68 Facts About Buckethead

Buckethead has received critical acclaim for his innovative and virtuosic electric guitar playing.

In 2011, Buckethead began releasing albums in the "Pike" series, mini-albums usually around 30 minutes in length, each with a sequential number similar to a comic book.

Buckethead has released collaborative albums with Brain, Travis Dickerson, Melissa Reese, Viggo Mortensen, Shin Terai, DJ Disk, Bootsy Collins, That 1 Guy and albums with the bands Praxis, Cornbugs, Science Faxtion, Guns N' Roses, Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains, and Deli Creeps, in addition to many other collaborations with bands and artists.

Buckethead performs wearing a KFC bucket on his head, sometimes emblazoned with an orange bumper sticker reading FUNERAL in block letters.

Buckethead stays in character in performances and interviews, and does not appear without some sort of mask.

Buckethead's father was the athletic director at Damien High School in La Verne, California from 1973 until his retirement in 2013.

Buckethead learned to play from an elderly man down his road.

Buckethead is quoted saying that he became serious a year later after moving from Huntington Beach, California, to Claremont.

Buckethead's playing improved with lessons from various teachers at a local music store.

In 2003, Buckethead played a tribute to all his early teachers as the Deli Creeps played a show at Styles Music's 25th anniversary.

The Buckethead persona came to be when Carroll saw the 1988 slasher film Halloween 4 and was inspired by the film.

Buckethead went out right after seeing it and bought a Michael Myers-like white mask.

Buckethead stated he had a cardiac ablation performed and uses medicine to control the problem.

In 1989, a song called "Soowee" by Buckethead got honorable mention in another song contest.

In 1991, Buckethead contributed to Derek Bailey's Company project alongside, among others, John Zorn and Alexander Balanescu, resulting in a triple album called Company 91.

Buckethead soon became Laswell's second staple guitar player, besides Nicky Skopelitis.

Buckethead participated in every release except the initial 1984 release and Mold.

In 1993, Buckethead auditioned to play for the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Buckethead released a second studio album that year, Giant Robot, which features many guest appearances by artists such as Iggy Pop and Bill Moseley.

The name of the album came from the Japanese series Johnny Sokko and his Flying Robot, of which Buckethead is a fan.

Buckethead released two other albums with Praxis, their second and third studio efforts: Sacrifist and Metatron.

In 1995, Buckethead did not release any solo albums but collaborated with several artists like Jonas Hellborg and Michael Shrieve.

Buckethead contributed to several movie soundtracks, such as Johnny Mnemonic and Mortal Kombat.

Later, in 1996, Buckethead released his solo album The Day of the Robot with the help of English producer DJ Ninj and Laswell, plus another album with Brain and keyboardist Pete Scaturro on the small Japanese label NTT Records, called Giant Robot.

In 1997, Buckethead began working on the album Buckethead Plays Disney, but the album has not yet been released.

Also in 1997, Buckethead continued to contribute to movie soundtracks, appearing on Beverly Hills Ninja and Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, the sequel to Mortal Kombat.

In 1998, Buckethead released Colma, an album dedicated to his mother, who at the time was suffering from colon cancer.

Buckethead began three new projects that year, the first being the band Cornbugs, a collaboration with actor Bill Moseley, drummer Pinchface, and later keyboardist Travis Dickerson.

Buckethead began a collaboration with actor Viggo Mortensen, whom he first met through a recording project called Myth: Dreams of the World in 1996.

Buckethead contributed to the 1999 album Devil Dub by the San Francisco Bay Area band Ben Wa consisting of "Dr Ware" and "House".

Buckethead achieved a higher public profile as lead guitarist for Guns N' Roses from 2000 to 2004.

Buckethead recorded the often-delayed album Chinese Democracy with the band and appeared live on stage in 2001 and 2002, including Rock in Rio 3, MTV's Video Music Awards, and parts of the Chinese Democracy Tour.

Buckethead's guitar solo on "There Was a Time" received acclaim, with several publications listing it amongst the best solos of the decade.

Buckethead released two albums with his band Cornbugs, and a third under his 'Death Cube K' pseudonym.

In 2000, Buckethead released the second and last album by Cobra Strike, called Cobra Strike II - Y, Y+B, X+Y.

