Alan Vega Biography

Alan Vega, Musician
Born asBoruch Alan Bermowitz
Occup.Musician
FromUSA
BornJune 23, 1938
Brooklyn, New York, USA
DiedJuly 16, 2016
New York City, New York, USA
Aged78 years
Early Life
Alan Vega was born as Boruch Alan Bermowitz on June 23, 1938, in Brooklyn, New York, USA. He was an American musician and visual artist, best referred to as the straw man of the electronic protopunk duo Suicide. Born into a Jewish family, he was raised in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn. He went to Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Brooklyn College with a bachelor's degree in both physics and fine arts.

Profession and Artistic Endeavors
Before forming Suicide, Alan Vega belonged to a visual art group called Project of Living Artists, based in Manhattan's SoHo district. He was active in the New York City art scene, relating to noted artists such as Andy Warhol, Richard Hell, and others. His art integrated sculpture, light, and noise, being heavily influenced by the early minimalist movement. His work was exhibited in galleries and museums throughout the United States and Europe.

In 1970, Vega formed Suicide with Martin Rev, with Vega on vocal and Rev on keyboards. The duo became understood for their minimalist noise and Vega's distinct vocal design, which combined punk rock with electronic music. They launched their self-titled launching album in 1977, which is considered a seminal operate in the electronic music genre. Their most famous tracks include "Ghost Rider", "Cheree", and "Frankie Teardrop". Throughout their career, Suicide would go on to launch five studio albums and had a significant influence on the electronic and punk music scene.

Aside from his deal with Suicide, Alan Vega likewise pursued a solo profession. He released his launching solo album, 'Alan Vega,' in 1980, followed by seven more studio albums, including 'Collision Drive' (1981), 'Saturn Strip' (1983), and 'Deuce Avenue' (1990). He continued to produce music along with visual art while visiting the world as a solo artist.

Cooperations and Influence
Alan Vega's impact extended beyond music and visual art, as he frequently collaborated with other musicians and bands. Some of the most well-known cooperations were with singer-songwriter Alex Chilton and the Clash, with whom Suicide explored in 1978. He also worked together with Ric Ocasek of the Cars, who produced Vega's 'Saturn Strip' album, and French artist Christophe, with whom he released the album "Master of Confusion" (2004).

Vega's deal with Suicide affected various music genres, consisting of post-punk, commercial, new wave, and synth-pop. Many artists cited him as a motivation, such as Bruce Springsteen, who revealed that Vega's "Frankie Teardrop" assisted him write his hit song "State Trooper".

Personal Life and Death
Alan Vega married his partner, Liz Lamere, in the 1990s. The couple had a child, Dante Vega-Lamere, born in 2002. Vega lived a reasonably private life, preventing the spotlight while focusing on his work and craft.

On July 16, 2016, Alan Vega died quietly in his sleep at the age of 78. His death was verified by his son, Dante, and veteran music partner, Martin Rev. Following his death, various artists commemorated Vega's influence on music and his lasting tradition in the electronic and punk scenes.

Legacy
Alan Vega's distinct combination of hard rock spirit and electronic music experimentation left a lasting effect on the music world. The ingenious noises of Suicide influenced a brand-new generation of musicians to press limits and explore brand-new musical styles. Today, Vega is remembered as a pioneering figure in electronic and punk music, and his deal with Suicide has made important praise for its ingenious and groundbreaking qualities. With his impact covering categories and generations, Alan Vega's contributions to music and art will not be forgotten.

Our collection contains 25 quotes who is written / told by Alan.

Related authors: Ric Ocasek (Musician), Richard Hell (Musician), Alex Chilton (Musician), Bruce Springsteen (Musician), Lawrence Taylor (Athlete), Andy Warhol (Artist), Christo (Artist)

Frequently Asked Questions
  • Q: What was Alan Vega cause of death?
    A: Sleep apnea and pulmonary edema.
  • Q: Alan Vega elvis
    A: Alan Vega was often called the 'punk Elvis' due to his Elvis Presley-like stage presence.
  • Q: Who was Alan Vega wife?
    A: Alan Vega's wife was Liz Lamere.
  • Q: What was Alan Vega ethnicity?
    A: Alan Vega was of Puerto Rican and Galician descent.
  • Q: Alan Vega discogs
    A: Alan Vega's Discogs profile lists his discography, including solo albums and works with Suicide.
  • Q: Alan Vega mutator
    A: 'Mutator' is a posthumous album by Alan Vega, released in 2021.
  • Q: Alan Vega ice drummer
    A: 'Ice Drummer' is a track from Alan Vega's 1996 album 'Bullet Hell.'
  • Q: How old was Alan Vega?
    A: He became 78 years old
Discography:
Source / external links:

