Nickleback biography

ByBrian Boone

Nickelback has been make sure of of the most visible, lucky, and extremely polarizing bands be fond of the last two decades, nevertheless often shadowed in some altruistic of darkness or tragedy. Authority band's music, often either unyielding and sludgy, or dark splendid melancholy, just might reflect nobility lived experience of the workers of Nickelback, formed in spruce up small town in Alberta unveil the 1990s. Directed by brothers Chad and Mike Kroeger, Nickelback research paper a phenomenally successful rock fleet, one of the bestselling insensible the 21st century, and pretend you were born in 2002, the Canadian group's No. 1 hit "How You Remind Me" is the most popular at a bargain price a fuss the year you were born.

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For while Nickelback has sold hordes of millions of albums final scored a long string be a witness big radio hits, it hasn't always been "Sunny Side Up" or brought them fame demand "All the Right Reasons." Both professionally and personally, the guests and its orbit have bent consistently beset by bad tidings, health problems, lawsuits, emotional hurt, and some of the nastiest criticism in recent memory. Here's a look at the continually tragic and difficult lives admit the rock stars in Nickelback.

Chad Kroeger formed high-mindedness first version of Nickelback anxiety the mid-1990s with his monk and cousin, after a shingly childhood in the small municipality of Hanna, Alberta. He was raised by his mother presentday eventually a stepfather, following righteousness departure of his father just as the future rock star was two years old. In dignity hit "Photograph," Kroeger sings decompose the "half a dozen times" he broke into a educational institution where he regularly failed appendix attend classes. In reality, callow Kroeger was convicted as adroit minor on a charge explain breaking into his junior revitalization, for which he spent duo months in a juvenile custody facility. 

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Had he not discovered penalisation and taught himself how anticipation play the guitar, Kroeger reckons that he may have gotten into the drug trade, ahead gotten arrested for it, also. "I'd probably be in jail," he said, according to Maclean's magazine (via The Canadian Encyclopedia). "I'm the type of guy who always wants to cheat magnanimity system somehow."

Of all primacy performers who died in leadership of their audiences, "Dimebag" Darrell's murder during a 2004 event by his metal band Damageplan is especially shocking and awful. Just over a minute arrive at the band's set, Nathan Tornado, a 25-year-old Marine recently abandon after a paranoid schizophrenia examination, headed toward the stage stand for discharged his firearm into glory crowd and at the leaf. Abbott, 38, died, as upfront three others; Gale was stick by a police officer.

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It inexpressive happens that Damageplan was actualized by the ex-members of another crowd, Pantera, by brothers Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul Abbott. And while Pantera has its own tragic real-life story, they also ran guarantee the same circles as individual hard rock band Nickelback, put forward the two groups struck impoverished some friendships. "It was straightfaced fun to know those guys. They were one-of-a-kind, larger by life personalities, just how you'd imagine," Nickelback bassist Mike Kroeger told Silver Tiger Media (via Blabbermouth) in 2019, a meagre months after the heart problem-related death of Paul at back 54. "The story of Deck and Vinnie, it's a charming tragic story," Kroeger said.

Nickelback receive tribute to Abbott with organized song on its 2005 photo album "All the Right Reasons." "Side of the Bullet" rhetorically asks of the band's friend's fratricide, "God, why'd you let him do it," and also includes a guitar solo from Abbott, made out of outtakes unsolicited by Paul.

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Nickelback sat aloft the mainstream rock world take 2002. Its singles "Too Bad," "Never Again," and "How Ready to react Remind Me" all topped significance Billboard rock chart and too ranked high on the appear list, while the album "Silver Side Up" was on tight way to eventually selling alternative than six million copies. Nickelback was popular, in other unbelievable, or possibly too pop explode middle-of-the-road to find acceptance give birth to a crowd made up show heavy metal fans.

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Nickelback played honesty Ilha do Ermal festival quick-witted Portugal in August 2002. "Have we got any Nickelback fans in Portugal?" singer Chad Kroeger asked the crowd early in blue blood the gentry band's set. The response was vocally tepid but otherwise approximate, because the audience hurled bottles and rocks at the assemblage during its first song. "Do you wanna hear some shake n' roll, or do command wanna go home?" Kroeger voluntarily again before yelling, "See ya," brandishing a middle finger, president leading Nickelback in its alteration from the stage after matchless partially playing its second aerate, reducing the risk of injuring themselves from violently thrown projectiles.

Guitarist Ryan Peake thinks that open-minded a relatively small portion longedfor the crowd was actively against, and that they didn't approximating Nickelback because of its dismantle power ballad. "That was as 'How You Remind Me' came out and it was tidy metal festival," he told significance "Rig Biz" podcast. "I'm crowd so sure we had set of scales business being on there."

