Dean Ween

"Deaner" can also refer to the development codename of Centrophenoxine

Centrophenoxine

Meclofenoxate , also known as centrophenoxine, is a drug used to treat the symptoms of senile dementia and Alzheimer's disease. It is an ester of dimethylethanolamine and 4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid . DMAE is a natural substance, found especially in fish...

.

Dean Ween (also Deaner, b. 25 September 1970) is the stage name

Stage name

A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...

 of Michael "Mickey" Melchiondo, Jr., American guitarist and half of the alternative rock

Alternative rock

Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...

 group Ween

Ween

Ween is an American alternative rock group. They formed in 1984 in New Hope, Pennsylvania when central members Aaron Freeman and Mickey Melchiondo met in an eighth grade typing class. Ween has a large cult underground fanbase despite being generally unknown in American pop music...

.

Biography

Growing up, Melchiondo listened to a variety of music from The Beatles

The Beatles

The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...

 to Parliament/Funkadelic, to Leonard Cohen

Leonard Cohen

Leonard Norman Cohen, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. Cohen published his first book of poetry in Montreal in 1956 and his first novel in 1963. His work often explores religion, isolation, sexuality and interpersonal relationships...

 to Prince

Prince (musician)

Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...

, to The Ramones to Laurie Anderson. He has a very wide range of musical influences.

Dean later met Aaron Freeman (Gene Ween

Gene Ween

Aaron Freeman , best known as Gene Ween, is a musician and a founding member of the experimental alternative rock group Ween...

) in a junior high school typing class in their hometown of New Hope, Pennsylvania

New Hope, Pennsylvania

New Hope, formerly known as Coryell's Ferry, is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, USA. The population was 2,528 at the 2010 census. The borough lies on the west bank of the Delaware River at its confluence with Aquetong Creek. A two-lane bridge carries automobile and foot traffic across the...

, and although the two did not get along at first, they soon found they were soul brothers and thus adopted the common surname. The Ween brothers were soon spending all of their time in Melchiondo's bedroom, Melchiondo banging out songs on guitars tuned to open chords and Freeman wailing out the "good word" of the Boognish  (a demon god that first appeared outside of their classroom at school and offered them the scepters of wealth and power for their "services") into a cheap microphone. Within a few years, the two found themselves opening for the likes of underground favorites such as the Butthole Surfers

Butthole Surfers

Butthole 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 Henry Rollins

Henry Rollins

Henry Rollins is an American singer-songwriter, spoken word artist, writer, comedian, publisher, actor, and radio DJ....

.

In the wake of Ween's new success with Elektra Records

Elektra Records

Elektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group. In 2004, it was consolidated into WMG's Atlantic Records Group. After five years of dormancy, the label was revived by Atlantic in 2009....

 after releasing the albums Pure Guava

Pure Guava

-Personnel:Dean Ween - Guitar, Vocals, EngineerGene Ween - Vocals, EngineerMean Ween - VocalsGuy Heller - Vocals on "Flies On My Dick"Scott Lowe - Vocals, Whistle Larry Curtin - Vocals , Whistle Howie Weinberg - Mastering...

 and Chocolate & Cheese

Chocolate and Cheese

Chocolate and Cheese is Ween's fourth studio album, originally released by Elektra Records in 1994. It was the first Ween album to eschew the crude four-track home recordings of their first three albums and utilize a professional recording studio...

, Melchiondo started up another band with his friend Guy Heller (who had a guest appearance on Pure Guava) called the Moistboyz

Moistboyz

Moistboyz is a band founded by Mickey Melchiondo Jr. and Guy Heller . In the spirit of Melchiondo's other group, Ween, the two have donned aliases. Melchiondo is known as the character Mickey Moist and Heller as Dickie Moist. The first two Moistboyz LP's, now sold together on one CD, are very...

