Crooked X
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2007 |
| Defunct | 2011 |
| Headquarters | Coweta, Oklahoma , United States |
| Products | Music albums, EPs, singles |
Crooked X was a hard rock ensemble originating from Coweta, Oklahoma, USA, composed of Forrest French (lead vocals and lead guitar), Jesse Cooper (lead guitar and backing vocals), Boomer Simpson (drums and backing vocals), and Josh McDowell (bass guitar). The group discontinued activities after 2011, facing challenges in maintaining their trajectory following the 2010 exit of founding members French and McDowell to focus on completing their high school education.
Biography
Emerging from a garage setting, Crooked X first gained recognition by submitting a performance video to "Living Room Live" on CBS's The Early Show. Their second-place finish drew the attention of industry veterans Spencer Proffer and Doc McGhee (known for work with Kiss, Mötley Crüe, and Bon Jovi), who subsequently signed them to MPM (McGhee Proffer Media). Through MPM, the band secured recording contracts with EMI and Capitol Records, as well as opportunities to open for renowned artists such as Kiss, Ted Nugent, Alice Cooper, Black Stone Cherry, and Skid Row. On January 15, 2009, they made an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!.
Their tracks gained additional exposure via the Rock Band video game series: "Nightmare" was included in the original release, followed by downloadable content featuring "Rock 'N' Roll Dream" and "Gone". Proffer and McGhee also produced the television special Rock N' Roll Dream, which documented the band's journey from humble garage beginnings to performing before 35,000 attendees at a Kiss concert in Stockholm.
The band's initial EP, Till We Bleed, was released on iTunes on October 7, 2008. This was followed by their self-titled album on January 27, 2009—the same day their MTV special aired. During spring 2009, Crooked X participated in the Ernie Ball side stage of the Music as a Weapon IV Tour alongside groups such as Spineshank and Suicide Silence.
In June 2010, original members Forrest French, Tyler Daniels, and Josh McDowell departed. Their replacements, Kevin Currie (vocals) and Bradd Johnson (bass), were unable to maintain the band's earlier momentum. This reconfigured lineup did not produce new recordings and ceased live performances by 2011.
Guitarist Jesse Cooper died in 2015.
Discography
- Albums/EPs
| Year | Album | Peak | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US | Heatseekers | ||
| 2008 | Till We Bleed EP | — | — |
| 2009 | Crooked X | 176 | 6 |
- Singles
| Year | Title | Peak | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Rock | |||
| 2008 | "Rock N Roll Dream" | 40 | Till We Bleed EP / Crooked X |
| 2009 | "Gone" | — | Crooked X |
| "Another Brick, Pt. 2 (Radio Edit)" | — | Another Brick In The Wall EP |
External links
- Crooked X official site (inactive since August 2012)