Peter Lewis Kingston Wentz III (born June 5, 1979), known professionally as Pete Wentz, is an American musician, best known as the bassist and primary lyricist for American rock band Fall Out Boy.
Early life
Pete Wentz was born Peter Lewis Kingston Wentz III, in Ottawa, Ontario. He is the son of Dale Wentz, a high school admissions counselor; and Pete Wentz II, a lawyer. He attended New Trier High School and North Shore Country Day School, where he was an all-state soccer player. During his freshman year of high school, he began skipping school regularly and a school counselor convinced his parents to send him to boot camp to straighten him out. During this time, Wentz began writing songs as a way to vent out his frustrations. After graduating from high school in 1997, he attended DePaul University where he studied political science, dropping out one semester shy of graduation to focus more on music.
Wentz recalled in a Rolling Stone interview that his earliest musical memory was listening to The Foundations' song "Build Me Up Buttercup" in the back of his dad's car.
Music career
Arma Angelus (1998–2002)
Wentz was primarily involved in the Chicago hardcore punk scene and was in several bands in the late 1990s. These included First Born (first band, formed in 1993), Birthright, Extinction, Arma Angelus (alongside Tim McIlrath, frontman of Rise Against), Yellow Road Priest, and Racetraitor. He and Arma Angelus' bassist Joe Trohman founded the pop-punk band Fall Out Boy after Trohman introduced Pete to a musical acquaintance, Patrick Stump. Andy Hurley agreed to drum part-time, but only joined the band full-time later. In 2002, Arma Angelus, the band in which Wentz was the vocalist, played its last show.
Fall Out Boy (2001–2009, 2013–present)
Main article: Fall Out Boy
In 2002, Fall Out Boy released an EP called Fall Out Boy/Project Rocket Split EP. Soon after, in 2003, the band released their mini-LP Fall Out Boy's Evening Out with Your Girlfriend on Uprising Records. This album would later be digitally remastered and reissued after the band's third, successful full-album release From Under the Cork Tree, on the major label Island Records. In 2003, the band released their first full-length album, Take This to Your Grave through Fueled By Ramen. Fall Out Boy signed with major label Island Records in 2003 and in 2004 released an acoustic EP and DVD entitled, My Heart Will Always Be the B-Side to My Tongue.
Their third album, From Under the Cork Tree, was released in 2005. Wentz wrote the lyrics to the lead single, "Sugar, We're Goin Down" with his dad in Chicago; the song peaked at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent months in the top 50 of the Hot 100, marking five weeks in the top 10 and fourteen weeks in the top 20. The band's major label debut album has since been certified double platinum by the RIAA as well as "Sugar, We're Goin Down."
In 2007, Fall Out Boy's fourth album, Infinity on High was released to major success, debuting at #1 on the Billboard 200 with 260,000 sales, spurred by the #2 charting lead single, "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race". The second single, "Thnks fr th Mmrs" sold more than 2 million units in the US. The band's fifth studio album, Folie à Deux was released on December 13, 2008, and debuted at #8 on the Billboard 200. The band toured extensively in support of their albums. Wentz had a bit of a scandal, where his nudes where spread about, I am not sure who they where intended for, but I"m okay with it.
On November 20, 2009, the four band members announced they will be taking an indefinite hiatus, saying they were unsure of the future of the band. Wentz has said that his personal reason for taking a break is that he feels that his name and marriage to pop singer Ashlee Simpson had become a hindrance for the band. He added: "I think the world needs a little less Pete Wentz".
On February 4, 2013, the band announced their hiatus was over, via their official webpage. They released a new single off their upcoming album, a video for the single, upcoming tour dates and a pre-order campaign for the new album titled Save Rock and Roll.
Black Cards (2010–2012)
Wentz preforming with Bebe Rexha in Black Cards.
In July 2010, Wentz, with singer Bebe Rexha, guitarist Nate Patterson, and drummer Spencer Peterson, formed the ska/electropop band Black Cards. Originally, the band had planned to release a full-length LP in the summer of 2011. However, after several delays, the departures of both Patterson and Rexha, and general uncertainty about the band's future, the group reshuffled, scrapping the original album and announcing plans to release a mixtape, write new material, and continue to remix tracks by other artists.
