• 1995-

  Aaron LewisVocals1995-

  Mike MushokGuitar1995-

  Jon WysockiDrums1995-2011

  Johnny AprilBass1995-

  Sal GiancarelliDrums2011-
• Their name was originally "Stain." They added the D when they found out another group (which became Kilgore Smudge and Lit), already had it.
• They started as a cover band in 1995, playing songs by the likes of Korn and Rage Against The Machine. This was the only way they could get gigs; they would sneak a few original songs into each set as they built a following. In 1996, they self-released an album of original songs called Tormented that they sold at shows. A year later, they got a gig opening for Limp Bizkit and got the attention of their lead singer, Fred Durst, who helped them land a deal with Flip Records and co-produced their 1999 album Dysfunction.
• Aaron Lewis enjoys fishing and hunting - he says he's never killed anything he didn't eat. In 2015, he started a show called On the Road with Rock & Aaron, which chronicles his outdoor adventures with co-host Rock Bordelon. It aired on the Sportsman Channel and later on various streaming services.
• Mike Mushok had a solid backup plan if music didn't work out: In 1994 he earned a degree in electrical engineering from Western New England College in Springfield, Massachusetts.
• Lewis was born in Rutland, Vermont. His parents were "hippies" with pot plants in the front yard. They divorced when he was 13.
• Jon Wysocki is a golf fanatic.
• In 1995, Lewis went to jewelry school in Atlanta so he could become a goldsmith - his mother's family owned a jewelry business. He formed stained that year when he returned home to the Springfield area of Massachusetts. He went to high school in nearby Longmeadow.
• The first time they met Fred Durst, he chewed them out over the cover of their Tormented album, which shows a bloody cross. Durst thought it made them look like Satanists. He got over it and watched Staind's set from the side of the stage and soon after, started working with them.
• Lewis, outspoken in his conservative views, is a life member of the NRA.
• To celebrate their album Break the Cycle, Lewis, Mushok, and Wysocki went out and bought Rolex watches.
• The band members were never close friends and don't spend time together unless they're working. "It's a very musically derived chemistry, that's for sure," Aaron Lewis told the Worcester Telegram.
• Lewis told Songfacts his babysitter gave him his first three albums: The Wall (Pink Floyd), Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (AC/AC), and Destroyer (KISS). His musical tastes later veered toward Pantera, Slayer, and other metal bands, but the album he says "absolutely destroyed me" was Korn's 1994 debut.
• Lewis used to wear a watch given to him by his friend Kid Rock - he and Staind were both opening acts for Limp Bizkit in 1999. In June 2001, he gave it to a fan in Detroit.
• Lewis is very focused on his family. He's been married to his wife Vanessa since 1998 and they have three daughters: Zoe Jane (2002), Nyla Rae (2005) and Indie Shay (2007). Some of Staind's early songs, including "Home" and "Warm Safe Place," deal with his struggle to balance his career with his home life.
• The band never broke up but they did go on a long hiatus starting in 2012 when Lewis launched a solo career as a country singer. He made four albums before Staind returned in 2023 with Confessions Of The Fallen, their first album since Staind in 2011.
• Their only lineup change came in 2011 when Jon Wysocki left the band after recording their self-titled album. Sessions for that album were arduous and led to his departure. That time is chronicled in the documentary The Making Of Staind.

Comments: 7

• Mike from Glendale Heights, IlIf Jonathan Davis found alt metal's sound, Aaron Lewis found its soul. It is nice to see that Staind is getting due credit for its contributions to modern rock.
• Liz from S Windsor, CtAaron Lewis has an absolutely amazing voice. I saw him in a solo acoustic concert and his voice has such a wide range...he sang everything from Pearl Jam to Led Zeppelin, Billy Joel, Pink Floyd and even played Bong Hits for Breakfast in his old high school auditorium for a benefit concert! It was an amazing show!!
• Elliot from St. Louis, MoAaron Lewis uses so much emotion when he sings, and voice has amazing clarity. You can really feel and relate to everything he sings. He is awesome!!
• Rob from ???, Txstaind is my favorite band ever. 'So Far Away' and 'Outside' describe me and my life so well. AARON LEWIS IS MY ROLE MODEL!
• Chantal from Liverpool, CanadaBrittanie: that song is called Epiphany (you can look the meaning for it on this website) :)
  
  yes yes staind is a great band..gotta love their acoustics.
• Brittanie from Ogden, Utif anyone knows what the song "it's always raining in my head" means, if it's even called that, can you please e-mail me at Brittaniej@yahoo.com. i would really appreciate it
• Angel from Michigan City, InI love Staind, and the song "Zoe Jane" makes me cry. Staind is such a realistic band and every lyric they write is meaningful. Their music is nothing but pure emotion. Who doesnt love that??

More Songfacts:

When I Think of YouJanet Jackson

When "When I Think of You" hit #1, Janet and Michael Jackson became the first siblings with chart topping solo hits in the United States.

Master Of PuppetsMetallica

When Metallica performed in China in 2013, they weren't allowed to play "Master Of Puppets," probably because the theme of being controlled by a higher authority didn't sit well with the Chinese government.

MacArthur ParkRichard Harris

Richard Harris, who played Professor Dumbledore in the first two Harry Potter movies, had a hit in 1968 with "MacArthur Park."

Le FreakChic

The guys from Chic wrote "Le Freak" as a message to a doorman who wouldn't let them into a club. Originally, it was "F--- Off."

Cotton Eye JoeRednex

"Cotton Eye Joe" is a folk song dating to the 1800s, but it became a hit when a Swedish act called Rednex did a psychokinetic version in 1994.

IrisThe Goo Goo Dolls

The Goo Goo Dolls got the title for their song "Iris" from a country singer named Iris DeMent. The word doesn't show up in the lyric; lead singer Johnny Rzeznik said he was "trying to be pretentious and arty by calling it that."

Editor's Picks

Ian Astbury of The CultSongwriter Interviews

The Cult frontman tells who the "Fire Woman" is, and talks about performing with the new version of The Doors.

Andy McClusky of OMDSongwriter Interviews

Known in America for the hit "If You Leave," OMD is a huge influence on modern electronic music.

American Hits With Foreign TitlesSong Writing

What are the biggest US hits with French, Spanish (not "Rico Suave"), Italian, Scottish, Greek, and Japanese titles?

Leslie West of MountainSongwriter Interviews

From the cowbell on "Mississippi Queen" to recording with The Who when they got the wrong Felix, stories from one of rock's master craftsmen.

"Stairway To Heaven" Lawsuit: A TimelineSong Writing

Untangling the events that led to the "Stairway To Heaven" lawsuit.

Adam Duritz of Counting CrowsSongwriter Interviews

"Mr. Jones" took on new meaning when the song about a misguided view of fame made Adam famous.