingfield's new album N.B.. He also performed the background vocals on this song.
Levine's major influences include The Beatles and Stevie Wonder, as well as The Police. Levine has been linked to a number of Hollywood celebrities, including Natalie Portman, Paris Hilton, Kirsten Dunst, Lindsay Lohan, Jessica Simpson, and Maria Sharapova. His ex-girlfriend, model Kelly McKee, was featured in Maroon 5's This Love video. He has been friends with Jake Gyllenhaal since he was in kindergarten.
Levine is said to have Attention Deficit Disorder.[citation needed] He resides in the Hollywood Hills with close friend Gene Hong.[5]
- ^ Soylent Communications (2007). "Adam Levine" nndb.com {accessed February 27, 2007)
- ^ Nate Bloom (2004). "Jews on the Big Screen" JVibe.com {accessed April 26, 2006)
- ^ a b Amy Lyons (2005). "Idol chatter, rock frontman mark store opening" studiocitysun.com {accessed February 27, 2007)
- ^ http://www.maroon5.com Maroon5.com
- ^ "Adam Levine Biography" tv.com {accessed February 27, 2007)