Dan Auerbach

Auerbach was born in Ohio, and is the son of Mary Little (née Quine; b. about 1948), a teacher of French, and Charles Auerbach (b. about 1950), an antique dealer.[4] His father is of Polish Jewish descent[4] and his mother is of part Manx descent.[5][6] His maternal cousin, twice removed, was philosopher and logician Willard Van Orman Quine, and his second cousin once removed was the late guitarist Robert Quine. Auerbach grew up in a family with musical roots. Auerbach became infatuated with blues after listening to his father's old vinyl records during his childhood. His first concert was Whitney Houston with his mother at the Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. His second concert was a Grateful Dead show with his father at the Richfield Coliseum in Richfield, Ohio.[7][8][9] He was influenced early on by his mother's side of the family, notably his uncles who played bluegrass music.

Auerbach described himself as a normal teenager in high school who smoked marijuana and captained the soccer team at Firestone High School.[10] He attended University of Akron. During college Auerbach was heavily influenced by Junior Kimbrough, eventually resulting in his dropping out to pursue the guitar more seriously. "I've listened to him so much, it's just how I hear it... I studied him so much... Getting F's in college, when I should've been studying, I was listening to Junior Kimbrough's music instead".[11] Other major influences include: Robert Johnson, R.L. Burnside, Clarence White, Robert Nighthawk, T-Model Ford, Hound Dog Taylor, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Kokomo Arnold, Son House and RZA of the Wu-Tang Clan.

Auerbach is best known for his work with The Black Keys. Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney first met when they were eight or nine years old while living in the same neighborhood of Akron, Ohio.[12] Carney is the nephew of saxophonist Ralph Carney, who performed on several Tom Waits albums.[13] While attending Firestone High School, Carney and Auerbach became friends,[12] though they were part of different crowds.[14] Auerbach was captain of the high school soccer team, while Carney was a social outcast.[15] Encouraged by their brothers, the duo began jamming together in 1996, as Auerbach was learning guitar at the time and Carney owned a four-track recorder and a drum set.[16][17]

In an interview with Rolling Stone, the duo revealed that their big start came from a demo-recording session in Carney's basement. Auerbach initially went to record a demo with his band at the time but no one showed up. He and Carney then decided that they would just play instead. What came out of that session was ultimately sent out to several labels to try to secure a record deal.[18]

While attending university, Auerbach met and began regularly playing guitar with fellow Ohio blues musician Patrick Sweany while continuing to work on material for The Black Keys with Carney. Sweany was a friend of Auerbach's father, but the younger Auerbach was recommended by a mutual friend, who was impressed by Dan's authenticity when playing the likes of RL Burnside and Junior Kimbrough. Auerbach spent 18 months playing in Sweany's band, mainly playing baritone guitar. Sweany told Guitar.com that one night after a gig, Auerbach played Sweany the mixes for the Black Keys debut album, and he knew that his time in the band was over, stating, "Man, this is really interesting... so um, can you help me train your replacement!?"[19]

After signing with indie label Alive, they released their debut album, The Big Come Up, in 2002, which earned them a new deal with jazz/rock label Fat Possum Records. Their third album, Rubber Factory, was released in 2004 and received critical acclaim; it boosted the band's profile, eventually leading to a record deal with major label Nonesuch Records in 2006. After self-producing and recording their first four records in makeshift studios, in 2008 the duo completed Attack & Release in a professional studio and hired producer Danger Mouse, a frequent collaborator with the band.

The group's commercial breakthrough came in 2010 with Brothers, which along with its popular single "Tighten Up", won three Grammy Awards including Best Alternative Album of the Year. Their 2011 follow-up, El Camino, received strong reviews and reached number two on the Billboard 200 chart, leading to the first arena concert tour of the band's career, the El Camino Tour. The album and its hit single "Lonely Boy" won three Grammy Awards. In 2014, they released their eighth album, Turn Blue, their first number-one record in the US, Canada, and Australia.

In 2011, the Black Keys became one of only a couple of bands in Saturday Night Live's history to appear as the musical guest twice in one year. They played the January 8 episode as well as the December 3 episode.

After the touring for Turn Blue concluded, Auerbach and Carney took a break from The Black Keys. Both Auerbach and Carney have been on record talking about needing a break from the constant working process. Carney said, "I love making music with Dan and I'm excited for when we do that next, and we will do it. But both of us have PTSD from being on the road constantly".[20] Auerbach added, "You can't just keep doing it, because it'll suck your brain dry".[21]

After their hiatus, The Black Keys returned in 2019 with the album Let's Rock produced by Danger Mouse with the chart-topping single "Lo/Hi".[22] This was followed by 2021's Delta Kream, which consisted of blues covers performed with guitarist Kenny Brown and bassist Eric Deaton.

In 2022, The Black Keys announced Dropout Boogie.

The Black Keys' 2010 album, Brothers, won three Grammy awards. At the 2013 Grammy Awards, Auerbach won the award for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical.[39]

Also at the 2013 Grammy Awards, Auerbach won the award for Best Rock Song for his song "Lonely Boy", Best Rock Performance for "Lonely Boy", and Best Rock Album for El Camino.[40]

In 2010, he joined the 9th annual Independent Music Awards judging panel to assist independent musicians' careers.

Auerbach first married Stephanie Gonis, with whom he has a daughter, Sadie Little Auerbach, born in 2008.[41] In 2013, they were divorced.

Auerbach, Patrick Carney, and Jack White have been involved in several public feuds. The roots of the conflict date back to 2012, when White banned Auerbach from his Nashville studio. They have since made amends and are now on good terms.[42][43][44]

In 2010, Auerbach moved from Akron, Ohio to Nashville, Tennessee. He moved his record label Easy Eye Sound and bought a studio as soon as he moved into town. Auerbach has described Nashville as not just being "a little tourist music spot" but much more. As Auerbach grew older he realized Nashville was "the spot I wanted to go to. There's the most music that I felt a connection to".[45]

Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys playing at Music Midtown in 2011

Solo albums

• Keep It Hid (2009)
• Waiting on a Song (2017)

Solo singles

• "I Want Some More" (2009)
• "Heartbroken, In Disrepair" (2009)
• "Shine on Me" (2017)
• "Waiting on a Song" (12", Ltd, Bar / 2017)
• "Stand by My Girl" (2017)
• "King of a One Horse Town" (Digital / 2017)

with The Black Keys

• The Big Come Up (2002)
• Thickfreakness (2003)
• Rubber Factory (2004)
• Chulahoma (2006)
• Magic Potion (2006)
• Attack & Release (2008)
• Brothers (2010)
• El Camino (2011)
• Turn Blue (2014)
• Let's Rock (2019)
• Delta Kream (2021)
• Dropout Boogie (2022)

with Blakroc

• Blakroc (2009)

with The Arcs

• Yours, Dreamily, (2015)
• The Arcs vs. The Inventors Vol. I (2015)
• Electrophonic Chronic (2023)

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dan Auerbach.

• Dan Auerbach discography at Discogs
• Cold Steel in the Midnight Hour: An Interview with Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys
• The Black Keys – Interview
• Pentatonic for the soul: Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys
• Keep It Hid Review
• Dan Auerbach live review on Citizen Dick
• Dan Auerbach on Obscure Sound
• Real Detroit Weekly – Dan Auerbach