Travis Barker Biography
Summary
"Travis Landon Barker" (born November 14, 1975) is an American drummer who has achieved most of his fame playing in the band Blink-182. He is also the drummer for +44 and has several side projects such as Box Car Racer, Transplants and Expensive Taste.
In 1996, Barker joined his first touring band, playing drums for The Aquabats as The Baron Von Tito. He recorded one album with them, "The Fury of the Aquabats!", in 1997. His career took off when he joined up with pop punk band, Blink-182 in 1998. Barker became known for his mohawk and his tendency to perform without a shirt, revealing a multitude of tattoos. Barker has since established himself as a versatile drummer, producing and guest appearing in music projects of numerous music genres including hip-hop, punk rock, alternative rock, ska, pop and even country.
He founded clothing company Famous Stars and Straps in 1999, LaSalle Records in 2004, as well as Wahoo's Fish Taco restaurant in Norco, California. Companies such as DC Shoes and Zildjian cymbals have co-designed products in his name.
Barker's marriage to former Miss USA Shanna Moakler was featured in MTV's "Meet the Barkers" (2005-2006). His marriage and personal life have been considerable media fodder following his divorce in 2006 and a brief relationship with Hilton Hotel heiress Paris Hilton.
Early life
Barker was born in a poverty-stricken neighborhood in Fontana, California. He received his first drum set at the age of four. He began taking drum and trumpet lessons at the age of five. The day before Barker started his freshman year at Fontana High School, his mother died. She told him before she died to continue playing the drums because that was what he was good at, and he listened to her. After her death, Barker became more serious about drumming. He joined a marching band in his sophomore year and made the snare line. During high school he performed at regional competitions and festivals. During his senior year of high school, Barker passed up drum corps tryouts to tour with his first band, Feeble.
After graduating from high school in 1993, Barker gained more experience as a rock drummer in a few early bands including Feeble and The Aquabats. In the latter, he was known as "Baron Von Tito".
Credit
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article about Travis Barker.