. This was his introduction to Ipecac Recordings

Ipecac Recordings

Ipecac Recordings is an independent record label based in California. It was founded on April 1, 1999 by Greg Werckman and Mike Patton Ipecac Recordings is an independent record label based in California. It was founded on April 1, 1999 by Greg Werckman (ex-label manager of Alternative Tentacles,...

 and also the source of his alternative title, "Mickey Moist" (Heller taking the name "Dickie Moist" in typical surname fashion). The Moistboyz' music was, for the most part, a clash of heavy metal

Heavy metal music

Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...

 and punk rock

Punk rock

Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...

 accompanied by lyrics focused on overtly offensive humor blended with a strange form of social commentary

Social commentary

Social commentary is the act of rebelling against an individual, or a group of people by rhetorical means, or commentary on social issues or society...

.

After having recorded 12 Golden Country Greats

12 Golden Country Greats

The original version of "Powder Blue" runs for 4:16 and ends with a sample from Muhammad Ali. Ween were denied permission to use the sample by the Ali lawyers, but Elektra pressed the album accidentally...

, an album of ten country tunes Ween had written over the years with the help of Charlie McCoy

Charlie McCoy

Charles "Charlie" Ray McCoy is an American musician noted for his harmonica playing. In his career, McCoy has backed several notable musicians including Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Tom Astor, Elvis Presley and Ween. He has also recorded thirty-seven studio albums, including fourteen for Monument Records...

, Buddy Harman

Buddy Harman

Buddy Harman was an American session musician.-Career:Born in Nashville, Tennessee, he played drums on over 18,000 sessions for artists such as Elvis Presley, Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton, Brenda Lee, Tammy Wynette, Loretta Lynn, Roy Orbison, Connie Francis, Chet Atkins, Marty Robbins, Roger Miller,...

, Bobby Ogdin and many other legendary session players in Nashville

Nashville, Tennessee

Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...

, he married longtime girlfriend Ellen Schmit (whom he met when she pulled up in her pickup truck at his job pumping gas at a Mobil Station). The couple had a baby boy in December 2000. The family currently resides in New Jersey

New Jersey

New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...

.

Dean made significant contributions to two projects by his friend Josh Homme

Joshua Homme

Joshua Michael Homme is an American rock musician, and record producer. He was the guitarist and a founding member of the stoner metal band Kyuss, as well as the founding and only continuous member of the hard rock band Queens of the Stone Age , in which he sings, plays guitar, and serves as the...

: The Desert Sessions

The Desert Sessions

The Desert Sessions are a musical collective series, founded by Josh Homme in 1997. Artists such as Brant Bjork, PJ Harvey, Jeordie White The Desert Sessions are a musical collective series, founded by Josh Homme in 1997. Artists such as Brant Bjork, PJ Harvey, Jeordie White The Desert Sessions are...

 and Queens of the Stone Age

Queens of the Stone Age

Queens of the Stone Age is an American rock band from Palm Desert, California, United States, formed in 1997. The band's line-up has always included founding member Josh Homme , with the current line-up including longtime members Troy Van Leeuwen and Joey Castillo , alongside Michael Shuman and...

. On the critically successful 2002 Queens of the Stone Age album Songs for the Deaf

Songs for the Deaf

-Production and release:In September 2002, Josh Homme explained the band's goals with the release of the album:In the same month, Nick Oliveri explained the band's aims in an interview with retail company HMV:...

, Dean played guitar on "Mosquito Song", "Gonna Leave You", and "Six Shooter".

In 2009 Mickey Melchiondo received his captain's license and regularly leads fishing trips off the Jersey shore as Mickey's Guide Service.

