Ad-Rock, King Ad-Rock, 41 Small Stars - these names speak volumes to almost all music lovers. Especially fans of the hip-hop group Beastie Boys. And belong to one person: Adam Keefe Horovets - rapper, musician, lyricist, vocalist, actor and producer.
Childhood Ad-Rock
In 1966, when all of America celebrates Halloween, Israel Horowitz's wife, Doris, gave birth to a son. The boy was named Adam. A Jewish dad and an Irish Catholic mom are common in America. In addition to the fact that the parents were of different faiths, they had nothing to do with music.
Dad is a well-known screenwriter, director, producer and actor in the USA, mom is an artist. The boy was drawn to music and already at a young age mastered the art of playing many musical instruments. He is fluent in the guitar, keyboards, sitar, phonograph and drums. He can be called a universal musician who, in difficult times, can replace any member of a musical group.
Start of Ad-Rock career
Adam's musical experience starts at a very young age. The Young and the Useless, a punk band formed in the early 80s, was Horowitz's debut act. In addition to Horowitz himself, the team included Adam Trese, Arthur Africano and David Silken. The leader was former Beastie Boys manager Nick Cooper.
The first album "Real Men Don't Floss" was released under the Ratcage Records label. There were rumors that they also recorded a second album, but no one ever heard it. The guys performed in famous New York clubs at the same venues and at the same time with such groups as Stimulants, Dead Kennedys, Ramones, PIL, Husker Du, Mafia, Necros, Adrenaline OD, Animal Boys.
By the end of 1984, the band disbanded as Adam Horowitz began to spend more time with the Beastie Boys. On October 28, 1984, they played their last show at the CBGB in New York City.
Road to fame and membership in the Beastie Boys
In 1982, guitarist John Berry ended his career with the Beastie Boys. His replacement was Adam Horwitz, a 16-year-old genius. For almost 2 years he combined the game in two teams, but in 1984 he nevertheless made a choice in favor of the more promising Beastie Boys.
Surprisingly, with the arrival of Adam on a permanent basis, the Beastie Boys gradually turned from a hard group into a group playing hip-hop. The transformation was so unexpected, but also proved to be quite successful. For almost 40 years of existence, 8 studio albums have been released, 3 most prestigious Grammys have been received and more than 40 million copies of albums have been sold worldwide.
It goes without saying that Horwitz's participation contributed greatly to this success. The apogee of the musical activity of the group was 2012. It was then that their name was included in the lists of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Ad-Rock's personal life
Despite his short height (only 169 cm) and not a standard, model appearance, Adam turned out to be that heartthrob. His love list includes relationships with actress Millie Ringwald (late 80s) and marriage to actress Ione Skye (92-95). And a 6-year romantic relationship with Kathleen Hanna eventually led to the wedding.
In 2013, Adam participated in the filming of a film dedicated to his wife and her struggle with Lyme disease. This film inspired those who despaired of defeating the disease and instilled confidence that it is possible to live a full life, the main thing is not to give up.
Adam Horowitz himself also has health problems. For almost 20 years he has not taken off his medical bracelet, which fixes his state of the body. In 2003, Adam suffered an epileptic seizure and has not parted with this medical equipment ever since.
A few years ago, the Horowitz-Hanna family moved to South Pasadena, California. The southern climate has a favorable effect on a married couple, maintaining their health in relative order.
Actor career
Horowitz's multifaceted talent is not limited to music alone. He also had a good acting career.
Since 1989, Adam has been acting in films. In his piggy bank there are 7 films in which he starred not as a musician playing himself, but as a full-fledged actor. And the very first film, "Lost Angels", was included in the program of the Cannes Film Festival. "While We're Young", a 2014 film, was screened at the Toronto International Film Festival.
In 2020, the film "Beastie Boys Story" saw the light of day, telling about the history of the famous group, where Horowitz acted as a screenwriter, director and producer. The film was met with a wave of positive not only from fans, but also from critics. We must pay tribute: in their entire creative life, the group has rarely been subjected to ostarkism. Surprisingly, the reaction of critics was almost always favorable. Well, there is nothing to say about the love of the fans.
Horowitz participates in TV shows, records joint projects, and continues to delight fans with his work. They do not forget about him, his life is overgrown with a bunch of details and, sometimes, ridiculous rumors.
One of the latest rumors about Adam is that he is addicted to vegetarian food. It has not been confirmed by anything, but Horowitz, following a long habit, has not yet refuted it. After all, the main thing is not at all what a person eats, but what he will leave as a memory of himself. Adam's creative piggy bank is full, but there is still room for new achievements.
