 gene ween (born march 17, 1970) was the stage name of aaron freeman, an american musician and a founding member of the experimental alternative rock group ween. he is also known mononymously as freeman. freeman, along with childhood friend dean ween (mickey melchiondo), started the group in the mid-1980s. freeman announced his departure from ween in 2012, shortly after releasing marvelous clouds, his first solo album. after leaving ween, he stopped using the name gene ween and performed under his birth name aaron freeman. he later announced that he would be performing under the name freeman. ==career==  freeman and melchiondo met in an eighth grade typing class in 1984, in new hope, bucks county, pennsylvania, where they both grew up. both of them talked about bands they liked and playing their own music. soon, they hung out and began jamming, recording most of what they put together. ween's music slowly progressed from a bedroom-style recording project, eventually signing to a major record label and transformed into a full live band. in may 2012, freeman suddenly announced his departure from ween, as an attempt to rehabilitate himself after years of drug and alcohol abuse, which peaked during ween's 2011 tour. even before his departure from ween, freeman had maintained a solo career. he has performed solo concerts with artists such as jon anderson of yes. around 2008, freeman launched the gene ween band, 
1970_births Jewish_American_musicians Living_people Musicians_from_Philadelphia,_Pennsylvania People_from_Bucks_County,_Pennsylvania People_from_Lambertville,_New_Jersey People_from_Woodstock,_New_York Ween_members