From left to right: Fred Schneider (vocals), Kate Pierson (vocals and keyboards), Ricky Wilson (guitar), Keith Strickland (drums), and Cindy Wilson (vocals and guitar). magazines, Theyre actually [challenging] little songs. The band endured rocky times for much of the decade's remainder (tragically, Rick Wilson died from AIDS in 1985, while such albums as Whammy! Before finding love with Schneider, the Freedom Writers star was married to actor Chad Lowe from 1997 to 2006. Frederick William Schneider III (born July 1, 1951) is an American singer, songwriter, arranger, and musician, best known as the frontman of the rock band The B-52's, of which he is a founding member. Fred Schneider Named Sexiest Singer Alive, Fred Schneider to announce retirement at age 71. And plus, it was like the middle of nowhere. And it was known to be a not-very-friendly town. In 2020 it looked like the singer's spectacular career was winding down. Along with fellow vocalist Kate Pierson, multi-instrumentalist Keith Strickland, and late guitarist Ricky Wilson (who is long overdue for recognition as a 20th-century guitar visionary), the two singers helped craft one of the most distinctive sounds to emerge from the new wave era. Help us build our profile of Fred Schneider! 59 on the US Billboard 200 chart, and achieved platinum status, which certainly increased Freds net worth, and encouraged him and the rest of the group to continue to perform together. On the show, Schneider played a mix of new wave-era dance, remixes and rarities, interspersed with anecdotes and Schneider's own humor. Entitled "Fred Schneider and other Unrelated Works", the short book (containing less than 100 pages) is subdivided into seven . He was the beloved husband of Janet E. Schneider with whom he had shared 29 years of marriage. I kept asking for Ricky for years, When am I gonna meet your sister? Schneider: Thats on Detour Through Your Mind [from Bouncing Off the Satellites]. Or they have ideas and I add onto them. Menu. The band's first single was "Rock Lobster" which was recorded for DB Records in 1978. Weve taken a lot of breaks too, and we havent made that many records, so weve taken the pressure off. in 2010. Wed just start spontaneous and then start writing things down. The thing is, we had no money, so it was like 50 cents for pants, 25 cents for a shirt, and a dollar for a jacket, so. Punk in their subversion of convention and celebration of the absurd, they were also defiantly fun at a time when President Ronald Reagan wouldnt so much as say the word gay or address the fact that AIDS was quickly becoming a pandemic one that would claim Ricky as one of its earliest high-profile casualties. Schneider: You have to ruin your record to hear it. He is an actor and composer, known for Rising Sun (1993), Mystery Men (1999) and Paul (2011). He would blow wind on a guitar, and I would sort of recite and sing. Frederick William Schneider III (born July 1, 1951) is an American singer, songwriter, arranger, and musician, best known as frontman of the rock band the B-52's, of which he is a founding member. He is the frontman, and a founding member, of New Wave rock band The B-52's, along with Kate Pierson. Those have been the most important relationships in my life. He has stated that his musical influences included "Halloween songs and nutty Christmas songs" along with "Motown". All Rights Reserved. I was the meal delivery coordinator for the Council on Aging for Clarke Countywhich was the most money Id ever made beforebut Kate didnt really like her job at the local paper. Try a different filter or a new search keyword. Some of the songs [off the B-52s 1979 self-titled debut album] came from lines from the book. She's been nominated for the ASME NEXT Awards for Journalists Under 30, and previously wrote for Us Weekly while on staff at Wenner Media. See The B-52's. The B-52's were formed. Cindy Wilson, her older brother and guitarist Ricky Wilson, organist and vocalist Kate Pierson, drummer and percussionist Keith Strickland, and vocalist Fred Schneider played an impromptu musical jam session. From left to right: Fred Schneider (vocals), Kate Pierson (vocals and keyboards), Ricky Wilson (guitar), Keith Strickland (drums), and Cindy Wilson (vocals and guitar). This is Georgia in 1972, I think. Things were never set in stone until everyone listened to everything. [6] In 1979, the B-52's signed a recording contract with Warner Bros. Records for South America, North America, Australia, and New Zealand. [2] At the time the B-52's formed, he had very little musical experience. Your email address will not be published. Schneider: Thats where its from. Weve hesitated to ever explain any of our songs, because we love their interpretations. This article was amended on 16 July 2019. Schneider: It isnt anything like that. Wilson: