Jon Spencer

• Name — Jon Spencer • Landscape — yes • Birth Name — Jonathan Spencer • Born — February 5, 1965 • Birthplace — Hanover, New Hampshire, United States • Genre — * Noise rock • punk blues • garage rock • blues rock • Occupation — Musician • Spouse — Cristina Martinez • Instrument — Vocals, guitar, theremin • Years Active — 1983–present • Associated Acts — The Blues Explosion, Boss Hog, Heavy Trash, Pussy Galore, The Honeymoon Killers

Jon Spencer was born on February 5, 1965 in Hanover, New Hampshire, to a university professor and a cardiology technician. He attended Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, where he was part of the noise rock band Shithaus, which included future Cop Shoot Cop vocalist Tod Ashley. The band was short lived and had a musical style reminiscent of the industrial music of Einstürzende Neubauten. He moved to Washington, D.C., and formed Pussy Galore, who quickly relocated to New York. Pussy Galore broke up in 1990. Spencer formed Boss Hog in 1989 as a side project, and the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion in 1991. Spencer collaborated with R. L. Burnside in the mid-1990s, recording the album A Ass Pocket of Whiskey (1996) with the Blues Explosion, an unusual crossover that critics noted for exposing Burnside to audiences beyond traditional blues circles. In February 2022, Spencer said on the Kreative Kontrol podcast that Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, on hiatus since 2016, was "no more," citing bandmate Judah Bauer’s health. He promoted new material with Jon Spencer & the Hitmakers. He joined up with bassist Kendall Wind and drummer Macky Spider Bowman of The Bobby Lees in 2023 and released Sick of Being Sick! in 2024.