Dexter Holland

Bryan Keith "Dexter" Holland (born December 29, 1965)[1][2] is an American musician, best known as the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, primary songwriter and last remaining original member of the rock band the Offspring. He is also the co-founder and former owner of the record label Nitro Records, and creator of the hot sauce Gringo Bandito, launched in 2004. In 2017, Holland attained a PhD in molecular biology.

"Bryan Holland" redirects here. Not to be confused with Brian Holland.

Dexter Holland
Holland performing with The Offspring
Background information
Birth nameBryan Keith Holland
Born (1965-12-29) December 29, 1965
Garden Grove, California, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • musician
  • songwriter
  • virologist
  • businessman
Instrument(s)
  • Vocals
  • guitar
Years active1984–present
Labels
Member ofThe Offspring
Partner(s)
  • Kristina Luna
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1992; div. 2012)​
  • Amber Sasse
    ​
    (m. 2013)​
Websiteoffspring.com
Alma materUniversity of Southern California (BS, MS, PhD)
Scientific career
ThesisDiscovery of mature microRNA sequences within the protein-coding regions of global HIV-1 genomes: predictions of novel mechanisms for viral infection and pathogenicity (2017)
Doctoral advisorSuraiya Rasheed
Bob Baker

Early life and education

Holland attended Pacifica High School in Garden Grove, California, where he graduated as class valedictorian in 1984. During high school, Holland was the best student in mathematics in his year, and he found it "just as exciting as punk rock".[3]

He then attended the University of Southern California, where he earned a B.S. degree in biology, a M.S. degree in molecular biology, and eventually a Ph.D. in molecular biology in 2017.[4][5][6] After the success of the Offspring, he suspended his studies to focus on music,[3] but successfully resumed and defended his doctoral thesis in May 2017.[6][7]

Holland's early musical influences include Aerosmith, the Beatles, the Sex Pistols, the Ramones, KISS, Bob Marley, Queen, and the Rolling Stones.[8] In 1984, he started a punk band, Manic Subsidal, with his friend and cross-country teammate Greg Kriesel, Holland playing the drums. It formed after the duo failed to get into a Social Distortion concert. After Jim Benton was hired as their drummer, Holland switched to vocals and guitars. They never released any albums, but some demos have circulated online.

Music career
Main article: The Offspring
Holland performing in 2009

After some line-up changes, including the addition of Noodles on guitar, Manic Subsidal changed their name to the Offspring in 1985. After recording a demo in 1988,[9] the Offspring signed a deal with a small-time label, Nemesis Records, for whom they recorded their first full-length album, The Offspring, in March 1989.[9] This album would eventually be re-issued on November 21, 1995, by Holland's own record label, Nitro Records.

In 1991, the Offspring signed with Epitaph Records (home of Bad Religion, L7, NOFX, Pennywise and other similar bands). Their first release on the label was Ignition, which was released in 1992. Their last album for that label was 1994's Smash, which still holds the world record for most sales of an album on an independent label.[10] The band then signed with Columbia Records in 1996 (after Brett Gurewitz, owner of Epitaph and guitarist for Bad Religion, sold the contract to Columbia, Holland claims)[11] for whom they released their next six albums, Ixnay on the Hombre (1997), Americana (1998), Conspiracy of One (2000), Splinter (2003), Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace (2008) and Days Go By (2012). Their most recent album, Let The Bad Times Roll (2021), was the band's first release on Concord Records. Holland is one of the two members (along with Noodles) to appear on all of The Offspring's albums, and as of Greg K.'s split from the band in November 2018, he is the only remaining original member left.[12][13]

Holland sometimes plays the piano during live shows. Occasionally the band plays "Gone Away", with only Holland playing the song on piano. Holland sings in the tenor range.[14]

He is also along with former bandmate Greg K. one of the co founder of the record label Nitro Records which he operated from 1994 to 2013.[15]

Other ventures

Science

In an interview in 1995, Holland said when he turns 40, he would rather be a professor at a university than play music.[3]

Holland was a doctoral student at the Laboratory of Viral Oncology and Proteomics Research, Keck School of Medicine, where he was supervised by Professor Suraiya Rasheed.[16] In March 2013, Holland and co-authors published a paper in PLoS One regarding microRNA in HIV genomes,[17] titled "Identification of Human MicroRNA-Like Sequences Embedded within the Protein-Encoding Genes of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus".[18] The original academic paper describes the use of computational molecular biological (in silico) approaches to identify microRNA-like sequences in HIV. These sequences are suggested to have evolved to self-regulate survival of the virus in the host by evading its immune responses and thus influence the persistence, replication, and pathogenicity of HIV. Holland was awarded his Ph.D. in molecular biology during the USC Commencement on May 12, 2017.[19][20]

Gringo Bandito hot sauce

In 2004,[19] Holland launched his own brand of hot sauce, Gringo Bandito.[21] The label depicts Holland with bandoliers, revolvers, a sombrero and shades, a design that OC Weekly magazine described as parodying the logo for Tapatío hot sauce or Pancho Villa.[22] Holland, who grew up in Southern California where Mexican cuisine is considered a "part of the way of life", wondered "if [he] could do [a hot sauce] better".[23]

