Fred Schneider

Fred Schneider born 1 July 1951

Fred Schneider, born in Newark, New Jersey, is best known as the frontman of the rock band The B-52's, of which he is a founding member.

Schneider is well-known for his quirky sprechgesang, to which he adds a distinctive swish.

The B-52's were formed by Cindy Wilson and Kate Pierson with drummer Keith Strickland, guitarist Ricky Wilson (Cindy's older brother) and vocalist Fred Schneider after a drunken night at a Chinese restaurant and played their first gig in 1977 at a St Valentine's Day party for friends.

The B-52's sound is marked by the vocals and lush harmonies of Wilson and Pierson, and the generally monotone or spoken-word vocals of Schneider.

The band's quirky take on the New Wave sound of their era was a combination of dance and surf music set apart by the unusual guitar tunings used by Ricky Wilson. Their costume thrift-store chic set them apart as well. The band made a great impression with their early singles Rock Lobster, Private Idaho and Planet Clair and their eponymous debut album in 1979. Wild Planet followed in 1980, followed by a mix album, an EP and a third album, Whammy! in 1983.

In October 1985, the band were devastated by the death of guitarist Ricky Wilson, from what was originally reported to be cancer, but was later revealed to be AIDS. The band's recently-completed album Bouncing Off the Satellites (1986) went un-toured and unpromoted as the band went into an extended hiatus. However, the B-52's returned in 1989 with the album Cosmic Thing, which proved to be their biggest international success, spawning the worldwide hit Love Shack.

Subsequent releases have been less successful and sporadic, and various band members have undertaken solo projects and collaborations with artists ranging from R.E.M to Iggy Pop and Sophie Ellis Bextor. But the B-52's continue.

Fred Schneider has released two solo albums, but neither of these albums were as successful as any of the albums created by The B-52's.

The B-52's hold a fairly unique position in rock music in that all the founding male members of the band were gay.