Name Keith Strickland Occupation(s) Musician Role Multi-instrumentalist | Years active 1976–present Music group The B-52's Associated acts The B-52's | |
 | ||
Birth name Keith Julian Strickland Born October 26, 1953 (age 71) ( 1953-10-26 ) Instruments Guitar, drums, keyboards, bass guitar, programming Movies The B-52's Time Capsule: Videos for a Future Generation 1979–1998 Albums Cosmic Thing, Wild Planet, The B‑52’s, Bouncing off the Satellites, Funplex Similar People Cindy Wilson, Fred Schneider, Ricky Wilson, Kate Pierson, Tracy Wormworth | ||
Keith strickland will not eat your dog
Keith Julian Strickland (born October 26, 1953) is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, and one of the founding members of The B-52s. He was born in Athens, Georgia.
Contents
Originally the band's drummer, Strickland switched to guitar after the death of guitarist Ricky Wilson in 1985. Strickland also plays keyboards and bass guitar on many of The B-52s recordings, and has occasionally provided backing vocals. Strickland composes the music for The B-52s. He said of the process: "Ricky and I used to write the music together, but now I write the individual instrument parts and arrange the instrumental compositions myself. I'm trying to convey a feeling when I compose. I think of my instrumentals as soundscapes - the chord progressions, rhythms, harmonics and musical direction are used to evoke various sonic atmospheres or moods."
Strickland came out as gay in 1992.
On December 13, 2012, Strickland announced, via the B-52's Facebook page and official website, that while he would remain a member of the group, he would retire from touring. Fred Schneider said of Strickland's announcement, "We had known about Keith’s decision for a while but we just didn’t want to think about it. Keith will probably still be available for special shows but he wanted to get off the road. Keith will always be able to work with us whenever he wants. He’s a best friend."
