Linus of Hollywood
| Linus of Hollywood | |
|---|---|
 Linus Of Hollywood Album cover | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Kevin Dotson |
| Also known as | Linus Dotson |
| Born |
March 4, 1973 Omaha, Nebraska, U.S. |
| Genres | Rock |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar, drums, bass, piano, keyboard, percussion |
| Years active | 1995 – present |
| Labels | Crappy Records, Franklin Castle Recordings, Oglio Records |
| Associated acts |
Bowling for Soup, Nerf Herder, Palmdale, Size 14 |
| Website | Official site |
Kevin Dotson (born March 4, 1973), better known by his stage name Linus of Hollywood, is an American rock and pop singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer.[1] The stage name comes from his early days in Los Angeles, where he would frequently wear striped shirts similar to the Peanuts character Linus van Pelt. He is currently a member of Nerf Herder and comedy duo Jarinus.
Career
Early life
Dotson was born in Omaha, Nebraska, but spent his formative years in Florida. At age five, he learned to play guitar. He would later learn to play drums, bass, and piano as well. At age 21, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in music. In 1995 Dotson started his professional career as the leader of punk/pop band Size 14, named after his shoe size. The band broke up in 1998 and Dotson began playing and producing on other people's recordings.
Solo career
In 1999, Dotson released his first solo album Your Favorite Record on his own label called Franklin Castle Recordings. He performed nearly everything on the album, both instrumentally and vocally. He has since released four more albums: Let Yourself Be Happy (2001), Triangle (2006), Attractive Singles (2008), and Reheat & Serve (2008). A new single "A Girl That I Like" was released in 2011. His music has been featured in the hit TV shows Weeds (TV Series) and Californication (TV series) as well as The New Normal (TV series), the latter of which he appeared as an actor in the season finale episode.
Linus most recently released his fourth solo album in 2014 titled 'Something Good'[2] via the Pledgemusic platform.
As a touring musician
Dotson toured the world in the mid 2000s playing bass guitar for guitar legend Paul Gilbert on the Burning Organ tour (2002), Acoustic Samurai tour (2003) and the Space Ship One tour (2005). He also toured as a bass player for Roger Joseph Manning, Jr. on both of his tours.
Work with other artists
Artists Dotson has worked with: Allstar Weekend, 5 Seconds of Summer, Mr. Big, Hollywood Ending, School Boy Humor, Bowling for Soup, The Charlatans, Darling Thieves, The Dollyrots, Gabriel Mann (of The Rescues), Gush, Jarinus, Jennifer Lopez, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Kaela Kimura, Kiera Chaplin, Kim Fox, Kool Keith, Kylee, Laura Dawn, Lil' Kim, The Leftovers, Margo Guryan, MC Lars, Mello Cads, Mis-Teeq, Nerf Herder, Ol' Dirty Bastard, OPM, Parry Gripp, Paul Gilbert, People on Vacation, Pintsize, Probyn Gregory (of The Wondermints), Puffy AmiYumi, P. Hux, Roger Joseph Manning, Jr., Rx Bandits, Puff Daddy, Shaun Escofferey, The Smashing Pumpkins, Tim Burgess, Troup, and Wisely.
In 2010 he formed the band Palmdale with former Letters to Cleo vocalist/songwriter Kay Hanley[3] and released two EPs, Get Wasted and How To Be Mean.
Dotson is also the co-owner of pop/punk label Crappy Records with Bowling for Soup frontman Jaret Reddick.
Bands
| Band | Position | Years Active |
|---|---|---|
| Size 14 | Lead vocals, guitar | 1995–1998 |
| Nerf Herder | Guitar, keyboards | 2008–present |
| Jarinus | Guitar, keyboards, vocals, percussion | 2009–present |
| Palmdale[3] | Guitar, bass, keyboards, vocals | 2009–2010 |
| People on Vacation | Guitar,[4][5] keyboards[4][5] | 2010[6] – present |
Discography
Size 14
Solo albums
Jarinus
|
Palmdale
Other appearances
|
References
- ↑ Swihart, Stanton. "Linus of Hollywood Biography". Yahoo Music. Retrieved 2009-06-08.
- ↑ "Linus Of Hollywood 'Something Good'".
- 1 2 Borack, John. "Let's Palmdale – a chat with Kay Hanley and Linus of Hollywood". Goldminemag.com. Retrieved 2010-08-06.
- 1 2 "People On Vacation – Punk Rock World". YouTube. 29 January 2011. Retrieved 30 January 2011.
- 1 2 "People on Vacation with audioADD". YouTube. 1 February 2011. Retrieved 4 February 2011.
- ↑ "Introducing...People On Vacation". YouTube. 11 January 2011. Retrieved 14 January 2011.
- ↑ "Linus of Hollywood 29 December 2010 Twitter post". 29 December 2010. Retrieved 30 December 2010.