Michael Daniel Ness (born April 3, 1962) is an American musician who is the lead guitarist, vocalist and songwriter for the
punk rock band
Social Distortion
Social Distortion is an American punk rock band formed in 1978 in Fullerton, California. The band currently consists of Mike Ness (lead vocals, lead guitar), Jonny Wickersham (rhythm guitar, backing vocals), Brent Harding (bass, backing vo ...
, which was formed in 1978.
Early life
Ness was born in
Lynn, Massachusetts
Lynn is the eighth-largest municipality in Massachusetts and the largest city in Essex County. Situated on the Atlantic Ocean, north of the Boston city line at Suffolk Downs, Lynn is part of Greater Boston's urban inner core. Settled by Eu ...
on April 3, 1962. His family relocated to
Orange County, California
Orange County is located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area in Southern California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,186,989, making it the third-most-populous county in California, the sixth-most-populous in the United States, ...
, later that year, and he grew up in
Fullerton. As a child, he idolized gangsters such as
John Dillinger
John Herbert Dillinger (June 22, 1903 – July 22, 1934) was an American gangster during the Great Depression. He led the Dillinger Gang, which was accused of robbing 24 banks and four police stations. Dillinger was imprisoned several times and ...
and
Bonnie and Clyde
Bonnie Elizabeth Parker (October 1, 1910May 23, 1934) and Clyde Chestnut (Champion) Barrow (March 24, 1909May 23, 1934) were an American criminal couple who traveled the Central United States with their gang during the Great Depression. The ...
. At a young age, his parents divorced and he was later kicked out of his father and stepmother's home in Fullerton when he was around 15 or 16 years old for incorrigible behavior.
During his early years, Ness was raised on the blues, country and early rock n' roll. As he drifted around Orange County, Ness became involved in the
punk rock scene.
In the 1980s, Ness was the original renter of the one-bedroom apartment described in
The Adolescents song "
Kids of the Black Hole
''Adolescents'', also known as ''The Blue Album'' due to its cover design, is the debut studio album by American punk rock band the Adolescents, released in April 1981 on Frontier Records. Recorded after guitarist Rikk Agnew and drummer Casey Roy ...
". The
punk house is located in Fullerton and still exists today.
Career
Inspired by
The Sex Pistols, Ness founded Social Distortion in 1978 with
Casey Royer. He later recruited his high school friend
Dennis Danell
Dennis Eric Danell
(June 24, 1961 – February 29, 2000) was an American musician, guitarist and co-founding member of the Southern California punk rock band Social Distortion.
Biography
Danell joined Social Distortion in 1979 while he and ...
into the band in 1979, and Ness dropped out of high school at age 17 to focus on his music career. Social Distortion released the ''Mainliner/Playpen'' 7" record on Robbie Field's
indie label
Posh Boy Records
Posh Boy Records is a Hollywood, California-based record label owned by the American-born, British-educated Robbie "Posh Boy" Fields, a sometime high school substitute teacher and former copy boy at the ''Los Angeles Times'' who took an interest ...
in 1981. Two years later, they released the album ''
Mommy's Little Monster'' (1983) on 13th Floor Records, which was owned by Monk Rock, their manager at the time.
Ness was featured in the independent film ''
Another State of Mind'', which chronicled Social Distortion's first cross-country tour with Youth Brigade. It was on the DVD commentary where he claimed to have never had anything to do with the armed forces or religion. This prompted many fans to consider him an atheist, though some of his lyrics seem to indicate otherwise. Five years passed before Social Distortion released their next album, 1988's ''
Prison Bound
''Prison Bound'' is the second studio album by Social Distortion, released in 1988. It was the first album with bass guitarist John Maurer and drummer Christopher Reece. It expands the punk rock sound of the band's first album, '' Mommy's Little ...
'', on the heels of Ness's recovery from
drug addiction
Addiction is a neuropsychological disorder characterized by a persistent and intense urge to engage in certain behaviors, one of which is the usage of a drug, despite substantial harm and other negative consequences. Repetitive drug use oft ...
