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Rob Scallon

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Rob Scallon
Scallon at VidCon in 2014
Scallon at VidCon in 2014
Background information
Birth nameRobert Andrew Scallon
Born (1990-08-26) August 26, 1990 (age 34)[1]
Champaign, Illinois, U.S.
OriginArlington Heights, Illinois, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Musician
  • video producer
  • internet personality
Instruments
  • Guitar
  • drums
  • bass
  • ukulele
  • banjo
  • vocals
Years active2007–present
LabelsDFTBA
Member of
Spouse
Tamara Chambers
​
(m. 2020)​
YouTube information
Channel
Genres
Subscribers2.55 million[2]
Total views562.8 million[2]
Associated acts
100,000 subscribers2014
1,000,000 subscribers2017
Last updated: October 18, 2024

Robert Andrew Scallon (born August 26, 1990)[3] is an American YouTuber, musician, and multi-instrumentalist based in Chicago, Illinois.[4] He is best known for several viral videos featuring his music, including heavy metal songs played with traditionally non-metal instruments.[5][6][7]

Early life

[edit]

Scallon was born on August 26, 1990, in Champaign, Illinois, and was raised in Arlington Heights, Illinois.[8] As a child, he and his friends would visit their local Guitar Center and play instruments, although would never buy any due to lack of money. He was gifted his first guitar, a nylon-string classical, from his friend's father. He used it to write his first solo songs, and it was featured in many of his early videos.[9]

As a teenager, Scallon played drums in a metal band called Gas Mask Catalogue.[9]

Career

[edit]
Scallon performing in 2016

Scallon began uploading to YouTube in February 2007,[4] and began to develop a following in 2008.[7] His popularity launched as he began to cover metal songs with folk and country instruments.[4] Most notable are his renditions of songs on banjo, including "Raining Blood" by Slayer,[10] "Master of Puppets" by Metallica,[11] and "Psychosocial" by Slipknot, the latter featuring a cameo appearance by Corey Taylor.[12] His videos have featured collaborations with Andrew Huang, Boyinaband, Davie504, Doug Walker, Jared Dines, Leo Moracchioli, Mary Spender, Sarah Longfield, Michael Angelo Batio, and Alex Rüdinger.

Scallon has released several solo albums. While most are self-released, his EP Anchor and LP The Scene is Dead are sold through DFTBA Records.[13] His releases have featured instrumentalists such as Jeff Loomis, Rabea Massaad, Ola Englund, and Pete Cottrell. He plays drums in the band Hank Green and the Perfect Strangers, and their debut album Incongruent peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Comedy Albums chart in 2014.[14]

Scallon is also part of two collaborative projects with Andrew Huang. The first is called First of October, a novelty band that records an album within one recording session every October 1.[15] The second is called Sonic Boom, a YouTube music show where the pair take on a variety of musical challenges, often utilizing unusual instruments, time limits for creating full songs, and other factors.[16]

Scallon released a signature series of guitars with Chapman Guitars in 2017.[17] Three more guitars were added to his line in 2020.[18] In 2022, Scallon ended his partnership with Chapman and launched a new line of guitars with Schecter.[19]

Scallon, in partnership with Sweetwater Sound, received a Guinness World Record for the largest guitar effect pedalboard in 2019. The rig included 319 individual pedals, 34 pedalboards, and over 500 feet (150 m) of cables.[20] On January 1, 2021, Scallon launched GuitarQuest, a paid online course to teach people how to play guitar.[21][22] Later that year, he released the song "MudHook" featuring Unearth drummer Nick Pierce.[23][24]

On June 10, 2023, Scallon announced on his YouTube channel that he has been working in partnership with Ritual Studios development studio to produce a pixel-art adventure video game called Fretless: The Wrath of Riffson. The main character, Rob, and game's universe are directly inspired by Scallon and his friends in the music industry. Gameplay will be focused on rhythm-based combat with RPG elements.[25][26]

On September 26, 2024, Scallon released Crowded Rooms, an album mixing heavy metal and Midwest emo.[27]

Personal life

[edit]

Scallon's younger brother, John, also played music as a teenager. He left his instruments behind for Rob when leaving for college.[9] Several instruments in Scallon's personal collection are custom made through collaborations with other content creators.[9][28]

Scallon began dating actress, comedian, and YouTuber Tamara Chambers in 2012.[29][30][31] They married in November 2020.[32][33][34] They have collaborated on various projects, such as a 2012 Good Mythical Morning episode introduction[35] and a 2014 cover of Pharrell's "Happy".[36]

In July 2024, Scallon uploaded a video confirming that he suffers from bipolar I disorder, having been diagnosed with it the previous year.[37]

