Rivers Cuomo: Difference between revisions

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 Rivers Cuomo was born on [[June 13]], 1970 in Manhattan to [[Frank Cuomo]], of Italian descent,<ref>Collinge, Miranda. "[https://www.theguardian.com/football/2008/jun/29/popandrock Rivers Cuomo]" ''The Guardian''. 28 June 2008.</ref> and [[Beverly Shoenberger]], of German-English descent. According to Rivers, his mother claims that he was so-named because she first heard the sound of a river outside her hospital window after his birth, while his father claims that Rivers was named after three soccer players from the [[Wikipedia:1970_FIFA_World_Cup|1970 FIFA World Cup]]: Brazilian player [[Wikipedia:Rivellino|Roberto Rivellino]], and Italian players {{Wikipedia|Gigi Riva}} and {{Wikipedia|Gianni Rivera}}.<ref name="acename">"[https://web.archive.org/web/20110105082734/http://members.shaw.ca/ridd2/threads/riverscuomo/02-12-RCBOARD1.html his middle name...]" Cuomo posting as "ace" on ''The Cuomo Board'', ca. 2002.</ref><ref>''The Kelly Clarkson Show'' "Brooke Shields/Weezer" (S5.E139) Air date: 15 May 2024.</ref> Shoenberger gave Rivers no middle name in order to permit him to choose his own (which he never did).<ref name="acename" /> Rivers was, according to his younger brother, [[Leaves Cuomo|Leaves]], almost named "Apple" (most likely because he was born in New York City).<ref name="riversedge">Luerssen, John D. ''Rivers' Edge: The Weezer Story''. 2004. ECW Press</ref>
-Rivers lived the first few years of his life at the {{Wikipedia|Rochester Zen Center}} in upstate New York, where his parents first met.<ref name="yogamag">"[https://integralyogamagazine.org/music-and-spirituality-a-real-connection/ Music and Spirituality: A Real Connection]" ''Integral Yoga Magazine''</ref> Frank Cuomo was a musician who notably played percussion on the 1971 album ''{{Wikipedia|Odyssey of Iska}}'' by jazz saxophonist {{Wikipedia|Wayne Shorter}}. Frank left the family when Rivers was four years old, and was largely absent from Rivers' youth. Shoenberger moved with Rivers and Leaves to [[Yogaville]] East in Pomfret, Connecticut, where they lived until 1981.<ref name="yogamag" /> Shoenberger married [[Steven Kitts]] in 1976. At Yogaville, Rivers was given the name Rama by the Indian guru [[Swami Satchidananda]].<ref>[https://rivers-words.livejournal.com/ Archived journal posts] by rivers-words</ref> When Yogaville relocated to Virginia, the Kitts family remained in Connecticut, moving to Storrs/Mansfield area, where Cuomo lived for the remainder of his adolescence.<ref>"[https://books-r-fun.herokuapp.com/wiki/Mansfield Mansfield]" ''[[Riverpedia]]''</ref>
+Rivers lived the first few years of his life at the {{Wikipedia|Rochester Zen Center}} in upstate New York, where his parents first met.<ref name="yogamag">"[https://integralyogamagazine.org/music-and-spirituality-a-real-connection/ Music and Spirituality: A Real Connection]" ''Integral Yoga Magazine''</ref> Frank Cuomo was a musician who notably played percussion on the 1971 album ''{{Wikipedia|Odyssey of Iska}}'' by jazz saxophonist {{Wikipedia|Wayne Shorter}}. Frank left the family when Rivers was four years old, and was largely absent from Rivers' youth. Shoenberger moved with Rivers and Leaves to [[Yogaville]] East in Pomfret, Connecticut, where they lived until 1981.<ref name="yogamag" /> Shoenberger married [[Stephen Kitts]] in 1976. At Yogaville, Rivers was given the name Rama by the Indian guru [[Swami Satchidananda]].<ref>[https://rivers-words.livejournal.com/ Archived journal posts] by rivers-words</ref> When Yogaville relocated to Virginia, the Kitts family remained in Connecticut, moving to Storrs/Mansfield area, where Cuomo lived for the remainder of his adolescence.<ref>"[https://books-r-fun.herokuapp.com/wiki/Mansfield Mansfield]" ''[[Riverpedia]]''</ref>
 Cuomo has described himself as a "very somber child." Said Cuomo, "My teacher asked my mother what was wrong with me because I never looked happy.  So, my mother advised her to say, 'Let me see that smile,' and then I would smile.  So she did that -- in front of the whole class.  She got the whole class to turn around, look at me and say, 'Let me see that smile.'"<ref group="lower-alpha">Cuomo would later reference this in the [[Weezer]] song "[[Feels Like Summer]]."</ref><ref>Daley, David. "Happy [cancelled] Days" ''Alternative Press''. January 1997. [[Alternative Press interview with Weezer - January 1997|Weezerpedia transcript]]</ref> While attending Mansfield Middle School and E.O. Smith High School, Rivers and Leaves Cuomo went by the more "ordinary" names Peter and James Kitts, respectively.
