Episode #120

dUg Pinnick is known first and foremost as the soulful singer and bassist for hard rockers King's X. Born in Joliet, IL, Pinnick discovered rock & roll through such greats as Sly and the Family Stone, Jimi Hendrix, and Led Zeppelin, while he borrowed from gospel for his singing style. When a gig backing up Christian guitarist Phil Keaggy broke up in the early '80s, Pinnick formed a new band with fellow ex-Keaggy member Jerry Gaskill (drums) and guitarist Ty Tabor. It would take several years of playing covers in bars throughout the South before the new band would click musically and eventually settle on a name: King's X. Signing to Megaforce/Atlantic in 1987, the trio became a favorite with the metal and progressive rock crowd; their music also contained elements of alternative in their hard rock, long before it became en vogue during the '90s. Pinnick is one of the few bassists of hard rock who uses a 12-string bass regularly, which is a major ingredient to the magical King's X sound. dUg sat down with Mistress Carrie to talk about the new Kings-X album, his musical upbringing, songwriting process, the bass, his inspiration, and so much more! This episode is a MUST for bass players!