This Dallas, Texas, USA-based quartet made an immediate impact on the rock scene with their refreshingly diverse 2001 debut, Sinner. Stevie Benton (bass) and Mike Luce (b. 25 September 1971, USA; drums) attended high school together in Dallas, but parted company when Luce moved to New Orleans. It was while in this city that he began playing music with Christian Joseph Pierce (guitar), and after several years grafting around the local circuit the two men returned to Dallas to join Benton in the nascent Drowning Pool. Naming themselves after the movie, the band spent two years establishing themselves on the Dallas music scene before. In late 1998, following the departure of their original vocalist, they recruited the charismatic Dave Williams (b. 29 February 1972, Princeton, Texas, USA, d. 14 August 2002, Manassas, Virginia, USA) as their new frontman. The new line-up recorded a demo, which was released in limited quantities in May 1999.
By now, the band had begun to attract attention outside of Dallas with opening slots for acts such as Sevendust and Kittie. A recording contract with Wind-Up Records followed, with producer Jay Baumgardner brought in to help the band record their debut. Released in June 2001, Sinner struck a fine balance between power and melody on stand-out tracks "Bodies" and "Tear Away". Tragedy struck the following August when Williams was found dead in the band's tour bus. Jason "Gong" Jones was eventually named as Drowning Pool's new vocalist. He made his debut on the band's second studio album, Desensitized, which was released in spring 2004. Former SOiL vocalist Ryan McCombs replaced Jones in 2005.
DISCOGRAPHY: Sinner (Wind-Up 2001)***, Desensitized (Wind-Up 2004)***, Full Circle (Eleven Seven 2007)***.

Encyclopedia of Popular Music
Copyright 2008 by Muze Inc.; all rights reserved.