On the conception of the hot sauce, Holland states that in the early 2000s, while eating Mexican food, he began to read the label of a bottle of Tapatío; "It just clicked that I had to make one. People who like hot sauce are a certain type of people. They're passionate. They'll have a bottle with them wherever they go. I'm one of those people. And when I'm into something, I really get into it. It's like my music—I liked records, so I learned how to play a guitar. After that? A band."[22]

It has sold over a million bottles and is available in over 500 restaurants and 7,000 stores, including being a top-ranked hot sauce on Amazon.[19]

The headquarters for Gringo Bandito are located in a Huntington Beach industrial park, next to the Offspring's recording studio.[22]

Philanthropy

In 1997, Holland and former Dead Kennedys singer Jello Biafra teamed up to form the F.S.U. Foundation, which raised funds through charity concerts. The foundation organized benefit shows to raise money for various charities including AIDS Project Los Angeles, Poor People's United Fund, Trees Foundation, and Amnesty International.[24]

Holland participated in the 2006 and 2008 Los Angeles Marathon; his charity of choice was the Innocence Project, a non-profit legal clinic that handles legal cases where post-conviction DNA testing of evidence can yield conclusive proof of innocence.[25]

Personal life

Holland was married to hairstylist Kristine Luna. She co-wrote the song "Session" from the Ignition album and also appears in the Offspring music video "I Choose." Holland and Luna met in 1992, married in 1995,[26] and divorced in 2012.[27][28] He married Amber Sasse in 2013.[28]

Holland has a daughter, Alexa Holland, from a previous relationship. She goes by the stage name Lex Land and is a singer-songwriter.[29]

Holland is a licensed pilot.[19][30] In November 2004, he completed a 10-day solo flight around the world.[30]

Holland is also an avid collector of stamps from the Isle of Man.[31] Other hobbies include surfing, as seen in the "Da Hui" music video.

Musical equipment

All of Holland's Ibanez RG body guitars are made out of mahogany and fitted with DiMarzio Super Distortion bridge pickups.[32][33] During their latest recordings, Holland used a vintage Gibson SG Junior.[34] He plays through a Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier.

Discography

The Offspring

Holland appears on all ten of the Offspring's studio albums. For a comprehensive list, see The Offspring discography.

Guest appearances

Holland has also made cameo appearances in:

Publications
  • Holland, Bryan (2017). Discovery of mature microRNA sequences within the protein-coding regions of global HIV-1 genomes: predictions of novel mechanisms for viral infection and pathogenicity. Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation (Thesis). Los Angeles, CA: University of Southern California. ProQuest 2071314868.