Side projects and appearances

Year	Title	Label
1993 1993 in music This is a summary of significant events in music in 1993.-January–February:*January 8 – The U.S. Postal Service issues an Elvis Presley stamp. The design was voted on in February 1992....	En Esch En Esch En Esch, a.k.a. Klaus Schandelmaier, is a contemporary musician and has been a member of the bands KMFDM, Pigface, and Slick Idiot.-History:...  - Cheesy	TVT Records TVT Records TVT Records was an independent US record label founded by Steve Gottlieb. Over the course of its 25 year history the label released some 25 Gold, Platinum and Multi-platinum releases. Its roster included Nine Inch Nails, Ja Rule, Lil Jon, Underworld, The KLF, Sevendust, Brian Jonestown Massacre and...
1994 1994 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1994.-January–February:*January 25 – Alice in Chains release their Jar of Flies album which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, becoming the first ever EP to do so....	Moistboyz Moistboyz Moistboyz is a band founded by Mickey Melchiondo Jr. and Guy Heller . In the spirit of Melchiondo's other group, Ween, the two have donned aliases. Melchiondo is known as the character Mickey Moist and Heller as Dickie Moist. The first two Moistboyz LP's, now sold together on one CD, are very...  - Moistboyz I	Grand Royal Grand Royal Grand Royal was the Los Angeles, California based vanity record label set up in 1992 by the Beastie Boys in conjunction with Capitol Records after the group left Def Jam Recordings....
1994 1994 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1994.-January–February:*January 25 – Alice in Chains release their Jar of Flies album which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, becoming the first ever EP to do so....	Moistboyz Moistboyz Moistboyz is a band founded by Mickey Melchiondo Jr. and Guy Heller . In the spirit of Melchiondo's other group, Ween, the two have donned aliases. Melchiondo is known as the character Mickey Moist and Heller as Dickie Moist. The first two Moistboyz LP's, now sold together on one CD, are very...  - O.G. Simpson	X-Ploit Records
1995 1995 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1995.- January–February :*January 18 – Jerry Garcia crashes his rented BMW into a guard rail near Mill Valley, California, USA, but is not injured in the accident....	Moistboyz Moistboyz Moistboyz is a band founded by Mickey Melchiondo Jr. and Guy Heller . In the spirit of Melchiondo's other group, Ween, the two have donned aliases. Melchiondo is known as the character Mickey Moist and Heller as Dickie Moist. The first two Moistboyz LP's, now sold together on one CD, are very...  - Second Hand Smoker	Arson Records
1995 1995 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1995.- January–February :*January 18 – Jerry Garcia crashes his rented BMW into a guard rail near Mill Valley, California, USA, but is not injured in the accident....	Kostars - Klassics With a 'K	Grand Royal Grand Royal Grand Royal was the Los Angeles, California based vanity record label set up in 1992 by the Beastie Boys in conjunction with Capitol Records after the group left Def Jam Recordings....
1996 1996 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1996.-January:* January – At the trial of two American teenagers, Nicholaus McDonald and Brian Bassett, for the murder of Bassett's parents and young brother, defense lawyers attempt to lay the blame for the murders on the fact...	Moistboyz Moistboyz Moistboyz is a band founded by Mickey Melchiondo Jr. and Guy Heller . In the spirit of Melchiondo's other group, Ween, the two have donned aliases. Melchiondo is known as the character Mickey Moist and Heller as Dickie Moist. The first two Moistboyz LP's, now sold together on one CD, are very...  - Moistboyz II	Grand Royal Grand Royal Grand Royal was the Los Angeles, California based vanity record label set up in 1992 by the Beastie Boys in conjunction with Capitol Records after the group left Def Jam Recordings....
1996 1996 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1996.-January:* January – At the trial of two American teenagers, Nicholaus McDonald and Brian Bassett, for the murder of Bassett's parents and young brother, defense lawyers attempt to lay the blame for the murders on the fact...	Yoko Ono Yoko Ono is a Japanese artist, musician, author and peace activist, known for her work in avant-garde art, music and filmmaking as well as her marriage to John Lennon...  - Rising Mixes	Capitol Records Capitol Records Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