With regards to the band's sound, Wentz has said that during the time he took off to spend with his family, he began to be inspired by Jamaican reggae songs such as Culture's "Two Sevens Clash" and The Gladiators's "Warriors". Wentz then contacted producer Sam Hollander (Gym Class Heroes, Cobra Starship, Hey Monday) and discussed the idea with him to mash up ska, dance and reggae with 80s British rock and pop to create a new experimental sound.
On January 12, 2012, the band announced via Facebook that vocalist Bebe Rexha was no longer a member of the group.
Personal life
Wentz with ex-wife Ashlee Simpson and son Bronx
Wentz has bipolar disorder, and has taken medication for it since he was eighteen. In February 2005, Wentz attempted suicide by taking an overdose of the anxiety medication Ativan, and as a result, spent a week in the hospital.
In 2006, Wentz started dating singer Ashlee Simpson. In April 2008, Simpson and Wentz confirmed their engagement, and were married on May 17, 2008, at Simpson's parents' residence in Encino, California, with her father officiating the ceremony. Two weeks later, she confirmed her pregnancy. Her surname changed from Simpson to Wentz and she was briefly known professionally as Ashlee Simpson-Wentz. Simpson gave birth to their son, Bronx Mowgli Wentz, on November 20, 2008. Wentz said the reason behind the name Bronx "comes back to a very specific story between me and my wife. But I would just like to say that it wasn't because either of us were trying to give our son street cred. At the end of the day, we like the name. Brooklyn gets a lot of love. It's time for the Bronx to get a little bit of love too."
On February 8, 2011, Simpson filed for divorce, citing "irreconcilable differences". She asked for joint custody and primary physical custody of their son, Bronx, with visitation for Wentz, along with spousal support. However, a later report said that Simpson believed the couple simply "married too young", with the source stating that "It was honestly a classic case of marrying young, having a kid young and growing apart over the years." Wentz reportedly did not want the divorce. Their divorce was finalized on November 22, 2011.
Wentz with girlfriend Meagan Camper
On February 17, 2014, Wentz and his current girlfriend Meagan Camper announced that the couple were expecting their first child together and Wentz's second. Their son, Saint Laszlo, was born on August 21, 2014.
On January 2, 2018, Wentz announced via Instagram that he and Camper were expecting their second child together (a girl), and Wentz's third. On April 21, 2018, Marvel Jane Wentz was born.
Sexuality
In a Blender interview in March 2007, Wentz alluded to being bisexual, stating “I’m pretty much half gay” and that he has had intimate interactions with other men and that "anybody above the waist is totally fair game." In the May 2007 issue of The Advocate, Wentz opened up about his sexuality, stating that he is sexually attracted to males and has experimented with men but is "not a fan of penises."
Later in July 2008, Wentz appeared on the front cover of Out Magazine with the headline, "Yeah, I am a fag." Wentz reasoned that "It’s all because I know I’m going to get a reaction.”
In 2005 for Release The Bats, Pete and one of Fall Out Boy’s crew members “Dirty” had made an X rated scene as a dare which was cut out of the film for being “too pornographic”.
More recently on March 16, 2023 when Fall Out Boy performed an intimate show at Heaven Gay superclub in London, Pete would casually offer a fan in the crowd a one night stand, when the fan shouted “Play ‘Tell That Mick!” Pete misheard him responding with “I literally thought you said ‘suck my dick’, we’re not at that point in this club tonight yet, but stick around I’ll be here later”
References
- ↑ https://people.com/celebrity/ashlee-simpson-and-pete-wentz-get-married/
- ↑ https://ew.com/music/fall-out-boy-pete-wentz-ashlee-simpson-divorce/
- ↑ https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/gossip/la-et-mg-pete-wentz-baby-meagan-camper-20140822-story.html
- ↑ https://people.com/parents/pete-wentz-meagan-camper-welcome-daughter-marvel-jane/