.
Ness performed in the band Easter from 1986 until 1988 and appeared in the music video for the songs "Slipping Away" and "Lights Out". In 1989, Social Distortion signed a deal with
Epic Records and released three albums with that label: ''
Social Distortion
Social Distortion is an American punk rock band formed in 1978 in Fullerton, California. The band currently consists of Mike Ness (lead vocals, lead guitar), Jonny Wickersham (rhythm guitar, backing vocals), Brent Harding (bass, backing vo ...
'' (1990), ''
Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell'' (1992) and ''
White Light, White Heat, White Trash
''White Light, White Heat, White Trash'' is the fifth studio album by American punk rock band Social Distortion, released on September 17, 1996, by 550 Music and Epic Records. The album was produced by Michael Beinhorn. After the release of Soc ...
'' (1996).
The band left Epic Records after ''White Light, White Heat, White Trash'' (1996) and Ness formed
Time Bomb Recordings, releasing ''
Mainliner: Wreckage From the Past'' (a collection of old recordings and singles that were done in the early '80s), a re-issue of the long out of print ''Mommy's Little Monster'', along with a re-issue of their second album ''Prison Bound'', and ''
Live at the Roxy'' (1998). Ness married his wife, Christine Marie, in the late 1990s and they have two sons, Julian (born in 1992) and Johnny, Mike's stepson (born 1997).
In 1999, Ness released his first solo album, ''
Cheating at Solitaire''. Although some of Social Distortion's songs paid homage to
country music
Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, o ...
artists, ''Cheating at Solitaire'' was an unalloyed expression of Ness' country influences. ''Solitaire'' included guest appearances by
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originat ...
,
Brian Setzer
Brian Robert Setzer (born April 10, 1959) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He found widespread success in the early 1980s with the 1950s-style rockabilly group Stray Cats, and returned to the music scene in the early 1990s with ...
,
Billy Zoom and
Josh Freese, as well as members of
Royal Crown Revue. Springsteen had touted Social Distortion's ''Heaven and Hell'' as his favorite record of the year in a ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its co ...
'' interview in 1992.
Ness continued in this vein, releasing a compilation of country covers entitled ''
Under the Influences
''Under the Influences'' is the second album by the American musician Mike Ness, released in 1999. It is a compilation of country, rock, and folk covers, issued the same year as his first solo effort, ''Cheating at Solitaire''.
Critical receptio ...
'' that same year. Both albums came out on Time Bomb Recordings. Ness toured extensively in the US in support of these albums, backed by the 2006 partial incarnation of Social Distortion: ex-
Plugz
The Plugz (also known as "Los Plugz") were a Latino punk band from Los Angeles that formed in 1977 and disbanded in 1984. They and The Zeros were among the first Latino punk bands, although several garage rock bands, such as Thee Midniters ...
and
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
drummer
Charlie Quintana and
Brent Harding (upright and electric bass). Ness and the band played at
Woodstock '99.
Childhood friend and founding member of Social Distortion guitarist
Dennis Danell
Dennis Eric Danell
(June 24, 1961 – February 29, 2000) was an American musician, guitarist and co-founding member of the Southern California punk rock band Social Distortion.
Biography
Danell joined Social Distortion in 1979 while he and ...
died on February 29, 2000, at 38 due to a
brain aneurysm
An intracranial aneurysm, also known as a brain aneurysm, is a cerebrovascular disorder in which weakness in the wall of a cerebral artery or vein causes a localized dilation or ballooning of the blood vessel.
Aneurysms in the posterior circu ...
. According to other sources, the Orange County Coroner's Office lists his death as "Idiopathic Dilated Cardiomyopathy." Ness was devastated, stating "I am saddened beyond any possible form of expression. Dennis and I have been friends since boyhood, starting Social Distortion together while we were in high school. My deepest regrets to his family."
