Shaun Morgan

South African musician (born 1978)

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Shaun Morgan

Morgan performing with Seether in 2012

Background information
Birth name| Shaun Morgan Welgemoed
Born|  (1978-12-21) 21 December 1978 (age 45)
Origin| Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
Genres|

* Post-grunge
* alternative metal
* hard rock
* nu metal

Occupations|

* Musician
* singer
* songwriter
* producer

Instruments|

* Vocals
* guitar

Years active| 1999–present
Member of| Seether
Formerly of| Saron Gas
Spouse|

Jordan Kirby

(m. 2021)​

Musical artist

Shaun Morgan Welgemoed ([ˈveːl.χɐmut], born 21 December 1978) is a South African musician. He is the lead singer, songwriter, and rhythm guitarist for the rock band Seether.

## Early life

[edit]

Morgan spent most of his early life in South Africa.[1] His parents divorced when he was still a child. Morgan is the youngest of three children; he had a brother, Eugene, who committed suicide in 2007, and a sister, Lucy. He was a student at Merchiston Preparatory School and Maritzburg College in Pietermaritzburg, where he played rugby in his first three years of high school. In his third year, he injured his back and was unable to play anymore, which then led to him picking up the guitar.

At the age of fourteen, he discovered the Seattle grunge movement after listening to Nirvana's Nevermind album, which inspired him to become a musician.[1]

## Career

[edit]

Morgan performing with Seether in 2010

Prior to forming the band Saron Gas, Morgan was a member of a tribute band, covering songs by musicians such as Creed and Tom Petty. In May 1999, the band Saron Gas was created.[2] They were originally a four-piece, but when the singer and guitarist did not turn up to the first practice, the band decided to stay as a three-piece, with Morgan on lead vocals and guitar.[2] Saron Gas enjoyed moderate success before the bass player decided to quit in January 2000, causing Morgan to get in touch with the only other good bass player he knew, Dale Stewart. The band released an album later that year, entitled Fragile.

In January 2002, they relocated to the United States to sign with Wind-up Records. During this time, the band's original drummer returned home to South Africa, whilst the two remaining members were left to think of a new band name, at the request of Wind-up. Eventually they settled on Seether, after the Veruca Salt song of the same name.[2] Around this time, Morgan decided to use his middle name as his last name professionally while performing for Seether because some Americans have a hard time pronouncing "Welgemoed". Seether went on to release their debut major-label album, Disclaimer, on 20 August 2002, which was remixed and rereleased as Disclaimer II with a few additional songs in 2004.

Since then, Seether has released six more studio albums: Karma and Effect (2005), Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces (2007), Holding Onto Strings Better Left to Fray (2011), Isolate and Medicate (2014), Poison the Parish (2017) and Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum (2020). In addition, they released the live CD/DVD One Cold Night in 2006.

In 2013, Morgan collaborated with Hall of Fame band Lynyrd Skynyrd and guitarist John 5 on "Sad Song", a track that appeared on the special edition of Lynyrd Skynyrd's album Last of a Dyin' Breed.[3]

Bands that have influenced Morgan include Nirvana, Portishead, Silverchair, The Beatles, Metallica, Stone Temple Pilots, Nine Inch Nails, Mad Season, Rage Against the Machine, Black Sabbath, Korn, Soundgarden, Led Zeppelin, Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, and Deftones.[4]

## Equipment

[edit]

Shaun Morgan was originally offered an endorsement and a signature model with PRS, but declined.[5] He became endorsed by Schecter Guitars early in his career and stayed with them until 2019. He now plays an Ernie Ball Music Man StingRay RS guitar.[6]

## Personal life

[edit]

From 2003 to 2005, Morgan dated Evanescence singer Amy Lee.[7] Morgan checked into rehab in July 2006.[8][9] Lee wrote the song "Call Me When You're Sober" about her relationship with him.[10]

On 13 August 2007, Morgan's brother Eugene Welgemoed killed himself by jumping from an eighth-floor window of the Radisson Hotel in Rapid City, South Dakota, shortly after midnight. According to police, no foul play was suspected.[11] A few weeks later, Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces was released. As the album was finished, there was no delay to its issue but the record was dedicated to Eugene and featured a memorial. Seether's song "Rise Above This" is a tribute to Eugene, written a few weeks before his death.[12] Morgan has 1308 tattooed on his four right fingers, and 2007 on his four left fingers, marking the date his brother died.

