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Brian Bell: Difference between revisions
→Early life
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==Biography== | ==Biography== | ||
===Early life=== | ===Early life=== | ||
Brian Bell was born in Iowa City, Iowa to parents Tom Bell, a geography professor at the University of Tennessee, and Linda Menasco, an elementary school assistant principal. He was raised in Knoxville, Tennessee. He first gravitated to music at the age of four when his parents took him to an Elvis Presley concert at the Knoxville Civic Auditorium. Soon after, Bell became obsessed with his father's record collection, playing them constantly. At a young age, Bell | Brian Bell was born in Iowa City, Iowa to parents Tom Bell, a geography professor at the University of Tennessee, and Linda Menasco, an elementary school assistant principal. He was raised in Knoxville, Tennessee. He first gravitated to music at the age of four when his parents took him to an Elvis Presley concert at the Knoxville Civic Auditorium. Soon after, Bell became obsessed with his father's record collection, playing them constantly. At a young age, Bell asked his mother to let him take piano lessons, refusing to let him take guitar lessons until high school because she "wouldn't believe that he would practice." Eventually, during his freshman year in high school, his parents allowed him to take guitar lessons from Knoxville musician Ben Bolt. Also, during his first year in high school Bell was forced to switch high schools, "I was zoned to go to County School and my mom taught in the city, which meant I could go to a more privileged school. In doing that I was surrounded by snobs. I was kind of finding myself at the time, so I decided to go to the school I was zoned for." He started playing in a band with school friends Tim and Glenn Maloof called Blooshroom which Bell described as "Pink Floyd-meets-The Stooges." | ||
After completing high school at Bearden High School in 1986, Bell decided not to pursue higher education feeling it would be a "waste of money." At the age of eighteen, Bell moved to Los Angeles, California, and enrolled at G.I.T. In 1991 he became a founding member of Carnival Art, which released two official albums and an EP with Bell playing bass. Unfortunately, the band had extremely small record sales and were eventually dropped by label Beggars Banquet. It was around the time Carnival Art was disintegrating Bell became acquainted with the members of [[Weezer]], "They started playing on the scene, and I instantly saw something unique in them. I didn't necessarily want to be in their band. They were for some reason, were in with the wrong crowd and playing at the wrong venues. I wanted to help them out any way I could and I wanted to play a show with them." Bell particularly found himself amazed at [[Say It Ain't So]] expressing surprise that songs like that were still being written. One night in the late summer of 1993, while driving home Bell decided once-and-for-all to quit Carnival Art. When he got home he found on his answering machine a message from Weezer bassist [[Matt Sharp]]. Sharp called again the next day, "Matt was just beating around the bush, and [[Rivers Cuomo|Rivers]] took the phone from him and said, 'Do you wanna join our band?'" | After completing high school at Bearden High School in 1986, Bell decided not to pursue higher education feeling it would be a "waste of money." At the age of eighteen, Bell moved to Los Angeles, California, and enrolled at G.I.T. In 1991 he became a founding member of Carnival Art, which released two official albums and an EP with Bell playing bass. Unfortunately, the band had extremely small record sales and were eventually dropped by label Beggars Banquet. It was around the time Carnival Art was disintegrating Bell became acquainted with the members of [[Weezer]], "They started playing on the scene, and I instantly saw something unique in them. I didn't necessarily want to be in their band. They were for some reason, were in with the wrong crowd and playing at the wrong venues. I wanted to help them out any way I could and I wanted to play a show with them." Bell particularly found himself amazed at [[Say It Ain't So]] expressing surprise that songs like that were still being written. One night in the late summer of 1993, while driving home Bell decided once-and-for-all to quit Carnival Art. When he got home he found on his answering machine a message from Weezer bassist [[Matt Sharp]]. Sharp called again the next day, "Matt was just beating around the bush, and [[Rivers Cuomo|Rivers]] took the phone from him and said, 'Do you wanna join our band?'" | ||