Social Distortion went back to work in June 2000 on the album ''
Sex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll
''Sex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll'' is the sixth album by American punk rock band Social Distortion. It is their first studio album in eight years, since the release of '' White Light, White Heat, White Trash'' in 1996. The album was originally schedu ...
''. Many of the songs on this new album are dedicated to Danell, such as "Don't Take Me For Granted", "Reach for the Sky" and "Angel's Wings". At an October 2010 concert in New York City Ness dedicated "Don't Take Me For Granted" to
Joey Ramone
Jeffrey Ross Hyman (May 19, 1951 – April 15, 2001), known professionally as Joey Ramone, was an American musician, best known as the lead singer and a founding member of the punk rock band Ramones. His image, voice, and his tenure with the R ...
.

In 2003, Social Distortion recorded a live DVD called ''
Live in Orange County
''Live in Orange County'' is a DVD that was recorded by Social Distortion at the House of Blues in Anaheim, California in January 2003.
Track listing
* All songs by Mike Ness unless otherwise noted.
# "Making Believe" (Work)
# "1945"
# "Sick ...
'' at the
House of Blues
House of Blues is an American chain of live music concert halls and restaurants. It was founded by Isaac Tigrett, the co-founder of Hard Rock Cafe, and Dan Aykroyd, co-star of the 1980 film '' The Blues Brothers''. The first location opened at ...
in
Anaheim, California
Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most ...
which was released in 2004 along with ''Sex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll'', both of which were released on Time Bomb Recordings.
These efforts marked the first recordings with a line-up consisting of Ness on guitar and vocals, Wickersham replacing Danell on guitar, and Quintana on drums. It also consisted of a number of songs co-written by Ness and Wickersham. This is the first time Ness collaborated with another songwriter since his 1990 self-titled album, on which he and then bassist
John Maurer wrote "So Far Away". The band's lineup changed twice after Maurer left the band, just a month before the release of ''Sex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll''.
In February 2006, Ness broke his wrist while skateboarding in
Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish language, Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the List of United States cities by population, 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the U.S. state, state of Neva ...
. He continued to perform vocals on the tour while
T.S.O.L. guitarist
Ron Emory filled in on guitar until Ness recovered from the injury. On January 18, 2007, former Social Distortion bass player
Brent Liles died after being hit by a tractor trailer truck. Ness dedicated a performance at the Anaheim
House of Blues
House of Blues is an American chain of live music concert halls and restaurants. It was founded by Isaac Tigrett, the co-founder of Hard Rock Cafe, and Dan Aykroyd, co-star of the 1980 film '' The Blues Brothers''. The first location opened at ...
to him shortly after.
Despite earlier reports that the band would begin recording their next studio album by 2008, Social Distortion took a hiatus from touring and recording, when Ness was on tour with his solo band which is composed of two current members of Social Distortion,
Brent Harding and
Jonny Wickersham
Jonny "2 Bags" Wickersham (born May 26, 196 is an American musician who is currently a guitarist for the California punk rock band Social Distortion. He joined Social Distortion after the death of founding member and longtime friend Dennis Danel ...
.
Also touring with Ness were
Chris Lawrence on
Telecaster
The Fender Telecaster, colloquially known as the Tele , is an electric guitar produced by Fender. Together with its sister model the Esquire, it is the world's first mass-produced, commercially successfulLes Paul had built a prototype solid body ...
and pedal steel guitar and
Dave Raven on drums. In a July 2009 interview with Tarakany! Bad TV, Ness stated that Social Distortion was planning to return to the studio in December of that year or the beginning of 2010 to begin recording their seventh album. The album, now known as ''
Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes'', was finally released on January 18, 2011.
On May 17, 2008, Ness and his band were joined on stage by
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originat ...
at the
Stone Pony
The Stone Pony is a New Jersey music venue in Asbury Park, New Jersey known for launching the careers of many New Jersey music legends, including Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, and Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes.[Asbury Park
Asbury Park () is a beachfront city located on the Jersey Shore in Monmouth County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is part of the New York metropolitan area.
