Fall Out Boy

Background:

“I think it's arrogant for us to go out there and to assume that everybody loves our band and we're God's gift and that we don't have to go back out and earn it to some extent all over again. To me, that's us sending a message to other bands, both bands we're friends with and bands that look up to us. You can't just sit there and let someone else do the work. You're going to have to go out and do that.” Pete Wentz

The bassist and lyricist of the Chicago-based band “Fall Out Boy,” Pete Wentz cofounded the Grammy nominated pop punk group in early 2001 and has since released four studio albums: "Fall Out Boy's Evening Out with Your Girlfriend" (2003), "Take This to Your Grave" (2003), "From Under the Cork Tree" (2005), and "Infinity on High" (2007). The albums have spawned the hit singles "Sugar, We're Goin Down" (2005), "Dance, Dance" (2006), "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race" (2007), and "Thnks fr th Mmrs" (2007). They will release their latest album, "Folie à Deux," on December 16, 2008, with the lead single "I Don't Care" released on September 8, 2008.

Wentz has also hosted the MTV show “FNMTV” (2008) and owns Clandestine Industries, which distributes books and clothing and other merchandise, the record label Decaydance Records, and the film production company Bartskull Films. He also co-owns a bar in New York City called Angels and Kings. Wentz has also written a book titled "The Boy With the Thorn In His Side," based on nightmares he had as a child, and participated in the Invisible Children's Displace Me Campaign.

“If you know me you know how uncool I am. I stutter, wear bad clothes, make bad jokes, make conversation uncomfortable, the list goes on. Thank you for making me feel okay.” Pete Wentz

This 5' 7" musician and songwriter with his hoodie trademark was a model in The GAP's fall campaign in 2006. He was one of People Magazine's “100 Most Beautiful People” in May 2007 and voted best makeup for Netscape's Hollywood Honors 2007. He is married to pop singer Ashlee Simpson and they have one son together, Bronx Mowgli Wentz.

Peter Panda

Childhood and Family:

“My parents treat me like I'm 14. They make me clean my room and stuff like that. They're always like 'I don't care what MTV says you are.'” Pete Wentz

In Wilmette, Illinois, Peter Lewis Kingston Wentz III was born on June 5, 1979, to Pete Wentz II, a lawyer, and Dale Wentz, a High School admissions counselor. He has two younger siblings, Hillary and Andrew.

“I gave myself my first tattoo at age 14. I did it in class with a needle and ink. I was like, ‘Man, I suck at high school so I should probably just, uh, give myself a tattoo right now.'” Pete Wentz

At 14, Pete was sent to a Boot Camp in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, and stayed there for eight weeks. He had been skipping school and his guidance counselor persuaded his parents to send him.

Pete attended New Trier High School, in Winnetka, Illinois, and graduated in 1997. He then went to North Shore Country Day School, in Winnetka, Illinois, and studied political science at DePaul University, in Chicago, Illinois, which he dropped out of to focus on music.

A former all-state soccer player, Pete has suffered from insomnia since he was 10 and admits to being bipolar. He has said that in his youth, he drank alcohol with his friends but decided drugs were uncool and later stopped drinking. He lives a straight-edge lifestyle now.

Pete, who alluded to being bisexual in a Blender interview in March 2007, became engaged to singer Ashlee Simpson (born on October 3, 1984) on April 9, 2008, and the two were married in a ceremony at her parents' home in California on May 17, 2008, with his bulldog as the ring bearer. The couple welcomed their fist child, a son named Bronx Mowgli Wentz, on November 20, 2008.

“We're past the honeymoon period. The truth is its crazy to be able to kiss your best friend. It's just a really awesome thing.” Pete Wentz (on kissing Ashlee Simpson)

The Boy With the Thorn In His Side

Career:

After watching a Guns N' Roses video on MTV, Pete Wentz decided to play bass and got his first bass at age 14. He then joined several bands, including “xfirstbornx,” “Arma Angelus,” “7 Angels of the Apocalypse/Culture of Violence,” “Extinction,” “Forever Ended Today,” and “Yellow Road Priest.”

Growing up listening to music by “Green Day,” “Descendents,” and “The Smiths,” Wentz formed a pop punk band called “Fall Out Boy” with his guitarist friend Joe Trohman in early 2001. They were joined by vocalist Patrick Stump, guitarist T.J. Raccine and drummer Mike Pareskuwicz, whom would later be replaced by drummer Andy Hurley, formerly of "Racetraitor."

