James Woolley | |
|---|---|
 Woolley in the 1990s. | |
| Background information | |
| Born | (1966-09-26)September 26, 1966 |
| Died | August 14, 2016(2016-08-14) (aged 49) |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, sound designer |
| Instrument(s) | Keyboards, synthesizer |
| Years active | 1989–2016 |
| Formerly of |
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James Joseph Woolley (September 26, 1966 – August 14, 2016) was an Americankeyboard andsynthesizer player, best known for performing with industrial rock bandNine Inch Nails from 1991 to 1994, participating in thePretty Hate Machine Tour Series and theSelf Destruct Tour.[1] Woolley appeared in the band's music videos for "Wish" and "March of the Pigs", and the video albumClosure.[2] Together with Nine Inch Nails, Woolley won aGrammy Award in 1996 for "Best Metal Performance" for theirWoodstock '94 performance of "Happiness in Slavery".[3][4]
In 1989, Woolley joined theChicago-based bandDie Warzau, where he played with futureNine Inch Nails-bandmateChris Vrenna, and contributed to their 1991 albumBig Electric Metal Bass Face. In July of that year, Woolley joined Nine Inch Nails as a live keyboardist for theirLollapalooza Tour and European tour.[5] In 1992, he appeared in the band's music video for "Wish" and later stayed with the band during the recording ofThe Downward Spiral album, in addition to appearing in the video for "March of the Pigs".[5] In 1994, Woolley participated in the band'sSelf Destruct tour, before leaving the line-up in December of that year due to family reasons.[5] Earlier that year, Woolley contributed to theSister Machine Gun albumThe Torture Technique.[6] Following his departure from Nine Inch Nails, Woolley worked as a sound designer forThe Simpsons.[7] In 1997, he appeared in the Nine Inch Nail video albumClosure, featuring footage from their Self Destruct tour.[8] In 1998, Woolley toured withRob Halford's band2wo, which also includedJohn 5 ofMarilyn Manson.[9] After 2wo, Woolley did studio work inLos Angeles, including contributions to albums byLeah Andreone andEdnita Nazario. In 2004, Woolley contributed to Die Warzau's albumConvenience. After 2006, he formed the band V.O.I.D. that featured Jon Roberts, Mark Pearlman, and DJ Aaron Chase. Woolley last resided inRound Lake Beach, Illinois.
Woolley died on August 14, 2016, at the age of 49. His ex-wife, Kate Van Buren, revealed that Woolley had been living with "significant neck and spine injuries" which later contributed to his death from neck-related injuries after falling off a ladder while retrieving music equipment in his studio nearLake Forest, Illinois.[10][2] Following his death, formerNine Inch Nails-bandmatesTrent Reznor andRichard Patrick paid tribute to Woolley.[2] Reznor thanked Woolley for his contributions to Nine Inch Nails during the band'sRock And Roll Hall of Fame induction speech in 2020.[11]
| Year | Artist | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Sister Machine Gun | The Torture Technique | Editing, keyboards |
| 1998 | Leah Andreone | Alchemy | Programming, keyboards |
| 1999 | Ednita Nazario | Corazón | Keyboards |
| 2004 | Die Warzau | Convenience | Performer |
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