25 Famous quotes by Alan Vega

Small: Thats what my music... Im working on a solo record right now, its gonna be more hip-hop than anything,
"That's what my music... I'm working on a solo record right now, it's gonna be more hip-hop than anything, like electronic hip-hop, futuristic hip-hop. I'm probably gonna be rapping on it"
Small: But of course its always gonna be Suicide, our fingerprints, ya know? You cant ever get rid of that
"But of course it's always gonna be Suicide, our fingerprints, ya know? You can't ever get rid of that"
Small: Youre gonna laugh when I tell you this, man, but Im starting to enjoy Eminem
"You're gonna laugh when I tell you this, man, but I'm starting to enjoy Eminem"
Small: Marty and I are playing with the same intensity. Thats the beautiful thing, man, were actually better n
"Marty and I are playing with the same intensity. That's the beautiful thing, man, we're actually better now than ever, probably more intense now than ever, tighter now than ever"
Small: It was when I saw Iggy Pop, thats what did it for me. That changed my life pretty much
"It was when I saw Iggy Pop, that's what did it for me. That changed my life pretty much"
Small: I did a couple songs with this hip-hop guy named Tim Dark. He was working in the same studio Ive been w
"I did a couple songs with this hip-hop guy named Tim Dark. He was working in the same studio I've been working in, he heard my music and he said, aw man, I've got to do something with you"
Small: I always said I was never gonna be an entertainer, Suicide was never supposed to be entertainment
"I always said I was never gonna be an entertainer, Suicide was never supposed to be entertainment"
Small: And I learned a lot from working with this kid, and I think hes gonna be a big star. Remember the name,
"And I learned a lot from working with this kid, and I think he's gonna be a big star. Remember the name, Tim Dark, because he has something about his voice that's different from all the other rappers, even though his style is similar"
Small: We played in Texas about a year ago, at Emos, the famous country and western club in Austin. And I figu
"We played in Texas about a year ago, at Emo's, the famous country and western club in Austin. And I figured, well, if I'm finally gonna die onstage, that's where it's going to be!"
Small: People said that way back in the early days I was probably one of the first rappers the reason is that
"People said that way back in the early days I was probably one of the first rappers; the reason is that I couldn't sing, so I had to talk! Lou Reed was probably the one who started it all"
Small: But, Eminem... No, Ive loved rap for a long time, especially when it got out of its first period and be
"But, Eminem... No, I've loved rap for a long time, especially when it got out of its first period and became this gangsta rap, ya know this heavy rap thing? That's when I started to fall in love with it. I loved the lyrics. I loved the beat"
Small: Were just getting better at our trade, man. We know what were doing, and the reason why is that weve sp
"We're just getting better at our trade, man. We know what we're doing, and the reason why is that we've spent 30 years doing it. There's nothing that can replace that"
Small: Lately Ive been listening to some classical music again, some jazz
"Lately I've been listening to some classical music again, some jazz"
Small: Im showing some of my sculptures in Holland in the spring, so well see
"I'm showing some of my sculptures in Holland in the spring, so we'll see"
Small: I like performers who I know are for real. You can tell, man, theres an intensity about their stuff. Yo
"I like performers who I know are for real. You can tell, man, there's an intensity about their stuff. You can tell right away they're real people, ya know?"
Small: Experience really does make you better, man
"Experience really does make you better, man"
Small: Thats why so much of the music today sounds so much alike, because theres no in-between. So its kind of
"That's why so much of the music today sounds so much alike, because there's no in-between. So it's kind of nice to still turn some buttons every now and then"
Small: Usually Im the one who does the covers. And I just said, man, it would be nice to see what somebody els
"Usually I'm the one who does the covers. And I just said, man, it would be nice to see what somebody else could do, outside of this thing. A fresher look. And I never, in a million years, would have come up with this. Believe me!"
Small: Thats something - you laugh about Eminem... Its funny, man, because I didnt like him when he first came
"That's something - you laugh about Eminem... It's funny, man, because I didn't like him when he first came out, ya know. It seemed like a big joke. But I think the guy's for real, and I like his lyrics!"
Small: I probably wont be able to hear it until five years from now anyway. Thats when I always hear my own mu
"I probably won't be able to hear it until five years from now anyway. That's when I always hear my own music. It takes five years to sit down with it after not hearing it for a couple of years"
Small: But it was great, we sit in the same dressing room where, like, Johnny Cash sat and Willie Nelson and a
"But it was great, we sit in the same dressing room where, like, Johnny Cash sat and Willie Nelson and all those guys. That was in itself something amazing - I was on the same space these guys stood on, ya know?"
Small: Thats what so sad about a lot of modern music, in my opinion, so many young bands never stay around lon
"That's what so sad about a lot of modern music, in my opinion, so many young bands never stay around long enough to fulfill their ultimate promise. They only get halfway there or a quarter of the way there"
Small: John Coltrane - Ive been listening to the Trane again. It blows you away, because I know more now and I
"John Coltrane - I've been listening to the 'Trane again. It blows you away, because I know more now and I hear more now and I had a life that I've lived!"
Small: Its easy for me to say that now, now Im a father, Ive got a four-and-a-half year old boy, Im a differen
"It's easy for me to say that now, now I'm a father, I've got a four-and-a-half year old boy, I'm a different person. Well, I'm still the same person, but I'm different"
Small: Every now and then you think about your life, what you would like to be, you start at Number 1 and you
"Every now and then you think about your life, what you would like to be, you start at Number 1 and you go down to 100. And down at the bottom, 100, was - Stage. Go figure. That would be the last thing. It terrified me, man. But I had to do it"