I know! lists, Frederick William Schneider III was born on July 1, 1951, in Newark, New Jersey, and lived in Long Branch, New Jersey after moving there from Belleville, New Jersey. Rent was like 60 dollars. And at a time when an overwhelmingly straight, male punk scene ruled, TheB-52s knowingly kooky aesthetic, along with their hilariously surreal lyrics in songs like Quiche Lorraine, read as queer to those with the eyes to see it. Everywhere except Japan a failure Pierson attributes to their name. It was a really interesting and amazing experience. So a friend of mine says, Im going to do this book of poetry for my final project and I go, Boinggg, me too! [Wilson laughs.] Keith and Ricky and I bought a place in New York [City] later. Cindy would sometimes look over on stage and see a phantom Ricky. All the time on the road, thankfully, did not cause ructions in the group, as can be the case. WEST POINT Visitation for Fred Schneider, 65, Beemer will be 3-7 p.m. Tuesday, March 31, at Minnick Funeral Home in West Point. [10], On the February 22, 2010 broadcast of The Howard Stern Show, Schneider discussed his experience of coming out as gay to his mother. Reports from the Washington Daily News yesterday (March 3, 2023), suggest B-52's singer has secretly got hitched to his long-term relationship. Its kind of a searching record and [it delves into] looking inward. and driver for Meals on Wheels. ). There was only one vehicle. Susan Schneider Williams watched her husband suffer with undiagnosed Lewy body dementia before he killed himself in 2014. And a few friends backed away a bit, adds Cindy. We were hanging out and crashing parties together. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, The B-52s. He grew up as a Brookly Dodger fan with his older brother John, and his two younger . Guitarist and co-founder Ricky Wilson succumbed to AIDS shortly after the band recorded the 1986 album Bouncing Off the Satellites. Trivia (3) Member of The B-52's. Frequently touring with The B-52's. [2005] In fact, one of the things I love working with this new bunch of people is that it does feel like Im working with Ricky and Keith as far as collaboration and, again, learning. ===== Civil War Service ===== 21 Sep 1861 Enlist Co.C / 1st MI Inf (3 yrs) 13 Nov 1862 Discharge from service (medical?) Its an effort where I get to grow, just like in the early days of the B-52s, when it felt like it was a growing spurt. Wilson begins a short tour of U.S. cities in early September. Her husband, author Edward Grinnan . To me, that was a lesson to learn, a life lesson. Cindy and I have a real weird harmony, and its so quintessentially B-52s, but its one of those songs we dont really do live. We are all big music fans. Schneider said that his mother always knew more about him than he knew about himself, and that he came out of the closet while she was vacuum-cleaning. Text size. I remember seeing him write some music and laughing to himself, says Cindy. There was no internet then, so we were looking in encyclopaedias for inspiration., From that stew came Rock Lobster. their deceased beloved Husband, Father and Relativ, the late MB HENRY FREDERICK . UPDATE 04/03/2023 : This story seems to be false. Fred Shabel is a well-known and famous coach who created a very good impact throughout his overall career. However, they couldnt make a breakthrough, always being overshadowed by other similar acts of the era. On a cool desert evening in late May, a crowd of menin baseball caps and women in cold-shoulder shirts mills around a makeshift stage by the pool at Las Vegas MGM Grand. Both women opted to accessorize with traditional Hawaiian leis. Title. UPDATE 20/02/2023 : This story seems to be false. 4 on the Billboard200, on the strength of Love Shack and Roam. It really is amazing that Cosmic Thing is such a happy album, says Cindy, because it came from grief and sadness.. We were on the bus. Schneider was the co-respondent when Mrs. Buzzi*s husband divorced her, and it is Bald he was scekiirg a reconciliatiort with . Fred Schneider. We listened to Perez Prado and Kai Winding, and soul music, and B-movie soundtracks and Nino Rota. Wilson: The time we moved to Mahopac, New York, there was just too much togetherness. Incensed! Pierson recalls. Fred Schneider has a very distinctive way of performing his vocal vocals in the songs. They do everything on ProTools, and we call it three-dollar production, because theres no budget. Kate Pierson, one of the lead singers and co-founders of Georgia new wave band The B-52s, tied the knot with her longtime girlfriend Monica Coleman last weekend. Born on July 1, 1951, in Newark, New Jersey, Schneider moved to Athens, Georgia to attend college in the early '70s -- first studying wildlife conservation, then journalism, before ultimately dropping out. Photograph: Lynn Goldsmith . 