Butch Walker

"Butch Walker" is an American recording artist, songwriter, and record producer. He was the lead guitarist for the metal band SouthGang from the late 1980s to early 1990s as well as the lead vocalist and guitarist for rock band Marvelous 3 from 1997 until 2001 After gaining a brief taste of major-label success during the '80s and '90s -- particularly with Marvelous 3, whose single "Freak of the Weak" became a modern rock hit in 1999 -- singer/guitarist Butch Walker traded his bandmates for a solo career. Meanwhile, he also established himself as an in-demand producer by working with marketable artists like Avril Lavigne, Katy Perry, and P!nk. Raised in Cartersville, Georgia, Bradley Glenn Walker III launched his public career with the band SouthGang, who traveled to Los Angeles in 1988 and inked a contract with Virgin Records. The pop-metal group released two albums before splitting up, and Walker eventually resurfaced with Marvelous 3. The band enjoyed moderate popularity as the '90s wound to a close, but Walker grew frustrated with the band's label, Elektra Records, and Marvelous 3 splintered soon after. He then spent a year producing albums for such groups as Injected and SR-71 (whose most popular single, "Right Now," was co-written by Walker). The production work increased his reputation within the industry, and he quickly signed a solo contract with Arista. Left of Self Centered marked his solo debut in 2002; it also took a page from Marvelous 3's book by embodying the singer's non-conformist attitude and playful rock & roll swagger. Unfortunately, neither that album nor its follow-up, 2004's Letters, caught on with the public. Walker increasingly turned to production work, and he spent the following two years helming records for such big-name artists as Avril Lavigne (Under My Skin), P!nk (I'm Not Dead), and Tommy Lee (Tommyland: The Ride), as well as emerging pop stars like Lindsay Lohan (A Little More Personal ).