Nick Hexum

Nick Hexum

Nicholas Lofton Hexum (born April 12, 1970) is an American musician, currently the vocalist and rhythm guitarist for the alternative rock band 311.

Early life

Born in Madison, Wisconsin, Hexum went to Westside High School in Omaha, Nebraska. There he played in the school's concert jazz band, and played in several local bands like "The Extras","The Ed's," "The Right Profile," and "Unity." In the late 1980s Nick moved to Los Angeles to pursue music, but he found his opportunity to be back home in Omaha just a couple of years later. His friend and future band mate, Chad Sexton, convinced him to move back to Omaha to start a band with other friends Aaron Wills and Jim Watson; this is the band that would eventually take the name 311.

311 formed

Main article: 311 (band)

311 began playing together in 1988. In 1990 Nick realized the only way for 311 to gain notoriety was to release albums, so Nick started his own record company called "What Have You Records" and used it to begin releasing 311 titles. The band released three albums, Dammit!, Unity, and Hydroponic, as well as one EP, Downstairs EP, before signing to Capricorn Records in 1992.

Personal life and other projects

Hexum appeared on the Joe Strummer track "It's A Rockin' World", from Chef Aid: The South Park Album alongside Flea and Tom Morello. Hexum contributed vocals for the track "Age of Consent" on the Neverending White Lights CD in 2006. Neverending White Lights is fronted by Daniel Victor and features various notable artists mainly from Canada and the United States.

Hexum collaborated with The Urge on "Jump Right In" on the Urge's Masters of Styles album, was featured on "Stay On" from Sugar Ray's 2001 self-titled album and has done reggae/hip-hop remixes for Lenny Kravitz, and No Doubt.

Nick Hexum bought a private island vacation rental off the coast of Florida, and has renamed the island from Money Key to Melody Key. Melody Key was available to be purchased for $4,900,000 and can also be rented. Nick announced he sold the island on March 17, 2011 because his priorities had changed and was not able to get to the island as much as he wanted.

Hexum also created a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting various environmental causes called Liberal Hexum, which focuses on global warming. Nick completed the Los Angeles Marathon as his first charity event; accepting per mile pledges to be donated to his PAC.

"Ginsing Clothing" (presumably a musical-reference spelling variant of "ginseng") is a clothing line owned and operated by Nick, started in the late 1990s.

During the 2004 presidential election, Nick hit the road with his brother, Zack Hexum, who is also a musician in support of John Kerry. They covered some of their favorites from bands like The Clash, XTC, Bob Marley, The Beatles, Coldplay, Radiohead, and others as well as playing some of their own songs. Despite Kerry's loss, the Hexum brothers stayed positive and continued on with their individual endeavors.

Nick still uses his label, What Have You Records, to produce other artists such as Pepper, The Matches, and Zack Hexum, his younger brother. Nick met Nicole Scherzinger, of the Pussycat Dolls, backstage at a Days of the New concert in 2000 or 2001. They dated and later became engaged but broke it off sometime in 2004. Nick married Nikki, a writer/painter who had worked with Val Kilmer for years on New Year's Eve 2008. Their daughter, Echo Love Hexum, was born in a home birth on August 29, 2009.

Nick has had several different solo performances outside of 311 in 2010. He performed at Club Haze in Las Vegas on 4/29/2010, at Candleight Serenade Acoustic Festival which benefits Child Rescue on 8/21/2010, and at Pechanga Casino's Silk Nightclub he'll do a solo DJ mash-up vocal performance, spinning a mash-up of 311 songs and singing over them, just to get the party started on 9/11/2010.