Brian Welch | en

Note: The official name of Brian Welch's solo project is "Brian Head Welch".

Brian Welch (born June 19, 1970 in Torrance, California), better known by his nickname, "Head," was a member of the band KoЯn, who were an influential group in the rise of the nu metal movement. Welch played rhythm and lead guitar with the act as well as provided backup vocals.

Before the formation of KoЯn, Welch was friends with James "Munky" Shaffer. The two jammed together on guitar. When Shaffer's band, L.A.P.D. ("Love and Peace, Dude"), was looking for another guitarist, he joined and the two would become one of rock's most revered guitar-tandems. Eventually, the band found a singer in Jonathan Davis, and they released their album KoЯn in 1994 which would be the first of many successful albums, including Life Is Peachy, Follow the Leader, Issues, Untouchables, and Take a Look in the Mirror

Welch's main — if not exclusive — guitar was/is an Ibanez 7-string. Most were custom made guitars built and assembled at the Ibanez LA Custom Shop. During the later days in KoЯn, he made, along with James "Munky" Shaffer, a signature series Seven String Guitar called the K7, which was distributed by Ibanez Guitars. He, with Munky, mainly used Mesa Boogie amps (specifically, a Triple Rectifier or Road King). Favored effects included the Digitech "Whammy pedal" [then known as the Digitech XP-100 Whammy Wah pedal], the Dunlop UV-1 Uni-Vibe, Boss PH-2 Super Phaser, Boss CE-5 Chorus Ensemble, Rocktron Tremolo, and the Boss RV-3 delay.

In 1998, while the band was on the prestigious Ozzfest tour, Brian and his wife Rebekkah gave birth to their first daughter, Jennea Welch. The band left the tour so that Welch could be by his then-wife's side. He and his wife have since divorced and Brian now has custody of their daughter.

On how he got his four-letter moniker, Welch says, "I got a big head... go get me any hat, and it won't fit."

On February 22, 2005, KoЯn's management announced that Welch had parted ways with the band, citing that he had "...chosen the Lord Jesus Christ as his savior, and will be dedicating his musical pursuits to that end." On March 10, 2005, Welch was baptized in the Jordan River with a group of believers hailing from Bakersfield, California. Welch has also been tattooed with the words Matthew 11:28, a verse referring to the "rest" sinners receive on conversion.

Welch is now working on his solo album.

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