As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 15,188] ,
New Jersey
New Jersey is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York (state), New York; on the ea ...
for the encore. Songs played were "Misery Loves Company", "Ball and Chain", "If You Leave Before Me" and "I Fought the Law".
On April 16, 2009, Ness joined Springsteen and the
E Street Band
The E Street Band is an American rock band, and has been musician Bruce Springsteen's primary backing band since 1972. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014. For the bulk of Springsteen's recording and performing caree ...
on stage at the
Los Angeles Sports Arena. Songs played included Social Distortion's "Bad Luck" and Springsteen's "The Rising". On May 18, 2009, Mike Ness and Social Distortion played a benefit show at the House of Blues in Anaheim, California called "Rock to Recovery" and his son joined him on stage and played lead guitar for the song "Ball and Chain".
Personal life
Ness currently lives in
Santa Ana, California, with his wife Christine and two sons. He is an avid collector of vintage ephemera such as
Hamburglar
McDonaldland is a McDonald's media franchise and the fictional fantasy world inhabited by Ronald McDonald and his friends. Starting with the creation of Ronald McDonald in 1963 it is primarily developed and published by McDonald's, initial att ...
toys and
hot rods
Hot rods are typically American cars that might be old, classic, or modern and that have been rebuilt or modified with large engines optimised for speed and acceleration. One definition is: "a car that's been stripped down, souped up and made ...
, owning a 1954
Chevrolet and a 1936
Ford. In 2003, he founded
Black Kat Kustoms
Black Kat Kustoms is an American clothing line and custom parts shop based in Santa Ana, California. The company specializes in custom car, hot rod, and chopper clothing. The clothing line consists of mostly T-shirts, hooded sweatshirts, and bean ...
with "long time hot rodder and builder" Don Nemarnik.
Black Kat Kustoms is an expression of his love for hot rods, cats, bikes, and counter-culture clothing.
In a 2015 interview with Eric Walden, he said in reference to the song "Ball and Chain", "It was basically, 'I've seen God,' I guess if you will — God of my understanding; I'm not a religious guy; I do consider myself a spiritual man."
Equipment
Electric Guitars
Early in his career, Ness was seen using
Gibson SG
The Gibson SG is a solid-body electric guitar model introduced by Gibson in 1961 as the Gibson Les Paul SG. It remains in production today in many variations of the initial design. The SG (where "SG" refers to Solid-Body Guitar) Standard is G ...
s and SG Juniors but he currently uses 1970s Gibson Les Paul Deluxes (a 1971 sunburst, a 1975 sunburst, a 1975 goldtop and a 1976 goldtop). His 1976 goldtop is his favorite and most used guitar currently, however his 1971 sunburst was his main guitar for many years, especially through the 1990s. Ness uses Eb Standard tuning and usually uses a capo on the second fret while using his goldtops. He has used Seymour Duncan P-90 pickups in all of his guitars since touring with
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian-American singer and songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, joining Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills, Richie Fu ...
in the early 1990s (Ness recalled seeing Young's guitar tech take the stock mini humbucker pickups out of a Les Paul Deluxe, throw them in the trash and replace them with the P-90s). Ness' goldtops have maple necks which he says contribute to his tone especially when using a capo on the second fret.
He also once used a non-reverse
Gibson Firebird
The Gibson Firebird is a solid-body electric guitar manufactured by Gibson beginning in 1963.
History
The Gibson Guitar Corporation released several new styles during the 1950s to compete with Fender's solid-body instruments, such as the Teleca ...
, as seen on the back cover of Social Distortion's 1983 debut ''
Mommy's Little Monster'', and a white
Gibson Les Paul Custom in the videos for "Ball and Chain" and "Story of My Life".
