8-2-57 Mojo
Nixon born in Chapel Hill, NC 7-4-62 Nixon Family moves to Danville, VA
2-8-64 Nixon gets his first LP, Meet The Beatles,
and is convinced that I Saw Her Standing There actually begins "1-2-3-FUCK!"
3-28-67 Mojo hears Sweet Soul Music by Arthur
Conley on his father's radio station (WILA, "The Black Spot On Your
Dial"). Music claims his soul and Satan crawls up his butt. 6-10-70 Nixon hears Velvet Underground's Sister
Ray and smokes pot for the first time at a Methodist Youth Fellowship
weekend retreat. 6-14-71 14 year old Nixon arrested for
protesting leash law at City Hall. Wears shirt procaliming the slogan
"FREE THE DOGS". Nixon spends time in the back of a police car humming
MC5 songs and threatening to kill the mayor. 6-15-71 Nixon's father handcuffs him to the lawnmower
until both front and back yards are mowed. 4-5-72 Nixon begins "practicing" drums in basement.
This causes his 76 year old grandmother to beg to be taken to a nursing
home. 8-2-72 For his 15th Birthday, Big Daddy Nixon
takes him to see a Richard Pryor movie where the joys of the word "Mother
Fucker" are discovered. 8-2-74 For his 16th Birthday, Big Daddy Nixon
takes him to see Richard Petty race at Orange County Speedway (last
dirt track on the NASCAR circuit). After the race the Nixons visit stock
car driver and fellow Danvillian Wendell Scott in the pits. 10-13-73 Nixon goes to see Led Zeppelin at Greensboro
Coliseum and for the first time sees the pot-smoking beer-sucking denim-clad
rock army. 8-2-74 While on a family vacation Nixon plays
Elvis' Promised Land 14 consecutive times on a diner jukebox. All the
while his parents try to use his 17th Birthday as an excuse to talk
to him about his future. 9-4-75 Nixon begins college at Miami University.
It was the furthest college away from his hometown that accepted him.
Frampton Comes Alive is the #1 album in America. Nixon is secretly listening
to Patti Smith's Gloria over and over again. 4-21-76 While listening to Blue Oyster Cult records
and drinking Mad Dog 20/20 Nixon reads Hunter Thompson's Fear And Loathing
In Las Vegas out loud to a young virgin trapped in his room.
7-20-78 Nixon is knocked uncounscious by Clarence
"Big Man" Clemmons at a Springsteen concert in Charleston, SC for jumping
on stage during an encore. 11-20-78 Big Daddy Nixon goes to join Otis Redding
in the great beyond. 6-10-79 Nixon graduates college and moves to England
hoping to join The Clash. Winds up playing Dion and Jerry Lee Lewis
songs in the underground for money. 1-30-80 Nixon gives up on his Clash dreams. He
moves to Denver and begins work for VISTA organizing winos into work
forces and entertains them on breaks by singing Woody Guthrie and Leadbelly
songs. 5-12-80 Hears George Thoroughgood on the radio
and decides he is now a singer and guitar player. 11-21-80 Nixon and his punk band Zebra 123 are
questioned by the Secret Service for their part in the Assassination
Ball at Denver's notorious punk club, Malfunction Junction. 2-7-81 Lack of Poontang causes Nixon to follow
college girlfriend to San Diego, CA. 8-30-81 A "Howlin Wolf only" edict on his turntable
drives "Kate Bush loving" girlfriend away. 9-2-81 Nixon meets fellow San Diego musician and
de-mentor Country Dick Montana. Much drinking and carousing ensue.
