Biography
Who is Beck?
Early life and real name
Bek David Campbell was born in Los Angeles on July 8, 1970. His mother was visual artist Bibbe Hansen and his father was arranger and conductor David Campbell. His maternal grandfather was artist Al Hansen. Growing up in Los Angeles, he experienced a working class childhood and lived near Hollywood Boulevard and later in a neighborhood populated by immigrants.
After his parents separated when he was ten, he stayed with his mother and brother Channing. He obtained his first guitar at age sixteen and performed as a street musician. He dropped out of school after junior high and spent time exploring records and books at Los Angeles City College.
How Beck became famous
Beck began his musical career as a folk musician, performing on city buses and in coffee shops. In 1989, he moved to New York City and joined the anti-folk movement on the Lower East Side. He returned to Los Angeles in the early 1990s and worked at a video store while performing in arthouse clubs.
His commercial breakthrough came with the 1993 single Loser. The song peaked at number ten on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and served as the lead single for his major label debut album, Mellow Gold, released in 1994.
Career highlights and albums
Following his debut, Beck released the critically acclaimed album Odelay in 1996, which won several awards. He continued to look at different musical styles on subsequent releases, including the country-influenced Mutations in 1998 and the funk-infused Midnite Vultures in 1999.
His later work includes the soft acoustic album Sea Change in 2002 and the folk-infused Morning Phase, which won Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards. His fourteenth studio album, Hyperspace, was released in November 2019, and he received a nomination for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.
Family and personal life
Beck was married to Marissa Ribisi. His family background includes artistic roots on both sides, with his mother connected to Andy Warhol's art scene and his paternal grandfather serving as a Presbyterian minister. He was raised celebrating Jewish holidays through his maternal grandmother's heritage.
Birthday and age
Beck was born on July 8, 1970, which makes Beck 56 years old today. That birthday falls under the Cancer sign. Beck shares the date with 50 other famous people.
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