Dean Ween

Dean Ween (born September 25, 1970) is the stage name of Michael "Mickey" Melchiondo, Jr., Italian American guitarist and very special second half of the alternative rock group Ween. Growing up listening to everything from the Beatles to Parliament/Funkadelic, to Leonard Cohen to Prince, to the Ramones to Laurie Anderson, he was plunged into musical interest at an early age and collected many influences along the way. The only thing missing for young Mickey Melchiondo was somebody for which to share his love of everything music.

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He later met Aaron Freeman (Gene Ween) in a junior high school typing class in their hometown of New Hope, Pennsylvania, and although the two did not get along at first, they soon found they were soul brothers and thus adapted the common surname. The Ween brothers were soon spending all of their time in Melchiondo's bedroom, Melchiondo banging out songs on guitars tuned to open chords and Freeman wailing out the good word of the Boognish -- a demon god they claim appeared outside their classroom and offered them scepters of wealth and power for their "services" -- into a cheap microphone. Within a few years, the two found themselves opening for the likes of underground favorites such as the Butthole Surfers and Henry Rollins.

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In the stew of Ween's new success with Elektra Records after releasing the albums Pure Guava and Chocolate & Cheese, Melchiondo started up a side project with his friend Guy Heller (who had a guest appearance on Pure Guava) called the Moistboyz. This was his introduction to Ipecac Recordings and also the source of his alternative title, "Mickey Moist" (Heller taking the name "Dickie Moist" in typical surname fashion). The Moistboyz' music was, for the most part, a clash of heavy metal and punk rock accompanied by lyrics focused on overtly offensive humor blended with a strange form of social commentary -- nothing that was new to Melchiondo, of course.

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After having recorded 12 Golden Country Greats, an album of country tunes Ween had written over the years with the help of Charlie McCoy, Buddy Harmann, and many other big names in Nashville, he married longtime girlfriend Ellen Schmit (whom he met when she pulled up in her pickup truck at his job pumping gas at a Mobile Station). The couple were blessed with a baby boy in December of 2000. Although he is busy with his family and touring with Ween, Melchiondo still keeps in close touch with all the Ween fans online by commandeering the band's official site, posting on the newsgroups, and visiting the Ween chatrooms.

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September 25: September 25 is the 268th day of the year (269th in leap years). There are 97 days remaining....

1970: 1970 was a common year starting on Thursday....

Stage name: A stage name, or a screen name for movie stars, is a pseudonym used by performers and actors. A clown name is a stage name for clown performer....

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