Woolley in the 90's. James Joseph Woolley (September 26, 1966 – August 14, 2016) was an American

keyboard Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Musi ...

and

synthesizer A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis ...

player, best known for performing with industrial rock band

Nine Inch Nails Nine Inch Nails, commonly abbreviated as NIN and stylized as NIИ, is an American industrial rock band formed in Cleveland in 1988. Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Trent Reznor was the only permanent member of the ban ...

during the 1991

Lollapalooza Lollapalooza (Lolla) is an annual American four-day music festival held in Grant Park in Chicago. It originally started as a touring event in 1991 but several years later made Chicago the permanent location for the annual music festival. Mus ...

Tour and the beginning part of the 1994

Self Destruct Tour The Self Destruct Tour was a concert tour in support of industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails' album ''The Downward Spiral'', which took place in early 1994, running until mid-1996, and was broken into eight legs. Overview The tour was filmed fo ...

. Woolley also appeared in the videos for "

Wish A wish is a hope or desire for something. In fiction, wishes can be used as plot devices. In folklore, opportunities for "making a wish" or for wishes to "come true" or "be granted" are themes that are sometimes used. In fiction In ficti ...

" and "

March of the Pigs "March of the Pigs" is a song by American industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails from their second studio album, ''The Downward Spiral'' (1994). It was released on February 25, 1994 as the album's lead single. Composition "March of the Pigs" has a ...

", as well as parts of the Nine Inch Nails release '' Closure'' (1997). Woolley won a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...

in 1993 for "Best Metal Performance" for "Wish". Prior to Nine Inch Nails, Woolley was a major collaborator along with former NIN drummer

Chris Vrenna Chris Vrenna (born February 23, 1967 in Erie, Pennsylvania) is an American musician, producer, engineer, remixer, songwriter, programmer, and founder of the electronic band Tweaker. Vrenna played drums for the industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails ...

to Chicago band

Die Warzau Die Warzau (originally Die Warzau Synfony) was an American industrial music band formed in 1987 by Jim Marcus and Van Christie. History In the late 80s, Jim Marcus and Van Christie were working individually as performance artists. Christie h ...

. In 1994, just before NIN hit the road, Woolley contributed to

Sister Machine Gun Sister Machine Gun is an American industrial rock band originally based in Chicago, Illinois. History The early years Sister Machine Gun was formed by Chris Randall and Guilherme Machado in New York City. They performed at New Jersey's Pipel ...

's album, ''

The Torture Technique ''The Torture Technique'' is the second studio album by Sister Machine Gun, released on March 15, 1994 by TVT and Wax Trax! Records. The album spent eight weeks on the CMJ Radio Top 150 peaking at #46, and nine weeks on the CMJ RPM Charts peakin ...

''. Subsequent to Nine Inch Nails, Woolley made contributions to Die Warzau albums again, particularly 2005's ''Convenience''. In 1998, Woolley toured with

Rob Halford Robert John Arthur Halford (born 25 August 1951) is an English heavy metal singer. He is the lead vocalist of Judas Priest, which was formed in 1969 and has received accolades such as the 2010 Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance. He has ...

's one-time band

2wo ''2WO'' is the second studio album by Canadian new wave band Strange Advance released in February, 1985. It featured two hit Canadian singles, "We Run" and "The Second That I Saw You". Along with their first album, this was a Canadian gold ...

, which also included

John 5 John 5 is the fifth chapter of the Gospel of John of the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It relates Jesus' healing and teaching in Jerusalem, and begins to evidence the hostility shown him by the Jewish authorities.Plummer, A. (1902)Cambri ...

Marilyn Manson Brian Hugh Warner (born January 5, 1969), known professionally as Marilyn Manson, is an American rock musician. He came to prominence as the lead singer of the band which shares his name, of which he remains the only constant member since it ...

. After 2wo, Woolley did some studio audio work in Los Angeles. After 2006, he was involved with V.O.I.D., whose debut album was released in 2009, after his relocation to Chicago in June 2008. The band was led by Woolley and featured Jon Roberts, Mark Pearlman, and DJ Aaron Chase. Woolley last resided in

Round Lake Beach, Illinois Round Lake Beach is a northern suburb of Chicago in Lake County, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 27,252. The United States Census Bureau defines an urban area of northwest Chicago-area suburbs that are separated ...

, and had a studio near

Lake Forest, Illinois Lake Forest is a city located in Lake County, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 19,367. The city is along the shore of Lake Michigan, and is a part of the Chicago metropolitan area and the North Shore. Lake Forest ...

. Woolley died on August 14, 2016 at the age of 49. His ex-wife Kate Van Buren revealed that Woolley had been living with "significant neck and spine injuries" which later contributed to his death.

References

1966 births 2016 deaths American industrial musicians 20th-century American keyboardists Nine Inch Nails members Grammy Award winners {{US-keyboardist-stub