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Jason Cropper

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Jason Cropper
Jason Cropper performing in 2018 with Rivers Cuomo
Jason Cropper performing in 2018 with Rivers Cuomo
Background information
Birth nameJason Rosanoff Cropper
Born (1971-06-27) June 27, 1971 (age 53)
OriginOakland, California, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • musician
  • songwriter
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • drums
Years active1985–present
LabelsGeffen

Jason Rosanoff Cropper (born June 27, 1971) is an American musician best known as an original member of the band Weezer.

Biography

Early years

Cropper picked up the guitar at age 16. His mother reports that he first "rocked" to a small 45 rpm record in his bedroom where he played "Let's Go to the Hop" by Danny and the Juniors. He was about two years old, and he loved it. He used to spend hours, as a very young child, listening to Tommy by The Who. He has never openly admitted what the first record he bought was, but his first "cool" album was Jimi Hendrix. He was a fan of various genres, like psychedelic, grunge, and punk. He was in various bands in his twenties before joining bands that contained the core members of what would become Weezer.

Weezer

Cropper was the original guitarist for Weezer, and as such was present at the band's first official band practice on February 14, 1992. He recorded on the band's first three official demo tapes previous to their signing to Geffen Records.

During the recording of their debut album, Weezer (aka The Blue Album) in 1993, Cropper learned that Amy Wellner, his girlfriend in Los Angeles, was pregnant. The ramifications of this news started affecting Cropper's personality and disrupting the band's working environment. When Wellner showed up unannounced in New York with no place to stay, Cuomo considered it the final straw and informed Cropper that he had to leave the band.[1] Weezer collaborator Karl Koch said: "He wasn't handling it well ... he always said he was fine, and then 20 minutes later he'd be up on the roof of Electric Lady screaming or something."[2] According to Cropper, lead singer Rivers Cuomo told him he could not allow him to jeopardize the band's work and asked him to leave.[2] He was replaced by guitarist Brian Bell.[3]

In 2014, Cropper said Cuomo had made the right decision.[2] In 2019, he said he believed Cuomo fired him mainly because of his relationship with his girlfriend, who visited the band while they recorded in New York, defying Cuomo's "no-girlfriends-while-we’re-recording" rule.[3] Bassist Matt Sharp said the decision was not triggered by a single event, but instead a series of "tiny infractions" that threatened the band's chemistry. Cuomo felt that if they were going to change the band, they had to do it before they released their first album and shot the album cover.[3] Cropper received a credit on "My Name Is Jonas" for writing the intro.[3]

The song "Jamie", featured on the 1994 DGC Rarities, Vol. 1 compilation, was recorded in 1993 and features Cropper on guitar and backing vocals. Prior to the expanded deluxe edition of The Blue Album in 2004, this was the only Weezer track released to feature Cropper on guitar and backing vocals.

Despite being fired from the band, Cropper has remained friends with the other members of Weezer and attended Rivers Cuomo's wedding in 2006.

Post-Weezer

After Cropper left Weezer, he and his then wife, Amy Wellner Cropper, formed the band Chopper One.[4] The pair (along with drummer Tyrone Rio) released the single "Free Lunch" in 1995, followed by the album Now Playing in 1997.

In January 1994, their first child, daughter Kiefer Rain Cropper, was born. Their son, Jake Hudson Cropper, was born in 1999, and another daughter, Devon Jade Cropper, was born in 2001. The couple divorced in 2004–2005.

In 1996, Cropper played guitar on Uncle Bob, an alt-rock album from 22 Jacks, which featured members of Wax, The Ramones, Adolescents and Agent Orange.[5]

2000s

After Chopper One ended, Cropper started the band pop punk supergroup Fliptop self-releasing a 5-track EP.[6] The band consisted of Cropper on vocals, guitars and piano, Dallan Baumgarten on guitars & vocals, Scott Shiflett on bass and Josh Freese on drums. The band played live shows around LA,[7][8] and some local Warped Tour Shows.

Cropper sang the theme song for the 2002–2003 American sitcom Andy Richter Controls the Universe and in early 2006 began showing signs of returning to the music business. In addition to posting songs on his MySpace page, he started recording and producing bands, including the Atlanta-based rock band Buffalo Alice, producing their second album Mitchell (2007) and credited for writing at least one song and playing guitar and singing on several songs. He continued to contribute to Buffalo Alice, co-writing and producing their third album Alexander Rosenhoff Testament: A Work Of Fiction (2008), and was listed for a time as bass player on the band's website.

2020s

In April 2020, Jason appeared on Rivers Cuomos "Island In The Zoom" shows. Also in April 2020, Jason appeared on two episodes of the "We'z Talkin' Weez' 2 Thee" podcast; one playing and discussing new music and the other breaking down Weezer's "The Blue Album" track by track. Throughout 2020 Jason performed livestreams on Facebook called "The Golden Hour." In July 2020, Jason released his solo debut single "Goodness Knows"

References

  1. ^ Valania, Jonathan (October 2, 2014). "EXCERPT: The Complete Oral History of Weezer". Magnet. Archived from the original on July 1, 2018. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
  2. ^ a b c Valania, Jonathan (October 2, 2014). "EXCERPT: The Complete Oral History of Weezer". Magnet. Archived from the original on July 1, 2018. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
  3. ^ a b c d Hiatt, Brian; Hiatt, Brian (August 28, 2019). "The Strange Birth and Near Death of Weezer". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 29, 2019.
  4. ^ "Ex-Weezer Guitarist Ready To Take Off With Chopper One". mtv.com.
  5. ^ "22 Jacks : Biography". CMT. Retrieved October 10, 2007.
  6. ^ "Fliptop 5 track release". Archived from the original on December 14, 2013. Retrieved December 11, 2013.
  7. ^ "Fliptop Show Pictures".
  8. ^ "Fliptop Show Setlist". Skaparade.com.
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