Andrew Wood

Who was Andrew Wood?

Andrew Patrick Wood was an American musician best known as the lead singer for alternative rock bands Malfunkshun and Mother Love Bone. Wood was also known for his androgynous aesthetical persona.

Wood formed Malfunkshun, in 1980, with his brother Kevin and Regan Hagar. The band used alter ego personas onstage, with Wood using the name Landrew the Love Child. Though the band only had two songs released, "With Yo' Heart" and "Stars-n-You", on the Deep Six compilation album, they are often cited as being among the "founding fathers" of the Seattle's grunge movement. It was during his time in Malfunkshun that Wood started relying heavily on drugs, entering rehab in 1985.

By 1988, Malfunkshun had disbanded and Wood began jamming with former Green River members Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament, performing briefly as the cover band Lords of the Wasteland. They soon began writing original material and formed Mother Love Bone the same year, adding guitarist Bruce Fairweather and former 10 Minute Warning and Skin Yard drummer Greg Gilmore to the lineup. The following year, the band signed a deal with PolyGram, issuing a six-song EP, Shine, before going on to tour, supporting The Dogs D'Amour.