Bradley James Nowell was an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
musician who served as lead singer and
guitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
ist of the
CaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
n band
SublimeSublime was an American ska punk band from Long Beach, California, formed in 1988. The band's line-up, unchanged until their breakup, consisted of Bradley Nowell , Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh . Michael "Miguel" Happoldt also contributed on a few Sublime songs, such as "New Thrash." Lou Dog, Nowell's...
. He died at the age of 28 from a
heroin overdose shortly before the release of Sublime's
self-titledSublime is the third and final album released by ska-punk band Sublime. Originally intended to be titled Killin' It, the band and record label agreed to substitute an eponymous title due to lead singer Bradley Nowell's death prior to the album's release...
major label debut.
Raised in
Long Beach, CaliforniaLong Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
, Nowell developed an interest in music at a young age. His father took him on a trip to the
Virgin IslandsThe Virgin Islands are the western island group of the Leeward Islands, which are the northern part of the Lesser Antilles, which form the border between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean...
during his childhood, which exposed him to
reggaeReggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
and
dancehallDancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s. In the mid-1980s, digital instrumentation became more prevalent, changing the sound considerably,...
music. Nowell played in various bands until forming the group Sublime with bassist
Eric WilsonEric John Wilson , was the bass player for Sublime and also bassist for Long Beach Dub Allstars . He was the bassist for the band Long Beach Shortbus, which was composed of several members of Long Beach Dub Allstars and Sublime. He was the youngest member of Sublime...
and drummer
Bud GaughFloyd "Bud" I. Gaugh IV is a rock music drummer who played in the bands Sublime , Long Beach Dub Allstars , Eyes Adrift Volcano , Del Mar and Sublime with Rome...
, whom he had met while attending California State University Long Beach. As Sublime gained success, Nowell struggled with a worsening addiction to
heroin. After several attempts to quit using drugs, Nowell died of a heroin overdose while Sublime was on tour on May 25, 1996.
Early life
Bradley Nowell was born and raised in
Long Beach, CaliforniaLong Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
to Jim and Nancy Nowell (
néeNEE is a political protest group whose goal was to provide an alternative for voters who are unhappy with all political parties at hand in Belgium, where voting is compulsory.The NEE party was founded in 2005 in Antwerp...
Shomler), with his sister, Kellie. As a child, he enjoyed
surfingSurfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
and
sailingSailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
and often participated in boat races. As Nowell grew, he became a difficult child and was often hyperactive and disruptive. His mother recalled that he was "very emotional, very sensitive, very artistic, but he was needy...He was always testing just to see what he could get away with." Nowell's rebellious behavior increased when his parents divorced when he was ten years old. His mother was awarded custody of Nowell, but found him too difficult to control on her own and he subsequently moved in with his father full-time at age twelve.
Music was an integral part of Nowell's upbringing. In the summer of 1979, Nowell bonded with his father Jim Nowell during a month-long sailing trip in the
Virgin IslandsThe Virgin Islands are the western island group of the Leeward Islands, which are the northern part of the Lesser Antilles, which form the border between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean...
, which first exposed him to
reggaeReggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
music. After the trip, he began to play the guitar with other teenagers in his neighborhood. Nowell's father was a big fan of
Jimmy BuffettJames William "Jimmy" Buffett is a singer-songwriter, author, entrepreneur, and film producer. He is best known for his music, which often portrays an "island escapism" lifestyle. Together with his Coral Reefer Band, Buffett's musical hits include "Margaritaville" , and "Come Monday"...
and encouraged him to learn guitar. In 1982, 9th grader Brad Nowell joined a band of Belmont Shore/Long Beach neighborhood children called Second Sight for about one week. At the age of thirteen, he began playing guitar and started his first band Hogan's Heroes with
Eric WilsonEric John Wilson , was the bass player for Sublime and also bassist for Long Beach Dub Allstars . He was the bassist for the band Long Beach Shortbus, which was composed of several members of Long Beach Dub Allstars and Sublime. He was the youngest member of Sublime...