2023 MediaMass All rights reserved. by Greg Prato. Johann and Justine established a new home about six miles southwest of Bruderheim in the Beaverhills area. Fred Schneider was born on July 1, 1951 in Newark, New Jersey, USA. But it took six years. (In fact, people often mistook the two women for drag queens.) On a . Frederick "Fred" Schneider was a caring husband, father, grandfather, brother, and friend. And that was hard. in 2010, and in February 2011 began working on a full-length album. What about the backwards part that says Your canary is dead? I had this place for $15 a month in the middle of a field, a funky old shack it was the love shack! Fred Schneider secretly married rumors have caused quite a stir among fans. "Back in the stone age, my grandparents used to . thats fenced-off [after being declared a radioactive contamination site by the EPAed.]. Frederick "Fred" Schneider was a caring husband, father, grandfather, brother, and friend. We felt like, wow, theres some part of him thats still there with us, and it was healing., His absence, though, became apparent when the group began touring. It was a real healing process. [Wilson laughs.] On her Facebook page, Schneiders longtime Atlanta-based bandmate and unofficial kid sister Cindy Wilson posted this note to fans: This isnt meant to be a formal statement about the ending of the band. Not only did they adore Nino Rotas scores for Fellinis films, they had considered calling themselves Fellinis Children before settling on the B-52s. I guess subconsciously we were trying to say something. They were unconventional songs, and an unconventional way to write. Fred Schneider is an American singer, songwriter, arranger, and musician, best known as the frontman of the rock band The B-52's, of which he is a founding member.. Scroll Down and find everything about the Fred Schneider you need to know, latest relationships update, Family and how qualified he is. The lyric came from a disco in Atlanta called 2001 Fred really got inspired when he was at a disco and saw these crustaceans projected on the walls but the song was propelled by the riff Wilson picked out on his Mosrite guitar. Full Name at Birth. View the profiles of people named Fred Schneider. We liked to shock people. We got a rhythm going where we did our first EP, then the Christmas album, and now we have this Vertical Mind album. Fred lived in 1920, at address, Wisconsin. Why? But we were kind of disappointed we wanted to sound a little better. We wore crazy wigs and crazy outfits Kate Pierson. Things became worse in 1985 when Ricky Wilson died of AIDS. Fred Schneider is a 71 year old American Musician. Boobies". Fred Schneider. Visit Billboard Pro for music business news. Looking back, we were in denial. Discover today's celebrity birthdays and explore famous people who share your birthday. Back then, it was called GRID [Gay-Related Immune Deficiency]. We started realizing we had something so precious together, says Pierson, and Rickys spirit returned in a way. Wilson: We hope so. (Lennon famously said Rock Lobster pushed him to produce his final album, Double Fantasy, with Yoko Ono.) Have you ever wondered how rich Fred Schneider is, as of mid- 2017? It was raining, and we had sheets and blankets around us, and we were naked except for the sheets. Covered by Commode Minstrels in Bullface. I said I already saw them on the internets. Residence, Johns Island, SC. As her media profile continues to rise, Schlafly begins to worry about her son, John (Ben Rosenfield), and decides to apply to law school, leading to tension with her husband, Fred (John Slattery . Required fields are marked *. He also worked on a side project called the Superions. Wilson: I know. [Wilson laughs.] As a member of the B-52s, she performed hits like Love Shack and Rock Lobster.. Keith called me the next day, and said, Rickys in the hospital and he might die. It was the most shocking thing. It was just devastating to all of us, especially Cindy and Keith, says Pierson. 56), but it instantly launched the band from house-party standby to college-radio staple. The Official Fred Schneider Facebook Fan Page http://twitter.com/FredSchneider3. We are ending and I want you all to know how much we appreciate the love and good times.. Since then they have been touring constantly, but havent released any new material.Fred has also released two albums on his own Fred Schneider and the Shake Society originally released in 1984, but re-released in 1991, and Just Fred (1996), the sales of which also added to his net worth. Sometimes they just take a totally different turn and just go out [there]. Get started Geni World Family Tree. We were future-futurists., Take Trism. - as Fred, writer: "Planet Claire" - as Frederick W. Schneider, performer: "This World Is Something