Gavin McGregor Rossdale (born 30 October 1965)[2] is an English musician, best known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the rock band Bush. He helped form Bush in 1992; on the band's separation in 2002, he became the lead singer and guitarist for Institute and later began a solo career. He resumed his role in Bush when the band reunited in 2010. In 2013, he received the British Academy's Ivor Novello Award for International Achievement.[3]

Gavin Rossdale
Rossdale performing in November 2016
Born
Gavin McGregor Rossdale

(1965-10-30) 30 October 1965 (age 59)
Marylebone, London, England
Occupations
  • Musician
  • songwriter
Years active1983–present
Spouse
(m. 2002; div. 2015)
Children4, including Daisy Lowe
Musical career
Genres
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
LabelsInterscope
Member ofBush
Formerly ofInstitute
Websitegavinrossdale.com

Early life

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Rossdale was born in Marylebone, London, England, the son of Barbara Stephan (née Bowie) and Douglas Rossdale, a doctor. His mother was born in Scotland, whereas his father was of Russian Jewish descent, the family's surname originally being Rosenthal.[4][5] Rossdale was unable to speak until the age of four,[6] and his parents divorced when he was 11 years old.[7] At around this time, Rossdale became interested in the then-current 1970s British punk rock phenomenon through his elder sister, Lorraine; Rossdale said in 1999: "everything I learned was from trying to hang out with [Lorraine's] friends. I was 12 when [punk] happened. At the top of our road was this record shop and I was always going in and getting one single at a time. That's why I've got X-Ray Spex and the Buzzcocks, practically the first edition of everything."[8] The Sex Pistols were also an influence on Rossdale at the time, with Rossdale telling American Songwriter in 2021 that they "changed his life" and that he "fell in love" with them "when I was 11 or 12 years old", having seen them "swearing at Bill Grundy on the TV."[9]

Beginning in 1979, Rossdale was educated at the independent Westminster School. Rossdale disliked his time at the school, as he was the target of bullying.[10]

Music career

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Before Bush

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During the 1980s,[11] Rossdale formed a pop band called Midnight with Sacha Puttnam.[11][12] Despite touring as far afield as Ireland and enjoying support slots for artists including Big Country and Cyndi Lauper,[8] his band saw little success after releasing two singles.[11][12]

Rossdale later became a member of the group The Little Dukes.[8] According to Alex Tate, the Little Dukes' music was contrary to Rossdale's musical preferences at the time.[8] After travelling to Los Angeles and New York City with the hope of being signed to a record label,[8] and crossing paths with a future Bush manager,[8] the band broke up in autumn 1991.[8]

Bush

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In 1992, Rossdale established the grunge band Bush,[8] initially known as Future Primitive,[8] as its vocalist and rhythm guitarist after first befriending lead guitarist Nigel Pulsford in November 1991.[1][8] Their debut album, Sixteen Stone (1994), was a huge commercial success.[13]

Bush's follow-up albums include Razorblade Suitcase, Deconstructed, The Science of Things, and Golden State. Each had commercial success, making Bush one of the best-selling rock groups of the 1990s.[14] Although the band reached superstar status in the US, they failed to have much impact in the UK.[15] The main exception to this was the UK chart success of the album Razorblade Suitcase (number 4) and its single "Swallowed" (number 7). A change in record labels and management did not bode well for the band, who disbanded in 2002.[16]

On 21 June 2010, it was announced that Bush would return and planned to release a new album. The Sea of Memories was released on 13 September 2011.[16] Bush have since released four more albums: Man on the Run in 2014, Black and White Rainbows in 2017, The Kingdom in 2020, and The Art of Survival in 2022.

Other projects

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Rossdale performed a song entitled "Adrenaline" for the soundtrack of the film XXX, which features it during the end credits. This song was also the official theme song for WWE's Unforgiven pay-per-view event in September 2002 and also was The Undertaker's Desire/Tribute theme of that same year.[citation needed] He also guest appeared for Blue Man Group's "The Current" and is featured in its video. This song was used in the ending credits of Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines.[17][better source needed]

In 2004, after Bush had been on hiatus for two years, Rossdale formed Institute. Their album, Distort Yourself, released on 13 September 2005 achieved moderate success and the single "Bullet Proof Skin" was used in the motion picture Stealth. In an interview published in November 2008, Rossdale noted that the Institute record was, "for all intents and purposes, a solo record. It was just a bad marketing decision to call it something else".[18] Institute broke up in 2006, after one album.[citation needed]

