Shaun Morgan

Vorlage:Infobox Musical artist Shaun Morgan Welgemoed (Born December 21, 1978) is a South African musician, best known as the lead singer of the Post-Grunge band Seether, formerly known as Saron Gas.

Early life

Morgan was born in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa to a slightly dysfunctional family. Morgan's father's side of the family was English while his mother's side was not, which spurred conflict in Morgan's life. Music began to be an escape from family turmoil. Morgan picked up the guitar after hearing the Nirvana album Nevermind and first learned the song "Polly". From then on he was inspired.

Morgan attended a militaristic like high school with hopes of one day becoming a fighter pilot. However, Morgan decided he didn't want to become something different. Morgan left home at age seventeen to record a demo, presumably "69 tea", and was told by many that he was going to become "another statistic". Humorously, Morgan stated that he was "living on people's couches for a while" and borrowed money from his father for an electric guitar.

On his own, Morgan found it hard to get by. Morgan began to hang out with a band of bikers and went from bar-to-bar and started fights for fun. "There were nights where I would come home with my shirt soaked with blood" says Morgan before declaring those his "dark years". Realizing his life was going into a downward spiral, Morgan came back to his mothers one night and found it empty. Being battered from his latest bar fight, he laid down on his mothers bed. From there he took out his mothers handgun and held it to his head, he contemplated pulling the trigger. However, Morgan instead picked up a guitar and began to play, keeping him from suicide.

Trying to get his life back in the right direction, Shaun Morgan departed South Africa for London. There he stayed with a man he barely knew and tried to become a jeweler. From this experience it is believed it gave him inspiration to write the song "Pig" ("Have you ever wanted to die when you were without your friends/take it away because I don't like this anymore"). Finding little success, Morgan decided to head back to home to embark on a musical career.

Once he arrived back home he began to play with local bands. Some of which Morgan describes as "terrible" and stated he even needed to teach some musicians how to play. After a series of trial and error, Morgan began to piece together the future band of "Saron Gas". Morgan met future bassist Dale Stewart through friends and then began to play together, only because Stewart was the "only other guy I knew".

With a new band on track Morgan and Saron Gas began sending CD demos to record labels. Some CD's included unreleased songs such as "One on One", "More Than I Deserve", "Sand", "Mr. Perfect", "Ode to a Bitch", "Cry", "Walk", "Blind", "Raggedy Anne", "Runaway" and "Understand". Morgans lyrical genius and heartfelt guitar licks soon rocketed the band to success. Radio stations soon played songs such as "69 Tea" and "Fine Again". It wasn't long until they caught Wind Up records eye, or ears in this matter, in 2002.

Musical Style and Influence

Morgan's inspirations include Kurt Cobain of Nirvana, Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins, Johnny Clegg, Pearl Jam, Tool, and A Perfect Circle.

Critics frequently accuse Morgan of intentionally trying to sound too much like Kurt Cobain, and it's likely due to Cobain's influence on him as a musician. Seether covers of Nirvana tracks including "Something in the Way" and "You Know You're Right". Also, he has recently been seen sporting dyed-red hair, similar to Kurt Cobain's in the "Come as You Are" video and his first appearance on Saturday Night Live. He sounds at times quite similar to the The Doors' infamous but talented vocalist Jim Morrison. This is seen nowhere more remarkably than in the bonus track "Kom Saam met My" (Come With Me), spoken in his native tongue (Afrikaans), on Karma and Effect, the band's third album under their current name.

Personal life

Morgan has a daughter named Jayde (born in 2002), from a previous marriage.

Morgan previously dated Amy Lee, lead singer of Evanescence. Lee confirmed in 2006 on VH1's VSpot Top 20 Countdown that the Evanescence song "Call Me When You're Sober" was written mainly about him. Later on, at the world premiere of The Open Door in London, England, Lee confirmed that Morgan inspired her to write another Evanescence song called "Lithium". Shaun is reportedly not happy that Amy has brought all the blame onto him in the public. Post Amy Lee, former girlfriend Janell inspired majority of songs assumed to be about Amy Lee off the record Finding Beauty In Negative Spaces.

On May 11, 2008 during a show at The Palladium in Worcester, Massachusetts, in the middle of the song "Driven Under" Morgan clenched his arm and then clenched his chest appearing to have serious stomach trouble. Morgan was rushed backstage and then rushed to a local hospital emergency room. The show was ended minutes later. Seether's official website claimed Shaun suffered from a "nasty 24-hour bug."

Collaborations

• Art of Dying featuring Shaun Morgan - "Die Trying" (2008)

Guitars and Amps

Guitars: Schecter PT Fastback, Schecter 006 Elite, Schecter PT Fastback w/ Custom Star Graphic

Amps: Mesa Boogie

Brother's Death

In August 2007, Morgan's brother was found deceased, it has had a significant impact on the future album Finding Beauty In Negative Spaces, delaying the album. The band (Seether) posted the following on their page, paying respects.

I'm sure many of you have been hearing some rumors about Eugene. Unfortunately these rumors are true. Eugene passed away early Monday morning the 13th of August. As you might have seen we have cancelled a few shows to allow Shaun and the rest of us to come to terms with this tragic loss. Genie was an awesome human being, the type of person you want to be around. He never failed to put a smile on the face of all who he met and left a lasting impression on all whose lives he touched. I know I speak for everyone who knew Eugene when I say that he will be sorely missed. We all love you bro. Rest in peace

Dale

It was reported that he had committed suicide by jumping from the window of the Radisson Hotel in Rapid City. Seether cancelled many upcoming shows, including those in Idaho and Mississippi. He was on tour with them at the time.

Many Seether fans have left tributes and condolences, as well as the band Crossfade, who restored their default image on Myspace to that of Shaun and his brother.

Trivia

• He is a proud South African and is very vocal about it. When Seether played their song "Remedy" on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno they had a South African flag in the background as part of their set. Shaun also has a tattoo of the South African flag on his left arm.

• He always has the Baby versions of Living Dead Dolls on the front of his microphone stand.

• He has a tattoo '1308' on his fingers as a tribute to his brother, Eugene, who committed suicide on the 13th of August 2007 (13/08/2007)

• He has a Schecter guitar that he named "Seed Of Chucky" that was used on the Finding Beauty In Negative Spaces tour.