Maynard James Keenan

American singer, songwriter and producer Maynard James Keenan was born in Ravenna, Ohio. More known as the singer and primary lyricist for the band Tool, Keenan grew up feeling like his creativity was being stifled throughout most of his childhood. After high school, he joined the US Army, in order to be able to attend art school, but due to disagreeing with his colleagues' values, he left the military path to pursue a musical career. During the 1980s, Keenan was part of several independent bands while working odd jobs to support himself. It was only in 1990, upon meeting bandmate Adam Jones in Los Angeles, that Tool was formed. Their debut album, "Undertow" (1993), was certified platinum. Their second album, "Ænima" (1996) reached the same milestones even faster, besides winning the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance in 1998. The band went into a hiatus for some time, and Keenan worked under the alias Gaylord C. in collaborations with different artists. Tool's third album, "Lateralus" (2001) was met with positive reviews and Keenan was acclaimed for his lyricism. The album went on to reach the first place on the US Billboard 200 charts and earned the band their second Grammy; their third award came with their fifth album, "Fear Inoculum" (2019). During the 2000s, while touring and playing with Tool, Keenan also worked on his personal projects, the bands A Perfect Circle and Puscifer. He was critically acclaimed for his work with the first, and went on a more experimental journey with the latter. Keenan's style of singing was considered a big influence in bands that came after, and his recluse personality was a cultural stand-out in an age of celebrity worship.