 
Rossdale in August 2005

Rossdale's single, "Can't Stop the World", was the introduction theme to Fox's programme, Drive.[citation needed] In 2007, he covered John Lennon's "Mind Games" for the album Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur.[citation needed] Rossdale's first solo record, entitled Wanderlust, was released 3 June 2008.[19] Gwen Stefani, Rossdale's then-wife, sang background vocals on the track "Can't Stop The World", with other vocalists on the album including Shirley Manson, Katy Perry and Dave Stewart.[20] Bush and Institute guitarist Chris Traynor also played on the album. He also made a guest appearance on the DT8 Project album Perfect World, taking lead vocals and co-writing the track Falling.[citation needed]

On 1 April 2008 the first single from WANDERlust, "Love Remains The Same", was released through digital retailers. It entered the Billboard Hot 100 at Number 76, rising to 27 in October 2008, giving Rossdale his first Top 40 hit since the days when he fronted the post-grunge band Bush. Rossdale mounted a full-scale solo tour in Spring 2009.[21] Of the album's title, Rossdale said, "I just liked it because it's kind of sexy enough, it's powerful, it's one word. Wanderlust sums up that desire for music and for singing and performing and this life."[22]

Rossdale also provides the vocals for the Apocalyptica song "End of Me", which is the lead single from their 2010 album 7th Symphony.[23]

Rossdale was a judge for the 10th annual Independent Music Awards to support independent artists' careers.[24] In 2013, Rossdale was awarded in the Ivor Novello Awards, for International Achievement in Songwriting, which was presented to him by Chris Martin.[25][26] On 27 October 2017, Rossdale sang with Linkin Park at their special memorial concert in memory of vocalist Chester Bennington. He performed the song "Leave Out All the Rest".[citation needed]

Acting career

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Rossdale appeared in the film Constantine (2005) playing the half-demon Balthazar.[27] He has also appeared in the films Zoolander (2001), Mayor of the Sunset Strip (2004), Little Black Book (2004), the Game of Their Lives (2005), How to Rob a Bank (2007), and The Bling Ring (2013). Additionally, he appeared in the crime drama television series Criminal Minds in the episode "The Performer" (2009), portraying a rock star named Paul Davies who takes a vampire-like alter-ego named Dante whose music is involved in a string of exsanguination murders.[28] Rossdale has also appeared in the eighth episode of season 5 of Burn Notice,[29] and appeared as villain Johnny Moreau in the 100th episode of Hawaii Five-0 in November 2014. In 2021, he starred alongside Bella Thorne in the thriller film Habit.[30]

Personal life

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Rossdale and then-wife Gwen Stefani with Mirka Federer at the 2010 US Open

In the late 1980s, Rossdale dated Suze DeMarchi, lead singer for the band Baby Animals. Bush's song "Comedown" from 1994's Sixteen Stone is about their relationship.[31]

In 1995, Rossdale met Gwen Stefani, lead singer of the rock band No Doubt, when Bush and No Doubt were on tour together.[32] During a break in his relationship with Stefani, Rossdale dated Hole frontwoman and Kurt Cobain's widow Courtney Love for eight months in 1995 and 1996. Love commented, "Everyone gave me so much shit, because Gavin sounded a lot like Kurt."[33] Rossdale then married Stefani in 2002. The two have three sons together: born in May 2006,[34] August 2008,[35] and February 2014.[36] On 3 August 2015, Stefani filed for divorce from Rossdale due to adultery on his part.[37] The divorce was finalized in April 2016.[38] From 2017 until 2018 Rossdale was in a relationship with German model Sophia Thomalla.

In his 1995 autobiography Take It Like a Man, Boy George wrote that Rossdale had a relationship with Peter Robinson, also known as Marilyn, in the 1980s. In a 1996 interview for Rolling Stone, Rossdale responded, "That's George's take – he doesn't know me. There's a queue of people going to their lawyers about stuff in his book..I hope he manages to sell some books by putting my name in there."[39] Elsewhere, both Rossdale and Robinson initially denied the story;[40][41] however, in 2003, Robinson dedicated the Marilyn single "Hold on Tight" to Rossdale, citing "the years of [their] passionate relationship" and featuring a photo of him and Rossdale on the cover.[42] Later, both men spoke more candidly about their past relationship. In 2009, Robinson confirmed that he and Rossdale had been "together [for] five years" in the 1980s.[41] In 2010 Rossdale acknowledged having a liaison with Robinson, describing it as experimentation and "part of growing up".[43][44] Robinson later called Rossdale "the love of my life".[41]