, who would later become the bassist of Sublime. Nowell and Wilson met in sixth grade and lived across the street from each other; during this time, Nowell was described as a "gifted kid with many friends." On holidays, Nowell would sing and play guitar with his father and uncles for hours. Nowell attended
Wilson Classical High SchoolWoodrow Wilson Classical High School is a secondary school in Long Beach, California. It is part of the Long Beach Unified School District and opened in 1925.-Overview:Wilson High School opened in 1925 as the second school in the city....
in
Long Beach, CaliforniaLong Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
as well as the University of California Santa Cruz, which he dropped out of one semester shy of earning a degree in
finance"Finance" is often defined simply as the management of money or “funds” management Modern finance, however, is a family of business activity that includes the origination, marketing, and management of cash and money surrogates through a variety of capital accounts, instruments, and markets created...
.
Career with Sublime
According to "Westwood One Interview" on disc three of the Sublime box set, Nowell got together with bassist Eric Wilson and drummer Bud Gaugh, and began performing in small shows at house parties and barbecues in 1988. The band was often forced to leave the parties they performed at due to excessive noise, which would result in neighbors calling the police. Sublime gained a reputation for their rowdy behavior and eventually became one of the most popular bands in Southern
CaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Despite their success, music venues were skeptical of the band's eclectic musical fusion and many refused to book the band. In response, Nowell and Wilson created their own music label,
Skunk RecordsSkunk Records is a Long Beach, California based record label that was founded by Michael "Miguel" Happoldt and Bradley Nowell in 1990. The label also operates a subsidiary, Cornerstone RAS....
, and told venues that they were "Skunk Records recording artists", which helped the band seem more accomplished and subsequently book more shows. The band produced and distributed Sublime's early recordings on the label. The band's demo tapes were later sold at shows and local record stores.
In 1990, music student
Michael "Miguel" HappoldtMichael 'Miguel' Happoldt is an American musician who worked most notably with the US rock/reggae groups Sublime and Long Beach Dub Allstars, as well as co-founding the Skunk Records record label...
approached the band, offering to let the band record in the studio at the school where Happoldt was studying. The band enthusiastically agreed and trespassed into the school at night, where they recorded from midnight to seven in the morning. The recording session resulted in the popular cassette tape called
Jah Won't Pay the Bills, which was released in 1991. The tape helped the band gain a grassroots following throughout Southern California. Nowell quickly became involved in the scene's drug culture. For years, Nowell had feared and refused to try
heroin; however, as he entered his twenties and witnessed his band gaining success, he decided to try the drug. Nowell's father recalled: "His excuse for taking the heroin was that he felt like he had to be larger than life. He was leading the band, leading his fans, and he had to put on this persona. He had heard a lot of musicians say that they were taking heroin to be more creative."
In 1992,
40 Oz. to Freedom40oz. to Freedom is the 1992 debut album by the Southern California ska-punk band Sublime released by Skunk Records and again by MCA. 40oz. to Freedom received mixed critical reviews upon its first release, but has earned an improved public perception since...
was released. Sixty-thousand copies of
40 Oz. were distributed and sold from the trunk of Nowell's car after each show. Despite growing popularity in Southern California, Sublime still had not landed a record deal with a major label. Around this same time Nowell teamed up with longtime friend
Gwen StefaniGwen Renée Stefani is an American singer-songwriter and fashion designer. Stefani is the lead vocalist for the rock and ska band No Doubt. Stefani recorded her first solo album Love. Angel. Music. Baby. in 2004. The album was inspired by music of the 1980s, and was a success with sales of over...
, of fellow Southern California ska band
No DoubtNo Doubt is an American rock band from Anaheim, California that formed in 1986. The ska-pop sound of their first album No Doubt , failed to make an impact...