1996 1996 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1996.-January:* January – At the trial of two American teenagers, Nicholaus McDonald and Brian Bassett, for the murder of Bassett's parents and young brother, defense lawyers attempt to lay the blame for the murders on the fact...	Ben Vaughn - Instrumental Stylings	Bar None Records
1997 1997 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1997.-January:*January 9 – David Bowie performs his 50th Birthday Bash concert at Madison Square Garden, New York City, USA with guests Frank Black, The Foo Fighters, Sonic Youth, Robert Smith of The Cure, Lou Reed, and Billy...	Z-Rock - Hawaii Z-Rock Hawaii Z-Rock Hawaii was released in 1996 by Gene Ween and Dean Ween of the band Ween, and the Japanese artists Yamantaka Eye, Seiichi Yamamoto, Yoshimi P-We, and Yoshikawa Toyohito of Boredoms.- Track listing :#"Chuggin'#"Bad to the Bone"#"In the Garden"...	Nipp Guitar
1998 1998 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1998.-Events:*January 28 – "Weird Al" Yankovic gets LASIK surgery to cure his myopia...	Hub - Hub	Slash Records Slash Records Slash Records is a record label in Los Angeles, originally specializing in local and punk rock bands.The label was formed in 1978 by Bob Biggs as an outgrowth of the Los Angeles-based fanzine, Slash. Biggs, a painter, initiated the label with a seven-inch single from The Germs in 1978. A full album...
1999 1999 in music -Events:*January 7**After eight years of marriage, Rod Stewart and supermodel wife Rachel Hunter announce their separation.**Paul McCartney attends the first of his stepdaughter Heather's first housewares collection in Georgia....	Ben - Wool	Ben Chatrer
2001 2001 in music See also:* 2001 in music Record labels established in 2001-Events:*January 1**Comeback of Guns N' Roses in House of Blues**Hum disbands.*January 17 – Bass player Jason Newsted leaves Metallica after 14 years with the band....	Pigface Pigface Pigface is an industrial rock supergroup formed in 1990 by Martin Atkins and William Rieflin.-History:Pigface was formed from Ministry's The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste tour, which produced the In Case You Didn't Feel Like Showing Up live album and video. For the tour, Al Jourgensen brought...  - Preaching To The Perverted	Invisible Records
2002 2002 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2002.-Events:*February 3 – U2 perform during the halftime show for Super Bowl XXXVI...	Moistboyz Moistboyz Moistboyz is a band founded by Mickey Melchiondo Jr. and Guy Heller . In the spirit of Melchiondo's other group, Ween, the two have donned aliases. Melchiondo is known as the character Mickey Moist and Heller as Dickie Moist. The first two Moistboyz LP's, now sold together on one CD, are very...  - Moistboyz III	Ipecac Recordings Ipecac Recordings Ipecac Recordings is an independent record label based in California. It was founded on April 1, 1999 by Greg Werckman and Mike Patton Ipecac Recordings is an independent record label based in California. It was founded on April 1, 1999 by Greg Werckman (ex-label manager of Alternative Tentacles,...
2002 2002 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2002.-Events:*February 3 – U2 perform during the halftime show for Super Bowl XXXVI...	Ben Ben Ben is often a shortened version of the given name Benjamin, Benvolio, Benedict, or less commonly Bentley, although it is also used as a formal given name in its own right...  - I Am a Monster	Ben Chatrer
2002 2002 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2002.-Events:*February 3 – U2 perform during the halftime show for Super Bowl XXXVI...	Rollins Band Rollins Band Rollins Band was an American rock band led by singer and songwriter Henry Rollins.They are best known for the songs "Low Self Opinion" and "Liar", which both earned heavy airplay on MTV in the early 1990s...  - Rise Above: 24 Black Flag Songs to Benefit the West Memphis Three Rise Above: 24 Black Flag Songs to Benefit the West Memphis Three -Band:*Marcus Blake – bass guitar ; backing vocals *Jason Mackenroth – drums ; backing vocals *Jim Wilson – guitar ; backing vocals -Vocalists:...	Sanctuary Records Sanctuary Records Sanctuary Records Group Limited was a record label based in the United Kingdom and a subsidiary of Universal Music Group. Until June 2007, it was the largest independent record label in the UK and the largest independent music management company in the world...