In 2004, a paternity test revealed that Rossdale was the father of Pearl Lowe's daughter, Daisy Lowe (born 1989). Rossdale and Pearl had a brief relationship, and Rossdale had been Daisy's godfather.[45][46][47] Rossdale subsequently cut off all contact with Pearl and Daisy.[48][49][50] In 2009, however, several websites published photos of Daisy walking with Rossdale's son in London.[51][52] Both Daisy and Rossdale said in 2010 that their relationship is good and based on respect.[53]

Discography

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Bush

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Institute

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Solo

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Studio albums

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Title Album details Peak chart positions
US
[54]
AUT
[55]
GER
[56]
SWI
[57]
WANDERlust 33 40 64 95

Singles

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As lead artist
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title Year Peak chart positions Album
US
[54]
US Main
[54]
US Alt
[54]
US Adult
[54]
CAN
[54]
GER
[56]
AUT
[58]
SWI
[59]
"Adrenaline" 2002 24 20 78 62 XXX
"Love Remains the Same" 2008 27 33 2 28 52 24 71 WANDERlust
"Forever May You Run" 2009 32
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
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title Year Peak chart positions Album
US
Main

[54]
US
Alt

[54]
GER
[56]
NLD
[60]
UK
[61]
"The Current"
(Blue Man Group featuring Gavin Rossdale)
2003 96 93 Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
"End of Me"
(Apocalyptica featuring Gavin Rossdale)
2010 1 20 81 7th Symphony
"Bang A Gong"
(Santana featuring Gavin Rossdale)
2010 Guitar Heaven: The Greatest Guitar Classics of All Time
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