New to Me", writer: "Love Shack" - as Frederick W. Schneider, writer: "LOVE SHACK" - as Frederick Schneider, writer: "BUSHFIRE", "ROAM' - as Frederick Schneider, writer: "COSMIC THING" - as Fred Schneider III, TV Movie lyrics: "Monster" / performer: "Monster", B-52s: With the Wild Crowd! Every part of it is different. We still hang out together, we still love each other the B-52s around the time of 2008 album Funplex. And its a very empowering womans song. Fred Schneider tops annual list of highest-paid singers. View popular celebrities life details, birth signs and real ages. Everybody but one person just sat there looking at me like, What the hell? [Wilson laughs.] Post and Courier Charleston Homepage. His mother replied with "Oh I know, Freddie" and continued vacuuming without missing a beat. Wilson: For me, its very, very close. Born Frederick William Schneider III on the 1st July 1951 in Newark, New Jersey USA, Fred is a singer-songwriter best known to the world as the founding member of the new wave group The B-52's in the mid-1970s. Their next three LPs steadily rose up the Billboard200. It was a wild ride though. Fred married Ida Schneider. He politely declined. Weve had Ursula 1000 and [Brian] Hardgroove from Public Enemy produce some of the new songs. His net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. Pierson's new solo effort was just released in February. Schneider: Well, yeah. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Fred Schneider seems to be off the market. Celebrating Fred Schneider in advance of his 71st birthday tomorrow. Apart from The B-52s, Fred has collaborated with numerous other musicians, including Richard Barone, Joe McIntyre, Elvira, among many others, which has also improved his wealth. When not playing with The B-52's, Fred Schneider stays busy with his own group, The Superions, where he puts an electro-disco spin on his signature kitschy style.You can listen to The Superions . We spoke with Wilson and Schneider from their respective homes in Athens, GA and Long Island via conference call. Schneider: It was. It was wrongly stated that we had some kind of conflict with David Byrne, but thats not true at all. They were so opposed to the notion, in fact, that when the band were nominated for best pop performance at the 1989 Grammys, for their single Love Shack, their singer Fred Schneider part of an unorthodox vocal trident alongside Pierson and Cindy Wilson wasnt happy. [Wilson laughs.] However, The Sun wrote that Schneider is 45 years old, assumably born in 1977, and about three years younger than his wife. No one knew if they had it or how you got it. I asked Ricky if he was sick, says Cindy. Fred Schneider. Verified email at cs.cornell.edu - Homepage. Wilson: We survived that. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your device and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. We all had a lot of similar tastes. Schneider said his reaction was: "It's like, well, OK. And Fred and Kate both found apartments in New York as well, so it became a much healthier situation. So the choice of David Byrne was to evolve the bands sound a little bit., By 1983, a certain idea about the B-52s had become cemented. Schneider: I burned my parakeet in the back yard.. Photograph: Lynn Goldsmith/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images, 'Everyone is welcome to the party! Miranda Scarlett Schneider (daughter, born to Robert Schneider and Patricia Azarcoya Arce (third wife, married in 2011). This has been corrected. We laughed whenthey said Go write a hit, recalls Pierson. All players stand in the circle, flick their fingers together in a common rhythm and . The group was created in a strange way; Ricky Wilson, Keith Strickland, Cindy Wilson and Kate Pierson, alongside Fred were all together at a Chinese restaurant located in Athens, Georgia; they started singing without even planning it, and after the night ended they decided to form a band. Schneider: Oh, [she was] fabulous! Elvira released a 7-inch single, "2 Big Pumpkins / 13 Nights Of Halloween", in the US for Halloween 2014. The '90s also saw the release of two non-B-52s albums for Schneider -- 1991's Fred Schneider & the Shake Society and 1996's surprisingly raw and rocking Just Fred -- while he also found the time to guest on recordings by others (RuPaul, Chicks on Speed, etc. But we didnt have a leader and we all contributed equally. She laughs. I was crying, because I was so amazed that we did this.. Schneider: Well, none of us had really [good jobs]. Schneider: That makes a difference. All this stuff started coming out, conjuring up our time in Athens., With the help of producers Nile Rodgers and Don Was, the band released Cosmic Thing in 1990. [Everyone laughs.]