Jeffrey Lee Pierce

Musician and author[48]

What is Jeffrey Lee Pierce known for?

Jeffrey Lee Pierce, born on June 27, 1958, in Montebello, California, was a renowned American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and author. Known for his multi-faceted talents, Pierce was one of the founding members of the acclaimed band, The Gun Club. He also released material as a solo artist, leaving his mark on the music industry.

Pierce's early life was colorful. Born as the product of a multi-ethnic marriage, Jeffrey started learning guitar at the age of 10, showing musical promise from an early age. His diverse musical interests ranged from glam and progressive rock, featuring bands like Sparks, Genesis, and Roxy Music, to reggae, a genre he fell in love with after attending a Bob Marley concert. These influences would shape his artistic style in the years to come. As a teenager, he moved from El Monte, a working-class industrial suburb east of Los Angeles, to Granada Hills, a middle-class suburb in the San Fernando Valley, where he attended Granada Hills High School.

Jeffrey became a key figure in the Hollywood punk scene, contributing to Slash magazine and performing as a musician. His writing covered punk rock, 1930s blues, 1950s rockabilly, and reggae. By the late 1970s, Pierce was also performing as a musician. Around this time, he was introduced to American roots music by his friend, Los Angeles musician Phast Phreddie Patterson. This exposure, combined with his disillusionment with the evolution of punk rock, led Pierce to develop an extensive knowledge of Delta blues, taking inspiration from his own culture's history.

Jeffrey's love for music and his progressive thinking led him to form the band Creeping Ritual with his friend Kid Congo Powers, eventually evolving into The Gun Club. The band's debut album, Fire of Love featured iconic songs like "Sex Beat" and "She's Like Heroin to Me". Unfortunately, Pierce passed away on March 31, 1996, in Salt Lake City, Utah, but his legacy in the music industry remains intact.