, to record the single "Saw Red". The single was eventually released on Sublime's
Robbin' the HoodRobbin' the Hood is the second album by the Southern California ska punk band Sublime, which was released in 1994.- Context and production values :...
album. Sublime performed quite a few local shows with local LBC bands, One Hit Wonder, Candida, The Cadilac Tramps, and Dos but Brad's hopes of finding a label to support them began to fade, as Nowell's
heroin abuse hit critical levels and rapidly ate through the band's travel funds. About a year later, Tazy Phillipz took a copy of
40 Oz. to Freedom to
Los AngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
radio stationRadio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
KROQ-FMKROQ-FM — branded 106.7 KROQ — is a commercial modern rock radio station licensed to Pasadena, California serving the Greater Los Angeles. The call sign is pronounced "kay rock." It is the flagship station of Loveline hosted by Dr...
, requesting that Sublime's "Date Rape" be added to the playlist. Soon after, MCA records picked up
40 Oz. to Freedom for nationwide distribution.
Attention from a major label did not curb Nowell's drug use, which sometimes led him to pawn his instruments and sell drugs, as reflected in his song "Pawn Shop." The song "
Pool SharkRobbin' the Hood is the second album by the Southern California ska punk band Sublime, which was released in 1994.- Context and production values :...
" is another song which reflects his struggle with addiction.
In February 1996, Sublime returned to the studio to record the bulk of their self-titled major label debut album. Production was done by
Paul LearyPaul Leary is an American musician from Austin, TX, best known as the guitarist for American rock band Butthole Surfers. He is also the producer of a number of songs and albums by other bands, including U2, Sublime, the Meat Puppets, Daniel Johnston, The Reverend Horton Heat, Pepper, Maggie...
of the
Butthole SurfersButthole Surfers is an American alternative rock band formed by Gibby Haynes and Paul Leary in San Antonio, Texas in 1981. The band has had numerous personnel changes, but its core lineup of Haynes, Leary, and drummer King Coffey has been consistent since 1983. Teresa Nervosa served as second...
(and producer of
Marcy PlaygroundMarcy Playground is an American alternative rock band consisting of three members: John Wozniak , Dylan Keefe , and Shlomi Lavie . The band is best known for their 1997 hit "Sex and Candy".-Early years:...
and
Meat PuppetsThe Meat Puppets are an American rock band formed in January 1980, in Phoenix, Arizona. The group's original lineup was Curt Kirkwood , his brother Cris Kirkwood , and Derrick Bostrom . The Kirkwood brothers met Bostrom while attending Brophy Prep High School in Phoenix...
) at
Willie NelsonWillie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized...
's Pedernales Studio in
Austin, TexasAustin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
.
Death
Just days after Nowell's marriage to Troy Dendekker on May 18, 1996 Sublime embarked on a drug-fueled five-day tour through Northern California, with a European and an East Coast tour to follow. On the morning of May 25, in San Francisco, drummer
Bud GaughFloyd "Bud" I. Gaugh IV is a rock music drummer who played in the bands Sublime , Long Beach Dub Allstars , Eyes Adrift Volcano , Del Mar and Sublime with Rome...
woke up to find Nowell lying half-way across a bed, with his knees and feet on the floor. At first, Gaugh assumed he had been too intoxicated to get into bed; however, further inspection allowed him to notice a green film around his mouth, and it became apparent that he had overdosed on heroin. Gaugh called for paramedics, but Nowell had died several hours earlier, and was pronounced dead at the scene. Nowell was
crematedCremation is the process of reducing bodies to basic chemical compounds such as gasses and bone fragments. This is accomplished through high-temperature burning, vaporization and oxidation....
and his ashes were spread over his favorite surfing spot in Surfside, California. A headstone was placed at Westminster Memorial in
Westminster, California-Government:In the state legislature Westminster is located in the 34th, Senate District, represented by Democrat Lou Correa and Republican Tom Harman respectively, and in the 67th and 68th Assembly District, represented by Republicans Jim Silva and Van Tran respectively...
in his memory.
