Random Rock Stars of 1990s: Where Are They Now (15 items)

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  (#1) Perry Farrell

  • Gothic rock, Alternative rock, Progressive house music, Electronica, Funk rock, Alternative metal, Hard rock

  Regardless of whether you liked Jane's Addiction, if you were of an impressionable age in the 1990s, frontman Perry Farrell had an incalculable impression on your music taste as a co-founder of Lollapalooza. It was also kinda hard to escape his high-pitched screech thanks to singles like "Been Caught Stealing" and "Jane Says." 

  Since the 1990s, Farrell has kept himself busy with multiple Jane's Addiction reunions. In 2004, he and wife Etty Lau Farrell formed a music and theater project called Satellite Party.

  In 2001, Farrell traveled, along with other members of Christian Solidarity International, to Sudan, to negotiate the release of slaves. He toured with Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello to raise money for the homeless in Los Angeles and to clean up the Ninth Ward of New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. He has also advocated for green living and for solutions to global warming.
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  (#2) Krist Novoselic

  • Hip hop music, Noise rock, Rock music, Grunge, Alternative rock, Punk rock, Hardcore punk

  Krist Novoselic was the bassist for Nirvana. Of the three members, he's probably gotten the least publicity. Aside from playing bass for punk band Flipper, Novoselic has done little in the music world, focusing instead on politics.

  He has fought against censorship, founded a political action committee called JAMPAC.
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  (#3) Michael Stipe

  • Jangle pop, Pop music, Alternative rock, College rock

  REM was one of the biggest rock bands of the '90s, and one of the most important and influential underground groups of the '80s. Enigmatic frontman Michael Stipe, whose poetic lyrics and emotional voice deeply effected even those who had no idea what he was mumbling about, was a major rock celebrity throughout much of the '90s.

  Since REM broke up in 2011, Stipe has kept himself busy. He also spent some time channeling his creative energy into brass and bronze sculpture, which was displayed a gallery in Manhattan in 2016. 

  After performing tributes to David Bowie in 2016 along with pianist and composer Paul Cantelon, know for his compositions for movies like The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Stipe decided to rededicate himself to music. In 2017, he debuts an audio-visual installation exploring desire and movement at MoogFest, which contains his first-ever solo compositions. 
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  (#4) Billy Corgan

  • Gothic rock, Groove metal, Grunge, Alternative rock, Alternative metal, Hard rock

  The Pumpkins have been called Gen X's Pink Floyd, and, when Rolling Stone asked readers to pick the best albums of the '90s, the band was the only group with two records on the list. The Pumpkins broke up in 2000, but vocalist, lead guitarist, and primary songwriter Billy Corgan and original (and since departed) drummer Jimmy Chamberlin reformed the group and released an album in 2007.

  So what happened to Corgan? After a co-headline Smashing Pumpkins tour with Marilyn Manson in summer 2015, he's reunited with Chamberlin and original SP guitarist James Iha (in Los Angeles). In early 2017, he traveled around the country by train, talking to various people in small towns and playing songs acoustically in random locations, while documenting his trip on Snapchat and through daily video releases. 

  On top of all this, Corgan owned a tea house called Madam ZuZu's in Highland Park, IL, and has performed a live, improvised, eight-hour analog synthesizer interpretation of Herman Hesse's Siddhartha, which was eventually released in an edited version as a five-LP box set. 
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  (#5) Art Alexakis

  • Rock music, Acoustic music, Post-grunge, Alternative rock, Cowpunk

  If you've ever wanted to live beside the ocean and leave the fire behind, you have Everclear to thank. Their biggest singles ("Santa Monica," "Father of Mine," "I Will Buy You A New Life") were as about as ubiquitous in the '90s as tatted dudes with bleached blonde hair singing and guitar slinging, of whom Everclear frontman Art Alexakis was one of the most famous. 

  In 2003, the other two dudes in Everclear bounced, leaving Alexakis to his own devices. Most of the world didn't notice. In 2015, Alexakis went so far as to declare "I am Everclear."

  In 2000, Alexakis testified before Congress in favor of the Compassion for Children and Child Support Enforcement Act. In 2004, he campaigned for John Edwards and was a delegate for his native Oregon at the Democratic National Convention. He is also an activist for gay rights, and once stated "I was aware of Harvey Milk before most people were. It was a great experience."

  In 2017, Everclear embarked on a 20th anniversary tour for third album So Much for the Afterglow. He's also apparently the most hated musician in Portland and once had to declare bankruptcy, thanks to an expensive divorce and a big bill for unpaid taxes. 
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  (#6) Daniel Johns

  • Grunge, Alternative rock, Art rock, Electronica, Hard rock

  Kids, remember Silverchair? If you were born in the early '80s, you loved them with a combination of jealousy and fraternity, because they weren't much older than you when their debut record, Frogstomp, sold over two million copies in 1995. Shy frontman Daniel Johns, with his Kurt Cobain look and Eddie Vedder voice, found himself the center of media attention.

  So what happened to Johns? Well, a lot. Freakshow, the follow up to Frogstomp, did pretty well, but Johns developed anorexia and depression, which was the subject of Silverchair's haunting single "Ana's Song (Open Fire)." 

