Bands who come from near where you live (do not read if you hate small towns)

San Antonio: The Butthole Surfers, the bassist (Danny Galindo) out of the 13th Floor Elevators, Christopher Cross, the Sir Douglas Quintet ['60s band featuring Flaco Jimenez and Augie Meyers]. Selena (Quintanilla) came from Corpus Christi, a small city along the Gulf Coast that is not too far away from here. Peter Behrens, the drummer out of Trio, was born here, but was mostly raised in Germany (naturally). I believe Charlie Sexton was born here too but was mostly raised in Austin (?) -- am not too sure on that.

A rather small amount, yes, but is guaranteed to increase tremendously as time goes by.

*sneaks back to ILE*

(not a band though)

The most famous popstars from my home town (Livingston, in Scotland): a girl called Leslie who used to be in a band called, I think, Silverfish, and then went solo (calling herself Ruby, maybe?); and Cicero, early 90s Pet Shop Boys protege.

GAH!

anywoo, i grew up in flint, MI. Mark Farner of Grand Funk Railroad went to high school with my dad. ? & the Mysterians are from Clio, about 10 miles north.

however, ann arbor/ypsilanti has been home for the last 9 years. Roger Miller/Deniz Tek/Andrew WK/Soundmurderer/Jad Fair/Larval/Dykehouse/Von Bondies and a million more.

Not only only are they all from fair Ormskirk, but most are from my year in school. God knows what they put in that pink custard.

Massive, Tricky, Portishead...

Hair Police - NOIZE! Bunch of great guys who are comrades at my radio station.

Oh who remembers Rootjoose? They were in fact the most *doubles up laughing at what he is about to say* famous band to come out of the area... dear lord...

My husband's gran lived round the corner from Clare Grogan when she was a kid (Clare Grogan that is, not my husband's gran).

My original hometown of Inverness can't claim any famous residents either I don't think, unless you count one of the blokes out of Smokie, who I believe once lived in Drumnadrochit, Jimmy Page once owned a house outside Inverness, and Mike Scott lives at the Findhorn Foundation (mad hippy commune about thirty miles outside Inverness).

But most importantly, Johnny Cougar.

Wally Pleasant is the only thing that East Lansing has that's better than what Ann Arbor has.

Anthony Kiedis' moms still lives uptown (do you believe he kisses his mother with that mouth).

Maynard James Keenan was a freak even back when he went to art school here.

Del Shannon ran-away from here as soon as he could afford it.

Unfortunately, those most representative of the general populace are the likes Verve Pipe and DeBarge.

Kat Bjelland of
proto-grrls Babes in Toyland
is from Woodburn, Ore.

other than these two
I can't think of anyone
from anywhere near

As for folks actually from there, after the Meat Puppets it pretty much fucking degenerates ... Gin Blossoms, Refreshments, Dead Hot Workshop, Bionic Jive, Trik Turner, Authority Zero. Yuck, fuck, poo. Things may get better, though ... watch out for the Format, Fivespeed, Pokafase, Stereotyperider, Opiate For the Masses and Before Braille. PLus a few baby bands have potential as well.

As for the hometown, someone mentioned here -- Syracuse, NY, home of Benny Mardones and Spyra Gyra.

Mick Mars from Motley Crue is from Huntington, Indiana.

Axl & Izzy came from around Lafayette, Indiana.

The Jacksons came out of Gary, Indiana, which is a freaking dump of a town where all of the sludge floating down from Chicago ends up.

Believe it or not, Richard Hell was born in Lexington, Kentucky.

Um Louisville brought Jimmy Raney and Hunter S. Thompson and Will Oldham and Janet Bean and David Grubbs and Dave Pajo and Ethan Buckler and Britt Walford and Todd Brashear and Tara Jane O'Neil and well a whole bunch of other great musicians out of the woodwork. Plus the whole jug band sound.

-- Stephen Boyle (soundboun...), August 18th, 2003.

Dude, you can claim Grace Jones! (I went to college in Syracuse.)

"Frank Zappa is from some town near me in Laurel/Odenton, Maryland.

-- Spinktor the Unmerciful (kentuckysharkwhiske...), August 19th, 2003."

Kathleen Hannah is from Laurel.

Baltimore has lots of people who left town and then became famous: David Byrne (actually from Arbutus), Mama Cass, John Doe. Tupac and Tori Amos also spent large chunks of childhood/young adulthood here. Biz Markie and Will Oldham both live here now; Will Oldham has hit on my girlfriend at least much (keep trying, ugly!). Cex is from here and lived here until a few months ago. B-more is also home to Lungfish, Oxes, the Oranges Band, Nautical Almanac, B-Rich, Comp, the sadly departed Charm City Suicides (and the Convocation Of and Love Life, both of whom may or may not be broken up), and the entire Baltimore club music scene, which is huge and awesome.

I was born in Marion, grew up in Muncie, lived in Bloomington for seven years and Indianapolis for four more. I now live about 40 minutes south of Lexington.

DLR grew up in Southern Cali., but I think his dad went to school at IU just like Jim Jones and Dan Quayle.