Beck Biography

(Known for Creating Musical Collages of Wide-Ranging Genres)

Birthday: July 8, 1970 (Cancer)

Born In: Los Angeles, California, United States

Three-time Grammy Award-winning musician Beck Hansen is no ordinary instrumentalist, for he is responsible for creating the unique style of producing a shambling collage-like sound, which he has derived from putting together seemingly contradictory genres of music. This talented musician has enjoyed tremendous success in the music industry both commercially and critically - a feat not many can boast of. Beck has, all through the years, been humble enough to maintain his artistic integrity which has captured the hearts of millions across the globe. What distinguishes Beck from his colleagues is his distinctive lo-fi sonic experimental sound and recordings that include elements from the genres of hip-hop, alternative rock, folk, funk, soul, country, and psychedelic. Known for his trademark surreal lyrics, Beck defined the 90’s era with his alternative pop anthems and wild musical experiments with electronics and other interesting instruments. Some of his well-known albums include, ‘Mellow Gold’, ‘Odelay’, ‘Mutations’ and ‘Guero’.

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Quick Facts

Also Known As: Beck David Hansen, Bek David Campbell

Age: 54 Years, 54 Year Old Males

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Marissa Ribisi (m. 2004)

father: David Campbell

mother: Bibbe Hansen

siblings: Channing

children: Cosimo Henri

Born Country: United States

Singers Record Producers

Height: 5'7" (170 cm), 5'7" Males

Ancestry: Norwegian American, Swedish American, Canadian American

U.S. State: California

City: Los Angeles

  • 1

    What genre of music does Beck primarily perform?

    Beck primarily performs alternative rock and indie rock music.
  • 2

    How many albums has Beck released in his career?

    Beck has released 14 studio albums in his career, as of 2021.
  • 3

    What famous album did Beck release in 1996 that won two Grammy Awards?

    In 1996, Beck released the famous album "Odelay" which won two Grammy Awards for Best Alternative Music Album and Best Male Rock Vocal Performance.
  • 4

    Which instrument does Beck prominently play in his music?

    Beck prominently plays the guitar and various other instruments in his music.
  • 5

    What is one of Beck's most well-known songs?

    One of Beck's most well-known songs is "Loser," which was released in 1993 and helped propel him to fame.
Childhood & Early Life

Beck was born to David Campbell and Bibbe Hansen. While his father was a Canadian musician, his mother was a professional visual artist and a former Warhol superstar in Los Angeles, California.

When Beck turned ten, his parents divorced, after which he started living with his mother and brother in Los Angeles.

By the time he was 16, he had his own guitar and soon he became a street musician. During his teenage years, he mostly preferred folk music and later took a liking to hip-hop music.

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Career

In 1993, he came out with his debut album titled, ‘Golden Feelings’, which was released by the Sonic Enemy label. The label did not make many copies of the CD, a fact which distressed him.

Released in February 1994, his second studio album, ‘Stereopathetic Soulmanure’, had a very strong folk influence. The album featured the tracks ‘Pink Noise’, ‘Total Soul Future’ and ‘Rowboat’.

In March 1994, he came out with the album, ‘Mellow Gold’, which was his first album with a major recording label, DGC Records. The album is listed in his most successful albums list.

In June 1994, he released the album, ‘One Foot in the Grave’, which brought him critical acclaim. The album also brought him commercial acknowledgment and made him a part of the mainstream music industry.

In 1996, he came out with the album, ‘Odelay’, which was released under the DGC Records label. The album included the hit singles, ‘Where It's At’, ‘Devils Haircut’, and ‘The New Pollution’.

In November 1998, he released his Grammy Award-winning album, ‘Mutations’. The album was not only well-reviewed by critics, but it also topped the music charts.

Released in the year 1999, his album, ‘Midnite Vultures’ was one among his albums that explored a variety of musical styles. Though the album did not receive blockbuster success, it was critically acclaimed.

In September 2002, he released his album titled, ‘Sea Change’, which had simple lyrical content as opposed to his earlier albums. The album received good reviews.

On March 29, 2005, he came out with the alternative rock album titled, ‘Guero’, which was released under the Interscope Records label. This was one of his immensely successful albums.

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In 2006, he came out with the album, ‘The Information’, which was released under the Interscope Records label. The album featured the singles, ‘Elevator Music’ and ‘Think I'm in Love’.

In 2008, he came out with his alternative rock album titled, ‘Modern Guilt’, which included contributed work from artists like singer Cat Power. The album was successful and peaked at the charts.

In 2014, he put out his twelfth official studio album ‘Morning Phase.’ The album was met with critical acclaim upon release and received an 81 out of 100 score on Metacritic while earning a 7.9 out of 10 rating on AnyDecentMusic? It topped the ‘US Top Rock Albums,’ ‘US Top Tastemaker Albums,’ and ‘US Top Alternative Albums’ and reached number 3 on the ‘US Billboard 200.’

He released his thirteenth studio album ‘Colors’ in October 2017. The album received mostly positive reviews from critics and peaked at number 3 on the ‘US Billboard 200.’ In 2019, Beck’s fourteenth album named ‘Hyperspace’ came out. The album opened to a positive response from critics and was nominated for ‘Best Alternative Music Album’ and ‘Best Engineered Album’ at the 2021 Grammy Awards.

Major Works

His 2005 album, ‘Guero’ is regarded as one of his highest charting albums, which sold 868,000 copies in the US alone. The album peaked at the number two position on Billboard’s Top 200 chart.

His 2006 album, ‘The Information’ was named, ‘24th Best Album of 2006’ by Rolling Stone magazine. The album peaked at the number seven position on the Billboard 200.

Awards & Achievements

In 1997, he received two Grammy Awards, the first being for the category of ‘Best Rock Vocal Performance – Male’ for the single, ‘Where It's At’. The second was for the category, Best Alternative Music Performance, for ‘Odelay’.

In 2000, he was the recipient of the Grammy Award in the category of ‘Best Alternative Music Performance’ for the album, ‘Mutations’.

Personal Life & Legacy

In 1991, he got into a romantic relationship with Leigh Limon, who is a designer. The couple ended their relationship in the year 2000.

In 2004, he married actress Marissa Ribisi, with whom he has two children. Both of them are believers of Scientology, which they publicly acknowledged in an interview.

Facts About Beck
Beck is known for his eclectic musical style, blending genres such as alternative rock, folk, and hip hop in his music.
He is a talented multi-instrumentalist, playing a wide range of instruments including guitar, keyboards, and harmonica.
Beck is also an accomplished visual artist, having designed album covers and artwork for his own releases.
He is a dedicated environmentalist and has supported various conservation efforts throughout his career.
Beck is known for his quirky sense of style, often sporting unique and colorful outfits both on and off stage.

Awards

Grammy Awards
2019 Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical Winner
2019 Best Alternative Music Album Winner
2015 Best Rock Album Winner
2015 Album of the Year Winner
2000 Best Alternative Music Performance Winner
1997 Best Alternative Music Performance Winner
1997 Best Male Rock Vocal Performance Winner
MTV Video Music Awards
1997 Best Male Video Beck: Devils Haircut (1996)
1997 Best Direction in a Video Beck: The New Pollution (1997)
1996 Best Male Video Beck: Where It's At (1996)

See the events in life of Beck in Chronological Order

How To Cite

Article Title
- Beck Biography
Author
- Editors, TheFamousPeople.com
Website
- TheFamousPeople.com
URL
https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/beck-3671.php

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