Skrillex is an American singer, songwriter, instrumentalist, music producer, and DJ known for music videos and albums such as ‘First of the Year,’ ‘Bangarang,’ and ‘My Name Is Skrillex.’ When he volunteered to play guitar for the rock band ‘From First to Last,’ he was instead picked as the lead vocalist, which launched his career as a musician and singer. During his time with the band, Skrillex was instrumental in the release of albums such as ‘Heroine’ and ‘Dear Diary, My Teen Angst Has a Body Count,’ but finally left to pursue a solo career. As a solo artist, Skrillex toured the United States alongside bands such as ‘All Time Low,’ ‘Forever the Sickest Kids,’ ‘The Matches,’ and ‘All Time Low.’ Following the release of his first commercially released extended play (EP), ‘Gypsyhook EP,’ Sonny began recording his first studio album, ‘Bells,’ but finally called it off. Using the stage name ‘Skrillex,’ he resumed performing and releasing albums. His first EP, ‘My Name is Skrillex,’ was made available for free download on his official MySpace profile. Skrillex has won a total of eight Grammy Awards.
Childhood and Adolescence
Skrillex was born Sonny John Moore in Northeast Los Angeles on January 15, 1988. Skrillex’s family moved to San Francisco’s Forest Hill neighborhood when he was two years old.
He began his studies in a local primary school before transferring to a nearby boarding school in the Mojave Desert of Las Vegas. Skrillex’s family moved back to Northeast Los Angeles when he was 12 years old.
His parents, who were members of the Scientology cult, enrolled him in a private academy school that reflected some of L Ron Hubbard’s (the cult’s founder) principles. He was bullied at school, and as a result, he was homeschooled at the age of 14.
Skrillex discovered he was adopted when he was 16 years old, and as a result, he dropped out of school.
Skrillex used to go to punk concerts in Mexican American neighborhoods in South and East Los Angeles as a youngster, and then attended to clubs in downtown LA that played electro house music.
Career of Skrillex
After contacting Matt Good, the frontman of the rock band ‘From First to Last,’ Skrillex traveled out to Georgia in 2004. (FFTL). Skrillex had indicated an interest in playing guitar on their first studio album, but after music producers McHale Butler, Eric Dale, and Derrick Thomas heard him out, he was eventually chosen as the main singer.
In June of 2004, Epitaph Records released ‘First to Last’s’ first LP (long player), “Dear Diary, My Teen Angst Has a Body Count,” which was recorded with Skrillex. Following the release of the album, the band embarked on a series of successful music tours, including the ‘Dead by Dawn’ and ‘Vans Warped’ tours.
In March 2006, Epitaph Records published the band’s second album, “Heroine.” The album’s success prompted the band to go on yet another nationwide tour. Skrillex, on the other hand, suffered vocal issues, forcing the band to cancel a number of forthcoming gigs.
Skrillex announced his departure from the group after undergoing surgery to pursue a solo career as a solo artist. He gave his final performance with ‘FFTL’ at the ‘House of Blues’ restaurant/bar in Orlando, Florida, the band’s hometown.
Skrillex built and hosted his MySpace profile after leaving the band, and uploaded snippets of three songs: “Glow Worm,” “Equinox,” and “Signal.”
On April 7, 2007, he gave his first solo public concert, accompanied by renowned harpist Carl Robbins. He continued to post trailers for other songs on his MySpace page and eventually created his own band, performing alongside ‘Team Sleep,’ a music band, on their nationwide tour.
In February 2008, Skrillex took part in the 2nd annual AP Tour, which was sponsored by ‘The Alternative Press Magazine’ and featured well-known musicians such as ‘Forever the Sickest Kid,’ ‘The Matches,’ and ‘The Rocket Summer.’
Every band who took part in the AP tour was included on the cover of the annual edition ‘100 Bands You Need to Know,’ published by the Alternative Press Magazine.
Skrillex released a digital EP titled ‘Gypsyhook’ in 2009, which included four remixes and three songs. During his live appearances, he sold CDs and DVDs of the EP.
He toured with the bands ‘Paper Route’ and ‘Innerpartysystem,’ as well as serving as the opening act for ‘Chiodos’ on their European tour. When Skrillex joined the band ‘Hollywood Undead’ for a tour in 2009, he went by the name ‘Sonny and the Blood Monkeys.’
On June 7, 2010, he released his official debut EP, ‘My Name is Skrillex,’ as a free download.
In 2011, he began the ‘Project Blue Book Tour’ to promote the song “Bring Out the Devil,” and he also debuted several new songs throughout the tour, including “Cinema,” “Reptile,” and “First of the Year.”
Skrillex released his third EP, ‘More Monsters and Sprites,’ in June 2011. Three original soundtracks were included on the EP, as well as two versions of “Ruffneck,” another original song.
Skrillex announced the formation of his own record label, ‘OWSLA,’ in August 2011 and followed up with the release of a video for his song “First of the Year” on Spin.com on August 17, 2011.
In 2011, he contributed vocals to the song “Lick It,” which appeared on Kaskade’s album “Fire & Ice.”
Skrillex said on November 8, 2011, that he will be releasing a new album called ‘Voltage,’ but the album was never released. Despite this, on December 23, 2011, he released the EP ‘Bangarang.’
On the OWSLA membership service, Nest IV, he released his seventh EP, ‘Leaving,’ on January 2, 2013.
On social media in 2017, he announced that he was rejoining with the band ‘From First to Last.’
Major Projects of Skrillex
Skrillex debuted three songs on his MySpace page in 2007: “Glow Worm,” “Equinox,” and “Signal,” which were his debut singles as a solo artist.
In 2009, he released a downloadable EP called “Gypsyhook.” ‘My Name Is Skrillex,’ ‘More Monsters and Sprites,’ ‘Bangarang,’ ‘Leaving,’ and ‘Recess’ are among his other notable albums.
Achievements & Awards of Skrillex
Skrillex has won eight Grammy Awards in total, including three in 2012 and 2013, and two in 2016. In 2012 and 2013, he also won the MTV Music Video Award on consecutive years.
Personal History and Legacy
Skrillex, whose real name is Sonny John Moore, has stated that his stage moniker was nothing special. When he remembered how his buddies used to taunt him by calling him ‘Skril,’ ‘Skrilly,’ and ‘Skrillex,’ he came up with the pseudonym.
His early musical influences include ‘The Doors,’ ‘Nine Inch Nails,’ ‘Marilyn Manson,’ ‘Squarepusher,’ and ‘Aphex Twin.’
Estimated Net Worth
Skrillex has a net worth of $70 million and is an electronic DJ and record producer from the United States. Skrillex may easily earn more than $20 million per year from touring and licensing before taxes. Skrillex has produced hit songs for singers such as Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, and Diplo in addition to his own music. He’s also made a tidy profit through successful real estate ventures, which we’ll go over later in this piece.