2002 2002 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2002.-Events:*February 3 – U2 perform during the halftime show for Super Bowl XXXVI...	Queens of the Stone Age Queens of the Stone Age Queens of the Stone Age is an American rock band from Palm Desert, California, United States, formed in 1997. The band's line-up has always included founding member Josh Homme , with the current line-up including longtime members Troy Van Leeuwen and Joey Castillo , alongside Michael Shuman and...  - Songs for the Deaf	Interscope Records Interscope Records Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:...
2003 2003 in music -January:* January – following an investigation by The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry and London detectives, police raids in England and the Netherlands recover nearly 500 original Beatles studio tapes, recorded during the Let It Be sessions. Five people are arrested...	Desert Sessions - Volumes 9 & 10	Ipecac Recordings Ipecac Recordings Ipecac Recordings is an independent record label based in California. It was founded on April 1, 1999 by Greg Werckman and Mike Patton Ipecac Recordings is an independent record label based in California. It was founded on April 1, 1999 by Greg Werckman (ex-label manager of Alternative Tentacles,... /Rekords Rekords Rekords Rekords Rekords Rekords is a record label formed by Josh Homme. It emerged in the aftermath of the downfall of Man's Ruin Records, the record label formally putting out Homme's project The Desert Sessions...
2005 2005 in music -Events:*During the year 2005, 12 rock music albums scored number 1 in the USA. This was the first time even ten albums have scored number 1 since 1996.-January:...	Moistboyz Moistboyz Moistboyz is a band founded by Mickey Melchiondo Jr. and Guy Heller . In the spirit of Melchiondo's other group, Ween, the two have donned aliases. Melchiondo is known as the character Mickey Moist and Heller as Dickie Moist. The first two Moistboyz LP's, now sold together on one CD, are very...  - Moistboyz IV	Sanctuary Records Sanctuary Records Sanctuary Records Group Limited was a record label based in the United Kingdom and a subsidiary of Universal Music Group. Until June 2007, it was the largest independent record label in the UK and the largest independent music management company in the world...
2005 2005 in music -Events:*During the year 2005, 12 rock music albums scored number 1 in the USA. This was the first time even ten albums have scored number 1 since 1996.-January:...	Moistboyz Moistboyz Moistboyz is a band founded by Mickey Melchiondo Jr. and Guy Heller . In the spirit of Melchiondo's other group, Ween, the two have donned aliases. Melchiondo is known as the character Mickey Moist and Heller as Dickie Moist. The first two Moistboyz LP's, now sold together on one CD, are very...  - Moistboyz IV	Sanctuary Records Sanctuary Records Sanctuary Records Group Limited was a record label based in the United Kingdom and a subsidiary of Universal Music Group. Until June 2007, it was the largest independent record label in the UK and the largest independent music management company in the world...
2005 2006 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2006.-January:*January 10 – Eric Burdon releases his album Soul of a Man and begins touring with a new band....	Chris Harford Chris Harford Chris Harford is a self-taught American singer, songwriter, guitarist and painter. The New Yorker described him as "...A singer, guitarist, and songwriter who rose through the local club scene in the nineteen-eighties, Harford operates in the free zone outside rock's usual categories. He has a...  - Looking Out For Number 6	Chocodog Records Chocodog Records Chocodog Records was started in 2001. It was founded by Gene Ween and Dean Ween of the band Ween and run by their management company, Greg Frey Management. This company was created after their contract with their record company, Elektra Records, expired. Chocodog started with the release of Ween's...
2011	Ben Ben Ben is often a shortened version of the given name Benjamin, Benvolio, Benedict, or less commonly Bentley, although it is also used as a formal given name in its own right...  - Bath	Ben Chatrer

External links