The Offspring is an American punk rock band from Garden Grove, California, formed in 1984.[1] Originally formed under the name Manic Subsidal, the group originally included vocalist Doug Thompson, guitarist Dexter Holland (real name Bryan Holland), bassist Greg K. (real name Greg Kriesel) and drummer Jim Benton. The bands current line-up includes Holland who took up lead vocals in 1984, alongside lead guitarist Noodles (real name Kevin Wasserman; since 1985), bassist Todd Morse (since 2019, and touring rhythm guitars from 2009 to 2019) and drummer Brandon Pertzborn (since 2023).
History
After Thompson was forced out, Holland took over vocals and Benton was replaced by Clowns of Death drummer James Lilja. In 1985 Marcus Parrish briefly joined as a second guitarist but left the band and got replaced by school janitor Noodles (real name Kevin Wasserman).[2] The band changed their name to the Offspring in 1986. Lilja left the Offspring in 1987 to pursue a medical career in oncology and was replaced by Ron Welty, who was 16 years old at the time.[3][4] After Welty joined the lineup released their first six albums in sixteen years and enlisted touring member Chris "X-13" Higgins to do backing vocals and play percussion (later also rhythm guitar and keyboards) before Welty got fired from the group in 2003, a few days before the recording sessions of Splinter started. The Offspring recruited Josh Freese to record the drums for Splinter and later announced that ex-Rocket from the Crypt drummer Atom Willard would be the official replacement for Ron Welty. During the tour to promote Splinter Ronnie King was featured to play keyboards. After King left Chris Higgins switched to keyboards.
After a world tour in 2005, the band took a break from writing, recording, and touring. During the hiatus, touring member Chris "X-13" Higgins left the group while Willard was recruited by Tom DeLonge for his band Angels & Airwaves. It was announced on July 27, 2007, that former Saves the Day drummer Pete Parada had been chosen to be the Offspring's new drummer after Willard left to focus on his new band. The band's first shows with Parada were at the Summer Sonic festival in Japan in August 2007.[5] After Parada joined the lineup released two albums in eleven years. Warren Fitzgerald got hired as the band’s new touring guitarist but got replaced after the European Tour to promote their album Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace by Andrew Freeman. After Freeman left in 2009 he got replaced by Todd Morse.
After Greg K. was fired from the Offspring in 2018 after business disputes, he was replaced on tour by No Doubt bassist Tony Kanal. Kriesel got officially replaced in 2019 by Todd Morse. Because of Kriesel's departure Dexter Holland remained as the only original member. The function of Morse as touring member was taken over by Jonah Nimoy, who also played keyboards and percussion. Shortly after releasing their tenth studio album Let the Bad Times Roll (2021), drummer Pete Parada revealed on August 2, 2021 on Twitter that he was being fired from The Offspring, due to suffering from Guillain–Barré syndrome.[6] Parada got replaced on tour by Josh Freese. On May 12, 2023, former Suicidal Tendencies and Marilyn Manson drummer Brandon Pertzborn announced that he had joined The Offspring as the replacement of Josh Freese, who was unable to perform with the band because of commitments with the Foo Fighters.[7][8] On August 6, 2023, original Offspring drummer James Lilja joined the Offspring on stage for the first time since 1987 to play perform the song "Beheaded" (which he had co-written with Dexter Holland).[9]
Band members
Current
| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dexter Holland | 1984–present |
|
all Offspring releases | |
| Noodles | 1985–present |
| ||
| Todd Morse | 2019–present (touring musician 2009–2019) |
|
Days Go By (2012) | |
| Brandon Pertzborn | 2023–present | drums | none to date |
Former
| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greg K. | 1984–2018 |
|
all Offspring releases from The Offspring (1989) to Days Go By (2012) | |
| Doug Thompson | 1984 (only with band as Manic Subsidal; died 2003)[10] | lead vocals | none | |
| Jim Benton | 1984 (only with the band as Manic Subsidal) | drums | ||
| James Lilja | 1984–1987 (one-off guest appearance in 2023)[11] |
| ||
| Marcus Parrish | 1985 (only with band as Manic Subsidal) |
| ||
| Ron Welty | 1987–2003 | drums | all Offspring releases from The Offspring (1989) to Conspiracy of One (2000) | |
| Atom Willard | 2003–2007 | none | ||
| Pete Parada | 2007–2021 |
|