10-1-81 Experiences Country Dick And The Snuggle
Bunnies playing The Wreck Of The Old '97 at a neo-strip joint and gets
laid. Nixon decides to stay in San Diego. 10-14-82 Nixon and two buddies begin a bicycle
trip from San Diego to Danville, VA. 10-20-82 After drinking too many Skylab Fallouts
on Bourbon Street in New Orleans Mojo has the "Mojo Nixon Revelation"
that gives birth to the idea of playin' guitar, hollerin' about injustice,
having a good time, drinking and fornicating. Mojo=Voodoo Nixon=Bad
Politics
1-5-83 Mojo
Nixon returns to San Diego to share his revelation with Country Dick
Montana. 4-7-83 Nixon sees The Blasters perform in a small
San Diego club. He doesn't shut up or sleep for 4 days. 4-15-83 Nixon begins performing with washboard
player (he didn't own a snare drum) Skid Roper at ultra-sleazy Spirit
Club. The club becomes the inspiration for the song Where The Hell's
My Money. 6-3-83 Nixon hitchhikes across country after not
being asked to be a founding member of The Beat Farmers by Country Dick. 8-2-83 While working as a park ranger for the
summer in North Carolina Nixon is knocked unconscious and falls into
the river. His life is saved by 65 year old fellow grassmower and he
takes this as a sign from Elvis to return to San Diego and make a big
rock 'n roll ruckus. 10-4-83 Nixon meets future wife Adaire in the
parking lot of Bodies dive bar where he just performed wearing a dress.
8-10-84 Nixon
and Roper win San Diego battle of the bands and win recording studio
time which they use to record two songs for a local music compilation.
9-12-84 A professional gofer killer sees Nixon
perform for the first time at the Spirit Club. He is awe struck but
has no idea that Nixon will completely destroy his life. He gives up
gofer killing to work for Mojo on the road and ends up becoming his
longtime manager. Nixon dubs him Bullethead the first week on the road
and the name sticks. 12-5-84
Nixon records a demo in the
living room of producer, and future Beat Farmer, Joey "Mudbone" Harris.
1-30-85Nixon and Roper open a show
for Tex And The Horseheads in San Diego. Representatives of Enigma Records
are at the show. 2-1-85 Nixon
sends demo tape to Enigma Records. Shortly thereafter Ron Goudie from
Enigma Records calls him on the phone. 3-19-85 Nixon
signs contract with Enigma to release the demo as an album entitled
Mojo Nixon & Skid Roper. Frequently referred to by fans as Free, Drunk
And Horny based on the cover art. 8-25-85 The
album is released. Nixon and Roper take to the road in a '67 Malibu
station wagon. They spend a high percentage of touring time following
the Beat Farmers and being their opening act (many times as a surprise
to even the club owners). Jesus At McDonalds is a hit at college radio.
1-18-86 Skid
Roper is arrested in Los Angeles for jaywalking and resisting arrest
during the recording of Frenzy with producer Ron Goudie (Poison, Stryper
and assorted LA punk bands). 5-4-86 Frenzy
is released. Stuffin Martha's Muffin and I Hate Banks are hits at college
radio. Nixon and Roper tour with The Pogues. Bullethead begins touring
with Mojo as road manager. Nixon performs with a TV set on his head.
PEOPLE MAGAZINE calls album "as pleasurable as having a wasp fly up
your nose". 11-20-86 Get Outta My Way EP (produced by Ron
Goudie) is released. Burn Down The Malls (written in the van on the
way to the studio) is a college and commercial drive time radio hit.
Nixon makes a video for the song that is played on MTV's 120 minutes.
3-15-87 While performing in San Francisco (at
the I-Beam) Nixon plays a little known Chuck Berry tune, Tulane. In
the middle of the song Nixon goes completely off his rocker and begins
ranting how Elvis, is Everywhere, Everything and Everybody. The song
literally spews out of him nearly intact as he become a lightning rod
for the Elvibration about to sweep the nation. 8-16-87 BO-DAY-SHUS is released (produced by Goudie).
Elvis is Everywhere is a radio and MTV cultural phenomenon. 11-4-87 MTV producer Mark Pellington approaches
Mojo about appearing in "shorts" to run on the network that he lambasted
on his last album. 12-10-87 MTV agrees to allow Mojo to script and
ad-lib his shorts. 1-17-88 Mojos's spots begin running on MTV.
2-4-88 Mojo tours Australia and encounters brethren
more boneheaded and drunk than himself. While on tour he writes the
song Kylie Minogue is Pregnant With My Two-Headed Love Child that is
later adapted for American Audiences. 3-17-88 Mojo does his first of many hosting gigs
for MTV on their "Live From Spring Break" show. 4-12-88 Nixon tours and in the van listens to
nothing except the Replacements Pleased to Meet Me produced by legendary
curmudgeon Jim Dickinson (Big Star, Toots and the Maytalls).
