Serj Tankian

Artist Image: Serj Tankian
Attribution
Image Credit: Safi-iren (Own work), CC BY-SA 4.0

Biography

Serj Tankian (born August 21, 1967) is an Armenian-American singer-songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, poet, and political activist. He is best known as the lead vocalist, songwriter, keyboardist, and occasional live rhythm guitarist of the rock band System of a Down. During his musical career, Tankian has released five albums with System of a Down, one with Arto Tunçboyacıyan (Serart), as well as three solo albums Elect the Dead, Imperfect Harmonies, and Harakiri. A live orchestral version of Elect the Dead incorporating the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra named Elect the Dead Symphony was released. In 2002, Tankian and Rage Against the Machine/Audioslave guitarist Tom Morello co-founded a non-profit political activist organization, Axis of Justice. Tankian also founded the music label Serjical Strike Records. On August 12, 2011, Tankian was awarded the Armenian Prime Minister's Medal for his contributions to the recognition of the Armenian Genocide and the advancement of music.

Details

Item Name Item Details
Year Formed 1992
Number of Albums 53
Record Label
Website www.serjtankian.com
Wikipedia Serj Tankian on Wikipedia
Social Networks

Trivia

How old was Serj Tankian when he moved with his parents to Los Angeles, California?

five

...es and genres, including metal, rock and Armenian musical motifs. At age five , Serj Tankian moved with his parents to Los Angeles, California. After h...
What did Serj tankian study after high school?

marketing

... his parents to Los Angeles, California. After high school, he studied marketing . He took singing lessons for four years and also took guitar lessons ...
How many years of singing lessons did he take as a child?

four

...ia. After high school, he studied marketing. He took singing lessons for four years and also took guitar lessons as a young child. In 1993, he founded...
What was the name of tankian's band in 1993?

Soil

... also took guitar lessons as a young child. In 1993, he founded the band Soil (not to be confused with SOiL) with Daron Malakian, which later went on ...
What is Tankian's record label called?

Serjical Strike Records

...em of a Down, but also has his own record label which is called Serjical Strike Records , a subdivision of Columbia Records. He also performed guest vo...
What is Serjical Strike Records?

a subdivision of Columbia Records

... own record label which is called Serjical Strike Records, a subdivision of Columbia Records . He also performed guest vocals on songs such as Mushroom...
What did he start playing with when he was five years old?

musical instruments

... California. It was during this time that he started playing with musical instruments and began writing songs. You May Like Top Actresses Of The 1940s...
In what year did System of a Down form?

1994

... remaining members, including him formed the group, System of a Down, in 1994 . The band began playing at local party scenes and rock clubs, attracting...
What was the name of the self-titled album released in 1998?

System of a Down

...a large audience. In 1998, the band released the selftitled album, System of a Down , which was a great success. In 2001, the band released the album, ...
In 2001, the band released what album?

Toxicity

...Down, which was a great success. In 2001, the band released the album, Toxicity , which is regarded as one of the most successful System of a Down albu...
What album was released in 2005?

Mesmerize and Hypnotize

...productive one for the group as they released two albums titled Mesmerize and Hypnotize , the latter being more successful than the first. These were t...
How many albums were released in the year 2005 for System of A Down?

two

...5 proved to be an extremely productive one for the group as they released two albums titled Mesmerize and Hypnotize, the latter being more successful ...
How long was the band's hiatus?

fouryear

...led Mesmerize and Hypnotize, the latter being more successful than the first. These were the last of the albums released before their fouryear hiatus....
Where was Serj born?

Lebanon

...An Armenian immigrant born in Lebanon and rerooted in Los Angeles, Serj was introduced to the melding of cultures, ideas and ideals from a very young ...
What device did Serj use to sketch out three of the songs on the record?

Apple iPad

... to approach writing a little differently this time around I used the Apple iPad as a songwriting instrument to sketch out three of the songs on the r...
Serj says we must trick ourselves into writing different ways to get what?

unexpected results

...rj. We must trick ourselves into writing in different ways to get unexpected results . The album will also feature performances by Serjs touring band, ...
Who is comixing and coengineering the album with Serj?

Dan Monti

...album will also feature performances by Serjs touring band, The F.C.C. Dan Monti is also comixing and coengineering the album with Serj. The album is ...
Who mastered the album?

Vlado Meller

...xing and coengineering the album with Serj. The album is mastered by Vlado Meller (Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Kanye West) Serj himself uses eac...
What is the name of Serjs touring band?

The F.C.C

...sults. The album will also feature performances by Serjs touring band, The F.C.C . Dan Monti is also comixing and coengineering the album with Serj. Th...
What is the name of Serj's second book?

Glaring Through Oblivion

...cream Fuck! 2011 also saw Serj release his second poetry book, Glaring Through Oblivion . He toured with System of a Down across three continents, perf...
How many continents did Serj tour with System of a Down?

three

...y book, Glaring Through Oblivion. He toured with System of a Down across three continents, performed with the Opera Orchestra in Yerevan, Armenia, whe...
Where was the Opera Orchestra located?

Yerevan, Armenia

...own across three continents, performed with the Opera Orchestra in Yerevan, Armenia , where he also had political meetings with heads of state and host...
What year was Serj Tankian born?

1967

...on Jump to search Tankian in 2017 Background information Born August 21, 1967 (age 54) Beirut, Lebanon Origin Los Angeles, California, U.S. Member of ...
What is the name of the live orchestral version of Elect the Dead?

Elect the Dead Symphony

...nd System of a Down, which was formed in 1994. He also released Elect the Dead Symphony , a live orchestral version of Elect the Dead featuring the Auc...
Who conducted a study on tanks vocals?

VVN Music

...to his unusual delivery and his wide vocal range. A study conducted by VVN Music found that Tankian possesses a high and diverse vocal range of 4.2 oc...
What is Tankian's vocal range?

