Perry Farrell

A primary force in the rise of the alternative music scene of the early 1990s, Perry Farrell was the singer for Jane's Addiction, a ferociously inventive hard rock act that produced such modern rock hits as "Jane Says," "Been Caught Stealing" and "Stop." The band garnered a sizable following on the Los Angeles club scene in the late 1980s with its high-volume blend of punk, metal and hazy psychedelics anchored by Farrell's forceful wail and striking visual presence. Their major label debut Nothing's Shocking (1989) established a beachhead for alternative music within the mainstream, with Farrell and Jane's Addiction among its leading proponents, but by 1990, the band had collapsed under the strain of drug-fueled in-fighting. Farrell immediately launched Porno for Pyros, which adopted much of the same sonic palette as its predecessor. By 1997, he was back with Jane's Addiction for the first of numerous reunion tours and albums. Along the way, he also launched the massively popular Lollapalooza festival, which spread the gospel of alt-rock across the country each summer by introducing new and established acts to a wide audience. Farrell's impact upon the musical landscape of the early '90s was virtually unmatched.