Biography
Doug Pinnick, frequently rendered as dUg Pinnick, first gained recognition as the expressive co-lead singer and bassist in King's X, the boundary-pushing American rock outfit whose sound fuses Beatles-inspired vocal layering, heavy guitar figures, and progressive detours. Active since their 1983 start, the trio has issued more than fifteen albums, yet Pinnick has matched that productivity through outside ventures, appearing alongside Dream Theater, Living Colour, Jeff Ament, George Lynch, and Steve Stevens. Beyond his own extensive solo output—often issued under the Poundhound and dUg names—he has also performed with Supershine, the Mob, Razr13, Tres Mts., 3rd Ear Experience, KXM, and Grinder Blues.
Born September 3, 1950, in Joliet, Illinois, Pinnick absorbed rock & roll from Sly & the Family Stone, Jimi Hendrix, and Led Zeppelin, while gospel shaped his vocal approach. After an early-'80s touring stint with Christian guitarist Phil Keaggy ended, Pinnick assembled a new group with ex-Keaggy drummer Jerry Gaskill and guitarist Ty Tabor; years of regional cover work across Southern clubs eventually gave way to original material and the name King's X. A 1987 deal with Megaforce/Atlantic positioned the band as a cult favorite among metal and prog listeners, their hard-rock base already threaded with alternative leanings well before the style dominated the following decade. Pinnick remains one of hard rock's rare practitioners of the 12-string bass, an instrument central to the band's distinctive timbre.
Following six well-received King's X albums, Pinnick issued his debut solo effort, Massive Grooves from the Electric Church of Psychofunkadelic Grungelism Rock Music, in 1998 under the Poundhound alias. In 2000 he launched Supershine with former Trouble guitarist Bruce Franklin and drummer Jeff Olson, releasing a self-titled album on Metal Blade that year; a second Poundhound record, Pineappleskunk, appeared in 2001. Dropping the Poundhound tag for subsequent solo work, he released Emotional Animal in 2005 and Strum Sum Up in 2007, the latter featuring contributions from Steve Stevens, Hal Sparks, and Alain Johannes.
The 2011 debut Three Mountains marked the launch of Tres Mts., uniting Pinnick with Pearl Jam's Jeff Ament and Fastbacks drummer Richard Stuverud. In 2013 he delivered his fourth solo album, Naked, and the self-titled first record from Pinnick Gales Pridgen, a blues-rock trio completed by Eric Gales and ex-Mars Volta drummer Thomas Pridgen. The project's follow-up, PGP 2, surfaced in 2014 alongside KXM's debut—featuring George Lynch and Korn's Ray Luzier—and Grinder Blues' self-titled album, recorded with guitarist-vocalist Jabo Bihlman and drummer Scot Bihlman. In 2018 Pinnick joined MC5's Wayne Kramer for a 35-date North American run celebrating the 50th anniversary of Kick Out the Jams. KXM returned with Circle of the Dolls in 2019, while 2021 brought Pinnick's fifth solo album, Joy Bomb—his first new solo material since Naked—plus Grinder Blues' El Dos.
Outside those projects, Pinnick has contributed to 24-7 Spyz's 6, Dream Theater's Falling Into Infinity, and Carmine Appice's Guitar Zeus; he has produced two albums for Geek, the band featuring drummer Jerry Gaskill's sons, and appeared on the Hendrix tribute In from the Storm, the Van Halen salute Little Guitars: A Tribute To, and Metallic Assault: A Tribute To Metallica.
Born September 3, 1950, in Joliet, Illinois, Pinnick absorbed rock & roll from Sly & the Family Stone, Jimi Hendrix, and Led Zeppelin, while gospel shaped his vocal approach. After an early-'80s touring stint with Christian guitarist Phil Keaggy ended, Pinnick assembled a new group with ex-Keaggy drummer Jerry Gaskill and guitarist Ty Tabor; years of regional cover work across Southern clubs eventually gave way to original material and the name King's X. A 1987 deal with Megaforce/Atlantic positioned the band as a cult favorite among metal and prog listeners, their hard-rock base already threaded with alternative leanings well before the style dominated the following decade. Pinnick remains one of hard rock's rare practitioners of the 12-string bass, an instrument central to the band's distinctive timbre.
Following six well-received King's X albums, Pinnick issued his debut solo effort, Massive Grooves from the Electric Church of Psychofunkadelic Grungelism Rock Music, in 1998 under the Poundhound alias. In 2000 he launched Supershine with former Trouble guitarist Bruce Franklin and drummer Jeff Olson, releasing a self-titled album on Metal Blade that year; a second Poundhound record, Pineappleskunk, appeared in 2001. Dropping the Poundhound tag for subsequent solo work, he released Emotional Animal in 2005 and Strum Sum Up in 2007, the latter featuring contributions from Steve Stevens, Hal Sparks, and Alain Johannes.
The 2011 debut Three Mountains marked the launch of Tres Mts., uniting Pinnick with Pearl Jam's Jeff Ament and Fastbacks drummer Richard Stuverud. In 2013 he delivered his fourth solo album, Naked, and the self-titled first record from Pinnick Gales Pridgen, a blues-rock trio completed by Eric Gales and ex-Mars Volta drummer Thomas Pridgen. The project's follow-up, PGP 2, surfaced in 2014 alongside KXM's debut—featuring George Lynch and Korn's Ray Luzier—and Grinder Blues' self-titled album, recorded with guitarist-vocalist Jabo Bihlman and drummer Scot Bihlman. In 2018 Pinnick joined MC5's Wayne Kramer for a 35-date North American run celebrating the 50th anniversary of Kick Out the Jams. KXM returned with Circle of the Dolls in 2019, while 2021 brought Pinnick's fifth solo album, Joy Bomb—his first new solo material since Naked—plus Grinder Blues' El Dos.
Outside those projects, Pinnick has contributed to 24-7 Spyz's 6, Dream Theater's Falling Into Infinity, and Carmine Appice's Guitar Zeus; he has produced two albums for Geek, the band featuring drummer Jerry Gaskill's sons, and appeared on the Hendrix tribute In from the Storm, the Van Halen salute Little Guitars: A Tribute To, and Metallic Assault: A Tribute To Metallica.
Albums
