48 Facts About Josh Freese

Joshua Ryan Freese was born on December 25,1972 and is an American drummer.

Josh Freese was previously a member of hard rock band Guns N' Roses from 1997 to 1999 and a member of alternative rock band A Perfect Circle from 1999 to 2012, the latter of which he rejoined in 2024.

Joshua Ryan Freese was born on December 25,1972, at Florida Hospital in Orlando, Florida.

Josh Freese's mother, Patricia, is a classical pianist and a writer.

In 1974, Josh Freese's father was transferred to Disneyland Park in Southern California to lead the Disneyland Band.

Josh Freese began playing the drums when he was eight years old.

Josh Freese's father set up a Yamaha drum set he had received through a promotional deal.

Josh Freese returned to the NAMM Show in 1985, where a representative from Simmons found the 12-year-old Josh Freese playing a sample drum set and signed him to an endorsement deal.

Josh Freese played a Simmons electronic drum set at PASIC and in television commercials for Simmons.

That summer, Josh Freese's father hired Polo, a Top 40 cover band composed of teenagers around Josh Freese's age, which had just won the Junior Star Search competition on television.

Josh Freese became friends with the band's drummer, Jimmy Keegan, and was invited to sit in on a few songs during their sets at the Tomorrowland Terrace stage.

The guest spots went so well that Josh Freese was invited to join the band as an additional drummer.

Josh Freese played with Polo at Disneyland and other venues from 1985 to 1988.

In 1988, Josh Freese met and befriended Ahmet Zappa, son of musician Frank Zappa, at a shoot for the TV movie 14 Going on 30.

Not being old enough to drive, Josh Freese's father drove him to the recording session in Los Angeles before Josh Freese began staying with the Zappas during the week and going home to Orange County on the weekends.

Josh Freese's first recorded collaboration with Dweezil was the 1991 album Confessions.

In 1989, they hired Josh Freese to be the band's drummer.

Josh Freese has played on all the band's albums since except 2000's Look What I Almost Stepped In.

In 1996, Josh Freese joined a reformed Devo for a show at the Sundance Film Festival, replacing David Kendrick.

Josh Freese has become their primary drummer in concert and in the studio since.

Josh Freese has said that he learned to play drums thanks to Devo's 1980 album Freedom of Choice.

Josh Freese played drums on Devo's 2010 album Something for Everybody, and provided backing vocals on Devo's holiday single "Merry Something to You".

Josh Freese was a member of hard rock band Guns N' Roses from 1997 to 1999, replacing Matt Sorum and signing a two-year contract.

Josh Freese drummed on 30 tracks to potentially be included on Chinese Democracy, but his recordings were scrapped and re-recorded note-for-note by Bryan Mantia.

Josh Freese was credited with arrangements on four tracks on the album, released in 2008.

Josh Freese left Guns N' Roses in 1999 to join A Perfect Circle alongside Tool vocalist Maynard James Keenan and the band's founder Billy Howerdel.

Josh Freese ultimately played drums on the band's first three albums before leaving in 2012.

Josh Freese played drums on two solo albums by Howerdel, one released under the moniker Ashes Divide in 2008 and the other under Howerdel's name in 2022.

In March 2024, Josh Freese confirmed he would be touring with A Perfect Circle in April for the first time in 13 years.

Josh Freese appeared as one of several guest drummers for the Foo Fighters during a pair of concerts held in tribute to the band's late drummer Taylor Hawkins in London and Los Angeles in September 2022.

Josh Freese played some shows in early 1998 with the band 311 as a fill-in drummer for them on the Warped tour in Australia, Japan and Hawaii.

Josh Freese was already on the tour playing with the Vandals every day and played with both bands for the majority of the tour.

In 1999, Josh Freese drummed on Mike Ness' first solo album Cheating At Solitaire.

Josh Freese played on the Offspring's 2003 album Splinter after the departure of Ron Welty, played on several of the band's subsequent releases, and served as their touring drummer from 2021 to 2023 after they fired Pete Parada for refusing to get a COVID-19 vaccination.

Producer Bob Rock has worked frequently with Josh Freese, and requested that he contribute drum tracks for Lostprophets' third album, Liberation Transmission.

Josh Freese has worked on and off with the Replacements frontman Paul Westerberg since 1992, including playing drums with the reunited Replacements from 2013 to 2015.

Josh Freese provided the drums on two Replacements tracks that appear on their greatest-hits album Don't You Know Who I Think I Was.

Josh Freese served as Nine Inch Nails' touring drummer from 2005 to 2008 and performed on the group's 2007 album Year Zero and 2008 album The Slip.

Josh Freese left Nine Inch Nails at the end of 2008 in order to spend more time with his family and long-time girlfriend, who was pregnant with the couple's third child at the time.

Josh Freese performed live with Weezer from 2009 to 2011, during which time Weezer drummer Patrick Wilson played guitar, and played on the band's 2009 album Raditude.

In 2011, Freese became the touring drummer for Paramore on the South American leg of their Brand New Eyes World Tour after the band announced the departure of the Farro brothers.

The next year, Josh Freese toured in 2012 with Sublime with Rome after Bud Gaugh announced his departure from the band.

Josh Freese performed in the studio with both artists, on Elfman's 2021 release Big Mess and 100 gecs' second album, 2023's 10,000 gecs.

In 1998, Josh Freese recorded a number of songs that he wrote and performed himself.

Josh Freese released his second solo album, Since 1972, via his website on March 24,2009.

In 2020, after Josh Freese's touring work came to a halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he recorded an album of one-minute songs at his home studio titled Just a Minute, Volume 1.

Taylor Hawkins, who Josh Freese would go on to succeed in Foo Fighters, featured in a promotional video for the song "Heavy Metal Car Collection", which appeared on the album.

Josh Freese is the older brother of musician Jason Freese, a touring keyboardist and session player for Green Day who has performed with the Goo Goo Dolls, Dr Dre, Jewel, Lenny Kravitz, Liz Phair, Foxboro Hot Tubs, Joe Walsh, and Weezer.