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Michael Fitzpatrick (musician)
French-American musician (born 1970) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Michael Sean "Fitz" Fitzpatrick (born 21 July 1970), known professionally as FITZ, is a French-American musician, singer and songwriter, who is the lead vocalist of the indie pop/neo-soul band Fitz and the Tantrums.
Fitz and the Tantrums were picked as a "band to watch" in an April 2011 profile in Rolling Stone.[1] Their 2010 debut full-length album Pickin' Up the Pieces received critical acclaim and reached #1 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart.[2] In May 2021, Fitzpatrick released his debut solo album, Head Up High.
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Biography
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Born in Montluçon in Allier, France,[3][4] Fitzpatrick grew up in Los Angeles. His father, Robert Fitzpatrick, was Irish American and his mother, Sylvie, is French. Michael attended the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, studying vocal music and then experimental film at the California Institute of the Arts in Santa Clarita,[5] where he met fellow band member James King.
Although Michael Fitzpatrick composes primarily on the piano and organ, he only took formal piano training later in life. He said, "I'd always been a decent singer, but I got frustrated by my inability to play piano by anything more than by ear. I took piano lessons when I was 32, and it opened up a whole new vocabulary for me."[6] He grew up mostly listening to classical music and opera, as he was discouraged from listening to other genres at home. One concession, however, was being allowed to listen to a local oldies radio station in the car driving to and from school.[7]
After college, he worked for many years behind the scenes as a sound engineer for producer Mickey Petralia who produced Beck, Ladytron, Flight of the Conchords, and The Dandy Warhols.[8]
In late 2008, Fitzpatrick received a call from an ex-girlfriend to tell him about a neighbor who needed to unload or sell a church organ for $50.[1] He told her to pay the neighbor $50 and arranged to have the organ moved to his apartment the same day. That evening, inspired by the organ, he wrote the song "Breakin' the Chains of Love". He said, "I immediately knew it was the best song I'd written. I could astral plane out and hear myself, like, 'wow!' Not bad!".[1] Fitzpatrick decided to form a band, and contacted friend and saxophonist James King. During phone calls they began assembling the band with King recommending singer Noelle Scaggs and drummer John Wicks, and Wicks in turn bringing in bassist Ethan Phillips and keyboardist Jeremy Ruzumna.[6] The band met for its first rehearsal a week later and things instantly clicked. In interviews, Fitzpatrick has emphasized his eclectic musical tastes saying, "We [the band] all have a love affair with soul and funk music. For me, it's obviously Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye, the Supremes, all that stuff. My musical taste runs the gamut from Radiohead to Zeppelin to Major Lazer. My older brother was really into '80s new wave, so a lot of the first records I got to borrow and steal were his."[9]
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Personal life
In May 2013, it was announced that Fitzpatrick was expecting a child with then-girlfriend actress Kaylee DeFer.[10] DeFer had their son in September 2013.[11] Fitzpatrick and DeFer married on 25 July 2015[12] and their second son was born in April 2017.[13] A third son was born in May 2019.[14]
Discography
Albums
Solo
- Head Up High
- Summer of Us
With Fitz and the Tantrums
With Band of Merrymakers
Singles
As solo artist
As featured artist
Guest appearances
References
External links
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