Maynard James Keenan Birthday & Fun Facts

Maynard James Keenan Birthday Highlights

Birth Name

James Herbert Keenan

Place Of Birth

Ravenna, USA

Age

59 years old

Birth Date

April 16 1964

Maynard James Keenan Facts

Child Star?

no

Occupation

Singer-Songwriter, Actor, Guitarist, Record Producer

Education & Qualifications

Kendall College of Art & Design

Net Worth

$60,000,000

Current Partner

Lei Li

Children

Devo Keenan, Lei Li Agostina Maria

Parents

Judith Marie Keenan, Michael Loren Keenan

Maynard James Keenan is a Grammy Award-winning metal singer, lyricist, and record producer.

Keenan is the lead singer of the chart-topping rock groups, Tool, A Perfect Circle, and Puscifer. He has had a long and successful career, amassing a huge net worth.

On April 17, 1964, he was born James Herbert Keenan. He spent much of his childhood apart from his father, because his parents divorced when he was still a toddler. His mother then became unwell, so he had to go and stay with his father. He considers this period to be the pinnacle of his life.

Keenan's attachment to the music industry began before launching the rock band, Tool, with his pal, Adam Jones. The Tool lineup was completed in 1990, with the drummer, Danny Carey, and bass player, Paul D'Amour. 

Although he is best known as a vocalist, bassist, lyricist, and record producer, Keenan is also an actor and comedian. He has been in comedic sketch presentations as well as music videos. Keenan's screen debut was in 2000, in the film, 'Screenland Drive', in which he played a car thief.

Keep reading to learn all about Maynard James Keenan's personal and professional life!

What is Maynard James Keenan's net worth?

The net worth of Maynard James Keenan is $60 million, as of 2022. His winemaking company is a significant source of his income, aside from singing and performing. He is the co-founder of winemaking ventures, Caduceus Cellars and Merkin Vineyards.

How tall is Maynard James Keenan?

Keenan is 5 ft 6 in (168 cm) tall.

How old is Maynard James Keenan?

Maynard James Keenan was born James Herbert Keenan, on April 17, 1964. He celebrated his 58th birthday in April 2022.

Maynard James Keenan was born in Ravenna, Ohio, USA. His parents, Michael Loren Keenan and Judith Marie, both were Southern Baptists. He was their only son and had no siblings. After his parent's divorce in 1968, his father moved to Scottville, Michigan. He stayed with his mother and met his father once a year for 12 years. Keenan has stated that his mother's second marriage put him in a hostile and restrictive environment that stifled his creativity and thinking.

When Keenan was aged 11, his mom experienced a crippling cerebral hemorrhage and urged Keenan to stay with his father. In Scottville, his father enrolled Keenan at Mason County Central High School. Keenan was a member of the school wrestling team and finished schooling in 1982. His father was one of the team's trainers and stepped down after his son's graduation in 1982. His stepmother, Janet Joanne Keenan, taught him Spanish and English at Mason County Central High School, Scottville, Michigan.

Keenan decided to join the United States Army in 1981, influenced by the role of Bill Murray in the 1981 satirical movie, 'Stripes'. He got the idea of using the G.I. Bill to finance his desire to attend art school. Keenan joined Grand Rapids, Michigan's Kendall College of Art and Design. Keenan moved to Los Angeles to pursue his dream of becoming an interior designer. Instead, he found himself pursuing a career as a musician. 

Who is Maynard James Keenan's partner?

Mary James Keenan has been married to Lei Li since 2012. Jennifer Brena Ferguson is his ex-wife, whom he married in 2003.

Personal Life

Maynard James Keenan has a son, Devo Keenan, with his former spouse, Jennifer Brena Ferguson. He and Lei Li have a daughter named Lei Li Agostina Maria. Maynard James Keenan revealed the news of his second wife's cancer diagnosis on his Instagram in 2022. In the post he stated that he regards Lei Li as his ideal woman because she never gives up fighting.

