Julian Fernando Casablancas is an American singer and songwriter who is best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band ‘The Strokes,’ which also features Nick Valensi, Albert Hammond, and Nikolai Fraiture. The indie rock band is a driving force behind the garage rock revival, with a large and dispersed fanbase spread across the United States, Canada, Argentina, Ireland, Brazil, and Australia. The band’s success prompted several members, including Julian, to pursue solo careers. He was always interested in music as a child and grew up listening to music influenced by Phil Collins. He was exposed to a variety of musical genres by his stepfather, who he credits with developing his musical taste. As a student, he met and became friends with several other music enthusiasts with whom he would later collaborate professionally. He formed a band with his friends and performed at New York City nightclubs. The youngsters released an EP that became an instant hit, and soon several record labels were vying for the band’s services. They signed with RCA and released their self-titled debut album, ‘Is This It,’ which garnered critical acclaim and established the group as a popular rock band.
Childhood & Adolescence
He was born to business mogul John Casablancas, founder of Elite Model Management, and former Danish beauty queen Jeanette Christiansen. He is an adolescent of mixed ancestry.
His parents divorced, and his mother later married Sam Adoquei, a painter. His stepfather exposed him to a variety of musical genres and aided in the development of his musical taste.
He attended The Dwight School and became acquainted with Nick Valensi and Fabrizio Moretti. At the age of 14, his father arranged for him to attend Institut Le Rosey, a prestigious Swiss boarding school. He met Albert Hammond, Jr. there.
He studied at the Lycee Francais de New York, graduating in 1996. He met and befriended Nikolai Fraiture during his time at college.
Career of Julian
In 1998, he formed The Strokes with his friends Nick Valensi, Fabrizio Moretti, Albert Hammond, Jr., and Nikolai Fraiture. The band’s self-titled debut EP, ‘The Modern Age,’ was released in 2001. The EP’s popularity sparked a bidding war among record labels to sign the band.
The band signed with RCA in 2001 and released its self-titled debut studio album, ‘Is This It.’ The album debuted at number two on the United Kingdom’s Albums Chart. It gave birth to the chart-topping singles ‘Hard to Explain,’ ‘Last Nite,’ and ‘Someday.’
Their follow-up album, ‘Room on Fire,’ was released in 2003. The album featured the singles ’12:51,’ ‘Reptilia,’ and ‘The End Has No End’. The album received favorable reviews and peaked at No. 2 on the UK Albums Chart. It was later certified as Gold.
Julian wrote or co-wrote every song on the band’s 2006 follow-up album, ‘First Impressions of Earth.’ ‘Juicebox’ was the album’s lead single. The album carried a Parental Advisory label, the first for The Strokes.
Along with singing, he plays musical instruments. He played a casio guitar and also sang backing vocals for Queens of the Stone Age’s ‘Sick, Sick, Sick’.
Julian began exploring a solo career during The Strokes’ hiatus in the late 2000s. In 2009, he released his debut solo album, ‘Phrazes for the Young.’ It included the singles ‘Out of the Blue,’ ‘Left and Right in the Dark,’ and ’11th Dimension.’
In 2010, he co-wrote the song ‘Little Girl’ with Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse for the album ‘Dark Night of the Soul’. He wrote the lyrics, sang, and played the guitar.
During this time period, all of the band members began solo careers and did not record together for a long period of time. After a five-year hiatus, the band released its album ‘Angles’ in 2011. On the Australian Albums Chart, the album peaked at No. 1.
He has also been a part of several advertising campaigns. He wrote an original song titled ‘I Like The Night’ to promote Azzaro’s new men’s fragrance, Decibel, dB. In 2011, France aired an advertisement featuring him.
The Strokes’ most recent album is 2013’s ‘Comedown Machine.’ The NME named the album one of the year’s 50 Best Albums of 2013.
Significant Works of Julian
The Strokes’ self-titled debut album was a commercial and critical success. The album was praised for its rhythm and featured a melodic pop sound. Numerous magazines and publications included it on their lists of the best albums of the 2000s.
Awards and Accomplishments
In 2002, The Strokes were awarded the BRIT Award for Best International Newcomer. The Strokes’ self-titled debut album, ‘Is This It,’ was a 2002 Meteor Music Award winner for Best International Album.
Personal History and Legacies
In 2005, he married Juliet Joslin, The Strokes’ assistant manager. The couple is father to one son.
Estimated Net Worth
The estimated net worth of Julian is $13million.