3 Doors Down
3 Doors Down |
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3 Doors Down is an American hard rock band from Escatawpa, Mississippi, formed in 1997. The band consists of Brad Arnold (vocals), Matt Roberts (guitars), Todd Harrell (bass), Chris Henderson (guitar), and Greg Upchurch (drums/percussion).[1]
The band rose to national fame with their first single, "Kryptonite" which charted in the top three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The band then signed onto Universal Records and released their debut album, The Better Life in 2000. The album was the 11th best-selling album of the year and was certified 6x platinum in the United States. Their second album, Away from the Sun (2002) continued the band's success: it debuted at #8 on the Billboard 200 chart and went multi-platinum in the United States like its predecessor. The band followed it up by extensive touring for two years before releasing their third album, Seventeen Days in 2005. The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart and was certified platinum within its first month of release. Their fourth self-titled album, 3 Doors Down also debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart.
The band often performs more than 300 concerts a year and have also performed with other artists such asLynyrd Skynyrd, Megadeth, Staind, Nickelback, Alter Bridge, Breaking Benjamin, Seether, Shinedown and Daughtry. Since the start of their career, 3 Doors Down has sold over 16 million albums worldwide.
History
Early years (1968–2000)
3 Doors Down was formed by drummer vocalist Brad Arnold, guitarist Matt Roberts and bassist Todd Harrell. The three were friends who had grown up together in Escatawpa, Mississippi, and who all shared a common interest in rock music. The band began playing locally around the city, playing a mix of both cover songs and original songs that would eventually be recorded on their first release. Brad Arnold eventually ended up not only drumming, but also acting as the group's singer, mainly because, as he puts it, "nobody else would do it, but I did and enjoyed it." Arnold is also their lyricist, and wrote some of their early hits when he was 15, often working on songs during math class.
The band eventually began to tour outside of their city, and it was during a trip to Foley, Alabama that they came up with their official name. When the three men were walking through the town, they saw a building where some letters had fallen off of its sign, and it read "Doors Down." Since at the time they consisted of three people, they added the "3" to create "3 Doors Down."[citation needed]
A couple of years after performing together, Todd Harrell asked guitarist Chris Henderson to join the band in order to make the sound more full. They recorded a demo CD of their original songs at Lincoln Recording in Pascagoula, Mississippi. Radio station 97.99 WCPR started playing the EP version of "Kryptonite", and it became the #1 requested song on the station for over 15 weeks and led to Universal Records signing the band.
The Better Life (2000–2001)
3 Doors Down's first album, The Better Life was released on February 2 , 2000, and went on to become the 11th best-selling album of that year, selling over 3 million copies. It has since been certified 6x platinum, thanks in large part to the international hit singles, "Kryptonite", "Loser", and "Duck and Run". A fourth single, "Be Like That", also did well and was actually re-recorded for the 2001 film American Pie 2, with alternate lyrics for the first 3 lines. This version is known as "The American Pie 2 Edit".
For recording the album, Brad Arnold recorded both the vocal and drum parts. However, when touring to support The Better Life, the band hired a drummer so that Arnold could perform at the front of the stage.
Away from the Sun (2002)
Session drummer Josh Freese was hired to record drums for Away from the Sun. Also, Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson produced and performed on three tracks for the record, "Dangerous Game", "Dead Love", and "Wasted Me", but only "Dangerous Game" would appear on the finished product. The band hired Canadian Daniel Adair to play drums for the Away From the Sun tour. He would go on to record the drums for the band's next studio release, and was with the band aboard the USS George Washington (CVN-73) to film the music video "When I'm Gone".
Another 700 Miles (2003)
In 2003, 3 Doors Down released a live E.P. entitled Another 700 Miles consisting of recordings from a live performance by the band in Chicago, Illinois. Another 700 Miles has since been certified Gold in the United States. Besides featuring some of 3 Doors Down's hit singles from their previous two albums, the E.P. also contains a version of the popular Lynyrd Skynyrd song "That Smell".
In 2003, the band began hosting the annual "3 Doors Down and Friends" benefit concert, through the band's own charity The Better Life Foundation. In 2006, this event was held at the Mobile Convention Center, with proceeds benefiting Hurricane Katrina survivors. As residents of Escawtawpa, the members of the band saw the effects of Katrina's devastation.[2]
Seventeen Days (2005–2007)
The band's third studio album, 2005's Seventeen Days, has since been certified platinum. "Let Me Go" and "Behind Those Eyes" charted with the most success. "Live for Today", "Landing in London" (on which Bob Seger provided back-up vocals and guitar), and "Here by Me" were also released as singles. During the Seventeen Days tour, the band appeared alongside southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, as well as headlined many shows of their own.