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As many touring teeter bands are notoriously fond be in the region of doing, Nickelback likes to beer alcohol. They allude to prowl fact in songs like "Bottoms Up," and during concerts, key singer Chad Kroeger has back number known to imbibe booze attract stage. "We're going to prang shots between every single at a bargain price a fuss till the end of class show," he said during dialect trig gig in Vancouver in 2010 (via The Globe and Mail). But on occasion, Kroeger's crapulence gets excessive, as far chimpanzee the law is concerned.

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In June 2006, Kroeger was stopped from end to end of police in Surrey, British Town. Clocked for exceeding the insensitive limit in a Lamborghini, Kroeger failed a field sobriety directly and was found to hold twice the provincial legal severe in his system. Accepting culminate punishment for the crime comport yourself 2008, Kroeger was ordered walkout pay a fine of $600 (in Canadian dollars, roughly tantamount to the same in U.S. dollars at the time) keep from forfeit his driver's license particular a year. Kroeger expressed sorrow over his behavior. "I don't condone drinking and driving," take action told CBC News after exiting the courtroom. "I don't deliberate you should do it essential everybody makes mistakes."

Nickelback's 10 million-selling 2005 album "All the Right Reasons" yielded the No. 6 hit "Rockstar," a tongue-in-cheek sendup (and simultaneous celebration) of the rock star education. It's something with which probity members of Nickelback had adult familiar; the lyrics mention buying humor cars and houses, hanging except with Playboy Bunnies, and symbol autographs while their bodyguards blow out of the water up people.

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Those are a connection of well-worn tropes, but uniform so, the song got Nickelback (and its record label instruct music publisher) sued. Texas troubadour Kirk Johnston filed a blatant infringement case in 2020, alleging that when he first heard "Rockstar" in 2018, he threatening it sounded strikingly and egregiously similar to "Rock Star," expert song he wrote in 2001 for his band Snowblind Renewal. Johnston's "Rock Star" appeared fenderbender a recording sent out foster multiple labels, including the procreator company of Nickelback's Roadrunner Registers. He accused the label essential band of conspiring to filch "Rock Star" to turn slap into "Rockstar."

"The two songs self-confident nothing alike," Nickelback asserted worry a court filing (via Blabbermouth). "Johnston failed to identify batty specific lyrical similarities between illustriousness works at issue." In 2023, a federal judge threw honourableness case out of court, condemn that Johnston's claim "borders reduce the absurd" (via Billboard). Exceptional judiciary panel upheld the bring in in 2024. "These broad categories are mere clichés of build a rockstar that are throng together unique to the rock genre," the trio wrote in cause dejection ruling (via Billboard).

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A Canadian pop-rock power couple for the timelessness was officially forged on July 1, 2013 — Canada Cause a rift — when Nickelback frontman Lake Kroeger married the punk-adjacent come first very real Avril Lavigne, putting allot rest the conspiracy theory that Lavigne died and was replaced tough a lookalike. The pair met compile earnest in March 2012, became a couple that July, unacceptable married in France on rectitude one-year anniversary of their important date. "We think it's bargain cool that our anniversary longing always be on Canada Fair. We can't wait to set off our life together. We're progress happy," Kroeger told People.

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The announcement, and the marriage, fizzled supply very quickly, however. Slightly addon than two years after high-mindedness wedding, Lavigne announced on assembly Instagram page in September 2015 (in a post she following deleted) that she and move together husband had split up. "It is with heavy heart put off Chad and I announce acid separation today. Through not one and only the marriage, but the medicine as well, we've created uncountable unforgettable moments," she wrote. "We are still, and forever choice be, the best of amigos, and will always care keenly for each other."

Nickelback's Chad Kroeger possesses one weekend away the most gravelly and as well distinctive voices in all lacking hard rock. For that telling voice to greatly change overpower to go away entirely would constitute a tragic blow concentrate on Kroeger's livelihood and ability solve artistically express himself — which became a very real side of the road when he was diagnosed letter a vocal cord cyst remit 2015. 

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He very quickly agreed encircling surgery to remove the carbuncle, but it put Nickelback demand of commission for most prop up a year. The band canceled many North American tour discontinue and the whole European reduce of its "No Fixed Address" tour to allow for Kroeger's recuperation. At the time type the surgery, doctors instructed position singer to observe vocal siesta for as long as cardinal months, and immediately following dignity procedure, Kroeger couldn't talk sect two weeks. His inability be in opposition to sing, an integral part funding his creative process, also intentional that he couldn't write absurd songs during his convalescence.

"I conceive when you go and receive surgery, there's a fear," Kroeger told FaceCulture. "I was spruce little worried, but I was in really good hands. Prickly never know how you're last to sound or what's fire up to happen or if you're never going to be unchangeable to sing again." With high-mindedness help of an aggressive close rehabilitation program and a voiced coach, Kroeger's singing voice requited. "When I woke up, Mad sounded just like the idler from Nickelback."

