Happy Birthday to our pop-punk legendary showman, Brendon Urie! Born on this day in 1987, Urie has been destined to be a superstar since he was just toddler. By age three, the Panic! at the Disco frontman began tapping into his preliminary musical abilities from the kitchen floor of his parents' Las Vegas home.
Fast forward to 2019 and Urie continues to conquer across continents with five albums and sold out world tours. But before he became the successful Brendon Urie of Panic! at the Disco, he was just a kid wanting to make music.
After moving from his hometown of St. George, Utah to Las Vegas, Nevada, Urie began making make-shift instruments from daily household items and appliances using pots, pans, cardboard, and yarn to make his own personalized rock-band configuration. Urie cites his early inspirations as Frank Sinatra, Queen, David Bowie, and even Angels & Airwaves/Blink-182 legend Tom DeLonge, leading him to fantasize about his future rockstar status as he practiced his smooth moves in his bedroom mirror.
“It was just: ‘Oh my god, I wanna be a rock god!’ That was the dream,” Urie happily revealed in a 2018 interview.
Just like any future rock god in the making, Urie paid his dues by working at a smoothie shop during his high school years in Las Vegas with former P!ATD member, Brent Wilson. In order to spice up his daily wages and tips, Urie used to sing pretty much anything off the top of his head, even some unique 80s anthems from the Scorpions and heavy metal band, W.A.S.P. Anything to get the best tips, right?
Hitting the Big Time
In 2005, Panic! at the Disco transformed from high school project to a full-fledge rock band with the release of their debut album, A Fever You Can't Sweat Out, featuring the hit single inseparable linked to the band "I Write Sins Not Tragedies." With over 780 performances of the track throughout Panic! at the Disco's career, it is dubbed the band's most played track to date!
Of course with great success comes a small price to pay. During the release of their 2011 Vices and Virtues release, Urie faced the departure of founding Panic! members lead guitarist Jon Walker and fellow guitarist Ryan Ross. Now as the principal songwriter of the band, Urie began to experiment more freely and transformed the lyrical interpretations of the band to more complex themes of manipulation and confusion.
However, critics heaped praise for the album for it's eclectic musical styles as it debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard 200. The album's lead single, "The Ballad of Mona Lisa," still remains a crucial part of the band's setlist even during their most recent Pray For The Wicked world tour.
After their 2013 release of dance party record Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die!, the future of the band seemed to look up as the album debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. It rightfully so deserved the prestigious slot with chart-topping singles "Miss Jackson," "This Is Gospel," and "Girls/Girls/Boys," which you can still hear live on tour!
2014 welcomed recognition for Urie's towering vocals as he won Best Vocalist at the Alternative Press Music Awards that year, even adding more success to Urie's name. Yet, history began to repeat itself as 2015 officially left the frontman as the only remaining original Panic! at the Disco member, which in time would only prove to bring Urie top-tier success.
Panic!'s fifth studio album, Death of a Bachelor, proved that Urie could successfully carry the band on his own. It was the first album with Urie as the original member, but it allowed him to showcase his multi-instrumental and songwriting skills which he applied entirely himself to the project, with the input of other working songwriters of course.
The album proved to be a bonafide smash debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. This was Urie's first No. 1 album, even going certified platinum and earning the band's first Grammy nomination! Death of a Bachelor features tracks "Hallelujah," "Don't Threaten Me With a Good Time," and "Emperor's New Clothes," which was the band's closing track during their Pray For The Wicked tour.
Following his 2017 Broadway run as "Charlie Price" in the hit musical Kinky Boots, Urie & Co. released singles "Say Amen (Saturday Night)" and "(Fuck A) Silver Lining" that proceeded the band's sixth studio album, Pray For The Wicked. The album's influences stem from Urie's Broadway experience, especially heard on popular tracks "High Hopes," "Hey Look Ma, I Made It," and even piano-driven "Dying in LA."
Panic! embarked on their biggest Pray For The Wicked World tour that kicked off in July 2018. The tour featured both hits and b-sides from their latest release along with other highlights from the band's musical career.
Revisit Panic! at the Disco's last setlist from their Pray For The Wicked World Tour, which came to a close in Hamburg, Germany on April 4th:
