Members



Jonathan

Jonathan Houseman Davis (born January 18, 1971) is the vocalist for the nu-metal band, Korn. He was born and raised in Bakersfield, California, where he lived with his father and step-mother. Growing up, Davis faced many hardships (including alleged child abuse, violent schoolyard bullying, and an abusive step-mother), and he later used these experiences to inspire his song writing for Korn.

As well as being the lead singer, Davis is an accomplished drummer and has performed as such on the band's 3rd release, Follow The Leader. Jonathan also plays bagpipes in Korn (which he learned in high school) which helped gain Korn's avid following by making them stand out as a truly original metal band.

Jonathan writes songs on guitar and can also play the piano, the harp, the bagpipe, and other various instruments, such as the glass harmonica.

Jonathan was the last member to join Korn, and also the one to name the band (as explained in the Who Then Now? video). James 'Munky' Shaffer and Brian 'Head' Welch discovered Jonathan in a bar, initially intending to only stay for a few minutes. Upon seeing Jonathan performing with his then-band Sexart, however, they were compelled to stay for the whole set, and as soon as the set was over approached Davis with an offer to join the band. Upon consulting a psychic, he agreed, and Korn was formed.

With Jonathan the band became a sensation, hitting it big in their early days with songs such as Blind and A.D.I.D.A.S., and staying consistently popular since (though their popularity peaked at Follow the Leader). Since inception in 1993, they've released 7 albums and a Greatest Hits compilation, achieving Platinum certification at least for each. Many credit this to Jonathan's distinct vocals, which hit a chord with teens. Despite this, Jonathan insists everyone is credited with writing the songs in liner notes, as he feels the band as a whole is more important than the individual.


Queen of the Damned
In 2001 Jonathan was approached to write and compose the songs for the movie adaptation of Queen of the Damned. With help from former Oingo Boingo member Richard Gibbs, he wrote the film's song and score, even recording the vocals for Stuart Townsend to lip-sync to. Due to contractual obligations, however, Jonathan couldn't appear on the official soundtrack, so instead enlisted friends to record the vocals for him. Among those featured were Marilyn Manson, Wayne Static of Static-X, Jay Gordon of Orgy, Chester Bennington of Linkin Park, & David Draiman of Disturbed.

He also makes a cameo in the film, as a scalper outside the concert.


Sin-Jin Smyth
Jonathan Davis stars as the title character, Sin-Jin Smyth, in this upcoming horror movie, written and directed by Ethan Dettenmaier. The film is based on an old Halloween legend about The Devil appearing simultaneously in two places at midnight - the high plains of India and a quiet cemetery in Kansas.

Jonathan was chosen for the role based on his attitude and determination to make the film work. Director Ethan Dettenmaier calls him "bulletproof" and the perfect choice to play The Devil.

Davis almost didn't get the role when his management wanted to send him to Europe to do press for KoRn's then upcoming album, See You On The Other Side, which conflicted with the film's shooting schedule. At the last minute however things were worked out and Jonathan was able to shoot the film and has been praised by the director for his willingness to work hard and come in late at night for rehearsals. The film's executive producer praised Jonathan's ability to transform himself into the character, the mark of any true performer.

Jonathan appears in the film in full make-up and it is his first major lead role in a film.

Personal life
Jonathan Davis suffered from asthma as a child which led to a near fatal attack leaving him hospitalized. As he has grown up his asthma has subsided. Davis' first major musical inspiration as a kid was Andrew Lloyd Weber's Jesus Christ Superstar. It was also as a kid that he was given his first drumset and began his interest in music, eventually leading to a life-long passion and eventually a professional career as the lead singer of Korn. Jonathan Davis has been married twice, marrying his highschool sweetheart, Renee Perez, in 1998 (their wedding was a medieval themed one which included everyone dressing as knights and princesses). Together they had a son, Nathan Houseman Davis, but divorced in 2001. In 2004 he married again, this time to former adult film actress Deven Davis (who coincidentally already shared his last name). In 2005 they had their first child, named Pirate Davis. The couple intend to produce and possibly direct adult films together.

