Matt Sorum given name Matthew William
Biography
1960–1989: Early career
Sorum was born Matthew William Sorum on November 19, 1960, in an unincorporated area of Orange County, California that later became the city of Mission Viejo. He started to play drums after watching Ringo Starr with The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964. Later he was mainly influenced by Ian Paice, Keith Moon, Neil Peart, Ginger Baker, John Bonham, Roger Taylor, Buddy Rich and Bill Ward.
At Mission Viejo High School Sorum was part of the jazz band, marching band, and wind ensemble. According to Sorum, he and his high school band, Prophecy, would play at The Starwood on amateur nights.Sorum's work with Chateau produced a four-song set that was covered by local radio stations for a short time, but the music scene changed from grandiose rock to punk and alternative new wave music. Sorum left and went to Hollywood to play with a series of bands, including Population Five, with bassist Prescott Niles from The Knack, and Hawk, replacing Scott Travis, who went to play with Racer X and later Judas Priest. He then left on a tour around the country with a blues guitarist, playing nightclubs and bars.
In 1988, he was recruited to play on the debut album of Y Kant Tori Read, a band fronted by a then unknown Tori Amos. In the wake of that project, he joined The Cult as their live drummer for the 1989/1990 tour in support of Sonic Temple.
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