Skillet (band)

Skillet is a Christian rock band that got its start in Memphis, Tennessee, back in 1996. These days, the lineup features married couple John Cooper (on lead vocals and bass) and Korey Cooper (handling rhythm guitar, keyboards, and backing vocals), alongside drummer and vocalist Jen Ledger and lead guitarist Seth Morrison. Over the years, they’ve put out twelve studio albums. Two of them—*Collide* and *Comatose*—scored Grammy nominations. The RIAA has certified *Comatose* as Platinum and *Awake* as Double Platinum, while *Rise* and *Unleashed* are both Gold. On the singles front, “Monster” is 6× Platinum, “Hero” is 3× Platinum, and both “Awake and Alive” and “Feel Invincible” are 2× Platinum. Three more tracks—“Whispers in the Dark,” “Comatose,” and “The Resistance”—are Platinum, and five others—“Rebirthing,” “Not Gonna Die,” “The Last Night,” “Legendary,” and “Stars”—are Gold. The band went through a lot of early lineup changes, leaving founder John Cooper as the sole original member. They’re known for hitting the road constantly, which earned them a spot in the top five of Songkick.com’s Hardest Working Bands of 2010 list. Skillet came together in 1996 with just two guys: John Cooper, who used to sing for the Tennessee progressive rock band Seraph, and Ken Steorts, a former guitarist for Urgent Cry. The two groups had met while touring together, but both soon disbanded. Their pastor at Covenant Community Church in Memphis encouraged them to start a side project as a worship band. They called it “Skillet” as a joke—the pastor thought the mix of styles was like tossing different ingredients into a big skillet to see what came out. Trey McClurkin joined as a temporary drummer. Just a month in, the band caught the attention of major Christian label ForeFront Records. They released a demo, *Right Upside Your Head*, in 1996, and their self-titled debut album came out on October 29 that same year. It was well received, and the trio kept writing and touring across the U.S. Their second album, *Hey You, I Love Your Soul*, came out in April 1998. It marked a shift away from the grunge sound of the first record toward a lighter industrial alternative rock style. Korey Cooper was brought in to play keyboards live so John could focus on performing. For the third album, *Invincible*, Steorts left to spend time with family and start Visible Music College, and Kevin Haaland stepped in on guitar. Korey joined the band permanently, and the music took on a more electronic feel. After *Invincible* dropped in early 2000, Trey McClurkin left, and Lori Peters took over on drums. The band released a worship album, *Ardent Worship*, later that year. Their next album, *Alien Youth*, came out on August 28, 2001—the first one John Cooper produced himself. Before that release, Haaland left, and Ben Kasica replaced him on guitar. In 2003, Skillet put out *Collide*, their fifth studio album, on Ardent Records. It included the singles “Savior” and “Collide.” The next year, Lava Records (an imprint of Atlantic) bought the rights and re-released it on May 25, 2004, with an extra track, “Open Wounds.” The album earned a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Gospel Album in 2005. Cooper cited P.O.D. as a big influence on the musical shift, saying everything he hears gets filtered through his own taste. *Comatose* came out on October 3, 2006, with singles like “Rebirthing,” “Whispers in the Dark,” “Comatose,” “The Older I Get,” “Those Nights,” “The Last Night,” and “Better Than Drugs.” It debuted at No. 55 on the Billboard 200 and No. 4 on the US Top Christian Albums chart. In January 2008, the band announced drummer Lori Peters was retiring after her last show on December 31, 2007. During the 2007 Christmas season, she trained her replacement, Jen Ledger. On October 21, 2008, *Comatose Comes Alive* was released—a CD/DVD set from a May 9, 2008, concert in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It aired on the Gospel Music Channel on December 5, 2008, and the CD included a B-side with “Live Free or Let Me Die” plus five acoustic tracks you could download by putting the disc in a computer. The RIAA certified *Comatose* Gold on November 3, 2009, and Platinum on May 20, 2016. Skillet’s seventh album, *Awake*, dropped on August 25, 2009, with twelve songs. It hit No. 2 on the Billboard 200, selling about 68,000 copies in its first week. The single “Monster” helped drive its success.