5-23-88 Mojo is pressured by record company to
find a "name" producer. After being turned down by Tom Waits and Keith
Richards Nixon contacts Dickinson. Luckily Dickinson turns out to be
a fan and kindred spirit. 9-12-88 Nixon heads to Memphis to record an album
with Dickinson. Learns the joys of Graceland on mushrooms, local wrestling
shows, blues jams in Mississippi and church with Rev. Al Green.
10-15-88 Nixon stays in Memphis for his first
film gig in "Great Balls of Fire". The movie bio starring Dennis Quaid
and Winona Ryder. He plays a band member along with John Doe and Jimmy
Vaughn. Nixon and Doe and Vaughn and co-star Trey Wilson form a band
for a one-time performance with producer Jon Hampton on drums.
2-11-89 Nixon marries his common law wife Adaire.
His Go-Kart track wedding draws 250 guests and two live radio broadcast
and is televised by MTV. His wedding party includes his uncle, Brother
and six year old son Ruben. He and his wedding party arrive at altar
on Go-Karts. The Rev. Country Dick Montana performs the ceremony.
2-14-89 Nixon begins a three week tour with the
Pleasure Barons. A 14 member tuxedo-clad Las Vegas style review from
Hell starring Mojo, Montana and Dave Alvin. 2-22-89 ROOT, HOG OR DIE is released. The song
(619) 239-KING is a radio and MTV hit. Kris Kristofferson makes an appearance
in the video. 5-13-89 Video for Debbie Gibson is Pregnant With
My Two Headed Love Child is banned by MTV. Nixon refuses to host future
MTV shows. Winona Ryder declares "Playing Debbie Gibson in the video
is my favorite role to date." 7-4-89 Mojo begins tour with the Pogues and Violent
Femmes. 7-25-89 Nixon and Roper perform the real This
Land is Your Land on stage at the high falutin' Wolf Trap National Park
amphitheater. He is joined by the Pogues and Shane McGowan falls down
on stage and continues singing and drinking. Many blue-haired ladies
are offended and Nixon and his wife are banned for life from the facility.
9-13-89 Mojo begins last tour with longtime partner
Skid Roper. The duo realize one of their long time dreams of playing
Moosejaw, Saskatchewan. Unfortunately the venue becomes the sight of
the duos' break-up as they disagree on the formation of a full band.
11-12-89 Nixon and Roper perform their last show
together at a club in Bozeman, Montana. Their final performance is on
a show with Firehose and Screaming Trees. In Bozeman, Nixon discovers
an anatomically correct inflatable love sheep for sale in an adult bookstore.
His life is inexplicably changed by this discovery. 12-1-89 Bullethead gives up the road and moves
to NYC to form Bullethead Management. Nixon is his first client.
1-17-90
EMI releases UNLIMITED
EVERYTHING in Europe. Nixon spends several months touring Europe with
a full band, The Talking Boogers featuring 350 lb. Bass player Gil T.
4-14-90 Nixon
returns to Memphis for an album with his new mentor Dickinson. Nixon
puts together the first "post-cow-punk supergroup" for the record. John
Doe of X, Country Dick Montana of the Beat Farmers, Eric Ambel of the
Del-Lords, and Bill Davis of Dash Rip Rock. 7-12-90 Nixon
plays the "Spirit of Rock 'n' Roll" in a sequel to ROCK AND ROLL HIGH
SCHOOL. The movie goes direct to video. Later Nixon has a cameo in CAR
54 WHERE ARE YOU? And the movie doesn't come out for three years.
9-1-90 "OTIS"
is released. The video for Destroy All Lawyers is virtually unseen.
But the song Don Henley Must Die becomes a hit and stirs much controversy.
9-10-90 Nixon
needs a full-time touring band. Over the phone he hires members of the
recently disbanded Neptunes of Austin, Texas based on the recommendation
of Joe Ely. Nixon begins a long time touring relationship with piano
player Wetdawg and drummer Wid. The band is christened the Toadliquors.
