Les Claypool

Les Claypool
Claypool performing in March 2011
Claypool performing in March 2011
Background information
Birth nameLeslie Edward Claypool
Also known asColonel Claypool
Born (1963-09-29) September 29, 1963 (age 61)
Richmond, California, U.S.
OriginEl Sobrante, California, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Musician
  • singer
  • songwriter
  • record producer
  • filmmaker
  • author
Instruments
Years active1984–present
Member of
Formerly of
Spouse
Chaney Claypool
(m. 1995)
[1]
Websitelesclaypool.com

Leslie Edward Claypool (born September 29, 1963) is an American rock musician. He is the founder, lead singer, bassist, and primary songwriter of the band Primus. Listed as one of the greatest bassists of all time by Rolling Stone,[2] his playing style mixes tapping, flamenco-like strumming, whammy bar bends, and slapping.

Outside of Primus, Claypool has also been involved in a number of side projects, including supergroups such as Oysterhead (with Trey Anastasio and Stewart Copeland) and Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains (with Buckethead, Bryan Mantia, and Bernie Worrell). He also fronts the experimental rock projects Colonel Les Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade and Les Claypool's Fancy Band. He has self-produced and engineered several solo releases from his own studio, Rancho Relaxo, in California. In 2006, he wrote and directed the mockumentary Electric Apricot and released his debut novel South of the Pumphouse. He formed musical duos Duo de Twang (with Bryan Kehoe) and The Claypool Lennon Delirium (with Sean Lennon). He has also appeared in the TV show South Park in the intro and theme song.

  1. ^ "Primus' Les Claypool Sails Into Matrimony". MTV. December 2, 1995. Archived from the original on April 1, 2024. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
  2. ^ Vozick-Levinson, Jonathan Bernstein, David Browne, Jon Dolan, Brenna Ehrlich, David Fear, Jon Freeman, Andy Greene, Kory Grow, Elias Leight, Angie Martoccio, Jason Newman, Rob Sheffield, Hank Shteamer, Simon; Bernstein, Jonathan; Browne, David; Dolan, Jon; Ehrlich, Brenna; Fear, David; Freeman, Jon; Greene, Andy; Grow, Kory (July 1, 2020). "The 50 Greatest Bassists of All Time". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 29, 2022.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)