“My mother said I was singing before I could talk,” recalls dUg Pinnick. “I was humming melodies before I could speak words. And she said she always wondered what I was going to grow up to be, because I could draw pictures and stuff at a real early age. And, she thought, ‘Hmmm, what’s up with this kid?’” What was up, was a kid who would eventually blossom into the self-proclaimed “bigger-than-life” bassist and lead vocalist for King’s X. The Houston-born power-trio burst onto the scene in the late ’80s with musical masterstrokes Out of the Silent Planet [1988, Megaforce] and Gretchen Goes to Nebraska [1989, Megaforce], both championed by their peers as the future of rock music. Though those early records didn’t pave the way for the kind of commercial success King’s X once seemed destined for, they did establish the band as influencers, via both songcraft and as individual performers. Pinnick, for example, emerged as a singular voice on bass guitar. Through meticulous, prog-inspired song craftsmanship featuring Beatles-esque vocal harmonies, and an attempt to sonically emulate his childhood hero, Yes bassist Chris Squire, Pinnick crafted one of the most distinguished and influential bass tones of a generation. Songs like “Faith Hope Love” [Faith Hope Love, 1990, Megaforce] and “Human Behavior” [Dogman, 1994, Atlantic] feature shimmering highs and subterranean lows, often wrung from a 12-string bass, an instrument that became synonymous with his name for a time. His King’s X bandmates, Ty Tabor (guitar/vocals) and Jerry Gaskill (drums/vocals), have devout followings of their own. Pinnick grew up in Joliet, Illinois, and got his first taste of touring when he joined the Sperlows, a nationally touring vocal group. He went on to play bass with several Christian artists, including Petra, Phil Keaggy, and Morgan Cryar, and in the process he bounced from Joliet to Springfield, Missouri, to Houston, Texas. With Keaggy, he met Jerry Gaskill. Later, the nucleus of King’s X was forged, when they added Ty Tabor on guitar. In 1994, King’s X hit the pinnacle of their commercial success with Dogman, an album still considered among their best. They’ve released seven albums since then and continue to tour somewhat regularly, although Gaskill’s ongoing health issues have slowed them down over the past few years. Several years ago, Pinnick moved to Los Angeles and started working on a broader array of projects outside of King’s X, including Pinnick Gales Pridgen, Grinder Blues, a stint in the revamped MC5, and most notably, KXM, his ongoing collaboration with Dokken guitarist George Lynch and Korn drummer Ray Luzier. “I wanted to get away from Houston and get where there are musicians who want to get out and play — just have a good time and make music,” says Pinnick, about the L.A. move. “I’m a musician, so that’s what I love to do — jam with other people, and put projects out.” On KXM’s most recent