Table of Biography
Paul Westerberg is an American Rock Singer. Paul Westerberg is popular as the lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter for “The Replacements”. He launched a solo career that saw him release three albums on two major record labels after the breakup of “The Replacements”.
Early Life
Paul Westerberg was born on December 31, 1959, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. He is 64 years old and is under the astrological sign, Capricorn. He holds American nationality and his full name is Paul Harold Westerberg.
His father’s name is Harold Robert Westerberg and his mother’s name is Mary Louise Westerberg. His father is an employee of Cadillac-General Motors. Westerberg also has four siblings and their names are Anne, Julie, Phil, and Mary.
Paul Westerberg – Education
Regarding Weterberg’s educational background and qualifications, he attended the Academy of Holy Angels. He then went on to study at Central High School located in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Career and Professional Life
Paul Westerberg joined the band “The Impediments” after convincing the singer to quit in the late 1970s while he was working as a janitor. The band played their first gig in a church basement, later changing their name to “The Replacements” due to venue concerns.
The names of the members of the band are Bob Stinson, Chris Mars, and Tommy Stinson. The band then started performing in the Twin Cities punk scene, showcasing Westerberg’s songs in a classic rock–friendly punk style.
They were able to make three albums and an EP for local label Twin/Tone before signing to Sire Records in the year 1985. They even went on to make four albums for Sire, each with a different lineup.
And, despite the jump to Sire, they never translated their critical success into commercial sales. The band broke up in the year 1991 and their final album, All Shook Down, was mainly a Westerberg solo project. All of the members went their separate ways after their last album.
Likewise, his initial solo releases were two tracks, “Waiting for Somebody” and “Dyslexic Heart”. These were featured in the soundtrack of the 1992 film Singles, where he also composed as well as performed the score.
In the year 1993, Reprise Records went on to launch his first solo album, 14 Songs. Despite The Replacements’ lifetime ban from Saturday Night Live, Paul Westerberg was able to return in the year 1993 as a solo artist and performed both his solo work and a Replacements song, “Can’t Hardly Wait”.
Caption: Paul Westerberg along with his band members (Source: NME)
More About Career
Also, between solo albums, his songs appeared on TV soundtracks for Melrose Place and Friends. He also went on to collaborate with Joan Jett, co-writing “Backlash” for her 1991 album Notorious and recording a duet, “Let’s Do It,” for the Tank Girl soundtrack in the year 1994.
In the year 1996, Paul Westerberg’s second solo album, “Eventually”, received mixed reviews. And, after leaving Reprise Records, he went on to release blues-influenced tracks under Grandpaboy in the year 1997.
His third album, Suicaine Gratifaction, came out in 1999 with minimal promotion from Capitol Records. He then took a three-year break from major labels and returned in the year 2002 with two simultaneous releases, Stereo and Mono, on the independent label Vagrant Records.
Also, over the next two years, he was able to continue to release several albums, including Dead Man Shake (as Grandpaboy), Come Feel Me Tremble, and Folker.
Moreover, Westerberg was able to cover “Nowhere Man” for the I Am Sam soundtrack in the year 2002. On top of that, his songs appeared on various compilations in the year 2004.
Then, a year later, he along with Tommy Stinson and Chris Mars recorded two new songs for the Replacements’ compilation “Don’t You Know Who I Think I Was?”. And, in the year 2006, Westerberg wrote eight songs for the Open Season film soundtrack and collaborated with guitar manufacturer First Act to create his signature edition PW580.
Albums and More
Paul went on to release the album “49:00… Of Your Time/Life” for 49 cents in the year 2008. However, it was taken down due to copyright issues, then he released “5:05″ as a replacement.
He continued to share new songs such as”3oclockreep,” “Finally Here Once,” and “Bored of Edukation”. In the year 2009, he dropped an EP “PW & The Ghost Gloves Cat Wing Joy Boys” along with six tracks.
Furthermore, due to the death of his musical influence Alex Chilton in March 2010, Paul Westerberg wrote a eulogy for The New York Times. Also, in May 2010, he went on to perform for the documentary “40 Nights of Rock & Roll”.
He also was able to appear in Glen Campbell’s video for “Ghost on the Canvas” a song he wrote in the year 2009. In a May 2013 New York Times feature, he discussed his songwriting approach. Westerberg later formed The I Don’t Cares with Juliana Hatfield, releasing their debut album “Wild Stab” in January 2016.
Paul Westerberg has two stars on the outside mural of Minneapolis nightclub First Avenue. It is an honour reserved for those who’ve played sold-out shows or made significant cultural contributions.
He has both; a personal star and one for The Replacements so, he stands as one of the few musicians with multiple stars. And, in the year 2023, Rolling Stone ranked him as the 196th Greatest Singer of All Time.
Caption: Paul Westerberg performing on the stage (Source: The Current)
Relationship Status
Paul Westerberg tied the knot with his first wife, Lori Susan Bizer on October 2, 1987. After their divorce, he went on to marry former Zuzu’s Petals guitarist and author Laurie Lindeen.
They tied the knot in 1997 but later divorced in the year 2014. The couple also have a son together and his name is Johnny who was born in the year 1998. Westerberg has put his son’s voice on 49:00 and “Whatever Makes You Happy” from his solo album Suicaine Gratifaction.
Caption: Paul Westerberg with Laurie Lindeen and their son (Source: Pinterest)
Body Measurements
Paul Westerberg has a height of 5 feet 7 inches but his weight and other body measurements are still under review. Moreover, Westerberg had brown hair and brown eyes.
Social Media
Paul Westerberg is pretty active on all of his social accounts. He owns his Instagram account under the name “paulwesterbergofficial” and has garnered 2.6K followers on it. Likewise, he is active on Twitter as well and has mustered 2.9K followers until now.
Paul Westerberg – Net Worth 2024
As per celebritynetworth, Paul Westerberg has a net worth of $9 million and his main income source seems to be his career as a singer.