# Brad Brooks

Brad Brooks, (born March 3, 1961) is an American Singer-Songwriter from Oakland CA, best known as the last lead singer of the band MC5 with Wayne Kramer and co-writer of the final MC5 record Heavy Lifting on earMusic which was produced by Bob Ezrin. which features Tom Morello, Abe Laboriel Jr. Steve Salas, Vicki Randle, Winston Watson, Dennis Thompson,Don Was, Vernon Reid, Slash, William Duvall and Joe Berry with songwriting contributions by Tim McIlrath and Jill Sobule. Brooks is also known for singing on the Karaoke Revolution Party video game series and the Guitar Hero video game series.

## Early career

Brad Brooks grew up in Tucson AZ. In the mid to late 80's he played in several Tucson based bands. He first found success with the Funk Rock band Pollo Elastico who performed with bands such as Faith No More. After Pollo Elastico broke up Brooks moved to San Francisco where he would form and record with popular bands such as Reckonball and Dolorosa (which included members of 4 Non Blondes and My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult. Dolorosa also recorded a yet to be released album that was financed by Linda Perry.

## Solo career

In 2000 Brad Brooks recorded his first solo album Sanctified Into Astroglide. Brooks followed it up in 2007 with the power pop album Spill Collateral Love. In 2012 he released his third solo album Harmony Of Passing Light, this one leaning more in the Americana genre.
In 2015, while preparing to record his next album, Brad Brooks was diagnosed with throat cancer. In 2020 after surgery, radiation treatment and five years of recovery Brad Brooks finally was able to release "God Save The City" to critical acclaim.

## MC5

In 2019 Brad was asked by writer Tiffanie DeBartolo (who co-founded Bright Antenna Records) to perform at a tribute to Jeff Buckley at Sweetwater Saloon in Mill Valley. It was at the tribute that Brad was invited to sing with Wayne Kramer. Their conversation that night led to what would become a long distance friendship and “cancer brotherhood” and later on a songwriting partnership between Kramer and Brooks The results of this collaboration would supply the material for the final MC5 album Heavy Lifting.
In spring of 2022 this new version of the MC5 with Brad Brooks on lead vocals went on tour with the backing band of Wayne Kramer, Steve Salas, Vicki Randle and Winston Watson. The tour was titled We Are All MC5.
The album Heavy Lifting was produced by rock legend Bob Ezrin and engineered by Dave Way. Along with Kramer and Brooks the core group on the album were music legends Don Was. Vicki Randall, Winston Watson, Abe Laboriel Jr., and Steve Salas. "Heavy Lifting" also featured guest performances by Slash, Tom Morello, Vernon Reid, William DuVall, and Dennis Thompson. The album was released on October 18, 2024, sadly eight months after Wayne Kramer's death from pancreatic cancer. It was the first release by the MC5 since 1971.
On December 5, 2024, Brooks appeared on a tribute concert for Wayne Kramer at The Roxy in Los Angeles that also featured Tom Morello, Chuck D, RZA, Ben Harper and Steven Van Zandt.

## Video Games

Between 2003 and 2007 Brad Brooks contributed vocals to Karaoke Revolution 1, Karaoke Revolution 2, Karaoke Revolution 3, Karaoke Revolution Party, Karaoke Presents American Idol Encore 2, Guitar Hero 2 and Guitar Hero Rocks The 80’s. and Guitar Hero II game.