| At 17,
while most of his peers were bagging groceries or looking
for a date to the prom, Mike Ness was fronting a band that
would become a major player in the American punk movement.
Ness had
already been kicked out of his home and had been living on
his own for two years when he and a friend, Dennis Danell,
began Social Distortion in a garage in Orange County,
California. Their early work was reminiscent of Ness'
heroes: Johnny Cash, The Rolling Stones and Hank Williams.
The band eventually turned to punk, a new brand of music
from England. The music was different, but the messages were
the same at those of Ness' heroes. He lamented the plight of
the working class hero and opposed mainstream ideals. Its
angry messages touched base with so many young people that
Social Distortion developed a massive cult following.
Despite all
the people's lives they touched, the band started rotting
away from the inside out. The members began fighting among
themselves and the line-up changed countlesstimes. Ness
began a long relationship with heroin that nearly tore the
entire band apart. Once again, Social Distortion was back to
its two founding members, Danell and Ness, looking for a
rhythm section.
In 1985, Ness
gave up drugs and alcohol and Social Distortion began to
make waves again. Five years later, Ness and company
released their first record for Epic. Social Distortion was
nationally recognized for the first time, with videos on MTV
and a tour with rock legend Neil Young.
The band's
latest album was released in 1992 and since then, Ness has
released two solo albums. Cheating at Solitaire combined all
of Ness' passions. Two parts punk and one part rockabilly,
Cheating at Solitaire is the fruition of Ness' experiences
with Social Distortion and and pays homage to his influences
of classic rock 'n'roll and classic country music.
Ness' second
solo album, Under the Influences, is basically a tribute to
anyone who has had an impact upon his life. Ness covers
songs by his heroes, including Carl Perkins, Hank Williams,
George Jones and Marty Robbins.
On February
29, 2000, Mike Ness' long-time friend and Social Distortion
co-founder Dennis Danell died of natural causes at the age
of 38, officially punctuating the end of Social Distortion
and the loss of a life-time friend for Ness.
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