Above: Mike Ness appears on Gibson TV’s “My First Gibson,” watch
HERE.
At the early age of four-years-old, Social Distortion frontman Mike Ness began listening to the radio and discovered The Beatles, CCR, The Supremes and The Rolling Stones. Growing up in the working class suburb of Fullerton, California, he was raised on blues, classic rock, and country, and his earliest influences were pioneers of rock and roll; musicians that were controversial and rebellious.
Social Distortion survived their tumultuous youth to pioneer an undeniably honest and fiery brand of rock ‘n’ roll that would incorporate outlaw country, classic seventies punk and primal blues. Seven studio albums and countless electrifying live shows have earned the band a dedicated worldwide fanbase and catalog of timeless anthems including “Story Of My Life,” “Ball And Chain,” “Bad Luck,” “Machine Gun Blues,” and more. As he matured as a songwriter and musician, Ness’s solo recordings Cheating At Solitaire (1999), and Under The Influences (1999), incorporated the raw power and social relevance that has always marked his music, while embracing many of the defining styles in American rock and roll music. The Los Angeles Times described Ness as “one of the most underrated pure songwriters in rock.”
Mike continues to perform worldwide with Social Distortion. The band’s latest release, Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes–produced for the first time, by Ness himself–debuted at #4 on the Billboard Top 200 and was the highest debut yet for the band. Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes was also #1 on the Independent Album chart, and #2 on the Modern Rock/Alternative Albums chart.