| Jon Fishman | |
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 Jon Fishman on stage with Trey Anastasio at the Gorge on July 13, 2003.
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| Background information | |
| Also known as | Fish, Henrietta |
| Born | February 19 1965 |
| Origin | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Genre(s) | psychedelic rock, rock music, jazz, jam band |
| Occupation(s) | musician |
| Instrument(s) | Drums, Percussion, Guitar, Bass, Electrolux vacuum cleaner, trombone, mandolin |
| Years active | 1983 - present |
| Associated acts |
Phish, Pork Tornado, Surrender to the Air, Jazz Mandolin Project, Everyone Orchestra, J. Willis Pratt and We're Bionic, Bad Hat |
| Notable instrument(s) | |
| drums | |
Jon Fishman is a drummer, best known for his work with the American jam band Phish. He is credited with co-writing 18 Phish originals, 7 of them as a solo credit [1]. Jon Fishman was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on February 19, 1965. He was then adopted, and grew up in Syracuse, New York with a Jewish family. Fishman had a passion for the drums from an early age, and emulated John Bonham, the drummer for Led Zeppelin, Bill Bruford of Yes, and Keith Moon of The Who. He went to Jamesville-Dewitt High School in a suburb of Syracuse, and after graduation in 1983, he attended the University of Vermont for one year, where he co-founded Phish. He then transferred with guitarist Trey Anastasio to Goddard College, where he wrote his thesis on "A Self-Teaching Guide to Drumming in Retrospect." As of 2005, he lived in Essex, Vermont.[1]
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Phish
The band Phish was named after him (he is commonly referred to as “Fish” among many other nicknames) though other explanations for the name have been given [2]. Other than drumming, he also sang back-up vocals and occasionally lead-vocals (usually on cover songs, most of them humorous). He was well-known on tour for his Electrolux vacuum cleaner solos and his distinctively-patterned frock (green with red donuts).
Other Musical Projects
Fishman also plays drums in the rock band Pork Tornado, and has performed with the Jazz Mandolin Project for several years as well. As of late, he has been a member of two large musical collectives, The Everyone Orchestra and The Village. In 2007, he emerged from retirement to perform a series of shows with the Yonder Mountain String Band.
Drug Use
Fishman and the other members of Phish were admitted psychedelic drug users. He once claimed that for a whole year he would set his alarm clock for 5 AM, ingest liquid LSD, go back to sleep, and at 7:30 the acid would wake him up to go to school. He stated that this was the year in which he got his best grades. He also has claimed that he consumed acid at every single gig during the first two years of the band's history.[3]
References
- ^ Crawford, Matt (January 5, 2005). Phish ex-drummer scraps Shelburne wind tower plan. Burlington Free Press. Retrieved on 2007-12-04.