Also in 2005, the band released a live DVD entitled Away from the Sun: Live from Houston, Texas. The DVD was produced and directed by Academy Award nominated Alex Gibney and Doug Biro. It features songs from both The Better Life and Away from the Sun, and even some early sketches of "It's Not Me" and "Father's Son", which were both eventually released on Seventeen Days.
Greg Upchurch, formerly of Puddle of Mudd, replaced Daniel Adair in 2005, when Adair left to accept the position as drummer and contributing member of Nickelback.[3]
3 Doors Down (2008–2009)
3 Doors Down released their self-titled fourth album on May 20, 2008. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, selling 154,000 copies in its first week. It is the band's second consecutive #1 album on the chart after Seventeen Days, as well their fourth album to reach the Top Ten.[4] The album contains the hit singles "It's Not My Time", "Train", "Let Me Be Myself" and "Citizen/Soldier", a song written as a tribute to the National Guard. In 2009, 3 Doors Down, along with The Soul Children of Chicago, released the song “In The Presence Of The Lord” on the compilation album Oh Happy Day: An All-Star Music Celebration.[5] The album Oh Happy Day won a 2010 Grammy for Best Traditional Gospel Album. http://www.3doorsdown.com/forum/topics/a-grammy-win
The band recorded in 2009 a Christmas song called "Where My Christmas Lives", which was the first Christmas song Brad Arnold had ever written.[6] It was digitally released along with 7 acoustic songs on December the 8th. 6 of these acoustic tracks were from the previous self-titled album, and one was an acoustic version of 'Where my Christmas Lives'.
Untitled Album (2010-present)
On February 9, 2010, the band released a song called "Shine", through digital media such as iTunes, which will also be used as a promotion for the Olympics and will be available through digital outlets.[7] The band plans to begin touring again in April/May 2010. The new album is said to be a harder edged record similar to their debut. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Brad Arnold said that the album "is heavier than the last two and less commercial. We decided to do something different. To me, it's our best album yet." [8]
No release date for this album is confirmed yet.
Charity work
The Better Life Foundation
3 Doors Down started The Better Life Foundation (TBLF) in 2003, with a goal in mind to give as many children as possible a better life. Since its inception TBLF has supported numerous charities nationwide, as well as providing aid and assistance to the Gulf Coast region of Mississippi during Hurricane Katrina.
When the Mississippi town of Waveland took an especially hard hit from Katrina, the charity was able to purchase three police cars and a fire truck to help with rescue efforts. Also, in connection with Wal-Mart, they were able to supply the town with three semi-trucks full of rescue supplies. There was also extensive support from TBLF in providing funding for rebuilding efforts in the town.
3 Doors Down and The Better Life Foundation host a yearly show in at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Biloxi, MS to raise money for the charity. In addition to a concert from 3 Doors Down and friends, there is also an auction, which includes numerous items from musical friends, sports icons, and other various supporters of the band and the charity. There is an average of sixty items auctioned off yearly, and proceeds are given to TBLF.
This year's show will feature 3 Doors Down, MuzikMafia, and Switchfoot.
Past performers include, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Shinedown, Alter Bridge, Staind, Hinder, Tracy Lawrence, Sara Evans, and others.
Past auction items include a Paul Stanley guitar played on the KISS Farewell Tour, a total of four Roger Bourget motorcycles, access to the Dale Jr. racing suite, NASCAR artwork by Brad Daley, numerous signed guitars and sports memorabilia, just to name a few.
Information about the charity can be found here.
Members
Current members
- Brad Arnold — lead vocals
- Matt Roberts — lead guitar
- Chris Henderson — rhythm guitar
- Todd Harrell — bass guitar
- Greg Upchurch — drums, percussion (2005–present)
Former members
- Daniel Adair — drums, percussion (2003–2005)
- Richard Liles — drums, percussion (1999–2003)
Discography
- The Better Life (2000)
- Away from the Sun (2002)
- Seventeen Days (2005)
- 3 Doors Down (2008)
References
- ^ Proefrock, Stacia. "3 Doors Down > Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 2007-02-07.
- ^ Waddell, Ray. "3 Doors Down Plots Benefit, New Album" Billboard, October 16, 2006. Accessed October 12, 2007.
- ^ "3 Doors Down Grab Muddy Drummer". TotalRock.com. Retrieved 2007-10-12.
- ^ "3 Doors Down Cruises To No.1 On Album Chart". 2008. Retrieved 2008-05-28.
- ^ "Jon Bon Jovi, Queen Latifah go gospel for "Day"". Reuters. March 27, 2009.
- ^ Where My Christmas Lives Songfacts
- ^ 3 Doors Down To Release New Single
- ^ 3 Doors Down Planning New Album In 2010