A few weeks after Nowell's death, fellow Southern California band
No DoubtNo Doubt is an American rock band from Anaheim, California that formed in 1986. The ska-pop sound of their first album No Doubt , failed to make an impact...
headlined a "cautionary"
benefit concertA benefit concert or charity concert is a concert, show or gala featuring musicians, comedians, or other performers that is held for a charitable purpose, often directed at a specific and immediate humanitarian crisis. Such events raise both funds and public awareness to address the cause at...
in tribute to Nowell. Nowell's widow and the various bands who performed wanted to make it clear that they were not glamorizing the way that Nowell died, but that they wanted to celebrate his life as well as establish a college fund for his son, Jakob.
On January 11, 1997
Los Angeles TimesThe Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
article titled "Cautionary Concert in Rocker's Memory", writer Jerry Crowe quoted No Doubt bassist
Tony KanalTony Kanal is an English musician, record producer and songwriter. Kanal is the bassist for the American rock band No Doubt...
as saying: "Obviously, it's going to be very emotional because you're there playing a show to commemorate a good friend who died and died for very wrong reasons. But you're also there to change things for the future and prevent stuff like that from ever happening again. A lot of times we hear about musicians using drugs and it's so blasé and cliched. You just kind of say, 'Oh, he'll be fine. Somebody will take care of him.' But that's not true. It's important for every single one of us to stand up and say, 'Enough of this [expletive].' It's time to make a difference".
Jason Westfall, one of Sublime's managers, was quoted as saying that the other members of Sublime had no interest in continuing to perform and record under the "Sublime" name, saying "Just like
NirvanaNirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
, Sublime died when Brad died". Sublime played their last show at the Phoenix Theater in Petaluma, California. In late 2010 and early 2011 the remaining band members, along with Rome Ramirez, began touring under the name "Sublime with Rome."
Post-death
In light of Nowell's death, record executives considered not releasing Sublime's major label debut album. After some debate, the album was eventually released, though the album's original title,
Killin It, was substituted with an eponymous title, and
SublimeSublime is the third and final album released by ska-punk band Sublime. Originally intended to be titled Killin' It, the band and record label agreed to substitute an eponymous title due to lead singer Bradley Nowell's death prior to the album's release...
was released on July 30, 1996.
By 1997, the album entered Billboard's Top 20, and its first single, the largely acoustic "
What I Got"What I Got" is a song from Sublime's eponymous third album titled Sublime and was the band's biggest radio hit, posthumously after singer Bradley Nowell's 1996 heroin overdose. It was the second single to be released by the band, following "Date Rape" . The song was one of the most popular singles...
", soon became the number one song on the Modern Rock chart. Throughout 1997, the album produced three more radio hits: "
Santeria"Santeria" is a song by Sublime on the album Sublime. The song includes the bassline and guitar riff from Sublime's earlier song "Lincoln Highway Dub" off the album Robbin' the Hood...
", "
Wrong Way"Wrong Way" is a 1997 single from Sublime's 1996 self-titled third album that fits squarely within the punk rock-inspired third wave ska movement of the 1990s...
", and "
Doin' Time"Doin' Time" is a single by the American band Sublime. It is featured on their self-titled third album. The lyrics tell of a cheating girlfriend, whose infidelities and poor treatment of her lover makes him feel like he is in prison. "Doin' Time" features heavy usage of lounge music...
". The accompanying music videos from
Sublime for radio hits including "Santeria", "What I Got", and "Wrong Way", received heavy rotation on
MTVMTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
, with previously filmed footage of Nowell performing live interspersed into the video. The footage used came mostly from shows in 1996.
To the surprise of many, Sublime became arguably the most successful American rock act of 1997.
Rolling StoneRolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
reported in March 2010 that the album
Sublime had sold over 6 million copies. Danin says of Nowell, "he will live inside all of us and will influence the music careers of many."