Best Known For…

In 1988, Keenan completed his interior design program and relocated to Somerville, Massachusetts, and started working as an interior designer for a pet shop in the Boston area. Later, he worked as a set designer.

Keenan was associated with the independent bands, TexA.N.S and Children Of The Anachronistic Dynasty, in the '80s. Keenan penned the initial draft of the song, 'Sober', which became Tool's first breakthrough single. Tool established an excellent reputation in the music industry in a relatively short period. He also featured live and did a recording with the comedy band, Green Jellö, during 1990-93. He played guitar and performed as a backup singer for the band's song, 'Three Little Pigs', from its debut album 'Cereal Killer'. 

Tool's debut album, 'Undertow', was released in 1993. Within 32 weeks, the album earned a certified gold and certified platinum rank. It was also nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance.

Tool was criticized for its 1994 music video and eventually removed from MTV due to its explicit content. The next album, 'Ænima', soon acquired certified gold and double platinum in 1996. Meanwhile, Tool had been involved in a  legal struggle over their music label and Keenan engaged with many musicians in this period.

The lead singer of Tool later engaged with Billy Howerdel, the band's bass technician, on future albums. They founded the ensemble, A Perfect Circle, in 1999, and their debut album, 'Mer De Noms', was recorded in 2000. 'Thirteenth Step', its hit sequel, was released in 2003. Both of these albums became certified platinum. Their follow-up album, 'eMOTIVe', released in 2004, was mainly remixes of the band's previous songs. 'Eat The Elephant', their 2018 album, was created after the band regrouped in 2017.

The metal singer, Keenan, appeared with Puscifer, performing 'REV 22:20' as the theme tune of the movie, 'Underworld', in 2003. It was initially promoted as a side gig involving Puscifer and Renholder. The band's first album was recorded in 2007. In 2008, a remix album was released. Puscifer has released studio and remix albums and singles, and toured the UK, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand between 2016-2017, with the 'Money Shot Heard Around The World' tour.

Tool resurfaced in 2001, presenting its third album, 'Lateralus', making the top of the Billboard Hot 200 chart in the first week. Tool's second Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance, was awarded for the song 'Schism', from 'Lateralus'. In May 2006, the band recorded '10,000 Days', an album about Keenan's mother. The song, 'Wings For Marie', relates to his mother's death in 2003 after 27 years, or almost 10,000 days, of agony.

'Fear Inoculum' was Tool's fifth studio album, which premiered on August 30, 2019. It was released 13 years after the creation of '10,000 Days', as they faced legal, creative, and personal hurdles. However, upon release, it received positive reviews. 

Charity Work

Keenan has performed to benefit humanitarian efforts many times. He appeared at a RAINN fundraiser event in 1997. 

He is a prominent singer for Axis Of Justice, a voluntary organization creating a team of artists, music lovers, and local political groups to campaign for social equality.

Keenan performed as a guest singer at a Seattle fundraiser event in 2005, for the survivors of the tsunami and earthquake that struck southern Asia in 2004.

What awards has Maynard James Keenan won?

Tool received the honor of Best Metal Performance at the 62nd Grammy Awards in 2020, for the track, '7empest', from the album, 'Fear Inoculum'.

Maynard James Keenan's Hobbies And Interests

Keenan is an animal lover and has a pet cat.

From his school days, he practiced wrestling. He also was part of the long-distance runners' team.

• The journalist, Sarah Jensen, has penned a fascinating biography on Maynard James Keenan, called 'A Perfect Union Of Contrary Things'.
• The US magazine, 'Rolling Stone', placed the famous guitarist of the band Tool, Adam Jones, at 75th on the list of greatest guitarists ever.
• 'Fear Inoculum', the title track, was the longest single to appear on the Hot 100 chart and made it into 'The Guinness Book Of World Records'.
• Maynard James Keenan's zodiac sign is Aries.

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