In 2002, Buckethead released three studio albums: Funnel Weaver, a collection of 49 short tracks, Bermuda Triangle, and finally, Electric Tears, a calming album that is similar to his earlier release, Colma.

When Laswell was not able to play with Praxis at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts festival, Les Claypool asked to jam with Brain, Bernie Worrell, and Buckethead, forming a new supergroup called Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains.

Buckethead's manager cited Guns' inability to complete an album or tour.

Buckethead says, 'No one calls me Brian except my mother.

In 2005, Buckethead released the album Enter the Chicken through Serj Tankian's record label, Serjical Strike.

Buckethead released albums with other bands that year: with Cornbugs, he released two compilation albums, called Rest Home for Robots and Skeleton Farm.

Gorgone's self titled album was released that year' itself based upon recording sessions from the album Population Override that Buckethead released in 2004.

Also the same year, Buckethead released two DVDs, titled Young Buckethead Vol.

Buckethead released the albums The Elephant Man's Alarm Clock and Crime Slunk Scene, both sold on his tours but later sold on the TDRS Music website.

Buckethead released his final compilation album with the band Cornbugs, called Celebrity Psychos.

Buckethead released an album with Travis Dickerson, called Chicken Noodles, a move that would see the start of a four-year long collaboration with the keyboardist.

In 2007, Buckethead released an unprecedented amount of new material.

That same year, it was revealed that Buckethead joined a project by the name of Science Faxtion, a band featuring bassist Bootsy Collins and drummer Bryan "Brain" Mantia, with Greg Hampton supplying lead vocals.

That year Buckethead released From the Coop through the label Avabella, consisting of the demos Buckethead gave to Jas Obrecht back in 1988.

That 1 Guy and Buckethead toured together through fall 2008, playing songs from this album.

Buckethead appeared in the documentary American Music: Off the Record, in which he appears only playing.

Furthermore, Buckethead contributed to one track of actor Viggo Mortensen's album At All, and with Travis Dickerson and filmmaker Alix Lambert on the album Running After Deer.

Buckethead appeared with Bootsy Collins in Cincinnati, Ohio, to promote the vote for the 2008 United States presidential election for the organization Rock the Vote.

Buckethead joined Collins on Fallen Soldiers Memorial, an album with proceeds going to the National Fallen Heroes Foundation.

On December 30,2008, Buckethead released two new tracks via his website to honor basketball player LeBron James's 24th birthday.

Buckethead released the track The Homing Beacon that year; the song is a tribute to Michael Jackson, who had been an early influence on him.

On February 5,2010, Buckethead released an album called Shadows Between the Sky and later that month, Gibson released the Buckethead Signature Les Paul guitar.

Buckethead wants you to know he appreciates your support all these years, it means so much to him.

Bootsy Collins continued to update his Twitter Web site about Buckethead's condition, stating that he had recently gone into therapy for a few months.

Buckethead left Praxis in 2011, the Frankenstein Brothers in 2012, and Brain in 2013.

Buckethead contributed to two tracks on Lawson Rollins's album Elevation in 2011.

Buckethead departed from his live touring schedule, with his final performance taking place on December 31,2012.

Notably, the cover of Pike 13 contains a photograph of Buckethead unmasked; the first such image released to the public.

Buckethead continued to release albums throughout the year, breaking the numerical order occasionally.

Buckethead played with a live band consisting of Bryan "Brain" Mantia on drums and Dan Monti on bass during the tour, departing from his traditional touring routine in which Buckethead was the only performer on stage.

Buckethead's tour continued in 2018, reverting to a solo show.

Buckethead cites a wide variety of musical influences, including Michael Jackson, Parliament-Funkadelic, Shawn Lane, Michael Schenker, Uli Jon Roth, Paul Gilbert, Yngwie Malmsteen, Joe Satriani, Eddie Hazel, Randy Rhoads, Larry LaLonde, Mike Patton, James Cutri, Louis Johnson, Jimi Hendrix, Jennifer Batten, The Residents, Eddie Van Halen, and Angus Young as well as the many artists he has collaborated with over the years.

Buckethead is inspired by Japanese filmmaker Takashi Miike, to whom a song on Pepper's Ghost is dedicated.