In 2009, Gaugh and Wilson teamed up with
Rome RamirezRoman René Ramírez , better known as Rome Ramirez or simply Rome, is an American singer and guitarist currently playing with Bud Gaugh and Eric Wilson from Sublime in a new venture...
to form
Sublime with RomeSublime with Rome is a musical collaboration between Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh, formerly of the band Sublime, and singer and guitarist Rome Ramirez. The group chiefly performed songs by Sublime, which was fronted by Bradley Nowell until his death in 1996...
after an attempt to reform the original Sublime was banned by Nowell's estate. The new band plays all of original Sublime's songs except for "Caress Me Down", which Rome refuses to play because of the lyrics "Mucho gusto, me llamo Bradley" ("Pleased to meet you, my name is Bradley"). Rome did not want to change the lyrics or sing the song out of respect for Bradley Nowell and his fans. The band also records original music. Their 2011 debut album
Yours TrulyYours Truly is the debut album by rock group Sublime with Rome, which was released on July 12, 2011. It is the first album since the original Sublime disbanded in 1996, due to lead singer and guitarist Bradley Nowell's death. According to the liner notes, the album is dedicated to him...
is a dedication to Nowell.
Marriage and fatherhood
While on tour in the mid-1990s, Nowell met Troy Dendekker, and they started dating. In September 1994, Troy became pregnant. In June 1995, Dendekker gave birth to a son, Jakob James Nowell. A week before Nowell died, the couple married in a
HawaiiHawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
an-themed ceremony in
Las VegasThe Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
.
In an interview with
Rolling StoneRolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine, Dendekker said that Nowell was very happy and pleasant to be around when he was under the influence of substances such as DMT and inhalants, but added that he could be very difficult when not under the influence of favorite intoxicant. The goal, Dendekker said, was to try to have Nowell be as happy sober as he was when he was high. To that end, Nowell attempted detoxification and
drug rehabilitationDrug rehabilitation is a term for the processes of medical or psychotherapeutic treatment, for dependency on psychoactive substances such as alcohol, prescription drugs, and so-called street drugs such as cocaine, heroin or amphetamines...
several times, even to the extent that at times he would make trips to San Diego to illegally (at the time) buy buprenorphine (Suboxone) on the black market because he was all too aware that methadone is harder to kick than heroin. Brad then went to a high end rehab home in Laguna Beach called Spencer Recovery Center. It was on one of these sober trips to San Diego where he met Miles from Slightly Stoopid and they became instant friends, eventually putting Slightly Stoopid on Skunk Records. But such treatments usually had short-lived success which usually disappointed Nowell's family and friends. Bandmate Bud Gaugh tried to be supportive of Nowell in his recovery, and occasionally in his usage. Gaugh has said he tried to be Nowell's "conscience," and in some cases Gaugh tried to be Nowell's "drug buddy."
Lou Dog
In February 1990, Nowell adopted an abused
dalmatianThe Dalmatian is a breed of dog whose roots are often said to trace back to Dalmatia, a region of Croatia where the first illustrations of the dog have been found. The Dalmatian is noted for its unique black- or brown-spotted coat and was mainly used as a carriage dog in its early days...
puppy from a shelter and named him "Louie" after his grandfather. Also referred to as "Lou Dog", the dog became something of a
mascotThe term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
for the band Sublime. Gaugh recalled that "Lou Dog just loved Brad because it was the first time he had ever actually been shown love." Lou Dog was often allowed to wander the stage during live Sublime concert performances. Louie was also often featured on the cover of Sublime albums, and was referred to in the lyrics of Sublime songs. The first lyrics Nowell sings on Sublime's major label debut album are, "We took this trip to Garden Grove/It smelled like Lou Dog inside the van". In Sublime's most successful radio track, "What I Got", Nowell sings, "Livin' with Louie Dog's the only way to stay sane." He also mentions his Dalmatian in the song other times, like in the lyric "I got a Dalmatian, and I can still get high", as well as "I don't cry when my dog runs away." The song "
Doin' Time"Doin' Time" is a single by the American band Sublime. It is featured on their self-titled third album. The lyrics tell of a cheating girlfriend, whose infidelities and poor treatment of her lover makes him feel like he is in prison. "Doin' Time" features heavy usage of lounge music...
