Perry Farrell

Perry Farrell (born Peretz Bernstein; March 29, 1959) > is an American singer, songwriter, and musician referred to as the "Godfather of Alternative Music".

Peretz Bernstein was born in Queens neighbourhood of New York City on March 29, 1959.

He was raised in a Jewish family, his mother was an artist and his father was a jeweler.

When Farrell was three, his mother took her own life, an event which he later wrote about in Jane's Addiction songs "Then She Did" and "Twisted Tales".

In an interview with The Guardian, Farrell spoke of his mother's suicide, saying, "'I remember it, yeah. There are some things that have deep-seated emotions for me, but you can't change it and you move on. I think it has a huge part in my appreciation for life, for sure.'" He spent his grade-school years in Woodmere, Long Island, before his family relocated to Florida.

Farrell's family moved to North Miami Beach, Florida when he was a teenager.

At the age of seventeen, after graduating from high school, Farrell wanted adventure in his life and caught a bus to California.

Aside from some belongings, Farrell took a surfboard, art materials and some weed.

He stated in interviews since that he really wanted to focus on surfing, but had at that point in his life also started taking an interest in music with influences from The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Sly and the Family Stone and James Brown.

Farrell began his career with Psi Com in the early 1980s, before becoming the frontman of the band Jane's Addiction.

He became well known for his success with Jane's Addiction; the band quickly became a key act in the '80s Los Angeles music scene, blending punk, metal, and psychedelic rock to create a unique sound.

Their daring live performances and experimental approach resonated with disillusioned youth, contributing to the rise of alternative music as a form of rebellion and self-expression.

He spent time as a club singer for a short period in the early 1980s while living in Los Angeles.

Farrell also stated that he worked construction, waited tables and spent some of his time in LA living in his car.

While living in California, he discovered David Bowie, Iggy Pop and Lou Reed.

In the early 1980s, Farrell was living in LA and noticed an ad in a local magazine.

It had been placed by Vince Duran and Aaron Sherer, who were looking for a drummer for their band.

Following discussions, it was agreed Farrell would become the lead singer and frontman for the post-punk, goth rock band, Psi Com.

At the time, they mixed with a number of upcoming bands from California, including X, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Fishbone, Oingo Boingo, and the Minutemen.

While performing with Psi Com, it was the first time the pseudonym Perry Farrell was used by Bernstein, since it was a play on the word "peripheral".

Despite being together for over three years, the band only released a small batch of cassettes called "Worktape 1".

Jane's Addiction became popular in the mid-1980s, starting in LA but soon becoming a household name across the United States.

They built a rabid fan base with high-energy shows in small venues across Los Angeles.

The band released three albums in quick succession, Jane's Addiction, Nothing's Shocking and Ritual de lo Habitual.

A B-sides album from the Ritual sessions, titled Live and Rare, was released in Japan.

In 1985, they attempted to record more music at Radio Tokyo Studios in Venice Beach, California, with Ethan James responsible for a lot of the production.

Psi Com finally ended recording and playing together in late 1985.

Farrell had previously met guitarist Eric Avery through mutual friends.

Avery was classmates with both drummer Stephen Perkins and Dave Navarro.

Avery and Farrell decided to jam together, forming the initial foundation for Jane's Addiction.

Perkins was invited to join, followed by Navarro.

Problems with distribution meant the new tracks weren't released while the band was together, but later released by Triple X in the 1990s after demand to hear the tracks grew.

As part of Jane's Addiction farewell in 1991, Farrell founded Lollapalooza, which has evolved into an annual festival of multiple genres.

Farrell is the frontman of Porno for Pyros, who are releasing new music and touring North America throughout 2024.

Farrell has also released a number of solo albums, and also launched a number of other music related projects, including Kind Heaven Orchestra and Heaven After Dark.

In late 1991, Jane's Addiction announced they were splitting.

Numerous reasons and rumours circulated including Farrell's battle with addiction, but also many baseless rumors.

Once the rumours died down, it became evident Farrell and Avery had different visions on the band's progression.

Shortly after Jane's Addiction split up, Farrell and drummer Stephen Perkins formed Porno for Pyros.

Guitarist Peter DiStefano and bass player Martyn LeNoble completed the original four members of the band.