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Touring musicians
Current
| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jonah Nimoy | 2019–present (2017 substitute for Todd Morse who was covering for Noodles on summer tour)[12] |
|
none to date |
Former
| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris "X-13" Higgins | 1994–2005 |
|
all Offspring releases from Americana (1998) to Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace (2008) | |
| Ronnie King | 2003–2004 (one-off guest appearance in 2000; session in 2003, 2009–2012) | keyboards |
| |
| Warren Fitzgerald | 2008 |
|
none | |
| Andrew Freeman | 2008–2009 | |||
| Tony Kanal | 2018–2019 | bass | ||
| Josh Freese | 2021–2023 (session in 2003, 2005, 2006–2008, 2009–2012, 2013–2020) | drums | all Offspring releases from Splinter (2003) to Let the Bad Times Roll (2021) |
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Substitutes
| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fletcher Dragge | 1992 | lead guitar | substitute for Noodles for two shows.[13] | |
| Scott Shiflett | 2008 |
|
substitute for Greg K. for fourteen shows.[14] | |
| Tom Thacker |
|
|
substitute for Todd Morse in 2013 for two shows;[15] 2017 substitute for Morse who was covering for Noodles on summer tour.[16][17][18] | |
| Jamie Miller | 2021 | drums | substitute for Josh Freese for seven shows.[19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26] | |
| Will Dorsey Jr. |
|
2021 substitute for Josh Freese for one show;[27] 2022 substitute for Josh Freese for two shows.[28] |
Session musicians
| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contribution |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jason | 1989 | backing vocals | The Offspring (1989) | |
| Jeff 1 | ||||
| Jeff 2 | ||||
| Tyler | ||||
| Rick | ||||
| Michelle | ||||
| Marvin | ||||
| Cynthia | ||||
| Jason "Blackball" McLean |
|
additional vocals |
| |
| John Mayer |
|
vocals |
| |
| Jello Biafra | 1996 | Ixnay on the Hombre (1997) | ||
| Paulinho da Costa | additional percussion | |||
| Calvert DeForest |
|
vocals |
| |
| Davey Havok | backing vocals | |||
| Carlos Goméz |
|
|
| |
| Derrick Davis | 1998 | flute | Americana (1998) | |
| Gabrial McNair | horn | |||
| Alvaro Macias | vihuela | |||
| Heidi Villagran | additional vocals | |||
| Nika Frost | ||||
| Jack Grisham |
|
backing vocals |
| |
| Jim Lindberg | ||||
| Phil Jordan |
|
|
| |
| Redman | 2000 | vocals | Conspiracy of One (2000) | |
| Mike Love | ||||
| Jason Powell |
|
|
| |
| Erich Marbach | trombone | |||
| Mark Moreno | 2003 | DJ scratching | Splinter (2003) | |
| Brendan O'Brien | piano | |||
| Lauren Kinkade | backing vocals | |||
| Natalie Leggett | violins | |||
| Mario De Leon | ||||
| Eve Butler | ||||
| Denyse Buffum | ||||
| Matt Funes | ||||
| Josefina Vergara | concert master | |||
| Suzie Katayama | orchestration | |||
| Larry Corbett | cello | |||
| Gayle Levant | harp | |||
| Jamie Edwards | 2009–2012 | keyboards | Days Go By (2012) | |
| Jon Berry | backing vocals | |||
| Dani | additional vocals | |||
| Lizzy | ||||
| Mariachi Sol de Mexico de Jose Hernandez | Mariachi band | |||
| DJ Trust | turntables | |||
| Ricardo "Tiki" Pasillas | 2013–2020 | additional percussion | Let the Bad Times Roll (2021) | |
| Alan Chang | piano |
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Timeline
Official member timeline
Touring musician timeline
Lineups
| Period | Members | Releases |
|---|---|---|
| Early – mid 1984 (Manic Subsidal) |
|
none |
| Mid 1984 – early 1985 (Manic Subsidal) |
| |
| Early – mid 1985 (Manic Subsidal) |
| |
| Mid 1985 – mid 1986 (Manic Subsidal) |
| |
| Mid 1986 – early 1987 (The Offspring) | ||
| Early 1987 – March 2003 |
Touring musicians
|
|
| March – October 2003 |
Touring musicians
|
none |
| October 2003 – July 2007 |
Touring musicians
|
|
| July 2007 – November 2018 |
Touring musicians
|
|
| November 2018 – January 2019 |
Touring musicians
|
none |
| January 2019 – August 2021 |
Touring musicians
|
|
| August 2021 – May 2023 |
Touring musicians
|
none |
| May 2023 – present |
Touring musicians
|
None to date |
References
- ↑ "The Offspring". Punknews.org. September 17, 2012. Retrieved April 1, 2014.
- ↑ "A Celebrated Comeback : Singer-Songwriter Marcus Parrish Returns To Performance After Recovery". PRLog. Retrieved April 1, 2014.
- ↑ "Dexter on song: The Offspring". March 11, 2007. Archived from the original on March 11, 2007. Retrieved April 1, 2014.
- ↑ "Tama Drums, Hardware & Accessories". February 14, 2005. Archived from the original on February 14, 2005. Retrieved April 1, 2014.