. People who heard these shots which killed Schneider declared they had seen a woman running away from the automobile. [Wilson and Schneider both laugh.] Because I basically write all the lyrics and get Noah and Dans ideas for the music. He was 83. Wilson: [Laughs] Well, it snowed [a lot] and we were kind of stuck in the house. They were so opposed to the notion, in fact, that when the band were nominated for best pop performance at the 1989 Grammys, for their single Love Shack, their singer Fred Schneider part of an unorthodox vocal trident alongside Pierson and Cindy Wilson wasnt happy. Death Summaries. Related Fred Schneider Sparks Engagement Rumor. The Athens-birthed act will retire from the road after 36 years. Forty years on, the acts theyve influenced from Athens pals R.E.M. The group's first single, "Totally Nude Island," was released in 2008, and an eight-song EP, The Superions, was issued in 2010. It was a parade of different characters. Birth Name: Frederick William Schneider III. Born Frederick William Schneider III on the 1st July 1951 in Newark, New Jersey USA, Fred is a singer-songwriter best known to the world as the founding member of the new wave group The B-52s in the mid-1970s. So I dont think we had time to live the life of pop stars. Turns out Fred is a java junkie who's formed an alliance with Breyting Community Roaster a civic-minded coffee company located just outside Orlandoseveral years ago. Until late 2008, Schneider hosted a show called Party Out of Bounds that aired on Friday nights, 9pm to 12am (ET) on Sirius 33 First Wave. The guests, beers in hand, have come to the hotel for a software conference, but theyre at this private party to see TheB-52sFred Schneider, 66; Cindy Wilson, 61; and Kate Pierson, 70, together with their four-piece band. His Ph.D. (1978) is from Stony Brook University, having completed a B.S. Freds love of music didnt emerge until later in his life. So for me, the planets were in a crazy alignment. As of July2012 Schneider was living on Long Island, New York. [1] Schneider is well known for his sprechgesang, which he developed from reciting poetry over guitars. Though over the next few years rap and dance artists started to address the virus in their lyrics, the rock world largely ignored it. But living together was like The Shining sometimes. Schneider's research has focused on various aspects of . They certainly looked like a happy couple a close friend Tweeted on Friday (March 3). In 1979, the B-52's signed a recording contract with Warner Bros. Records for South America, North America, Australia, and New Zealand. Obituaries Section. Cindy Wilson: Suny Lyons has his own way of mixing thats very modern. [2] After graduating from Shore Regional High School, he attended the University of Georgia, where he wrote a book of poetry for a class project. Arguably the biggest party band of the late-'70s punk/new wave era was the B-52s, which featured a total of three singers: bouffant wig-wearing frontwoman Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson, as well as the just as quirky Fred Schneider. Fred Schneider & The Shake Society LP, Album, Reissue Warner Bros. Records - 604.7083 , Warner Bros. Records - 26.140 , Warner Bros. Records - 75 9925158-1 It was frightening, he says. reported. Fred Schneider. Schneider turned 62 this summer, bandmate Kate Pierson is 65, Strickland is 59 and Wilson, the baby of the group is 56.In a text message to me Monday, Schneider explained that after more than three and a half decades of planes, trains, automobiles and lost luggage, hes road weary: Ive been doing it for 35 years and Im tired. Schneider: The music wasnt always fully formed until after. Fred Shabel, Famous Basketball Coach, Recently Died. American singer, songwriter, arranger, and musician, For other people named Fred Schneider, see, "Fred Schneider Biography, Songs, & Albums", "Interview: Fred Schneider of the B-52's", "Love Shacks and Nude Parties: The B-52's in Their Own Words", "B-52's Schneider gets satellite radio show", "Fred Schneider talks B-52s 35th anniversary", "The B-52s' Fred Schneider Was Inspired by Yoko Ono", "B-52's Fred Schneider Says Don't Eat The Lobster", Time Capsule: Songs for a Future Generation, The B-52's Time Capsule: Videos for a Future Generation 19791998, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fred_Schneider&oldid=1142164873, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using infobox musical artist with associated acts, Articles containing potentially dated statements from July 2012, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Articles lacking reliable references from January 2023, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Schneider is featured on the track "Mr. Used-To-Be" on, Fred Schneider is featured on "Stinky Dinky", track 9 of, The 1994-produced track "Do the Funky Something" by Godchildren of Soul