12-1-90 Just
as Otis is picking up momentum Enigma Records goes out of business.
Nixon's recording and songwriting rights revert to him.
4-2-91 IRS
records surreptitiously re-releases Nixon's records. Nixon tours with
Dread Zeppelin. 1991 & 1992 While Nixon's single lawyer
tries to gain control of his creative output from a giant corporate
monolith, Nixon tours and records many songs for tribute albums. (The
Sonics, The Ramones, Led Zeppelin, Dean Martin, The Dead Kennedys).
Nixon strikes a deal with Triple X Records to produce acts he discovers
for them. These groups include The Dick Nixons, Fish Karma, and One
Foot in the Grave. 7-1-92 Nixon
and the Toadliquors begin the first annual Tour de Tejas. A yearly occurrence
that entails spending an entire month touring the state of Texas. 8-2-92
Nixon is struck speechless for the first time in his life. As he is
performing Don Henley Must die in a small club in Texas, Nixon is joined
onstage by Don Henley who proceeds to sing along. 9-12-92 Nixon
releases Horny Holidays a raunchy Christmas party record on Triple X
Records. The Louie, Louie of Christmas albums. 10-17-92 Nixon
begins a three week guest host stint on the USA Networks "Up all Night"
Program. 3-15-93 Nixon
appears in the unpopular Super Mario Bros. Movie based on the popular
video game. 6-2-93 Nixon
tours with the even sleazier Pleasure Barons line-up that adds John
Doe on Bass and bartending chore. A Pleasure Barons live album is released
from the tapes recorded in 1989. 7-3-93 Nixon
records with punk rock legend Jello Biafra. A country album??? 2-5-94 Mrs.
Nixon gives birth to Rafe Cannonball Nixon. 3-12-94 Prairie
Home Invasion, the Nixon/Biafra country album is released and punk rock
purists are outraged. 3-15-94 Nixon's
attorney (codename:Dragonslayer) gains court ordered control of all
Mojos's songwriting and publishing rights. 3-16-94 Nixon
and his longtime manager and poker buddy Bullethead form Blutarski Entertainment,
Inc, for the purpose of recording a new Mojo album and laundering corporate
funds. 4-14-94 Nixon
films a pilot for his series "Shut up and Drive" which ends up as shorts
on the USA Network. 7-4-94 Mojo
is approached by his old pal Eric "Roscoe" Ambel about producing the
new record. His recent production credits include Nils Lofgren, Bottle
Rockets, Blood Oranges, and Go to Blazes. 8-16-94 Blutarski
Entertainment strikes a distribution deal with Ripe & Ready Records
for the album Whereabouts Unknown. 11-1-94 Nixon
begins his third annual Horny Holidays tour. 3-7-95 Nixon's
ninth full length album Whereabouts Unknown is released. 4-1-95 Nixon
and the Toadliquors begin two month tour of the USA and return to Texas
just in time for Nixon to perform the nuptials for piano player Wetdawg's
wedding. 9-7-95 Nixon
and the TOADLIQUORS begin a three week tour of Germany that gives them
a deeper understanding of WWII. 11-8-95 Country
Dick Montana joins Elvis in the great beyond on stage in the middle
of a song at a sold-out show in Whistler, British Columbia. It could
have only been better if he had been getting a hand job from the club
owner's wife at the same time. 4-3-96 El
Nixon Begins his first tour of Spain. A five day solo Tour billed as
"5 dias de rock, magia, punk, cerveza, y pecado." 6-15-96 Nixon
begins filming Buttcrack: The Movie in Virginia. 8-96 Nixon
Off-Broadway. Mojo flies to New York City to play a snake handling preacher
in an Off-Broadway production of Gravel's Spine at the Ontological Theater
in Manhattan.
9-96 Nixon
teams up with original producer Ron Goudie to compile historical perspective
of Mojo's decade of being a rock & roll pontificator. Gadzooks!!!!)
