Biography
Who is Kim Deal?
Early life and real name
Kimberley Ann Deal was born on June 10, 1961, in Dayton, United States. Her parents grew up in West Virginia coal mining areas, and her father worked as a laser physicist at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. She grew up alongside her identical twin sister, Kelley Deal, and the two began making music together at a very young age. They listened to hard rock bands like AC/DC and Led Zeppelin and learned to play guitar during their childhood.
She attended Wayne High School in suburban Huber Heights, where she was a cheerleader and played sports. After high school, Kim attended seven different colleges, including Ohio State University, without graduating from any of them. She later earned an associate degree in medical technology from Kettering College and worked in cellular biology, taking jobs in both a hospital laboratory and a biochemical lab.
How Kim became famous
Kim Deal became famous in January 1986 after answering a newspaper advertisement in the Boston Phoenix seeking a bassist who liked Hüsker Dü. Although her primary instrument was the guitar, she borrowed a bass and joined the Pixies alongside singer Black Francis and drummer David Lovering. She adopted the stage name Mrs. John Murphy for the group's early releases, including the albums Come on Pilgrim and Surfer Rosa.
She sang lead vocals on the track Gigantic from Surfer Rosa, which she co-wrote with Black Francis. Following tensions and heavy touring schedules with the Pixies, she formed the side project the Breeders with Tanya Donelly. Their debut album Pod was recorded in Edinburgh and received praise from contemporaries like Kurt Cobain. Last Splash followed in 1993, achieving platinum sales and featuring the popular single Cannonball.
Career highlights
The Breeders went on hiatus after Kelley Deal entered drug rehabilitation in 1994. During this period, Kim adopted the stage name Tammy Ampersand and formed the short-lived band the Amps, releasing the album Pacer in 1995. She also produced music for other groups, including the Dayton band Guided by Voices, and provided guest vocals for various artists such as Sonic Youth and This Mortal Coil.
Kim reunited with the Pixies in 2004 for tours and festival appearances, before leaving the group permanently in 2013 to focus on the Breeders. The Breeders released their fifth studio album, All Nerve, in 2018. Later, in 2024, she released her debut solo album titled Nobody Loves You More.
Family and music background
Kim and her twin sister Kelley shared a deep musical bond from childhood, recording into a two-track tape recorder and forming a folk rock band as teenagers. Their bedroom studio featured an eight-track recorder, a mixer, and a drum machine. Kelley eventually joined the Breeders on lead guitar, replacing Tanya Donelly, and played on the platinum-selling album Last Splash.
In 2003, Kim moved back to Dayton to care for her mother, who suffered from Alzheimer's disease. Her family background and upbringing in Ohio heavily shaped her early creative path before she achieved international recognition in the alternative rock scene.
Birthday and age
Kim Deal was born on June 10, 1961, which makes Kim 65 years old today. That birthday falls under the Gemini sign. Kim shares the date with 58 other famous people.
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