- ↑ "News". The Offspring. July 27, 2007. Archived from the original on August 17, 2016. Retrieved April 1, 2014.
- ↑ "Offspring Drummer Says He's Out of Band After Refusing Covid-19 Vaccine". Rolling Stone. 4 August 2021.
- ↑ "Former SUICIDAL TENDENCIES and MARILYN MANSON Drummer BRANDON PERTZBORN Joins THE OFFSPRING". May 12, 2023.
- ↑ "Foo Fighters announce Josh Freese as new drummer after Taylor Hawkins' death | Foo Fighters | The Guardian". amp.theguardian.com. Retrieved 2023-05-24.
- ↑ band, Bunko (2023-08-15). "James killed it especially considering he hasn't played with the Offspring since the 80s and he's sitting on an unfamiliar drumkit! Yeah! Again thank you to the Offspring for having Bunko at the show". www.instagram.com. Archived from the original on 2023-08-15. Retrieved 2023-08-07.
- ↑ The Offspring - Splinter, 2003, retrieved 2023-06-27
- ↑ band, Bunko (2023-08-15). "James killed it especially considering he hasn't played with the Offspring since the 80s and he's sitting on an unfamiliar drumkit! Yeah! Again thank you to the Offspring for having Bunko at the show". www.instagram.com. Archived from the original on 2023-08-15. Retrieved 2023-08-07.
- ↑ Nimoy, Adam [@adam_nimoy] (August 15, 2017). "Familiar photo hanging in the dining hall of tonight's venue in Austria where son Jonah (right) played w/ @offspring 🖖 #SpockIsEverywhere" (Tweet). Retrieved 12 December 2023 – via Twitter.
- ↑ The Offspring - Live The Opera House Toronto 1993 Full Concert HD, retrieved 2023-07-22
- ↑ Punknews.org (2008-06-01). "The Offspring announce second single, fill-in bassist Scott Shiflett". www.punknews.org. Retrieved 2023-06-28.
- ↑ Thomas Thacker [@TomThacker41] (August 10, 2013). "So yeah, that was me on stage w @offspring last night in Saskatoon. It ruled, so we're doing it again tomorrow night in Billings" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ↑ Kevin Wasserman [@Noodles] (July 14, 2017). "Due to a sudden family matter I'm needed close to home right now and will therefore be missing a few shows. In the meantime, our buddy Todd (@toddsplanet) will be filling in for me, and Brown Tom (@dummyado) will filling in for Todd. So you'll be in very good hands. Just know that I hate to miss any of the shows, so I will rejoin the tour as soon as possible. Thanks for understanding" – via Instagram.
- ↑ Thomas Thacker [@dummyado] (July 27, 2017). "Playing @collisioni festival w the @offspring tonight in Barolo IT! 🤘☠️🎸🍷🎉" – via Instagram.
- ↑ Thomas Thacker [@dummyado] (August 1, 2017). "Had a killer time w these gents in Europe this past week! Thx for having me @offspring! 😘" – via Instagram.
- ↑ Jamie Miller [@_jamiemiller] (September 11, 2021). "Thanks Danville! #theoffspring #weekenddad" – via Instagram.
- ↑ Jamie Miller [@_jamiemiller] (September 18, 2021). "Thanks Charlotte…#theoffspring. #weekenddad. #keepingstuffseperated" – via Instagram.
- ↑ Jamie Miller [@_jamiemiller] (September 19, 2021). "Thanks Nashville…#theoffspring #still #keepingstuffseperated" – via Instagram.
- ↑ Jamie Miller [@_jamiemiller] (September 20, 2021). "Thanks Atlanta… #the offspring #stillseperatingstuff" – via Instagram.
- ↑ Jamie Miller [@_jamiemiller] (September 20, 2021). "#theoffspring" – via Instagram.
- ↑ Jamie Miller [@_jamiemiller] (September 23, 2021). "Thanks Norfolk, see you again in a month… #theoffspring" – via Instagram.
- ↑ Jamie Miller [@_jamiemiller] (September 25, 2021). "Thanks home, see you on oct/30 with the mighty BR… #theoffspring" – via Instagram.
- ↑ Jamie Miller [@_jamiemiller] (September 26, 2021). "Thanks Camden… #theoffspring" – via Instagram.
- ↑ Will Dorsey Jr. [@will3w] (November 16, 2021). "I have a lot to be thankful for. First, @offspring thank you so much I had a blast playing with y'all! @joshfreese thank you for letting me sub for you bro! @john.dibiase @jonahnimoy thank you guys for getting me prepared for this!" – via Instagram.
- ↑ The Offspring [@Offspring] (April 20, 2022). "Let the Bad Times Roll Tour Night 15 | Pittsburgh PA" – via Instagram.