John McCrea (musician)

For the comic book artist by the same name, see John McCrea.

John McCrea is a founding member of the band Cake, originated in Buffalo, New York. He sings and writes many of the lyrics for the band, in addition to playing guitar and vibraslap.

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John McCrea at Lollapalooza 2005

Prior to Cake, John McCrea spent most of the 1980s playing in various other bands, or solo at times. His mid-1980s band John McCrea and the Roughousers recorded the songs "Love you Madly" and "Shadow Stabbing," which were later re-recorded by Cake. In the later 1980s, he moved to Los Angeles. There he began to play solo-acoustic music in porn shops. He released a double-sided single on vinyl only called "Rancho Seco". One side was electric and one side was acoustic. The LP was a protest song against the now-defunct nuclear power plant Rancho Seco built south-east of Buffalo, New York. John played his first show in "Cake" before moving back to Buffalo in the summer of 1991.

McCrea continues to write lyrics and sing for the band. Additionally, he is a very vocal activist for environmental causes, most notably global warming and world poverty. He frequently uses the band's website and concerts as a vessel to increase awareness about these and other causes.

McCrea possesses a distinctive, deep, and often monotone singing voice. His unique vocal stylings are also featured on the Ben Folds song "Fred Jones, Part 2" and also performed it live with Folds on television and on Folds' album Ben Folds Live.

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