10-96 Nixon
flies to Atlanta to film "Raney" to be released in 1997. 12-96 Nixon
and the Toadliquors invade the Midwest on their fifth Horny Holidays
tour. 1-97 "Gadzooks!!!
The Homemade Bootleg" Mojo's Tenth full length is released to the masses
on Unity Records. A 17 track retrospective of b-sides, outtakes, singles,
and five brand new tracks.. A truly inspired introduction for the Nixon
neophyte but also a much needed tonic for the most devoted Mojonites
to whom the album is dedicated. 2-97 Nixon
spends several months on the road for the first time in a few years
with Wid, Wetdawg and now permanent Toadliquor Earl B. Freedom.
4-97 Nixon
records voice of Sheriff Lester T. Hobbes for the Redneck Rampage CD-Rom
game. He also gives them a couple of his previous songs to use on the
soundtrack. 6-6-97 Mojo
Nixon and The Toadliquors begin the first tour as a three piece as Wetdawg
has retired from the road to run the Continental Club in Austin. 7-97 Redneck
Rampage is released and is a huge controversial hit. 1-98 Nixon
and the Toadliquors with fellow musicians Joey "Mudbone" Harris and
Wetdawg record a new album with producer Ron Goudie for Unity. Song
Redneck Rampage is recorded for follow-up to the hit game. 3-98 The
"Mojo Minutes" start airing on Flash 92.5 radio in San Diego. 60 minute
tirade on current topics by Mojo. 4-98 Unity
goes out of business. New album release canceled. 6-25-98 While
doing an interview on WLW radio to promote his Cincinnati gig, the station
offers him a full-time job live on the air. 6-26-98 Bullethead
calls WLW to see if they were A) Serious and B)When were they thinking
of starting? Program director Bill Cunningham answers A) Yes and B)
Immediately. 7-11-98 Mojo
and the Toadliquors film a video with director Charlie Puritano as part
of a graduate video production class for American University in Washington,
DC. After the school administration vetoed the song Drunk Divorced Floozy
(The Ballad Of Diana Spencer)they decide to shoot Redneck Rampage and
include footage from the video game. 8-15-99 Mojo
decides to try the radio thing and temporarily moves to Cincinnati.
He has a 3pm to 5pm talk radio shift on one of the oldest and most revered
radio stations in the country. 10-98 After
too many older women complain about "that hillbilly yelling about lesbians
during my quiet time" Mojo is moved to sister station WEBN and joins
the Dawn Patrol morning show. The Mojo Nixon House Party moves to WLW
on Saturday evenings. 12-98 Mojo
signs a new deal with Shanachie Records to release the new album to
be called Sock Ray Blue. 2-99 Mojo
signs a contract with WEBN and moves the whole family to Cincinnati
a few days before a tornado strikes the city. 3-30-99 Sock
Ray Blue is released and Mojo tours with frequent calls in to WEBN. 10-17-02 Mojo returns to San Diego and begins afternoon drive shift on KGB radio 101.5 FM. 11-01-04 Mojo joins the satellite revolution. Mojo Nixon Hosts Sirius Sattelite Radio "Outlaw Country" Channel 63
Nationwide radio playing music Mojo likes and no censorship. FREEDOM!!!
The scariest thing
about this extensive timeline is that it is the truest bio of mojo Nixon
ever written.
1985 Mojo Nixon and
Skid Roper (Free, Drunk, and Horny)
1986 Get Out of My Way
1986 Frenzy
1989 Bo-Day-Shus
1989 Root Hog or Die
1990 Unlimited Everything (European-only greatest hits)
1990 Otis
1992 Horny Holidays (With the Toad Liquors)
1993 Live in Las Vegas (With the Pleasure Barons)
1995 Whereabouts Unknown
1997 Gadzooks!!! The Homemade Bootleg
1999 The Real Sock Ray Blue (With the Toad Liquors)
1989 Great Balls of
Fire (James Van Eston)
1990 Rock'n'Roll High School Forever (Spirit of Rock'n'Roll)
1993 Super Mario Bros. (Toad)
1994 Car 54, Where Are You? (Sidewalk Preacher)
1998 Die Wholesale
1998 Buttcrack (Preacher Man Bob)