" also refers to Lou Dog in the line "Me and Louie, run to the party...". Nowell would also sometimes begin live songs by referencing Lou Dog, and can be heard on the live version of "Caress Me Down" from
Stand By Your VanStand by Your Van is a live album by the band Sublime. Tracks 1-11 were recorded live at Kommotion, San Francisco, on the 9th of September, 1994. Track 12 was recorded live at The Tressel Tavern, Everett, WA in November 1994. Tracks 13 and 14 were recorded at the Warped Tour, Asbury Park, NJ in...
yelling "Everybody say Louie - 1,2,3 LOUIE LOUIE LOUIE LOUIE LOUIE!" Nowell at times was known to invite his friends and their dogs over to film parodies of popular music videos. The dogs would pose as a band or an artist dressed in a little corresponding costume. This was later confirmed by Wilson in a 2003 interview conducted by a collaboration of SPIN and Dog Fancy Magazine.
In the early 1990s, Lou Dog disappeared for a week. In a video directed by Josh Fishel of Bargain Music
Sublime — Stories, Tales, Lies, & Exaggerations, Troy Nowell (Bradley Nowell's widow) says that for the week during which Lou Dog was lost, Nowell spent a great deal of time lying on the couch crying in response to the loss of his dog. Lou Dog was eventually returned to Nowell, who, in response to the situation, later covered the
Camper Van BeethovenCamper Van Beethoven is an American alternative rock group formed in Redlands, California in 1983.An eclectic band, Camper Van Beethoven mixes elements of pop, ska, punk rock, folk and alternative country, as well as various types of world music. Their aggressive musical pluralism created a...
song "The Day That Lassie Went To The Moon" and changed it to "Lou Dog Went to the Moon"; this song is available on the Nowell
bootlegA bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...
"Firecracker Lounge". While Lou was missing, Nowell also recorded this song to his home
answering machineThe answering machine or message machine, also known as the telephone answering machine in the UK and some Commonwealth countries) and previously known as an ansaphone, ansafone, or telephone answering device is a device for answering telephones and recording callers' messages.Unlike voicemail,...
as a sort of audio lost dog poster. As another homage to Lou, Nowell and Sublime composed, "I Love My Dog". A song sounding similar to that of
Bad BrainsBad Brains is an American hardcore punk band formed in Washington, D.C., in 1977. They are widely regarded as among the pioneers of hardcore punk, though the band's members objected to this term to describe their music. They are also an adept reggae band, while later recordings featured elements of...
"I Love I Jah", with the lyrics referencing Lou.
Following Nowell's death in 1996, Lou Dog was cared for by Miguel. Lou Dog died on September 17, 2001.
In popular culture
Bradley is also the main subject of a song entitled "Brad Nowell" (see lyrics here http://www.plyrics.com/lyrics/subb/bradnowell.html) by
French CanadianFrench Canadian or Francophone Canadian, , generally refers to the descendents of French colonists who arrived in New France in the 17th and 18th centuries...
ska punk band
SubbSubb is a Canadian ska punk band formed in November 1992 in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec. Since their beginning in the early 90's, the band released four full-length albums, one EP and one split CD on the labels Stomp Records and Underworld Records. Though they experienced several lineup...
, that mentions Sublime, their musical style, and also Brad's dalmatian, Lou Dog.
G. Love & Special SauceG. Love & Special Sauce is an alternative hip-hop band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are known for their unique, "sloppy", and "laid back" blues sound that encompasses classic R&B. The band features Garrett Dutton, better known as G...
have dedicated two songs to Nowell: a remake of the Sublime song "Greatest Hits," and a song called "Dreamin'," which begins, "This song is dedicated in loving memory of Brad from Long Beach, California."
Fellow California punk rockers,
NOFXNOFX is an American punk rock band from Los Angeles, California .The band was formed in 1983 by vocalist/bassist Fat Mike and guitarist Eric Melvin. Drummer Erik Sandin joined NOFX shortly after. In 1991 El Hefe joined to play lead guitar and trumpet, rounding out the current line-up...
, refer to Nowell in their song "Door Nails", the lyric is "and this fix is for Bradley". The song centers around rockstars who have died from overdoses.