Acoustic Guitars
In an interview with Guitar.com Ness said: "The guitar that I write on is a 1940 Gibson J-45. I have three of them – I searched high and low for them. I had a 1940 Martin D-18 that I sold last year; I'm just a Gibson guy. I gravitate to the Gibson J-45 every time I write. It's a balladeer's guitar". Ness also plays a 1939 Gibson J-35, that he says "...very rarely leaves the house...".
Amplifiers
Ness uses Fender Bassman amps modified by Fred Taccone of Divided by 13 through Marshall 4x12 slant cabs with Celestion Greenback speakers. Most of his touring amps were modded by
Billy Zoom of the band X fame. Billy's mods include a wattage switch to select between 40, 20 or 10 watts, replacing the bass channel with a higher gain channel. The only effect pedal Ness uses live is an overdrive, previously a Boss SD-1 and currently a Klon Centaur, though he has used various delays in the studio.
Discography
Solo

*''
Cheating at Solitaire'' (1999)
*''
Under the Influences
''Under the Influences'' is the second album by the American musician Mike Ness, released in 1999. It is a compilation of country, rock, and folk covers, issued the same year as his first solo effort, ''Cheating at Solitaire''.
Critical receptio ...
'' (1999)
Social Distortion
*''
Mommy's Little Monster'' (1983)
*''
Prison Bound
''Prison Bound'' is the second studio album by Social Distortion, released in 1988. It was the first album with bass guitarist John Maurer and drummer Christopher Reece. It expands the punk rock sound of the band's first album, '' Mommy's Little ...
'' (1988)
*''
Social Distortion
Social Distortion is an American punk rock band formed in 1978 in Fullerton, California. The band currently consists of Mike Ness (lead vocals, lead guitar), Jonny Wickersham (rhythm guitar, backing vocals), Brent Harding (bass, backing vo ...
'' (1990)
*''
Somewhere Between Heaven And Hell'' (1992)
*''
White Light, White Heat, White Trash
''White Light, White Heat, White Trash'' is the fifth studio album by American punk rock band Social Distortion, released on September 17, 1996, by 550 Music and Epic Records. The album was produced by Michael Beinhorn. After the release of Soc ...
'' (1996)
*''
Sex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll
''Sex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll'' is the sixth album by American punk rock band Social Distortion. It is their first studio album in eight years, since the release of '' White Light, White Heat, White Trash'' in 1996. The album was originally schedu ...
'' (2004)
*''
Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes'' (2011)
Other appearances
*''
The Band Easter'' (1980)
*''
Another State of Mind'' (1984)
*''
Frezno Smooth''
*''
Easter
Easter,Traditional names for the feast in English are "Easter Day", as in the '' Book of Common Prayer''; "Easter Sunday", used by James Ussher''The Whole Works of the Most Rev. James Ussher, Volume 4'') and Samuel Pepys''The Diary of Samuel ...
'' (1986–1988)
*''
Live at the Hootenanny, Vol. 1
''Live at the Hootenanny, Vol. 1'' is a live compilation recorded at the Hootenanny Festival at the Oak Canyon Ranch, California in 1999 over the Fourth of July weekend. The concert features rockabilly bands like the Reverend Horton Heat, The D ...
'' (2000)
*''
Live in Orange County
''Live in Orange County'' is a DVD that was recorded by Social Distortion at the House of Blues in Anaheim, California in January 2003.
Track listing
* All songs by Mike Ness unless otherwise noted.
# "Making Believe" (Work)
# "1945"
# "Sick ...
'' (2004)
*''
Punk's Not Dead'' (2007)
References
External links
*
BlackKatCustoms.comInterview with Mike Ness (2007)Interview with Mike Ness (2005)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ness, Mike
Living people
1962 births
American alternative country singers
American country guitarists
American country rock singers
American country rock musicians
American male guitarists
American baritones
House painters
American male singer-songwriters
American punk rock guitarists
American punk rock singers
American country singer-songwriters
Cowpunk musicians
Lead guitarists
Musicians from Fullerton, California
Social Distortion members
Guitarists from California
20th-century American guitarists
Singer-songwriters from California