Andrew Patrick Wood (January 8, 1966 – March 19, 1990) was an American musician who was the lead singer and lyricist for the alternative rock bands Malfunkshun and Mother Love Bone. He formed Malfunkshun in 1980 with his older brother Kevin Wood on guitar and Regan Hagar on drums. The band used alter ego personas onstage; Wood performed as Landrew the Love Child. Though the band only released two songs before going on an extended hiatus, "With Yo' Heart (Not Yo' Hands)" and "Stars-n-You", on the Deep Six compilation album, they are often cited as being among the originators of the Seattle grunge movement. While in Malfunkshun, Wood started using drugs, entering rehab in 1985.
In 1988, Wood began jamming with Green River members Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament while Malfunkshun was on hiatus. They began writing original material and formed Mother Love Bone the same year, adding guitarist Bruce Fairweather (also a former member of Green River) and drummer Greg Gilmore to the lineup. In 1989, the band signed a deal with PolyGram issuing an EP, Shine, before going on tour, supporting The Dogs D'Amour. Near the end of the year, the band recorded their debut album, Apple, which was scheduled for release in 1990.
Struggling with drug dependence, Wood checked himself into rehab in 1989, hoping to get clean for the release of Mother Love Bone's debut album. He died in Seattle on March 19, 1990, at the age of 24, after being found in a comatose state by his girlfriend following a heroin overdose.
Early life
Wood was born on January 8, 1966, in Columbus, Mississippi,[1] to David C. Wood and Toni Wood; he grew up in Bainbridge Island, Washington. He was the youngest of three children; he had two older brothers, Kevin and Brian.[2] Andrew and his brothers were exposed to various types of music by their parents, who also supported their children when they were learning how to play instruments.[2] Andrew became a fan of acts including Elton John, Queen, Aerosmith, and Kiss.[1]
Wood (right) with Malfunkshun in a 1980s promo photo
In 1980, at the age of 14, Andrew Wood formed Malfunkshun with his brother Kevin, recording their first demo tape in April 1980.[2] Drummer Regan Hagar joined the band soon afterwards, playing shows in Seattle.[2] Each member adopted onstage alter egos, with Andrew becoming Landrew the Love Child, Kevin performing as Kevinstein, and Hagar becoming Thundarr.[3] Unlike most grunge groups in Seattle, Malfunkshun were influenced by glam rock with Wood described as "a hippie, glammed-out rock and roll god, equal parts Marc Bolan and Jim Morrison,"[3] with his look and vocal style influenced by frontmen such as Freddie Mercury, Paul Stanley, and Marc Bolan.[4] Andrew Wood developed a drug habit at a young age, having smoked marijuana and cigarettes when he was 11 or 12. By 1985, he began to rely heavily on drugs to cope with having a "rock star" persona; he entered rehab later that year.[3]
Malfunkshun recorded a number of demos in 1986, two of which, "With Yo' Heart (Not Yo' Hands)" and "Stars-n-You," were included on the "legendary"[5]Deep Six compilation album released by C/Z Records the same year.[2][6] The band played shows in Seattle, opening for Soundgarden, The U-Men, and Skin Yard.[3][7] However, in 1988, Malfunkshun disbanded.[3]
Although the band never released an album during Wood's lifetime and were turned down by Sub Pop for "not [being] grunge enough,"[2] Malfunkshun, along with Green River, are often cited as an originator of the grunge movement.[3]
The band soon signed a deal with PolyGram, and, through their own subsidiary label Stardog released a six-song EP, Shine, in 1989.[4] John Book, of Allmusic, stated that the EP "contributed to the buzz about the Seattle music scene."[10] The rest of the year the band toured, including shows supporting The Dogs D'Amour; they also recorded their debut album.
With high expectations for the album, Wood checked himself into rehab for heroin addiction, hoping to get clean before the album was released.[1][4] In 1990, the band continued to play shows in Seattle, waiting for the release of their album, Apple.[1] Wood died weeks before the release of the record.
Death
On March 16, 1990, Wood was found in a comatose state by his girlfriend, having overdosed on heroin.[1][11] He was taken to Harborview Hospital and placed on life support. On March 19, physicians suggested that Wood be removed from life support and he was pronounced dead at 3:15 pm that day.[1][2] The official cause of death recorded on Wood's death certificate is hypoxic encephalopathy.
Apple was released posthumously later in the year, receiving positive reviews.[12] David Browne of The New York Times wrote that "Apple may be one of the first great hard-rock records of the 90s" and that "Andrew Wood could have been the first of the big-league Seattle rock stars."[13]
I was thinking a lot about Andrew Wood at the time. We always had a great time when we did hang out, much like Chris Cornell and I do. There was never really a serious moment or conversation, it was all fun. Andy was a hilarious guy, full of life and it was really sad to lose him. But I always hate people who judge the decisions others make. So it was also directed towards people who pass judgments.[20]
In 1992, PolyGram reissued both Shine and Apple as the compilation album Mother Love Bone,[4] while the song "Chloe Dancer/Crown of Thorns" was included on the soundtrack to the film Singles.[4] The same year, Los Angeles band Faster Pussycat wrote the song "Mr. Lovedog", from the album Whipped!, in tribute to Wood.[21] Bradley Torreano of Allmusic stated that the song "offered a sad elegy to another charismatic figure in the metal world."[21]
The Seattle rock band War Babies, which briefly featured Mother Love Bone's Jeff Ament on bass, dedicated the song "Blue Tomorrow" off their eponymous 1992 debut album to Wood.[22] In 1993, Seattle grunge band Candlebox released their self-titled debut featuring the single "Far Behind", which was written in Wood's memory.[23]
The film is about Wood's music career[25] as well as his family background.[25] It premiered at the Seattle International Film Festival.[25] In October of the same year, the film was screened at the FAIF Film Festival in Hollywood, California.[26] The film was released in 2011 on DVD as part of a 2CD+DVD set entitled "Malfunkshun: The Andrew Wood Story" including the Return to Olympus album, a bonus CD including many interviews and demos, and the movie on the DVD disc.[27]
In 2011, the album Melodies & Dreams was released. It featured unreleased songs and demos which Wood had recorded throughout his life, including a song that he recorded with Chris Cornell, "Island of Summer",[28] "Island of Summer" is the only existing recording which has both of them singing together.[29] Wood is featured in the 2011 documentary Pearl Jam Twenty; it is about the story of Pearl Jam. Friends including Chris Cornell, Jeff Ament and Stone Gossard talk about Wood in the film and home-made footage featuring Wood is shown.[30]