Illness
Jonathan Davis was unable to perform at the 2006 Download Festival after being admitted to a London hospital with an unconfirmed illness on June 10. It was later established to be immune thrombocytopenic purpura, with doctors ordering Davis not to perform for several weeks. Although several tour dates in Europe were cancelled as a result, it has been deemed unlikely to affect Korn's upcoming Family Values tour, beginning July 27. The band is hoping to provide new dates for the shows cancelled as a result of Davis' illness.[1]

Due to Davis' absence at the 2006 Download Festival, Korn played a shortened set with several guest vocalists from other bands present. These included Corey Taylor from Slipknot/Stone Sour, Matt Heafy from Trivium, Jesse Hasek from 10 Years, Benji Webbe from Skindred, M. Shadows from Avenged Sevenfold and Dez Fafara from Devil Driver. The set was not well received by fans (with the exclusion of the perfomances by Webbe and Taylor. The full setlist can be viewed here


Fieldy

Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu (born November 2, 1969 in Bakersfield, California) is the bass player for the band KoЯn.

Prior to this, he also started the band L.A.P.D. with Munky and David Silveria, who are also founding members of KoЯn, and Richard Morrel (another Bakersfield native unrelated to Korn). L.A.P.D stood for "Love and Peace, Dude".

The name "Fieldy" is said to have come about as an abbreviation for "Garfield", based on the comic strip character of the same name. Originally, his band mates called him "Gopher", due to his large cheeks. Gopher became "Garf", Garf became Garfield, which became Fieldy. His full moniker is "Fieldy Snuts", which when spoken aloud sounds like "Feel these nuts", or "Fieldy's nuts". This is also the name of his record label.

He plays a 5-string Ibanez model SDGR SR5005, named the K-5, which is his signature bass.

His playing style consists of slapping, double slapping, double-popping, standard finger-style plucking, and palm muting; his standard tuning is: A, D, G, C, F.

Fieldy is the only left handed member of KoЯn, yet he plays the bass right handed. The majority of Fieldy's bass riffs are hip-hop inspired. He says he gets inspiration from anything hip-hop. On the business side of KoЯn, Fieldy does all the T-shirt designs, hats, stickers, patches, everything. He will come up with a number of designs, shows them to the band and they either approve or disapprove. It is said he titled every KoЯn album. Fieldy's first job was selling plants door to door, and after that he cleaned carpets.[citation needed]

When KoЯn was playing a show in Jacksonsville, William Frederick "Fred" Durst, who happened to be a tattoo artist at the time, made friends with Fieldy and guitarist Head while fixing them up. The new friends promised to hang out again the next time KoЯn passed through town. By the next time the KoЯn Krew came to Jacksonville, Durst had a Limp Bizkit demo to play for them. The suitably impressed Fieldy and Head passed the tape on to their producer at that time, Ross Robinson, who in turn was impressed by the band's sound and produced Limp Bizkit's first album, Three Dollar Bill, Y'all$.

Life outside KoЯn
In addition to KoЯn, he has a rap side-project called Fieldy's Dreams. He has released one album, Rock and Roll Gangster. He currently has a second album in the works.

Fieldy married his girlfriend Deena Beber on Tuesday, 16th of May 2006. KoRn's guitarist, Munky played at the wedding. It is her first marriage and his second. Fieldy has two daughters, Serena and Olivia Arvizu, from his first marriage from sheela arvizu


Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu with his wife, DeenaIn interview with 99.3 The Fox radio, Munky said:

"I'm actually gonna play Spanish guitar," Shaffer says. "He asked me to play, so I'm gonna play nylon string Spanish guitar for him, and do the wedding dum-dum-de-dum, and then after that I'll get drunk (laughs)."

Fieldy has stated this on his second album still in the works: "I'm working on another solo record," says Fieldy. "It's heavy, man. It's gonna be totally the flipside of Fieldy's Dreams." Fieldy will be working alongside producer Polarbear on his new solo project, whom also contributed to "Rock N Roll Gangster." "I've got about eight songs, instrumentals with hooks in them," Fieldy said. "I'm singing and it's just more heavier hardcore, not really like the goofy, funny rap thing." There is no current release date for the CD, as Fieldy is fully focused on KoЯn right now. KoЯn's current single and video is "Coming Undone" which entered Top 10 on Billboard Mainstream Rock chart. Recently, he was chosen bassist of the year 2005 in UK's Metal Hammer Reader's Poll. Last year he stated he has given up smoking pot and drinking.