In the movie
GrindGrind is a 2003 American adventureassshole movie comedy film about four young aspiring amateur skaters Eric Rivers , Matt Jensen , Dustin Knight , and Sweet Lou Singer who are trying to make it in the world of pro skateboarding by pulling insane stunts in front of pro skater Jimmy Wilson...
, the main characters walk into a skate shop and
Tom GreenMichael Thomas "Tom" Green is a Canadian actor, rapper, writer, comedian, talk show host and media personality. Best known for his shock humour brand of comedy, Green found mainstream prominence via his MTV television show The Tom Green Show...
is behind the counter with a couple of turn tables trying to remix "
Smoke Two Joints"Smoke Two Joints" is a song originally written by The Toyes, who performed it in traditional Reggae style and released it in 1983. According to The Toyes, "one fine fall day on a small island" of Oahu in Hawaii, two of the band members, Jim and Sandy, were sitting under a large banyan tree on...
" unsuccessfully.
Duddy B of
The Dirty HeadsThe Dirty Heads are a Reggae rock band from Southern California with a melodic style that includes hip hop and punk genres. Their debut album, Any Port in a Storm, was released on September 23, 2008, by Executive Music Group .-History:...
references Bradley in the song "Believe": "I never wanted something so badly, I want to learn to play guitar and sing just like Bradley". The next few lines of the song also reference lyrics from What I Got.
Equipment
Amps
- Marshall
Marshall Amplification is a British company, founded by drummer Jim Marshall, that designs and manufactures music amplifiers, brands personal headphones/earphones , and, after acquiring Natal Drums, drums and bongos. Marshall amplifiers, and specifically their guitar amplifiers, are among the most...
JCM-800 Combo / 2x12
- Roland JC-120
Roland Jazz Chorus is the name given to a series of solid-state instrument amplifiers produced by the Roland Corporation in Japan since 1975. Its name comes from its built-in analog chorus effect, and its "pristine, clean sound" was often used in 1980s music by, for instance, funk musicians.The...
Jazz Chorus Combo / 2x12
- Mesa/Boogie {Triple Rectifier} Head / 4x12 Cabinet
Guitars
- Dan MacDonald Custom Electric Guitar - Body based on a mix of a 1960s Vox Hurricane and a G&L 100 guitar - Ebony Fretboard - Fitted with a Floyd Rose Vibrato System
- Ibanez S-470
The Ibanez S Series is a guitar series produced by Hoshino Gakki. Introduced in the late 1980s, the S Series is notable for being a streamlined mahogany bodied guitar with a maple neck that plays comfortably while retaining the resonance of mahogany...
Electric Guitar - Smoke Black - Flame Top
- Ibanez S-540
Bradley borrowed guitars many times from other bands.
Pedals
- Boss
Boss is a manufacturer of effects pedals for electric guitar and bass guitar. It is a division of the Roland Corporation, a Japanese manufacturer that specializes in musical equipment and accessories...
DD-3 Digital Delay
- Boss
Boss is a manufacturer of effects pedals for electric guitar and bass guitar. It is a division of the Roland Corporation, a Japanese manufacturer that specializes in musical equipment and accessories...
OS-2 Overdrive Distortion
- Whirlwind A/B Selector
See also
- Dub music
Dub is a genre of music which grew out of reggae music in the 1960s, and is commonly considered a subgenre, though it has developed to extend beyond the scope of reggae...
- Long Beach Dub All Stars
- Long Beach Shortbus
Long Beach Shortbus was a reggae-influenced punk band from Long Beach, California. The band consists of four regular members: RAS-1 , Trey Pangborn , Eric Wilson and Damion Ramirez...
- Sublime (band)
Sublime was an American ska punk band from Long Beach, California, formed in 1988. The band's line-up, unchanged until their breakup, consisted of Bradley Nowell , Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh . Michael "Miguel" Happoldt also contributed on a few Sublime songs, such as "New Thrash." Lou Dog, Nowell's...
External links