In May 2021, Morgan married his longtime partner, Jordan Kirby, with whom he has a daughter.[13]

Morgan is an atheist.[14]

## Discography

[edit]

### Saron Gas

[edit]

* Fragile (2000)

### Seether

[edit]

Main article: Seether discography

Studio albums

* Disclaimer (2002)
* Disclaimer II (2004)
* Karma and Effect (2005)
* Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces (2007)
* Holding Onto Strings Better Left to Fray (2011)
* Isolate and Medicate (2014)
* Poison the Parish (2017)
* Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum (2020)
* The Surface Seems So Far (2024)

Live albums

* One Cold Night (2006)

Digital albums

* iTunes Originals – Seether (2008)
* Rhapsody Originals – Seether (2008)

### Collaborations

[edit]

* Art of Dying featuring Shaun Morgan – "Die Trying" (2008)
* HURT featuring Shaun Morgan – "World Ain't Right" on the album Goodbye to the Machine (2009)
* Acoustic cover of Alice in Chains' "Nutshell", with Brent Smith, lead singer of Shinedown. The song is featured on The 97X Green Room: Volume 2, which is a radio station based in Tampa, Florida.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Bottomley, C. Seether: South African Seattle, VH1, 6 March 2003. Accessed 25 March 2009.[dead link‍]
2. ^ a b c iTunes Originals - Seether
3. ^ "Lynyrd Skynyrd's Johnny Van Zant: 'Hopefully We'll Have Many, Many More Years Doing This'". Wardlaw, Matt; UltimateClassicRock.com. 21 August 2012. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
4. ^ "Seether | Related Artists". MTV. Archived from the original on 8 January 2010. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
5. ^ http://seether-online.com/band-members/ [bare URL]
6. ^ "Ernie Ball Music Man Blog". 5 February 2019.
7. ^ Harris, Chris. Seether Frontman Enters Rehab; August Tour Dates Canceled, VH1, 26 July 2006; accessed 25 March 2009.
8. ^ "Seether Frontman Enters Rehab; August Tour Dates Canceled". MTV. Archived from the original on 1 April 2011.
9. ^ "Seether moves beyond the rehab brouhaha". Archived from the original on 4 January 2014.
10. ^ Archive-Chris-Harris. "Evanescence Set For Fall Tour; Amy Lee Reveals Inspiration Behind 'Sober'". MTV News. Archived from the original on 6 June 2014. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
11. ^ Brown, Katie. Radisson suicide brother of Seether front man, Rapid City Journal, 16 August 2007; accessed 25 March 2009.
12. ^ Adams, Leticia (23 August 2017). "Interview with Shaun Morgan from Seether About Suicide". Patheos. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
13. ^ Childers, Chad (5 May 2021). "Seether's Shaun Morgan Just Got Married". Loudwire. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
14. ^ "Interview with Shaun Morgan from Seether About Suicide". patheos.com. 23 August 2017. Retrieved 11 August 2024.

* v
* t
* e

Seether

* Shaun Morgan
* Dale Stewart
* John Humphrey
* Corey Lowery

* Johan Greyling
* Tyronne Morris
* David "Dave" Cohoe
* Nick Oshiro
* Pat Callahan
* Troy McLawhorn

Studio albums|

* Disclaimer
* Disclaimer II
* Karma and Effect
* Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces
* Holding Onto Strings Better Left to Fray
* Isolate and Medicate
* Poison the Parish
* Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum
* The Surface Seems So Far

Live albums|

* One Cold Night

EPs|

* 5 Songs

Compilation albums|

* Seether: 2002–2013

Singles|

* "Fine Again"
* "Broken"
* "Remedy"
* "Truth"
* "The Gift"
* "Fake It"
* "Rise Above This"
* "Breakdown"
* "Careless Whisper"
* "Country Song"
* "Tonight"
* "No Resolution"
* "Here and Now"
* "Seether"
* "Words as Weapons"
* "Same Damn Life"
* "Nobody Praying for Me"
* "Save Today"
* "Let You Down"
* "Betray and Degrade"
* "Against the Wall"
* "Dangerous"
* "Bruised and Bloodied"

Related articles|

* Discography

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF
* WorldCat

National|

* Germany
* United States
* Czech Republic

Artists|

* MusicBrainz

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