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 [[Image:Rivers Cuomo - Guild Flying Star.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Cuomo as a teenager]]Cuomo was first exposed to American rock band [[Kiss]] at age 7.<ref name="manofsteel">Beaujour, Tom. "Man of Steel" ''Guitar World''. March 1995. [[Guitar World interview with Rivers Cuomo - March 1995|Weezerpedia transcript]]</ref> "This little girl came through the ashram for a visit, and she brought a Kiss record, ''Rock and Roll Over''. She came over to our house, and while we played the Kiss record, we recorded ourselves running around in circles as the tape played. It was like, 'this kicks ass.'"<ref>"[https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rivers-cuomo/id1678378239?i=1000612593978 Rivers Cuomo]" ''This Little Light'' (podcast). 2023 </ref><ref>Coffman, Tim. "[https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/how-kiss-changed-rivers-cuomos-life-forever/ How KISS changed Rivers Cuomo’s life forever]" 12 June 2023. ''Far Out Magazine''.</ref> Cuomo later joined the Columbia Record Club and bought every Kiss album he could,<ref>Edwards, Gavin. "Rivers' Edge" ''Details''. February 1997. [[Details interview with Rivers Cuomo - February 1997|Weezerpedia transcript]]</ref> eventually bonding over his love of Kiss in the sixth grade with friend [[Justin Fisher]], the son of a friend of his mother's.<ref name="riversedge" /> Cuomo was first inspired to learn guitar after witnessing classmates perform "[[Wikipedia:Metal Health (song)|Metal Health]]" by {{Wikipedia|Quiet Riot}} at a school assembly.<ref>Leatham, Thomas. "[https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/rivers-cuomo-how-weezer-got-their-name/ Rivers Cuomo explains the true story behind how Weezer got their name]" ''Far Out''. 6 February 2023.</ref><ref group="lower-alpha">The influence of "Metal Health" by Quiet Riot is referenced in the Weezer tracks "[[Heart Songs]]" ("Quiet Riot got me started with the banging of my head") and "[[I Need Some of That]]" (which cribs the drum intro from "Metal Health")</ref> "I just couldn’t believe that kids my age were playing these real instruments and playing this song I loved... it just blew my mind! And so I got my own guitar shortly after that, and I started learning all the metal songs of the day."<ref>Gardner, Josh. "[https://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/weezers-rivers-cuomo-talks-the-white-album-channelling-james-hetfield-and-his-enduring-love-of-guitar-641477 Weezer's Rivers Cuomo talks The White Album, channelling James Hetfield and his enduring love of guitar]" ''MusicRadar''. 18 August 2016.</ref> Cuomo received his first guitar on his fourteenth birthday, in 1984.<ref name="cor">http://weezerpedia.com/catalogofriffs.html</ref> Cuomo's first band was a Kiss cover band, called [[Fury]], consisting of himself and [[James Kitts|his brother]] on guitar, Justin Fisher on bass, and [[Eric Robertson]] on drums.
 ==Music career==
 ===Early career===