Alicia Warrington
Alicia Warrington | |
|---|---|
 Warrington performing with Kate Nash at Lollapalooza 2014 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Alicia Warrington |
| Born | August 30, 1980 Saginaw, Michigan, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1992–present |
Alicia Warrington (born August 30, 1980) is an American drummer and professional wrestling ring announcer.[1] She has played drums for Kate Nash, Kelly Osbourne,[2] Lillix,[3] Hannah Montana,[1] Uh Huh Her,[1] Gore Gore Girls, Dawn Robinson, The All-Girl Boys Choir, The Dollyrots, The Bruises, Tracy Chapman, Selena Gomez, Colton Dixon, Chris Rene and others.[4]
In December 2018, Warrington signed for professional wrestling company WWE and started working for their NXT brand (using the ring name Alicia Taylor) as the host of the post-show. Beginning with April 25, 2019, episode of the NXT show on WWE Network, she became the ring announcer, replacing Kayla Braxton, who moved up to an interviewer position on SmackDown. She continued to announce for NXT until the May 7, 2024 episode as three days later she took on the role as SmackDown ring announcer, switching roles with Mike Rome.
Early life
[edit]Growing up in the small town of Saginaw, Michigan, Alicia Warrington wanted to either be a musician or a professional wrestler. "My mom started taking me to wrestling matches when I was four years old," Alicia says. "Most kids wanted to go to the circus – I wanted to go to wrestling matches. I even had all the action figures."[5]
Alicia was raised in a single-parent home and grew up listening to music from all different genres. "I grew up with my grandparents playing Polka music in the house, my mom always had the R&B and classic rock (Anita Baker to The Beatles), my sister was getting Ozzy tapes banned from our house and my uncle was pushing Queensrÿche, Dokken and Quiet Riot at me. I love MUSIC. Period. If it's good, I'm going to listen to it, I'm going to play it and I'm going to be influenced by it—in one way or another. I grew up listening to absolutely everything and today, you will find [just that] in my collection. I like everything from En Vogue to Lamb of God."[6]
Around 11 years old, Alicia taught herself how to play drums on her uncle's drum set by watching and listening to other drummers. She learned songs by playing along to cassette tapes of her favorite bands. As a teen, Alicia performed in metal and punk bands in Michigan and began touring at the age of 15. After 2 years of college, Alicia packed up her car and moved by herself to Los Angeles.
Career
[edit]Alicia got her big break in 2002, when she replaced Kelly Osbourne's drummer on MTV hit reality show, "The Osbournes". Alicia performed on numerous award shows and television programs with Osbourne, as well as toured in over 11 countries, with bandmates Devin Bronson, Josh Paul and Mat Dauzat. She also appeared on Kelly's 2003 album Changes as well as a DVD, Kelly Osbourne: Live at the Electric Ballroom.
Alicia followed up that success drumming for Canadian pop artists Lillix, Disney's mega-hit series Hannah Montana, Selena Gomez, Dawn Robinson of 90's Funky Divas En Vogue, Uh Huh Her with Leisha Hailey, Gore Gore Girls, Colton Dixon from American Idol and as of March 2012, The X Factor's Chris Rene.
In 2015, she started her own band Dohrn.[7]
Endorsements / Setup
[edit]Alicia is endorsed by Ludwig Drums, Paiste Cymbals, Aquarian Drumheads, Vic Firth Sticks and daBeat.
Ludwig Maple
12" Rack Tom
18" Floor Tom
22" Kick Drum
6x14" Hammered Brass Snare
6x10" Epic Side Snare
Paiste Cymbals
14" Twenty Custom Collection Full Hats
18" Alpha Thin Swiss Crash
19" Signature Full Crash
20" 2002 Crash
22" Twenty Custom Collection Ride or 22" Signature Blue Bell Ride (Alternate)
Aquarian Drumheads[8]
Coated Hi-Velocity (main snare), Coated Studio-X (side snare), Coated Response 2 (toms), Impact 3 or Super Kick 2 (kick).
Vic Firth Sticks
Gavin Harrison Signature or American Classic Rock
Discography
[edit]Warrington has largely featured
DOHRN – Levels Of Hate (Single 2015)
DOHRN – Becoming The Disease (Single 2015)
Light FM – Voices in My Head (2013)
The Dollyrots – One Big Happy (2012)
The Dollyrots – Have A Crappy Summer (2012)
The All-Girl Boys Choir – electric. (2011)
The All-Girl Boys Choir – Walking Miracles (2009)
Uh Huh Her – I See Red (2007)
Kelly Osbourne: Live at the Electric Ballroom (2004) DVD
The Bruises – Ladies and Gentlemen...The Bruises! (2004)
Kelly Mantle – Starstruck Obsession (2004)
Kelly Osbourne – Changes (2003)
The Otterpops – Earth Science Club (2001)
Fudgegun – Behind Closed Doors (1998)
Fudgegun – If You Could See My Office (1997)
Dropping the Messiah – Knowledge For Its Own Sake (1995)
Purgatory – Ripping Your Mind Apart (1994)
References
[edit]- ^ a b c White, Sue (July 30, 2010). "Hometown rocker has rubbed elbows with the stars and returns home for Saginaw's Crispy Music Festival". Michigan Live. Archived from the original on October 11, 2012. Retrieved December 17, 2010.
- ^ Titus, Christina L. (April 10, 2004). "Kelly Osbourne Live in London". Billboard. p. 32. Archived from the original on May 14, 2022. Retrieved December 17, 2010.
- ^ Loftus, Johnny. "Biography: Lillix". Allmusic. Archived from the original on December 13, 2010. Retrieved December 17, 2010.
- ^ DeSantis, Carla. "Chris Rene". MeowOnline. MEOW. Archived from the original on August 21, 2012. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
- ^ DeSantis Black, Carla. "Pro-Files: Drummer Alicia Warrington". Meow Online. meowonline.org. Archived from the original on August 21, 2012. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
- ^ Mitchell, Sean (August 2, 2009). "Alicia Warrington Interview". The Black Page. Archived from the original on December 19, 2013. Retrieved May 26, 2012.
- ^ "The Story of Dohrn, or How Kate Nash Got into Death Metal | NOISEY". NOISEY. June 23, 2015. Archived from the original on November 22, 2015. Retrieved November 21, 2015.
- ^ Drumheads, Aquarian. "Alicia Warrington". Aquarian Artists. Aquarian Drumheads. Archived from the original on December 4, 2014. Retrieved November 21, 2015.
External links
[edit]
- Alicia Warrington on Twitter
- Alicia Taylor on WWE.com
- Alicia Warrington at IMDb
| Authority control databases: Artists |
|---|
- African-American drummers
- Living people
- American women drummers
- American rock drummers
- 1980 births
- 21st-century American women musicians
- 21st-century American drummers
- African-American women musicians
- 21st-century African-American women
- 21st-century African-American musicians
- 20th-century African-American musicians
- 20th-century African-American women
- Female professional wrestling announcers