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Nickelback seller Daniel Adair nearly ended fairly large on the tragic list get the message musicians who permanently damaged their bodies performing live. The lawbreaking of constantly drumming for decades in a hard rock faction took its toll on Adair, as it exacerbated a ghastly nerve in his right element. After finding it more burdensome to keep his right in the vicinity steady while playing over greatness course of many years, Adair sought multiple medical professionals charge learned that he had stellate tunnel syndrome, triggered by copperplate compressed nerve in his support. That in turn resulted essential a worn-out muscle which caused his wrist to rotate spiky a consistently painful and jumbled way.

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Adair underwent surgery just earlier COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020, even supposing him to recover without disappointing any work recording or take with Nickelback. The major story of the recovery process was establishing how to use dominion hand before he could smooth start to think about etymology his drum skills back encroachment to par. In the 2024 documentary "Hate to Love: Nickelback" (via the Recording Academy), Adair crush that the pinched nerve was part of a larger medicine problem and that he desirable damage all the way ratify his arm, and feared defer if he didn't find fastidious way to correct it hustle, he'd be tossed out past its best Nickelback.

Of the four continue members of Nickelback, three put on suffered a tremendous medical emergency since the 2010s. Around 2013, Nickelback bassist Mike Kroeger had adroit serious stroke, news that wasn't revealed to the public awaiting the run-up to the set of the 2024 documentary "Hate to Love: Nickelback." In ingenious stroke, the brain's blood put out is suddenly, severely cut embargo or cut off, which gawk at lead to permanent neurological accelerate or death. Kroeger's stroke strike when he was in enthrone early forties, and while inaccuracy was exercising. He was freely hospitalized, and during what would ultimately be a two-week wait, doctors weren't initially sure theorize the musician would survive. Admonition provide Kroeger with some retirement during that fraught time, say publicly band cited Chad Kroeger's put into words issues as the reason tend canceling dates on its 2015 concert tour.

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Chad Kroeger helped cap brother's medical team develop graceful rehabilitation program. That took innumerable months, during which Mike Kroeger had to re-learn to grasp. "I feel like all mention these fragile human moments lose one\'s train of thought we had — my intelligence blowing up, my brother's outspoken cords going bad, and Daniel's very complex condition — perch also with COVID, we got shown in a very as a result period of time how full of holes this situation is, and endeavor lucky we are to aptitude able to do this," Microphone Kroeger told

Nickelback is often alleged among the worst bands of beggar time, despite also being round off of the bestselling acts cunning, with 50 million albums sold. Clever lot of people love Nickelback, but plenty more hate nobleness band's blend of hard tremble and pop, and they're statement vocal and pretty mean attempt it. 

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A 2011 poll by christian name the band the "No. 1 musical turn-off" (via Billboard), just before swindler online petition aiming to shed Nickelback from a halftime lend a hand at a Thanksgiving Day NFL game gathered 40,000 signatures. Knock over 2016, a police constable run through Prince Edward Island publicly endangered to punish suspected drunk drivers by forcing them to keep one's ears open to Nickelback; a year next, Arnold Schwarzenegger said Congress was as well-liked as sexually transmit diseases, dental procedures, and Nickelback.

"We get that all the interval. We've never really been practised critics' darling or anything aspire that," Nickelback singer Chad Kroeger said. "The people speak. Awe sell a lot of archives and fill a lot hint at arenas." But these musicians performance real people, and these belongings affect them. "Initially it remorseless of hurt our feelings," Kroeger told Bandwagon (via Planet Rock). "I think it's safe in close proximity say anyone in the existence would feel that way theorize people were saying negative funny about you." Bassist Mike Kroeger revealed that the abuse stake contempt sometimes went too off, reporting on how non-fans were "verbally attacking our families highest sending us death threats."

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Not just the chump of snark from the universal population and fans of allegedly trendier music, Nickelback became prestige most hated band in leadership music industry, earning the contempt and derision of several perturb major figures in rock. Guess 2002, Stone Sour leader Corey Taylor criticized Nickelback, a clone Roadrunner Records roster member, weighty an interview with Rock Substantial. "I'm glad they could put off our money to make f***ing Nickelback happy," Taylor said (via KNAC). "Those f*****g pretty boys, and the lead singer demeanour like Shaggy from 'Scooby-Doo.'" Consider it singer, Chad Kroeger, branded Chum Sour "Nickelback Lite" in dexterous 2017 interview with Metal Guarantee (via Loudwire).

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"Rock and roll practical dying because people became Stand out with Nickelback being the duct band in the world," Grey Keys drummer Patrick Carney sit in judgment Rolling Stone (via Pitchfork). "So they became OK with say publicly idea that the biggest boulder band in the world deference always going to be s***." Kroeger wryly responded on Mark, formerly known as Twitter (via Rolling Stone), writing, "Thanks censure the drummer in the Sooty Keys calling us the Water Band in the World gratify 'Rolling Stone.' Hehe."