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Kings Of Leon - Biography

Kings Of Leon
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Biography:

No-frills rock band from Nashville, Tennessee, USA, formed in 2000 by the Followill brothers, Caleb (born Anthony Caleb Followill, 14 January 1982, Memphis, Tennessee, USA; guitar/vocals), Nathan (b. Ivan Nathaniel Followill, 26 June 1979, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; drums), and Jared (b.

Michael Jared Followill, 20 November 1986, Memphis, Tennessee, USA; bass). The Followill’s father was allegedly a United Pentecostal evangelist, leading to an itinerant upbringing for his young sons who gained their first musical experience playing in church during their father’s services.

The brothers relocated to Nashville in the new millennium and began to seriously think about playing music for a living. They formed the Kings Of Leon, an unusual moniker derived from the Christian name of their father and paternal grandfather, and rounded up the line-up by recruiting their cousin Matthew (b.

Cameron Matthew Followill, 10 September 1984, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA) as lead guitarist. The quartet’s passionate espousal of the virtues of classic southern rock sparked interest among major labels in thrall to the fully-fledged garage rock revival, and a recording contract was signed with RCA Records.

The Kings Of Leon made their debut in February 2003 with the Holy Roller Novocaine EP, which featured live favourites ‘Molly’s Chambers’ and ‘Wasted Time’. The full-length Youth And Young Manhood followed shortly afterwards, with the quartet enjoying particularly strong reviews and commercial success in England.

The following year’s Aha Shake Heartbreak was another fine retro rock collection, although the grating lyrics somewhat betrayed the band members’ youth. Near the end of 2008, the Kings broke through in a big way, topping the U. S. Modern Rock charts for many months with the blistering "Sex on Fire" off the well-received Only By the Night.

Gallery

  • Kings of Leon frontman Caleb has drawn some serious attention from the ladies since the band shot into the stratosphere this year. And his charming attitude and massive talent make him a hit with the ladies too.

    Kings of Leon frontman Caleb has drawn some serious attention from the ladies since the band shot into the stratosphere this year. And his charming attitude and massive talent make him a hit with the ladies too.

  • Kings of Leon frontman Caleb Followill threw an almighty strop with the crowd at the Reading Festival last weekend – but his relationship with brothers Nathan and Jared appears as strong as ever.
  • Best Live Band: Muse
    Other big UK hitters were the mighty Muse, who saw off competition from Oasis and Kings Of Leon to take Best Live Band for the second year in a row. In a hat-trick of wins, the Cornwall trio also won the award for Best Album Artwork (‘HAARP’) and Sexiest Male (Matt Bellamy) in an awards ceremony which is voted for by the people that matter – the music-loving public.

    Nominees:

    Radiohead
    Oasis
    The Killers
    Muse
    Kings Of Leon
  • Kings of Leon deservedly won the award for the Best International Group.

Nominees

AC/DC 
Fleet Foxes 
Killers
Kings of Leon 
MGMT
    Best International Group: Kings of Leon
    Kings of Leon deservedly won the award for the Best International Group.

    Nominees

    AC/DC
    Fleet Foxes
    Killers
    Kings of Leon
    MGMT
  • GLASTONBURY, UNITED KINGDOM - JUNE 27:  Caleb Followill of Kings of Leon performs at the Galstonbury Festival on June 27, 2008 in Glastonbury, England. (Danny Martindale/Wireimage)
    Glastonbury Festival 2008 Day 1
    GLASTONBURY, UNITED KINGDOM - JUNE 27: Caleb Followill of Kings of Leon performs at the Galstonbury Festival on June 27, 2008 in Glastonbury, England. (Danny Martindale/Wireimage)
  • AC/DC - Black Ice

  Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes

  Killers - Day & Age

  Kings of Leon - Only By The Night (pictured)

  MGMT - Oracular Spectacular

Watch backstage at the Brits Nominations Party
    International Album
    AC/DC - Black Ice
    Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
    Killers - Day & Age
    Kings of Leon - Only By The Night (pictured)
    MGMT - Oracular Spectacular

    Watch backstage at the Brits Nominations Party
  • 1. Kings Of Leon - Only By The Night
    UK Best of 2008
    1. Kings Of Leon - Only By The Night

  • Top UK & US rock rags Q and Rolling Stone release results of their Best of 2008 polls with Tv On The Radio, Vampire Weekend and Coldplay making an appeance in both lists.

    Tenessee sensations Kings Of Leon top British magazine Q’s best album list, while abstract New Yorkers Tv On The Radio are voted headliners for US publication Rolling Stone’s hitlist.

    Read on to see our countdown of both top ten lists in full…

    UK Best of 2008

    10. Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds - Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!!
  • 1. Kings Of Leon - Only By The Night
    UK Best of 2008
    1. Kings Of Leon - Only By The Night

  • Top UK & US rock rags Q and Rolling Stone release results of their Best of 2008 polls with Tv On The Radio, Vampire Weekend and Coldplay making an appeance in both lists.

    Tenessee sensations Kings Of Leon top British magazine Q’s best album list, while abstract New Yorkers Tv On The Radio are voted headliners for US publication Rolling Stone’s hitlist.

    Read on to see our countdown of both top ten lists in full…

    UK Best of 2008

    10. Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds - Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!!
  • 1. Kings Of Leon - Only By The Night
    UK Best of 2008
    1. Kings Of Leon - Only By The Night

  • Rock pioneers Primal Scream celebrated a double whammy of awards, winning both the Outstanding Contribution To Live Music prize and also Best Live Act at the Vodafone Live Music Awards held at the legendary Carling Academy in Brixton.

    Superstar DJ and producer Mark Ronson was crowned the king of live music taking home the coveted Best Live Male award whilst Salford’s finest new export, The Ting Tings, continued their amazing debut year by winning the Xfm Live Breakthrough award! Elsewhere, US rock outfit the Kings of Leon beat off stiff competition from some the world’s biggest live acts including The Foo Fighters, Jay Z and N*E*R*D to win Best International Live Act.

    The celeb-packed evening hosted by T4’s Steve Jones and Hollywood actress and rock and roll star Juliette Lewis, saw some of the world’s greatest musicians honoured for their contribution to the live music scene over the past year. Acts as diverse as Primal Scream, Glasvegas, James Morrison, Pussycat Dolls, Bryn Christopher, Will Young, Estelle, The Automatic and The Ting Tings all played to a packed venue of fellow nominees, music industry experts and fans.

    Outstanding Contribution to Live Music:
    Primal Scream

    Best Live Act:
    Primal Scream

    other nominees:
    The Verve,
    Kaiser Chiefs,
    Muse

    Read on for the full list of Vodafone Live Music Awards winners and nominees...
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