After releasing a self-released demo, the band released "Split EP" on May 28, 2002, and a mini-LP titled "Fall Out Boy's Evening Out with Your Girlfriend" through Uprising Records in 2003. They were later signed by Fueled by Ramen and released their first full length album, "Take This to Your Grave," on May 6, 2003. The album that eventually received Gold status spawned the singles "Dead on Arrival," "Grand Theft Autumn/Where Is Your Boy," and "Saturday." On May 18, 2004, the group released the acoustic EP "My Heart Will Always Be the B-Side to My Tongue," which debuted at #153 on the Billboard 200.

May 3, 2005, saw the release of Fall Out Boy’s third full length album and major label debut with Island Records, "From Under the Cork Tree." Three singles were released from this album, "Sugar, We're Goin Down," which peaked at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100, "Dance, Dance," which peaked at #9 on the Hot 100, and "A Little Less Sixteen Candles, a Little More Touch Me,” which peaked at #65 on the Hot 100. The album debuted on the Billboard 200 at #9 and eventually went double platinum. It also earned the group a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist. The band subsequently headlined the "Nintendo Fusion Tour" in the fall of 2005 and headlined the "Black Clouds and Underdogs Tour," playing 53 dates in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K.

"Infinity on High," Fall Out Boy’s fourth studio album, hit the music stores in February 2007. It debuted at #1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and has since been certified platinum by RIAA. It yielded the singles "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race" (#2 Billboard Hot 100), "The Carpal Tunnel of Love" (#81 U.S. Billboard Hot 100), "Thnks fr th Mmrs" (#11 Billboard Hot 100), "The Take Over, the Breaks Over" (won a People's Choice Award for Best Video), and "I'm Like a Lawyer with the Way I'm Always Trying to Get You Off (Me & You)" (#68 Billboard Hot 100). Album "Infinity on High" was one of Rolling Stone magazine's "Top 50 Albums of 2007.”

The band performed at the MTV Video Music Awards on September 9, 2007, and collaborated with rappers Kanye West and Timbaland. They toured with Paul Wall and Stump and Wentz contributed writing for Timbaland's single "One and Only" on his new album "Shock Value." Additionally, Fall Out Boy headlined the "Young Wild Things Tour" that began with a sold out show in Columbus, Ohio, in October.

“The beauty of being the person behind the pen is that you get to rewrite history, but people who read my lyrics think they have me all figured out. I haven't even figured myself out yet so it blows my mind that other people think they have.” Pete Wentz

Fall Out Boy will release their latest album, "Folie à Deux," on December 16, 2008, while the lead single "I Don't Care" was released on September 8, 2008.

Wentz has announced that he would be hosting "FNMTV," a new show on MTV that consists of music video world premieres and live performances. He explained, "It's going to be only world premieres, so it's going to be the first time you ever see the video on TV. For example, this Snoop Dogg video is a country song that he did with Willie Nelson and that's the first time that anyone's going to see it on TV."

Wentz also owns Clandestine Industries, which distributes books and clothing and other merchandise, the record label Decaydance Records, and the film production company Bartskull Films. Clandestine Industries just signed with DKNY for a production and distribution deal. DecayDance Records has signed U.K. pop-punkers “Tonight is Goodbye” and is currently working on an album, and Bartskull Films has released the DVD “Release the Bats,” a film with his fellow band mates and several of his personal friends.

“I don't consider myself a businessman. It's just that the music business is like the Wild West. No one knows what's going to happen so it's just good to have all kinds of options out there.” Pete Wentz

Awards:

• MuchMusic Video: People's Choice - Favorite International Video, "The Take Over, the Breaks Over," 2008

• TMF: Best Live International, 2008

• TMF: Best Rock International, 2008

• TMF: Best Alternative International, 2008

• Kerrang: Best Video, "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race," 2007

• Teen Choice: Single, "Thnks Fr Th Mmrs," 2007

• Teen Choice: Rock Group, 2007

• MTV Video Music Award: Best Group, 2007

• MuchMusic Video: People's Choice - Favorite International Group, "Dance, Dance," 2006

• Kerrang: Best Video, "Sugar, We're Going Down," 2006

• Teen Choice: Rock Track, "Dance, Dance," 2006

• Teen Choice: Single, "Dance, Dance," 2006

• Teen Choice: Rock Group, 2006

• MTV Video Music Award: Viewer's Choice, 2006

• MTV Video Music Award: MTV2 Award, "Sugar, We're Going Down," 2005