James Shaffer

James Christian 'Munky' Shaffer (born June 6, 1970 in Rosedale, California) is rock band Korn's guitarist, and was formerly Korn's back-up guitarist before bandmate Brian Head Welch left the group. His nickname, 'Munky', is apparently a reference to the fact that his feet, when spread, resembles a monkey's (this was revealed in the multi-platinum video "Who Then Now?"). His band mates, Brian 'Head' Welch and Reginald 'Fieldy' Arvizu have similar nicknames, based on their physical appearance.


Life
In his youth, Shaffer led a troubled life, often stealing his parents alcohol and trespassing. One night, when trying to sneak out to a party, the tip of his left finger was severed by the chain on his three wheeler, and, as part of his rehabilitation, James took up guitar. During high school James met fellow guitarist Brian Welch and the two hit it off, often jamming together. In fact, it was Brian who got him into his first band, L.A.P.D - though Shaffer would later claim it was his long hair, and not his skill as a guitarist, that landed him the role.

Later on Welch and Shaffer saw Jonathan Davis singing for the band Sexart in a bar. Initially intending to stay only for a few minutes, the pair ended up staying for the whole set upon seeing Davis' performance and asked him to join their band (still called L.A.P.D at this point) almost immediately afterward. Jonathan, after consultation with a psychic, agreed and shortly afterward Korn was formed.

In the mid-1990s Shaffer developed menigitis and became ill during 1997 while on tour, requiring him to be hospitalized. KoRn had to cancel the remainder of that tour.

On January 15, 2000, James married Stephanie Roush. The couple had a daughter, Carmella Star, the next year, whom James claims is the most prized possession in his life. The two are now divorced.


Ray Luzier

Ray Luzier was raised in West Newton, Pennsylvania, a small town an hour outside of Pittsburgh. He began to play drums at the age of five, and although basically self-taught, he participated in high school jazz, concert, and marching bands. After graduating in 1988, Luzier moved to Hollywood, California to pursue an education at the renowned Musicians Institute. He graduated in 1989 with a degree from MI's Percussion Institute of Technology. Luzier later returned as an instructor at Musicians Institute (1992–2001), where he taught rock-style drumming classes and private lessons.

Luzier is best known for his work with David Lee Roth, with whom he played drums for from 1997-2005. Luzier has also played with The Hideous Sun Demons, a progressive-rock/fusion trio formed with DLR bandmembers Toshi Hiketa (guitar) and James LoMenzo (bass). In 2004, Luzier released an instructional DVD. It features a wide variety of lessons, including double-bass technique, drum fills, motion exercises, and warm-ups. It was released through Hal Leonard Publishing Co.

In January 2006, Luzier appeared at the NAMM in Anaheim, California with Billy Sheehan and Toshi Hiketa. The DeLeo brothers of Stone Temple Pilots appeared at the same NAMM venue as part of an impromptu band put together by Steve Ferrone. After seeing Luzier's performance, the DeLeo brothers invited Luzier to join the band Army of Anyone that they were putting together with vocalist Richard Patrick of the band Filter.

In 2007, after original drummer David Silveria had left (in 2006), Korn hired many drummers for their tour including Joey Jordison of Slipknot. Jordison left due to preparation for the recording of their new album All Hope Is Gone. Consequently, Korn were looking for a new drummer; and Luzier reportedly flew to Seattle to audition for Korn with Munky and Fieldy. The band later invited Luzier to join the band after a very impressive audition.

Luzier played his first show with Korn on January 13, 2008 in Dublin, Ireland and played with the band throughout 2008. Currently the members of Korn are scheduled to record their ninth studio album together with Ray and their original producer Ross Robinson. Korn frontman Jonathan Davis recently revealed that Luzier is now an official member of the band. Recently, Ray made UltimateRockGods.com's Artist Of The Month for July 2008.


Former Members
Brian Welch
David Silveria