Butch Vig

Who is Butch Vig?

Bryan David "Butch" Vig is an American musician and record producer, best known internationally as the drummer of the Madison, Wisconsin-based alternative rock band Garbage and the producer of diamond-selling album Nevermind by Nirvana.

A native of Wisconsin, Vig had been based in Madison for much of his career, from studying at the University of Wisconsin, to performing in local bands Spooner and Fire Town, and then to setting up his own recording studio, Smart Studios, in the town. After becoming well known as a producer, he returned to performing with Garbage, who sold 17 million records over a ten-year period. Vig returned to producing full-time once Garbage was put on hiatus.

Now a resident of the Silverlake district of Los Angeles, Vig is married to his second wife, Beth Halper, a former DreamWorks A & R executive; they have a daughter, Bo Violet.

In 2012 Butch Vig ranked number nine in NME's Top 50 Greatest Producers Ever.