Steve Eichner/Getty ImagesHappy birthday, Bradley Nowell. The iconic Sublime frontman would’ve turned 50 today.
Nowell was born February 22, 1968. He founded Sublime in 1988 alongside bassist Eric Wilson and drummer Bud Gaugh, and the trio released their debut album, 40oz. to Freedom, in 1992 on Nowell’s own record label, Skunk Records. The band began to develop a sizable following in their native Southern California, and they released their sophomore album, Robbin’ the Hood, in 1994.
Two years later, Sublime began working on their third album. However, two months before it was released, Nowell died of a heroin overdose on May 25, 1996 at age 28.
Even though Sublime was effectively defunct, the self-titled album was a massive success. It reached a career-high number 13 on the Billboard 200, and spawned the hit singles “Santeria,” “What I Got” and “Wrong Way.” Additionally, the album has been certified five-times platinum, and is considered a touchstone of the ’90s alternative rock scene.
Following Nowell’s death, Wilson and Gaugh formed the Long Beach Dub Allstars, which also featured many Sublime collaborators. In 2009, they began performing again as Sublime with singer and guitarist Rome Ramirez, but due to a legal challenge from Nowell’s estate, the group adopted the name Sublime with Rome.
Sublime with Rome released their debut album, Yours Truly, in 2011. Gaugh left the group later that year, and Wilson and Ramirez released a second album as Sublime with Rome, titled Sirens, in 2015.
Copyright © 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