References

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  1. ^ a b Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian, eds. (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4 ed.). Simon & Schuster. p. 122. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  2. ^ "Gavin Rossdale". IMDb. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  3. ^ Brown, Mark (16 May 2013). "Emeli Sande biggest winner at 58th Ivor Novello awards". The Guardian. London.
  4. ^ Interview: Gavin Rossdale Tweet Share (23 August 2008). "Interview: Gavin Rossdale | Back Beat". Blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com. Archived from the original on 24 December 2008. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
  5. ^ "Interview with Constantine actor, Gavin Rossdale". Horror.com. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
  6. ^ Tortorici, Frank (29 October 1999). "Bush's Gavin Rossdale". MTV. Archived from the original on 17 September 2020. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  7. ^ "Pretty on the Inside". Spin. December 1996. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Nine, Jennifer (1999). Bush: Twenty-seventh Letter: the Official History. Virgin. ISBN 9780753501894. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
  9. ^ Batlin, Steve (5 January 2021). "Gavin Rossdale Talks Political Writing, Patti Smith, Sex Pistols And More On 'People Have The Power' Podcast". American Songwriter. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  10. ^ Nine, Jennifer, Like the English Sun: The Official Story of Bush. Virgin, 1999, p. 15
  11. ^ a b c Boone, Brian (24 March 2020). "Bush: the Untold Truth". Grunge. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  12. ^ a b Leahey, Andrew. "Gavin Rossdale - Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  13. ^ "10 BEST HARD ROCK ALBUMS OF 1994". Loudwire. 20 May 2014. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
  14. ^ "Bush Billboard Singles Chart". AllMusic. Retrieved 28 August 2010.
  15. ^ Albums of the week[permanent dead link], at Entertainment.uk
  16. ^ a b "Bush Is Back With New Lineup & First Album in a Decade". Billboard. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
  17. ^ "Terminator 3 Ending Titles (Credits) Theme Song - Going Down". 9 January 2010. Archived from the original on 14 November 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2014 – via YouTube.
  18. ^ "Gavin Rossdale: Wanderlust". SuicideGirls.com. 21 November 2008. Retrieved 21 November 2008.
  19. ^ "Gavin Rossdale: WANDERLust". PopMatters. 10 June 2008. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  20. ^ Self, Mindless (8 October 2011). "Gavin Rossdale returns with solo LP". Buzznet.com. Archived from the original on 7 October 2008. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
  21. ^ "Gavin Rossdale: Wanderlust". SuicideGirls.com. 21 November 2008. Retrieved 21 November 2008.
  22. ^ "Teen Vogue interview". Teen Vogue. 18 November 2008. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
  23. ^ "7th Symphony - Album: Buy It Now | The Official Apocalyptica Site". Apocalyptica.com. 20 August 2010. Archived from the original on 29 September 2011. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
  24. ^ "Past Judges". Independent Music Awards. Archived from the original on 13 July 2011. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
  25. ^ "Emeli Sandé, Calvin Harris, Noel Gallagher win Ivor Novello awards". Digital Spy. 16 May 2013. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
  26. ^ "Ivor Novello 2013: Calvin Harris makes dance breakthrough at songwriter awards". The Independent. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
  27. ^ "Interview with Constantine actor, Gavin Rossdale". horror.com. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
  28. ^ "Gavin Rossdale Stars As A Rocking Vampire on Tonight's 'Criminal Minds'". MTV. Archived from the original on 11 December 2014. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
  29. ^ "Gavin Rossdale, 'NCIS' veteran to guest on 'Burn Notice' -- EXCLUSIVE". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
  30. ^ "Gavin Rossdale Talk in Hawaii, Other Shows He's Love to Do, and More". collider.com. 7 November 2014. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
  31. ^ Adams, Cameron (10 January 2008). "Suze DeMarchi from Baby Animals is ready to rock". Herald Sun. Retrieved 16 February 2013.
  32. ^ [1] Archived 10 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  33. ^ Daly, Steven (18 April 1996). "Bush: Nirvanawannabes". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 17 October 2017.
  34. ^ "GWEN STEFANI DELIVERS BABY BOY". MTV News. 26 May 2006. Archived from the original on 8 July 2017. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
  35. ^ Adler, Shawn (21 August 2008). "Gwen Stefani Gives Birth To Second Son". MTV News. Archived from the original on 19 December 2011. Retrieved 21 August 2008.
  36. ^ Deerwester, Jayme (1 March 2014). "Gwen Stefani gives birth to third son, Apollo". USA Today. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  37. ^ Lee, Esther (3 August 2015). "Gwen Stefani, Gavin Rossdale Split After 13 Years of Marriage: No Doubt Singer Files for Divorce". Us Weekly. United States. Wenner Media LLC. Archived from the original on 4 August 2015. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  38. ^ "Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale's Divorce Settlement Details Released". People. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  39. ^ "Music News". Rolling Stone.
  40. ^ "Gavin Rossdale 'gay' – Boy George". Stuff (company). Australian Associated Press. 27 April 2009. Archived from the original on 23 February 2013. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
  41. ^ a b c "Celebrity news and entertainment from". In Touch Weekly. 22 April 2009. Archived from the original on 4 October 2011. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
  42. ^ "Marilyn - Hold on Tight". Discogs. 2003.
  43. ^ "Gavin Rossdale Confirms Same Sex Hook-Up With Cross Dressing Pop Star!". PerezHilton.com. 13 October 2010. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 24 August 2014.
  44. ^ Weiner, Jonah (1 November 2010). "Gavin Rossdale, Uncensored: Music + Books". Details. Archived from the original on 3 September 2011. Retrieved 24 August 2014.
  45. ^ "13 Celeb Shockers of 2004 – THE SECRET DAUGHTER – Celebs Up Close, Daisy Lowe, Gavin Rossdale, Gwen Stefani". People. 23 December 2004. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
  46. ^ "Daisy Lowe – Fashion Model – Profile on New York Magazine". New York. 27 January 1989. Archived from the original on 13 June 2008. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
  47. ^ "Gavin Rossdale has a teenage lovechild". People. 19 October 2004. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
  48. ^ Turner, Janice (7 July 2007). "When the partys over". The Times. London. Retrieved 3 May 2010.[dead link]
  49. ^ "Celebrity deadbeat dads – Photo No. 1". Houston Chronicle. 22 January 2010. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
  50. ^ "Pearl Lowe writes memoir, lashes out at Gavin Rossdale". People. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
  51. ^ "Daisy Lowe proves she back talking with dad Gavin Rossdale and stepmum Gwen Stefani". Metro. UK. 11 December 2009. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
  52. ^ "» Daisy Lowe goes for a stroll with Kingston Rossdale Bush Music Fans". bush-music.com. 11 December 2009. Archived from the original on 9 October 2011. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
  53. ^ "Gavin Rossdale on Daughter Daisy: "It's More Like A Friendship"". Hello. 20 January 2017. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
  54. ^ a b c d e f g h "Gavin Rossdale - Chart history". Billboard. Retrieved 24 August 2014.
  55. ^ "Austrian Charts". Austriancharts.at. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
  56. ^ a b c "charts.de". Officialcharts.de. Retrieved 28 September 2014.[dead link]
  57. ^ "Hit Parade". Hitparade.ch. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
  58. ^ "Austrian Charts". Austriancharts.at. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
  59. ^ "Hit Parade". Hitparade.ch. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
  60. ^ "Dutch Charts". Dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
  61. ^ "Chart Log UK". Zobbel.de. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
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