4.2 octaves

... Music found that Tankian possesses a high and diverse vocal range of 4.2 octaves . In 2002, he cofounded the nonprofit political activism organization...
In what year did he co-found Axis of Justice?

2002

...that Tankian possesses a high and diverse vocal range of 4.2 octaves. In 2002 , he cofounded the nonprofit political activism organization Axis of Just...
What cities does Tankan trace his ancestry to?

Dörtyol, Kayseri, Tokat, and Urfa

...ivist Tom Morello. He traces his ancestry to the cities of Dörtyol, Kayseri, Tokat, and Urfa , all of which are in modernday Turkey. At age seven, he m...
At what age did he move to the U.S. with his parents?

seven

..., Kayseri, Tokat, and Urfa, all of which are in modernday Turkey. At age seven , he moved to the U.S. with his parents, and the family settled in Los A...
What city did the family settle in?

Los Angeles

...ri, Tokat, and Urfa, all of which are in modernday Turkey. At age seven, he moved to the U.S. with his parents, and the family settled in Los Angeles ....
What is Serj's first fulllength book of poetry called?

Cool Gardens

...also a poet, with his first ever fulllength book of poetry entitled, Cool Gardens , released in 2002. Serj and Tom Morello (guitarist most closely asso...
Serj and Tom Morello are cofounders of what nonprofit organization?

Axis of Justice

...achine and Audioslave) are cofounders of the nonprofit organization Axis of Justice . The group works with grassroots political organizations to combin...
Axis of Justice works with what kind of organizations?

grassroots political

...the nonprofit organization Axis of Justice. The group works with grassroots political organizations to combine music with sentiments of antiwar belief...
What year did Serj and Arto Tunçboyac<unk>yan pursue an experimental System of a Down sideproject album?

2003

... of antiwar beliefs, antiracism, anticensorship, and anticorporatism. In 2003 , Serj and TurkishArmenian musician Arto Tunçboyacıyan pursued an experim...
Serart was released on what label?

Serjical Strike

...roject album, Serart, that was released on Serj's own record label, Serjical Strike . Serj Tankian Serj was born into the heat of the ceaseless Israeli...
What did the Palestine Liberation Organization fight Israel on?

Lebanese soil

...1967 as the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) fought Israel on Lebanese soil , using Palestinian refugees in Lebanon to fight who had previously ...
Who did the PLO use to fight Israel?

Palestinian refugees

...eration Organization (PLO) fought Israel on Lebanese soil, using Palestinian refugees in Lebanon to fight who had previously fled Israel during the Ar...
What year did the bloodshed intensify in Lebanon?

1975

...n to fight who had previously fled Israel during the ArabIsraeli War. By 1975 , the bloodshed intensified as the Lebanese Civil War broke out as a resu...
At what age were Serj and the Tankian family offered sanctuary in the US?

eight

...us tensions between Christians and Muslims within Lebanon. At the age of eight , shortly after the UN intervened in these increasingly abrasive times i...
In what year did Serj's grandparents flee the Armenian Genocide?

1915

... family (including Serj's grandparents who fled the Armenian Genocide of 1915 ) were offered sanctuary in the US. Knowing minimal English, they moved f...
Where did the tankians move to in 1975?

Hollywood

...ing minimal English, they moved from the virtual war zone of Beirut to Hollywood in 1975. In their new home, the Tankians enrolled Serj and his brothe...
What was the name of the K12 private school for Armenian Americans?

Rose & Alex Pilibos School

...home, the Tankians enrolled Serj and his brother Sevag at the Rose & Alex Pilibos School , a small, twostory, K12 private school that catered to Armeni...
Where is Little Armenia located?

East Hollywood

...ivate school that catered to ArmenianAmericans in Little Armenia in East Hollywood . This is an Armenian school, where we all know about Armenian histo...
What was the name of his first solo effort?

Elect the Dead

... SOAD went on indefinite hiatus. He released his first solo effort, Elect the Dead , in 2007, following with additional fulllengths, collaborations, an...
Where was Tankan born in 1967?

Beirut, Lebanon

...such as 1915 (2016) and Furious (2017). Born on August 21, 1967, in Beirut, Lebanon , Tankian immigrated with his family to Los Angeles in 1975. He stu...
What university did Tankan attend?

California State University

...th his family to Los Angeles in 1975. He studied marketing at California State University and started his own software company before beginning his mu...
In what year did Tankian start his music career?

1995

...ore beginning his music career with the formation of System of a Down in 1995 . Tankian utilized his success to influence the political world that he o...
When was Elect the Dead released?

2007

...indefinite hiatus. He released his first solo effort, Elect the Dead, in 2007 , following with additional fulllengths, collaborations, and soundtracks ...
What was his first solo appearance on the Hot 100 with?

Empty Walls

...0, the set also spawned his first solo appearance on the Hot 100 with Empty Walls . Three years later, Tankian teamed up with the Auckland Philharmonia...
When was the future musician born?

Beirut

... The future musician was born in August 1967 in the Lebanese capital of Beirut . Khatchadour is a musician and owns the record company Serjical Strike ...
Who owns the record company Serjical Strike Records?

Khatchadour

...e musician was born in August 1967 in the Lebanese capital of Beirut. Khatchadour is a musician and owns the record company Serjical Strike Records. W...
What school did Serj Tankian attend?

Rose and Alex Pilibos Armenian School

...ctory and pop music, Serj Tankian attended the bilingual Rose and Alex Pilibos Armenian School , where he studied the basics of marketing and was very ...
What instrument did Tankian learn to play?

guitar

...g and was very interested in music. Soon the young Tankian mastered the guitar playing and began to sing. The future vocalist listened to the music of...