Kate Schellenbach

Kate Schellenbach
Born (1966-01-05) January 5, 1966 (age 58)
New York City, U.S.
Genres
OccupationDrummer
Instruments
  • Drums
  • vocals
Years active1981–present
Member of
Formerly of

Katherine A. Schellenbach (born January 5, 1966) is an American musician and television producer. She is the drummer of Luscious Jackson and was a founding drummer of Beastie Boys.

Career

Born in New York City, she played with Beastie Boys from 1981 to 1984, when she was fired from the band because she did not fit into their new dynamic as they transitioned from punk music to hip-hop.[1] In their 2018 memoir, Ad-Rock expressed regret for firing Schellenbach, which he attributed to her not fitting with the "new tough-rapper-guy identity".[2] Schellenbach then drummed for Luscious Jackson, which the Beastie Boys signed to their newly-formed Grand Royal label. She remained with Luscious Jackson until the band broke up in early 2000, and played with them again when they re-formed in 2011.

Schellenbach was also the drummer for the punk band the Lunachicks, during early 1993 for a very short period of time, before Chip English was recruited.

She was later an Emmy Award-winning segment producer on The Ellen DeGeneres Show appearing on screen on a show first aired on December 4, 2007, playing the bongos with host Ellen DeGeneres. She has also worked as a producer on Lopez Tonight; Kathy; Love You, Mean It with Whitney Cummings; Chelsea Lately; Hello Ross; and The Late Late Show with James Corden.

Personal life

Schellenbach attended New York City's math and science high school, Stuyvesant High School.[3] She graduated with a BA in Studio Art from Hunter College.

She was romantically linked to the Breeders bassist Josephine Wiggs. During their relationship, they were featured in an article in The Advocate, a national LGBT magazine published in the United States.[4][5] They formed the short-lived band Ladies Who Lunch, and Schellenbach played drums on Luscious Jackson's side-project, Kostars, which Wiggs recorded and co-produced.[6]

References

  1. ^ Forget, Thomas (2006). The Beastie Boys. The Rosen Publishing Group. ISBN 9781404205192. Archived from the original on June 25, 2021. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  2. ^ Phull, Hardeep (2018-10-21). "The Beastie Boys have kept a giant penis in storage for 30 years". New York Post. Archived from the original on April 16, 2019. Retrieved 2019-06-11.
  3. ^ Smith, Alex (September 24, 2001). "Q&A With Mike D. of the Beastie Boys". Time. Archived from the original on November 8, 2001. Retrieved April 25, 2008.
  4. ^ Frutkin, Alan (November 9, 1994), "Luscious Lesbians", The Advocate, retrieved June 21, 2018
  5. ^ Gaar, Gillian G (2002), She's a Rebel: The History of Women in Rock & Roll, Seal Press, p. 395, ISBN 1-58005-078-6
  6. ^ Kostars Biographies
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