Guy Hoffman
{{short description|American drummer}}
{{for|the baseball pitcher|Guy Hoffman (baseball)}}
{{Infobox person
|name = Guy Hoffman
|image =
|caption =
|birth_name =
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1954|5|20}}
|birth_place = Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States
|death_date =
|death_place =
|occupation = Musician
|years_active =
|spouse = Jeanne Marie Spicuzza{{cite magazine |url=https://onmilwaukee.com/articles/myitalia |title=Milwaukee's Spicuzza writes a love letter to Italy |last=Tanzilo |first=Bobby |magazine=OnMilwaukee |date=February 24, 2009 |access-date=August 18, 2024}}
}}
Guy Hoffman (born May 20, 1954 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin) is a drummer and vocalist, formerly of such bands as Oil Tasters, BoDeans, Violent Femmes, Absinthe and Radio Romeo.{{cite news |last=Ruelas |first=Richard |title=Violent Femmes Cut Loose |newspaper=The Oregonian |date=August 2, 1994}} He is a composer for films such as Field Day.
Life
Hoffman began playing drums at the age of nine. He developed skills in music and art under the direction of Eddie Allen, Sylvia Spicuzza, LeRoy Augustine, and Joe Ferrara within the Shorewood public school system. From 1972 to 1976, Hoffman concentrated on watercolor painting and drawing under professor Laurence Rathsack in the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee (UWM) Fine Arts programs. He also played popular music with local bands at live music venues throughout Wisconsin. From 1977 to 1978, Hoffman studied graphic arts with Leon Travanti and graduated from UWM with a Bachelor of Arts in fine art and visual communications.
Music career
Hoffman was a founding member of the Haskels and Oil Tasters, bands in Milwaukee's punk scene.{{cite press release |url=https://www.newswire.com/news/legendary-drummer-guy-hoffman-on-the-red-booth-this-saturday-night-20763238 |title=Legendary Drummer Guy Hoffman on THE RED BOOTH This Saturday Night |via=newswire.com |publisher=Samera Entertainment |date=January 3, 2019 |access-date=August 18, 2024}} He was an original member of the Milwaukee roots rock band BoDeans and performs on their 1986 debut album Love & Hope & Sex & Dreams.{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/love-hope-sex-dreams-mw0000189275 |title=Love & Hope & Sex & Dreams - BoDeans |website=AllMusic |access-date=August 18, 2024}} Hoffman appeared in videos for the BoDeans songs "She's a Runaway" and "Fadeaway". In 1998, he reunited with BoDeans singer/songwriter Sam Llanas to form the band Absinthe and released A Good Day to Die.{{cite news |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170828040228/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1999/02/19/absinthe-a-good-day-to-die-absinthe |last=Jenkins |first=Mark |title=Absinthe "A Good Day to Die" Absinthe |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=February 19, 1999 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170828040228/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1999/02/19/absinthe-a-good-day-to-die-absinthe/d3596854-81f4-4a20-bc79-e5ff71f1b9ed/ |archive-date=August 28, 2017 |access-date=August 18, 2024}}
Hoffman joined Violent Femmes in 1993.{{cite magazine |last=Bambarger |first=Bradley |title=A Sign Of 'New Times' At Elektra; Label Gives Violent Femmes A Fresh Start |magazine=Billboard |date=April 9, 1994}} Two versions of "Blister in the Sun", the Femmes' signature song, were recorded with Hoffman for the Grosse Pointe Blank motion picture soundtrack in 1997. Hoffman has appeared with Violent Femmes in various concert films and television productions, such as "Woodstock '94," Sabrina the Teenage Witch and VH-1's Hard Rock Live, as well as several of the band's music videos. Hoffman also designed the cover for the Femmes' 1994 album New Times.{{cite news |last=Karlin |first=Ben |title=Femmes Still Hang On |newspaper=Wisconsin State Journal |date=October 20, 1994}}
Hoffman plays drums on the CD Jeanne Spicuzza (2001). The track "Let the Mermaids Flirt With Me" appears in the 2004 short film Field Day.{{Cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0428531 |title=Field Day |website=IMDb |date=10 January 2005}}{{better source needed|date=August 2024|reason=IMDb is not an acceptable source for Wikipedia.}} In 2002, he was replaced in the Femmes by returning original drummer Victor DeLorenzo.{{cite news |url=https://shepherdexpress.com/music/on-music/victor-delorenzo-kicked-violent-femmes-again/ |title=Victor DeLorenzo Has Been Kicked Out of the Violent Femmes (Again) |last=Rytleski |first=Evan |newspaper=The Shepherd Express |date=July 16, 2013 |access-date=August 18, 2024}} In 2006, Hoffman formed Radio Romeo, a Los Angeles-based rock band, who released their self-titled debut album the following year. He also appeared on Violent Femmes' 2006 live album Archive Series No. 2: Live in Chicago Q101. In 2022, he composed music for the film, Night Rain.{{Cite web|url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwtv/article/Indie-Film-NIGHT-RAIN-Inks-Deal-With-First-Focus-International-20200724|title=Indie Film NIGHT RAIN Inks Deal With First Focus International|website=broadwayworld.com|access-date=2024-11-27}}
Discography
With Violent Femmes
- New Times (1994)
- Woodstock 94 (1994) – various artists
- Rock!!!!! (1995)
- Grosse Pointe Blank: Music from the Film (1997)
- Viva Wisconsin (1999)
- Freak Magnet (2000)
- History in 3 Chords (2001) – various artists
- Something's Wrong (2001)
- Permanent Record: The Very Best of Violent Femmes (2005)
- Permanent Record: Live & Otherwise (2005)
- Archive Series No. 2: Live in Chicago Q101 (2006)
With other artists
- The Haskels – The Haskels (1979)
- Oil Tasters – Oil Tasters (1982)
- BoDeans – Love & Hope & Sex & Dreams (1986)
- Various artists – The Great Lost Brew Wave Album (1997)
- Absinthe – A Good Day to Die (1998)
- Jeanne Spicuzza – Jeanne Spicuzza (2001)
- Radio Romeo – Radio Romeo (2007)
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Portal|Biography}}
- [http://www.radioromeo.com/guyhoffman/ Guy Hoffman's homepage]
- [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0428531/ Field Day]
{{VFemmes}}{{BoDeans}}
{{Authority control}}
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Category:American rock drummers
Category:University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee alumni
Category:Musicians from Milwaukee
Category:Violent Femmes members
Category:20th-century American drummers