Background
Meade was born in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, the youngest of five children. Before settling into retirement, his father worked as an architect, and his mother pursued a career as a nurse. Both parents, according to Meade, instilled in their son the values of treating others with respect, as well as frugality. Meade’s childhood was filled by music: “ was the only thing I was into” says Meade, “It consumed me.” His sister Connie—16 when he was born in 1962—would yank him out of the crib when the Beatles came on the radio. His mom would do the same with groups like the Supremes. “She really loved ‘Love Is Like an Itching in My Heart,’” says Meade. His first two rock shows were Elvis at the Tulsa Assembly Center in 1972 and a night with Alice Cooper’s harrowing Welcome to My Nightmare tour in 1975 . Meade’s musical interest eventually gravitated to musicians like New York Dolls, David Bowie, T-Rex (band), and Patti Smith. According to Meade, music was the only place where he could find people who thought and dressed like him.
In 1980, the summer Meade graduated from high school, he and fellow music lover, Todd Walker, hung out and wrote songs. According to Meade, “We were all listening to the same stuff—punk, new wave, and fringe bands like Bowie, early Who and T-Rex. My brother Gentry sold me a Gibson Marauder. My cousin Duane showed me three chords, and said I could learn from there. One of the skaters was Todd Walker, who started writing songs with me.” Meade was also fed up with 80s corporate rock. Defenestration was formed.
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