Exene Cervenka

From Vero - Wikipedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox musical artist

Exene Cervenka (born Christene Lee Cervenka; February 1, 1956) is an American singer, artist, and poet. She is best known for her work as a singer in the California punk rock band X.<ref name=AllMusic-bio>Template:Cite web</ref>

Music career

File:Exene Cervenka 2010.jpg
Cervenka at SXSW 2010

The 21-year-old Cervenka met 23-year-old musician John Doe at a poetry workshop at the Beyond Baroque Foundation in Venice, Los Angeles.<ref name=VVoice-Interview-2008 /> Cervenka started working there.<ref name=Exene-BlogTalk-2013>Template:Cite web</ref>

Billy Zoom (guitar) and John Doe (bass and vocals) founded X in 1977,<ref name="rockerzine.com">Template:Cite web</ref> with D.J. Bonebrake coming aboard as drummer. Doe asked Cervenka to join soon after as a co-lead vocalist, and the duo were also the band's primary songwriters. They released their debut album, Los Angeles, in 1980 and, over the next six years, five more albums.

She learned to play guitar from Dave Alvin of the Blasters.<ref name=SunBreak-2010>Template:Cite web</ref>

Collaborations

In 1982, Cervenka published Adulterers Anonymous, her first in a series of four books in collaboration with artist Lydia Lunch. She and Lunch also released a spoken word album, Rude Hieroglyphics, in 1996 and toured in support of the project.<ref name=NYT-2RockQueens-1982>Template:Cite news</ref>

From 1996 to 1999, John Roecker and Cervenka co-owned the Los Angeles store You've Got Bad Taste. The store specialized in kitsch and various "off-color" novelties.<ref name=NYT-YGGT-closed-1999>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=LAWkly-Roek-2006>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 1999, as Exene Červenková, she appeared in the cult video Decoupage 2000: Return of the Goddess, along with guests Karen Black and the band L7. She gave a reading of her poem "They Must Be Angels" and appeared in an interview skit with Decoupage 2000 hostess Summer Caprice.<ref name=decoupage2000 />

Art career

In 2005, Cervenka's journals and mixed media collages were exhibited in a one-person exhibition titled America the Beautiful at the Santa Monica Museum of Art. The exhibit was curated by Kristine McKenna and Michael Duncan. An expanded version of the exhibition traveled to DCKT Contemporary in New York in January 2006.

Personal life

Relationships

Cervenka was married to John Doe from 1980 to 1985. She met her second husband Viggo Mortensen in 1986 on the set of the comedy Salvation!, a parody of televangelism. Mortensen played her husband Jerome. They married on July 8, 1987. On January 28, 1988, Cervenka gave birth to a son, Henry Blake Mortensen. Mortensen and Cervenka lived in Idaho for three years.<ref name=VVoice-Interview-2008>Template:Cite news</ref> They separated in 1992, and were divorced in 1997.<ref name=NYT-Tmag-Viggo-2011>Template:Cite news</ref>

Cervenka married musician Jason Edge, who went on to play in her band Original Sinners.<ref name=Swindle-2008>Template:Cite web</ref> Edge and Cervenka are now divorced.<ref name=NashScene-SGone-2010>Template:Cite news</ref>

Residence

Arriving in 1969 from Illinois, Cervenka lived in St. Petersburg and other locations in Central Florida during her teenage years, experiencing the tail end of segregation. She worked a variety of odd jobs to support her family, most notably in the toy department of the locally infamous department store Webb's City.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Cervenka moved from Los Angeles to Jefferson City, Missouri,<ref name=VVoice-Interview-2008 /> for four years, and then returned to Southern California.<ref name=LATimes-KeepingUp-2009>Template:Cite news</ref> She now lives in Orange County.<ref name=OCReg-2011>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=Riverfront-2009>Template:Cite news</ref>

Health

On June 2, 2009, Cervenka disclosed that she had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.<ref name=Exene-BS-Statement2009>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=CLoaf-DespiteMS->Template:Cite web</ref> Well before this diagnosis, she and X had actively supported Sweet Relief, a charity that aids uninsured artists. Sweet Relief was begun by musician Victoria Williams when she herself was diagnosed with MS.<ref name=ExeneStatement-2009>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2011, Cervenka said she may have been misdiagnosed.<ref name=OCReg-2011 /><ref name=LAWkly-Returns-2006>Template:Cite news</ref> However, Cervenka had to cancel a Spring 2011 tour due to problems associated with her MS.<ref name=Bloodshot-Tour-2011>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2015, John Doe said that the MS diagnosis was incorrect, and that Cervenka had consulted with other doctors who were not able to diagnose her.<ref name=Diffuser-Doe-2015>Template:Cite news</ref>

Discography

X

Singles, soundtracks, compilations, etc.

Albums

The Knitters

Solo

Bands

Other

  • 1985: Wanda Coleman, Exene Cervenka: Twin Sisters LP (Freeway). Poetry performance recorded at McCabe's Guitar Shop, Santa Monica, CA on February 1, 1985.
  • 1995: Lydia Lunch & Exene Cervenka: Rude Hieroglyphics (Rykodisc). Recorded live at the Sapphire Supper Club, Orlando, FL on March 20, 1995.
  • 1999: Decoupage 2000: Return of the Goddess. Read poem "They Must Be Angels" and appeared in an interview skit.<ref name=decoupage2000>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • 2012: John Doe & Exene Cervenka: Singing and Playing (Moonlight Graham Records). Recorded at Way Station April 2–3, 2010.<ref name=KCET-ExeneRulesGraham-2012>Template:Cite web</ref>

Additional musical contributions

Video

Works or publications

Exhibitions

One-person exhibitions

Two-person exhibitions

Group exhibitions

Exhibition catalogs

See also

References

Template:Reflist

Template:Commons category

Template:X (U.S. band) Template:Authority control

Retrieved from "https://wiki.sarg.dev/index.php?title=Exene_Cervenka&oldid=319246"