Jean Beauvoir

Making an immediate visual impact with his blonde Mohawk, multi-instrumentalist Jean Beauvoir has been a member of several bands, performed as a solo act, and written and produced a vast array of other artists. Born of Haitian parents in Chicago, IL, Beauvoir took up the drums as a pre-teen, switching to bass to appease disturbed neighbors. By his teens, he was leading bands, including becoming the musical director for Gary "U.S." Bonds at the age of 13. This stint was quickly followed by a turn as lead singer of the legendary doo wop act the Flamingos. Now fully committed to pursuing music as a career, the young musician headed out for New York before he was old enough to drive and was attracted to the burgeoning punk scene. Answering an ad for a bassist, Beauvoir auditioned for and landed the spot in the fledgling (and soon to be infamous) Plasmatics. He would remain with them for two albums, leaving to pursue his own interests after the band's Beyond the Valley of 1984. A solo career would have to wait, however, as a chance meeting with E Street Band guitarist Steve Van Zandt led to Beauvoir joining his new project, Little Steven & the Disciples of Soul. Following appearances on a pair of releases with the outfit, Beauvoir left, again intending to pursue a solo career and eventually signed a deal with Virgin in the U.K. Through circumstance, actor Sylvester Stallone heard a track from Beauvoir's debut, and his desire to use it as the theme of his movie Cobra led to Drums Along the Mohawk being picked up for U.S. distribution. The album was a modest success and, aided by its inclusion in the Stallone movie, "Feel the Heat" was a minor chart hit. Although it would prove to be his highest commercial profile as a solo artist, it led to plenty of work in the '80s and '90s, including writing, performing, and producing for acts like Kiss, John Waite, the Ramones, Nona Hendryx, and Nile Rodgers. There would also be occasional solo output from Beauvoir and efforts with his band Crown of Thorns, but these releases have been primarily limited to European markets, thus, limiting his exposure in the States.