Born: November 14, 1969 Primary Instrument: Guitar
After gaining a brief taste of major-label success during the '80s and '90s -- particularly with Marvelous 3, whose single “Freak of the Weak” became a modern rock hit in 1999 -- singer/guitarist Butch Walker traded his bandmates for a solo career. Moreover, he also established himself as an in- demand producer by working with such marketable artists as Avril Lavigne, Katy Perry, and Pink.
Raised in Cartersville, GA, Bradley Glenn Walker III launched his public career with the band SouthGang, which traveled to Los Angeles in 1988 and inked a contract with Virgin Records. The pop-metal group released two albums before splitting up, and Walker soon resurfaced with Marvelous 3. The band enjoyed moderate popularity as the '90s wound to a close, but Walker soon grew frustrated with the band's label, Elektra Records, and Marvelous 3 splintered soon after.
He then spent a year producing albums for such groups as Injected and SR- 71 (whose most popular single, “Right Now,” was co-written by Walker). This production work increased his reputation within the industry, and he quickly signed a solo contract with Arista. Left of Self Centered marked his solo debut in 2002; it also took a page from Marvelous 3's book by embodying the singer's nonconformist attitude and playful rock & roll swagger. Unfortunately, neither that album nor its excellent follow-up, 2004's Letters, caught on with the public.
Walker increasingly turned to production work, and he spent the following two years helming records for such big-name artists as Avril Lavigne Under My Skin, Pink I'm Not Dead, and Tommy Lee Tommyland: The Ride, as well as emerging pop stars like Lindsay Lohan A Little More Personal /Raw. The album spun stories of drugged-out starlets, struggling wannabes, late-night adventures, and wild parties in L.A.; it was also Walker's most fully realized album to date. Ever the multi-tasker, he returned to the production booth for several additional projects -- most notably Katy Perry's One of the Boys, which became a smash success during the summer of 2008 -- before returning to his solo career that fall with the release of Sycamore Meadows.
Left of Self-Centered (2002)
Letters (2004)
This Is Me... Justified and Stripped (2004, live album)
The Rise and Fall of Butch Walker and the Let's-Go-Out-
Tonites
(2006)
Leavin' the Game on Luckie Street (2008, live album)
Sycamore Meadows (2008)
Record Producer
Pete Yorn - musicforthemorningafter (2001)
Injected - Burn It Black (2002)
Bowling for Soup - Drunk Enough to Dance (2002)
SR-71 - Tomorrow (2002)
Pete Yorn - Day I Forgot (2003)
Default - Elocation (2003)
Sevendust - Seasons (2003)
Avril Lavigne - Under My Skin (2004)
Simple Plan - Still Not Getting Any... (2004)
Midtown - Forget What You Know (2004)
The Donnas - Gold Medal (2004)
American Hi-Fi - Hearts on Parade (2005)
Lindsay Lohan - A Little More Personal (Raw) (2005)
Pink - I'm Not Dead (2006)
Family Force 5 - Business Up Front/Party in the Back (2006)
Pete Yorn - USNightcrawler (2006)
Quietdrive - When All That's Left Is You (2006)
Rock Star Supernova - Rock Star Supernova (2006)
Avril Lavigne - The Best Damn Thing (2007)
The Academy Is... - Santi (2007)
Hot Hot Heat - Happiness Ltd. (2007)
The Automatic - This Is A Fix (2008)
Katy Perry - One of the Boys (2008)
Pink - Funhouse (2008)
Upcoming Saosin album (2009)
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