features Fred Schneider and could be found on the GOS album, He was a guest vocalist on the track "National Anthem of Love" on, The 2004 release of the compilation album, Fred Schneider appears on the Ursula 1000 song ", Schneider appears on two titles of the album. Schneider, the B-52's singer born in Newark and raised in Oceanport, will be at the IFC Center in New York City on Monday, Nov. 8, to present a . August 26, 1925 - May 9, 2022. But we hit it off right away. Why didnt they finish an album? After college, he was a janitor as well as a Meals on Wheels driver. Frederick William Schneider III was born on July 1, 1951, in Newark, New Jersey, and lived in Long Branch, New Jersey after moving there . Frederick Schneider. their deceased beloved Husband, Father and Relativ, the late MB HENRY FREDERICK . Pierson also donned a flower crown. SCHNEIDER, Fred Entered into eternal rest on April 5, 2005, Frederick Carl Schneider, husband of Marcia McMillan Schneider. Born Frederick William Schneider III on 1st July, 1951 in Newark, New Jersey, he is famous for Frontman of the B-52`s in a career that spans 1975present. Fred Schneider of Hatboro passed away Thursday, July 11, 2019. Most Popular Boost Birthday Show Birthday. I dont think they had the term HIV. Youd see people with [the marks of] Kaposis sarcoma. Schneider. Their brightly colored vintage ensembles (We had no money and bought clothes that we liked, explains Schneider), along with Cindys and Piersons epic beehive wigs and fake eyelashes, originated thrift-store chic, making Andy Warhols Factory habitues look like wallflowers by comparison. Celebrity Bridesmaids: See All the Photos! But as they got to work on fourth album Bouncing Off the Satellites, Warner Bros. started pressuring them. At first, Rock Lobsters success was a complete surprise. We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 1 July. In 2008, Schneider debuted a new side project, the Superions, a witty retro-pop group he formed with friends Noah Brodie and Dan Marshall. [5], The B-52's got their start in 1976 when founders Cindy Wilson, Ricky Wilson, Kate Pierson, Keith Strickland, and Schneider played an impromptu number after drinking at a Chinese restaurant in Athens, Georgia. And we were making people have fun and dance. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google. I said, What are you laughing at? He said, I just wrote the stupidest riff. It was for Rock Lobster, their first single. In 197576, Schneider hand-wrote approximately 100 copies of a short book of his poems entitled, In 1987, Schneider wrote a paperback book of mostly poetry entitled, This page was last edited on 28 February 2023, at 21:42. Also learn how He earned most of networth at the age of 69 years old? Cindy and I, from the beginning, did not dress for beauty. Some hawker was passing out cards for a strip club & in a loud whisper said "Boobies. Was there a secret wedding? Its kind of playful at times, but its definitely [directed] inward. Left to right: Keith Strickland, drums; Ricky Wilson, guitar; Fred Schneider, vocals; Cindy Wilson, guitar and vocals; Kate Pierson, keyboards and vocals. Full disclosure: Schneider has recorded the narration for Sassafrass Jones and the Search for a Forever Home, a new childrens book I co-authored with Schneiders old friend and Atlanta resident Cathleen Smith Bresciani. ! And she was going on about a tin roof or something. Last Name. Piersons new solo effort was just released in February. Two years later, Strickland reached out to the remaining trio to say he had coped with his grief by writing new songs. We all contributed to it. Its a fictitious place, but the whole idea is that everyones welcome to the party., The B-52s honoured their Athenian past in Deadbeat Club, remembering the time before they were famous, when they either had deadbeat jobs or no jobs hence the title and would live the lives of art students. I would jam with Keith in his basement on the spur of the moment. Submit an . It was 30 minutes to the train and an hour into New York or something like that, which was crazy. After a while, I really got into it. They also signed with Island Records for the UK, Asia, and Europe. Wacky was the word people used. Ted Town/Toronto Star via Getty Images. But Ricky had only confided to Strickland about his AIDS diagnosis. Johann filed on a . Listen to the latest episode of Bandcamp Radio. Frederick William Schneider III (born July 1, 1951) is an American singer, songwriter, arranger, and musician, best known as frontman of the rock band the B-52's, of which he is a founding member. Help keep Fred Schneider profile up to date. But Fred was thinking of this place called the Hawaiian Ha-Le a juke joint out in the country, primarily African American but students would go there, and it would play great soul music.