29 Facts About Joey Santiago

Joseph Alberto Santiago was born on June 10,1965 and is a Filipino-American guitarist and composer.

Active since 1986, Joey Santiago is best known as the co-founder and lead guitarist of the alternative rock band Pixies.

Joey Santiago contributed to albums by Charles Douglas and former Pixies band-mate Frank Black.

Joey Santiago resumed his role as the Pixies' lead guitarist when they reunited in 2004.

Joey Santiago has described his guitar technique as "angular and bent", and he cites Les Paul, George Harrison, Chet Atkins, Wes Montgomery, Joe Pass and Jimi Hendrix as major influences on his style.

Joey Santiago's guitar playing, as part of the Pixies' sound, was held in high regard by critics: MTV's Laurel Bowman commented that Santiago's "sonic plow was the key element in the Pixies' monstrous presence".

Joey Santiago was born in Manila, Philippines, on June 10,1965, the third of six sons of an anesthesiologist.

Joey Santiago first played a guitar at the age of nine after he noticed a classical guitar hanging on his oldest brother's wall for decoration.

Joey Santiago participated in a cycle ride across the United States in aid of charity, but on completing it did not bother to collect the sponsor's money.

Joey Santiago remained without a major as long as the university would permit him to, but eventually chose economics.

Joey Santiago met Charles Thompson, an anthropology student and the future Pixies frontman, after he heard Thompson and his roommate playing their guitars.

Joey Santiago rushed home to collect his guitar, and was playing "non-blues-scale, non-cover-song rock" with Thompson.

Joey Santiago soon introduced his new roommate to 1970s punk and the music of David Bowie.

Joey Santiago made the choice to play lead guitar over Bass.

On meeting the head of the label, Ivo Watts-Russell, Joey Santiago remarked: "All I care about is that you make me famous in the Philippines because all the chicks are really pretty".

Black, who was recording his 1993 debut album, Frank Black, contacted Joey Santiago to ask whether he would contribute lead guitar.

Joey Santiago played lead guitar on a number of Frank Black's solo albums, including Teenager of the Year, and contributed lead guitar to Steve Westfield's 1994 album Mangled.

Joey Santiago formed The Martinis a year later with Mallari.

Joey Santiago continued to contribute lead guitar to albums, collaborating with Charles Douglas on his 2004 album Statecraft.

Joey Santiago scored the 2003 film The Low Budget Time Machine and wrote two songs, "Birthday Video" and "Fake Purse", for the Showtime television series Weeds in 2005.

Mallari and Joey Santiago continued to write new material as part of the Martinis, but no longer played live.

Joey Santiago described the album as "a lot poppier and quirkier" than the band's previous material.

Joey Santiago signed with the commercial sound agency Elias Arts in the same year, and focused on composing music for television commercials.

Joey Santiago describes his guitar playing as "angular and bent," "all derived from guitar moments that perk my ears up".

Joey Santiago discovered jazz and country artists such as Joe Pass and Chet Atkins after studying the liner notes of albums.

Joey Santiago was directly influenced by the "Hendrix chord", the sharp 9th dominant chord which, in the words of author Ben Sisario, "tapped a hidden rage that matched the horror of Thompson's scream".

The stage antics of Joey Santiago often contrasted with his generally quiet demeanor; he often experimented with his guitar and equipment during songs.

In 2016, Joey Santiago checked into a rehabilitation center to treat his alcohol and drug issues.

In March 2022, Joey Santiago announced that he was engaged to producer Erin Whitaker, the CEO of ParkerWhitaker Productions.