See also

References
  1. "Dexter Holland Biography – Facts, Birthday, Life Story". biography.com. Archived from the original on November 29, 2014. Retrieved December 14, 2013.
  2. "Morning Minutes for Saturday, December 29". The Times (Little Falls). Archived from the original on December 15, 2013. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  3. "An Interview with Dexter Holland". Bravo. 1995. Archived from the original on December 15, 2013. Retrieved December 15, 2013.
  4. "Greg Graffin PhD and Smart Rock Stars by Jaan Uhelszki". themortonreport.com. May 19, 2011. Retrieved May 19, 2012.
  5. "The Offspring Lead Singer, Dexter Holland, to deliver Keck School of Medicine of USC commencement address to PhD, DNAP, MPH, and MS students by Mollie Barnes". keck.usc.edu. February 17, 2022. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  6. Bryan Holland. "Discovery of Mature MicroRNA Sequences within the Protein-Coding Regions of Global HIV-1 Genomes: Predictions of Novel Mechanisms for Viral Infection and Pathogenicity". ProQuest 2071314868. Retrieved May 25, 2022 – via ProQuest.
  7. "Offspring's Dexter Holland Finishes Ph.D, Thesis on HIV Research". rollingstone.com. May 11, 2017. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
  8. "Dexter Holland turns 47".
  9. The Offspring Archived July 19, 2011, at the Wayback Machine at NIPP, obtained November 10, 2007.
  10. "Greatest Hits Bio (2005)". Offspring.com. Archived from the original on March 11, 2007. Retrieved August 18, 2010.
  11. "Dexter Holland's letter to the Offspring mailing list". January 21, 2007. Archived from the original on January 21, 2007. Retrieved November 4, 2011.
  12. Krol, Charlotte (August 30, 2019). "The Offspring are being sued by their bassist". NME. Archived from the original on August 31, 2019. Retrieved August 31, 2019. He alleges that Holland and Noodles "devised a scheme, and entered into a conspiracy with each other" in October 2018 to "seize the business, business opportunities, and assets" of their 32-year-old partnership agreement "in disregard for and in derogation of the rights, privileges, and authority of Kriesel as an equal, general partner" [...] Krisel claims that Holland and Wasserman told him last November that he was "no longer entitled to participate in any activities of the band, including (but not limited to) studio recordings and concert tours."
  13. Childers, Chad (August 29, 2019). "The Offspring Members Sued by Bassist Greg Kriesel". Loudwire. Archived from the original on August 31, 2019. Retrieved August 31, 2019. The bassist states in the court documents that Holland and Wasserman sought to "seize the business, business opportunities, and assets" last October of the partnership amongst the group's founding members. Kriesel alleges that they've sought to divest him from their partnership interests and rights without fair compensation and denied his continued status as a general partner of the band.
  14. "Offspring's Dexter Holland Can't Afford All of His Airplanes". Diffuser.fm. May 26, 2014. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
  15. Aubin, Paul (June 25, 2012). "Dexter Holland (The Offspring) talks about Nitro Records". Punk News. Archived from the original on July 31, 2012. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
  16. Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: Suzy Tilley (March 22, 2013). "Dexter Holland Discusses His Recently Published Paper 3/22/2013" – via YouTube.
  17. "Dexter Holland from The Offspring Publishes Research Paper…What the Heck Is It About?". KROQ. March 21, 2013. Archived from the original on June 15, 2017. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
  18. Holland, Bryan; Wong, Jonathan; Li, Meng; Rasheed, Suraiya (2013). "Identification of Human MicroRNA-Like Sequences Embedded within the Protein-Encoding Genes of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus". PLOS ONE. 8 (3): 1–10. Bibcode:2013PLoSO...858586H. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0058586. PMC 3592801. PMID 23520522.
  19. Troitino, Christina (July 6, 2017). "The Offspring's Dexter Holland On His Hot Sauce, 924 Gilman And His Molecular Biology PhD". Forbes. Retrieved September 28, 2018.
  20. Holland, Bryan (April 20, 2017). Discovery of mature microRNA sequences within the protein-coding regions of global HIV-1 genomes: predictions of novel mechanisms for viral infection and pathogenicity (Ph.D. thesis). University of Southern California.
  21. "Why don't you get a job? by Geoff Boucher, LA Times, June 15, 2008". Los Angeles Times. June 15, 2008. Retrieved November 4, 2011.
  22. "How Far Can Dexter Holland's Gringo Bandito Go?". OC Weekly. March 4, 2010. Archived from the original on November 13, 2014.
  23. Boucher, Geoff (January 7, 2009). "Rocker Dexter Holland's spicy offspring: Gringo Bandito hot sauce". Los Angeles Times.
  24. "Jello Biafra And Dexter Holland Get Charitable". MTV.
  25. "Athlinks search – Bryan Holland". Athlinks.com. Retrieved November 4, 2011.
  26. "Dexter Holland". The Offspring.
  27. "The PV Q&A: The Offspring's Dexter Holland on Making Punk Music as the "Days Go By"". PureVolume. September 25, 2012. Archived from the original on January 4, 2015. Retrieved December 15, 2013.http://www.theoffspringsite.com/tos/en/index.php?page=band&sub=member&persID=lg_d3Xt3rP%7Ctitle=Dexter Holland|publisher=The Offsprin}
  28. Lanham, Tom (September 26, 2012). "Older, wiser, angrier Offspring". San Francisco Examiner. Archived from the original on December 30, 2014. Retrieved December 15, 2013.
  29. "Offspring Ninth Record Finished, Reality TV Run Over For Offspring's Offspring". March 26, 2012. Archived from the original on April 13, 2015. Retrieved August 9, 2012.
  30. MONTGOMERY, JAMES. "DEXTER HOLLAND COMPLETED 10-DAY JOURNEY ON NOVEMBER 25". No. December 8, 2004. MTV. Retrieved September 28, 2018.
  31. "First class exclusive". Isle of Man Newspapers. June 25, 2007. Retrieved April 14, 2013.
  32. "Blog". Bebo.com. Archived from the original on October 16, 2012. Retrieved November 4, 2011.
  33. Cyber Hunter & CrazyRol (December 29, 1966). "Dexter Holland" (in Russian). offspring.ru.ru. Archived from the original on November 6, 2011. Retrieved November 4, 2011.
  34. "Offspring's Noodles: 'I Don't Care To Argue How Punk I Am' | Interviews". Ultimate-guitar.com. September 13, 2008. Archived from the original on November 6, 2011. Retrieved November 4, 2011.
  35. "Vandals, The – Hitler Bad, Vandals Good". Discogs. Retrieved August 5, 2013.
  36. "AFI – Black Sails in the Sunset". Discogs. Retrieved August 5, 2013.
  37. "Aquabats!, The – Vs. The Floating Eye of Death! And Other Amazing Adventures – Vol. 1". Discogs. Retrieved August 5, 2013.
  38. "Vandals, The – Look What I Almost Stepped In..." Discogs. Retrieved August 5, 2013.
  39. "Dwarves – The Dwarves Must Die – Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved August 5, 2013.
  40. "Ron Emory: Reflecting His Walk". Distorted Magazine. May 1, 2010. Retrieved August 5, 2013.
  41. "The Short-But-Sweet Interview: The Dwarves' Blag Dahlia". UGO Networks. March 14, 2011. Archived from the original on April 2, 2011. Retrieved August 5, 2013.
  42. donkeytomp (April 20, 2010). "Dexter Holland (The Offspring) in "Pauly Shore is dead"". Archived from the original on December 11, 2021 – via YouTube.
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