It brings many of us great sadness to report that singer/songwriter Michael Knott has passed away. He died on March 12th at age 61. Michael Knott has fronted bands, including Lifesavers, Lifesavers Underground (L.S.U.), and Cush.
Michael Knott is listed in the credits for the following albums:
| Year | Artist | Album | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Lifesavors | Dream Life | Songwriter, Guitars |
| 1983 | Lifters | Lifters | Songwriter |
| 1986 | L.S.U. | A Kiss of Life | Guitars, Keyboards, Percussion, Vocals |
| 1986 | Wild Blue Yonder | Wild Blue Yonder | Songwriter |
| 1989 | L.S.U. | Wakin' Up the Dead | Producer, Guitars, Vocals |
| 1990 | Dead Artist Syndrome | Prints of Darkness | Acoustic Guitar |
| 1990 | Terry Scott Taylor | Dr. Edward Daniel Taylor: The Miracle Faith Telethon | Background Vocals |
| 1991 | Windy Lyre | Windy Lyre | Producer, Guitars, Bass, Drum Programming |
| 1991 | L.S.U. | Poplife | Producer, Guitar, Bass, Vocals |
| 1991 | L.S.U. | This Is the Healing | Producer, Guitars, Bass, Drum Programming, Vocals |
| 1991 | Various Artists | At the Foot of the Cross -Volume 1- Clouds, Rain, Fire | Vocals |
| 1992 | Plague of Ethyls | Plague of Ethyls | Additional Vocals |
| 1992 | L.S.U. | Grape Prophet, The | Producer, Guitars, Bass, Vocals |
| 1992 | The Choir | At the Foot of the Cross | Vocals |
| 1993 | Various Artists | Brow Beat Unplugged Alternative | Producer, Guitars, Vocals |
| 1993 | L.S.U. | Cash In Chaos World Tour | Producer, Vocals |
| 1993 | L.S.U. | Shaded Pain | Keyboards, Vocals |
| 1994 | Various Artists | Alternative Worship: Prayer, Petitions, and Praise | Producer, Guitar, Vocals |
| 1994 | L.S.U. | Grace Shaker | Producer, Engineer, Acoustic Guitar, Vocals |
| 1994 | Deitiphobia | Clean | Guitar, Vocals |
| 1995 | L.S.U. | Huntington Beach | Guitar, Bass, Vocals |
| 1998 | L.S.U. | Dogfish Jones | Producer, Acoustic Guitar, Vocals |
| 1998 | Various Artists | Browbeats Presents Wither Wing | Producer, Mixed, Guitar, Bass, Vocals |
| 1998 | Steve Hindalong | Skinny | Background Vocals |
| 1999 | Five O'clock People | The Nothing Venture | Songwriter |
| 2000 | Cush | The New Sound | Vocals |
| 2001 | Lost Dogs | Real Men Cry | Vocals |
| 2001 | Adam Again | Live at Cornerstone 2000 | Vocals |
| 2001 | Michael Knott | Life of David | Songwriter, Guitars, Wurlitzer, Vocals |
Michael Knott
Born:
Dec 22, 1962
Died:
Mar 12, 2024
Aged:
61
Michael Gerard Knott was an American singer-songwriter and frontman for various bands, many of which performed in the Christian rock genre. He released about 35 albums, including solo albums and albums with bands such as LSU and Cush. He has been credited with pioneering the "alternative Christian rock scene."
Michael Knott was born in the early-1960s in California. His music has sometimes been controversial in Christian circles, mainly due to the use of profanity in the song "Rocket and a Bomb" (from the self-titled release of his former band Aunt Bettys) and original artwork on the album showing Jesus Christ as a bartender. Knott's songwriting appealed to many people, particularly Christians who could admit their flaws and who appreciated the honesty with which he tackled his own shortcomings. Examples include "Double," "Shaded Pain," and the aforementioned "Rocket and a Bomb." In an interview with HM Magazine, he explained, "Basically, I'm a human being, and I believe in Christ, period. It doesn't make my life rosy, it doesn't make my life terrible, it doesn't do anything with that. I know Christ." Knott, who emerged from Southern California's Christian punk scene, also fancied himself as a "punk Elvis."
Knott's 1987 album Shaded Pain notably contained lyrics challenging church morality and abusive church leaders. The album was banned from Christian bookstores, one of the few places where Christian albums could be purchased at the time, and Knott was banned from performing in various churches.
Career highlights include LSU's Cornerstone appearance in 1993 when the band dressed in costumes, Aunt Bettys record-label bidding war and eventual signing with Elektra in 1995, and a Jed the Fish "Catch of the Day" spin on KROQ for the Strung Gurus' "Sun-Eyed Girl". Cush and Aunt Bettys members joined Knott on stage for a Dennis Danell benefit concert at Verizon Wireless with a line-up that included Pennywise, The Offspring, X, and Social Distortion. Aunt Betty's "Feel" and several Mike Knott songs from Strip Cycle are prominently featured in the 1998 indie film Boogie Boy (Imperial), exec-produced by Academy Award-winning Pulp Fiction co-writer Roger Avary. The director asked the Aunt Bettys to be Joan Jett's band in the movie, and the band initially agreed, but it ultimately didn't happen when new bassist Shawn Tubbs had to pull out over scheduling conflicts.
Knott was a painter, frequently signing his works under the name 'Gerard'. His artwork has been used for cover art on many of his own releases as well as releases by The Choir, Charity Empressa, and others. When he began touring again in 2000, Knott began creating painting series that he sold at shows and eventually online.
Michael Knott founded the now-defunct independent record label Blonde Vinyl Records; he co-founded Tooth and Nail Records with Brandon Ebel.
Wikipedia contributors. (2024, April 8). Michael Knott. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 15:53, April 14, 2024, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Michael_Knott&oldid=1217846674
