Jason Pierce (born 19 November 1965, Rugby, Warwickshire, England), also known as J. Spaceman or Spaceman, is an English musician. He was formerly the joint leader – with Peter Kember – of the alternative rock band Spacemen 3, and is now the leader and sole permanent member of the band Spiritualized.
In between his work with Spiritualized and Spacemen 3, Pierce has been active with a network of free jazz players and improvisers, collaborating with acclaimed artists, including Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, jazz pianist Dr. John, Primal Scream, Daniel Johnston, and Yoko Ono among others.
Pierce was seriously ill with pneumonia in 2005. Both his lungs had filled with liquid, and the 5'11 (180 cm) musician's weight plunged to seven stone (44.5 kg) and his heart stopped beating twice.
In 2006, Pierce released his first solo album, Guitar Loops, a limited release on Coxon and Wales's Treader record label. Also in 2006, he composed the original score for an art installation called "Silent Sound" by British artists Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard. The live performance at St. George's Hall in Liverpool was recorded and released as a limited edition signed and numbered CD. A second performance of Silent Sound took place in 2010 as part of the AV Festival, at Middlesbrough Town Hall. A second limited edition signed and numbered CD was released.
Between 6 and 8 February 2007, Pierce performed in a series of benefit concerts for the HOPING Foundation for Palestinian children.
He provided some of the soundtrack for some of Harmony Korine's 2007 film, Mister Lonely.
In July 2008 Pierce sat down for an interview with NPR before a concert at the 9:30 Club in Washington DC. Both the interview and the concert can be heard on the NPR website.
He released a collaboration with Matthew Shipp entitled Spaceshipp on the Treader label in 2008.
Pierce has worked on various solo projects, including the remixing of singles by LFO, Global Communication, and the 22-20's.
His song "Lay It Down Slow" was used for the finale of the hit US drama series Prison Break
In an early 2012 interview, Jason mentions he had been under chemotherapy during the recordings of the 2012 Spiritualized album "Sweet Heart Sweet Light. He does not specify the diagnosis for this treatment, but he jokes about it, saying that these are drugs he does not recommend to anybody.
Jason now lives with his partner and two children in the East End of London.
Famous quotes containing the word pierce:
“But wise men pierce this rotten diction and fasten words again to visible things; so that picturesque language is at once a commanding certificate that he who employs it, is a man in alliance with truth and God.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)