William Beckett (singer)

For other people named William Beckett, see William Beckett (disambiguation).
William Beckett
William Beckett in 2013
William Beckett in 2013
Background information
Born (1985-02-11) February 11, 1985 (age 39)
Hoffman Estates, Illinois
OriginBarrington, Illinois, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter, musician
Instrument(s)Vocals, piano, guitar
Years active2003–present
Labels
Member of
Formerly ofRemember Maine
SpouseChristine Bandy (married 2007–present)

William Beckett (born February 11, 1985) is an American musician who is the lead vocalist and primary lyricist of the Chicago-based rock band The Academy Is..., who signed to Atlantic Records/Fueled by Ramen/Decaydance Records. While still in high school in 2003, Beckett and guitarist Mike Carden came together from rival bands in Chicago to form The Academy Is...[1] In addition to founding the band, Beckett and Carden are credited as the primary songwriters.[2] A third core member of the band was Adam T. Siska, Beckett's classmate and friend from Barrington High School.[3]

In 2007, Alex Davies from the BBC described Beckett as a mix of Adam Lazzara and Prince, labeling him "utterly captivating".[4]

The Academy Is... reunited at Riot Fest 2015 in the fall of 2015 in Chicago.[3] Although Beckett had said the occasion would serve as a "farewell" show,[5] the band later had an additional final tour later in the year.

  1. ^ "News". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on March 28, 2007. Retrieved 2012-07-15.
  2. ^ The Academy Is... at AllMusic
  3. ^ a b "Suburban band The Academy Is... re-forms to play Riot Fest". Chicago Daily Herald. September 9, 2015. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
  4. ^ "Manchester – Entertainment – The Academy Is… at Academy 2". BBC. Retrieved 2012-07-15.
  5. ^ "TAI announce Riot Fest Chicago 2015". Facebook.com. Retrieved 2015-11-24.