  Since the dissolution of Silverchair, Johns put out some singles with the band The Dissociatives, and wrote and produced songs for pop duo The Veronicas. 
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  (#7) Dave Pirner

  • Grunge, Alternative rock, Punk rock

  In 2004, Soul Asylum suffered the death of bassist Karl Mueller, an original member, who passed after being diagnosed with throat cancer. Although the group has been through ups and downs since then, Dave Pirner is releasing a new album with the band in 2020, even though he's the group's only remaining member. 

  Outside Soul Asylum, Pirner has released solo material. He contributed backing vocals to The Hold Steady and Dutch symphonic metal band Within Temptation. Pirner lives in New Orleans, far from his native Wisconsin, and owns a recording studio in Big Easy. 
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  (#8) Adam Duritz

  • Pop music, Rock music, Pop rock, Alternative rock

  Yes, it's the guy from Counting Crows.

  More recently, he teamed up with the Broken Lizard film group for a film called Freeloaders. Naturally, it's about a group of dudes who lives with their rockstar friend in his mansion and will do anything to maintain this life and remain on his coattails.
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  (#9) Nick Hexum

  • Ska punk, Experimental rock, Rap rock, Dub, Alternative rock, Funk rock, Hard rock, Reggae fusion

  Remember 311? There's no harshing the mellow of these unflappable (and prodigious) musicians from Omaha, NE, whose blend of hard rock, ska, metal, reggae, punk, funk, and hip hop was all over the radio in mid-to-late '90s. If you were tuned into popular music circa 1996, it was impossible to escape soft-spoken, articulate, gangly, bleached blonde 311 frontman Nick Hexum, who handled most of the band's publicity. They were also a great live band, in case you forgot. 

  So what happened to Hexum and 311? The band was still going strong in the 2010s, thanks to an extremely dedicate fan base. They have an annual 311 Day party/concert on March 11. In 2011, the band started doing Caribbean cruises, during which they perform daily while kicking it with fans, who can take their pick from a slew of events throughout the day. 

  As for Hexum himself, he started his own record label, What Have You Records. In 2013, he launched a side project, The Nick Hexum Quintet, which released a record of reggae-influenced pop songs.
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  (#10) Nina Gordon

  • Rock music, Alternative rock

  Failing to meet self-imposed expectations, Nina Gordon and Louise Post bickered about the direction of their '90's girl band following early success with their single, "Volcano Girls." In 1998, the two had what Post called "... a defining fight fallout that we just couldn't get past. And that was that."

  Though neither will reveal details of the fight, the blowup was called "monumental." Post soldiered on under the Veruca Salt moniker, while Gordon married Tonic guitarist Jeff Russo, and released a solo album that produced the single "Tonight and the Rest of My Life." She also recorded a cover of NWA's "Straight Outta Compton" that became a surprise success online. 

  In 2014, Veruca Salt announced a reunion and, in 2015, released the album Ghost Notes.
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  (#11) The Gallagher Bros.

  These guys were the major minds behind the Britpop band Oasis, who rose to fame in the mid-90's. You may remember their song "Wonderwall," or their strong clash with more avant-garde band Blur.

  Liam and Noel Gallagher were still trying to keep Oasis afloat until they split seemingly for good in 2009.
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  (#12) Mark McGrath

  • Pop punk, Ska, Pop rock, Alternative rock, Punk rock, Alternative metal, Hard rock

  The late '90s was Mark McGrath's oyster. His band Sugar Ray had multiple hit songs.

  After Sugar Ray disbanded, McGrath went on to have a semi successful career as a presenter. To many non-music fans, the singer is known as the a co-host of Extra, and he was the host of Don't Forget the Lyrics!. Other television appearances include hosting Pussycat Dolls Present, a guest judge on American Idol and a contestant on Celebrity Apprentice.
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  (#13) Steve Harwell

  • Pop music, Rock music, Skate punk, Alternative rock

  Along with the rest of Smash Mouth, Steve Harwell guy inspired us all to be all-stars. Not only that, but he has been remarkably successful at licensing his music for television channels. 

  Lately he's had stints on VH1's The Surreal Life and several radio shows. You also may have seen him in the movie Rat Race.
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  (#14) Scott Stapp

  • Rock music, Heavy metal, Pop rock, Post-grunge, Alternative rock, Christian rock, Alternative metal, Hard rock

  You may remember him as the frontman of pseudo-Christian rock band Creed. In 2006, Scott Stapp married Jaclyn Nesheiwat, winner of the Miss New York USA 2004 pageant. Although the couple filed for divorce in 2014, a stint on VH1's' "Couple's Therapy" helped them mend their fences. Stapp was also diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
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  (#15) John Wozniak

  • Grunge, Folk rock, Pop rock, Alternative rock, Indie rock, Psychedelic rock

  The '90s were littered with post-grunge alternative bands that ended up falling by the way side. Marcy Playground, and in turn, its front man John Wozniak, were no different. The New York City band had a big hit with "Sex and Candy," but after that, it's been a rough go of it for Marcy Playground. Wozniak and the band were last seen on one of the many summer '90s nostalgia tours that have been popping up across the country. 

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