Discography

[edit]
Studio albums
  • Summer (2008)
  • The Ride Home (2009)
  • The Winter's Months (2011)
  • Rob Scallon (2012)
  • Aldine (2014)
  • The Scene Is Dead (2017)
  • Crowded Rooms (2024)
Extended plays
  • A Purple Cello EP (2013)
  • Anchor (2014)
  • Metal Mad Libs 1-6 (with Eddie Guillen) (2016)
  • Sunday Uke Group (2018)
Singles
  • "Anchor" (2013)
  • "We Wish You A Backwards Christmas" (2013)
  • "Musical Mad Libs" (ft. Tamara Chambers) (2014)
  • "Musical Mad Libs 3 - #Swagyolo" (ft. Tamara Chambers) (2014)
  • "iPhone Beard Metal" (2014)
  • "A Collapse" (2014)
  • "Procrastination Bass'in" (2014)
  • "The Wheezy Song" (2014)
  • "A Westbound Train" (2014)
  • "Frantic Disembowelment (ukulele cover)" (2014)
  • "Raining Blood (banjo cover)" (2014)
  • "War Ensemble (ukulele cover)" (2014)
  • "Aerials (cello cover)" (2014)
  • "Chop Suey (cello cover)" (2014)
  • "Spill The Blood (cello cover)" (2014)
  • "Progressive Metal Town" (2014)
  • "Homehomehome" (2014)
  • "Metal in Inappropriate Places (ft. Fluff)" (2014)
  • "Angel of Death (Banjo cover)" (2014)
  • "A Half Hour of Acoustic Guitar" (2014)
  • "I Fucking Love Christmas (ft. Doug Walker)" (2014)
  • "Envy" (2014)
  • "Torque Soul" (2015)
  • "Royale" (2015)
  • "Half Hour of 12 String Guitar" (2015)
  • "Sunken Ships" (2016)
  • "Unconditional" (2016)
  • "A False Closeness" (2016)
  • "Master of Puppets" (Banjo cover ft. Leo Moracchioli) (2016)
  • "Harp Metal" (2016)
  • "Ragtime" (2016)
  • "Sitar Metal" (2017)
  • "Everything Song" (2017)
  • "Psychosocial" (Banjo cover ft. Leo Moracchioli) (2017)
  • "Rain (Live & Acoustic)" (2018)
  • "Balalaika Metal" (2018)
  • "The Heaviest Matter of the Universe" (Banjo cover ft. Leo Moracchioli) (2018)
  • "Djazz" (2018)
  • "I Should Spend More Time With You" (ft. Mary Spender) (2018)
  • "Amy's Song" (ft. Mary Spender) (2018)
  • "Theorbo Metal" (2019)
  • "Don't Go" (ft. Andrew Huang and Brandon Acker) (2019)
  • "Rich & Sad (Double-Sided Guitar)" (ft. Mary Spender) (2020)
  • "Anchor" (ft. Jessica Burdeaux) (2021)[38]
  • "MudHook" (ft. Nick Pierce) (2021)[39]
  • "Slappity Slappity Slap" (ft. Jessica Burdeaux) (2021)
  • "Mutter (Live)" (2021)
  • "Song for Some Friends" (2022)
  • "Unconditional" (ft. Jessica Burdeaux and Rasheed Thomas) (2022)
  • "Keys to the Lamborghini" (ft. Michael Angelo Batio) (2024)
  • "Psychosis" (ft. Alex Rüdinger) (2024)
  • "I Fucking Hate Traffic" (ft. Tamara Chambers, Alex Rüdinger, and Lwandile Prusent) (2024)
Collaborations
  • "Told Me" (2012) – Gunnarolla (feat. Rob Scallon)
  • "Guitar Warfare" (2014) - Todd Bryanton (feat. Rob Scallon)
  • "Six Inches" (2014) – Gunnarolla (feat. Ally Rhodes & Rob Scallon)
  • "Tines" (2017) – Andrew Huang & Rob Scallon
  • "Advice" (2018) – Cal Chuchesta (feat. Rob Scallon)
  • Nostalgia Critic's The Wall (2019) – Doug Walker
with Gas Mask Catalogue
  • Blind. Deaf. Mute. (2009)[40]
  • Promise Land (2010)[41]
with Hank Green and the Perfect Strangers
  • Incongruent (2014)
with First of October
  • Ten Hours (2018)
  • Gourmet Ravioli (2019)
  • Gotta Record Everything Good (2021)
  • CHAOS (2022)
  • Across The Road (2023)
  • Round 6 (2024)
with Sonic Boom
  • "Slide With You" (2023)
  • "Que Pasa" (2023)
  • "Protect Your Neck" (2023)
  • "we had to shed our skins when we saw the other sun" (2023)
  • "i'm here whenever you need me" (2023)
  • "Silence" (2023)
  • "If I Die Tonight" (2023)
  • "Pizza Blades" (2024)
  • "Gone" (2024)
  • "Dead To Me/Love Klutz" (2024)
  • "Reality" (2024)
  • "Cute Murderous Kittens" (2024)
  • "Clouds in the Ocean" (2024)
  • "Flippin' Out!" (2024)

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "30 🙂". facebook.com.
  2. ^ a b "About Rob Scallon". YouTube.
  3. ^ Scallon, Rob (August 27, 2013). "8 STRING RAP and it may or may not be my birthday! (vloggin' 8/26/13)". YouTube. Archived from the original on April 9, 2022. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  4. ^ a b c Galil, Leor (March 29, 2017). "Chicago's most popular young metal guitarist plays on YouTube, not onstage". Chicago Reader. Archived from the original on April 4, 2020. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  5. ^ Cornell, Jeff (August 27, 2018). "Watch Rob Scallon and Sarah Longfield Cover Slayer on Ukuleles". Loudwire. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  6. ^ Shackleford, Tom (May 26, 2019). "Metallica's "For Whom The Bell Tolls" Performed On Actual Bells". Live For Live Music. Archived from the original on June 2, 2019. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  7. ^ a b Leight, Elias (October 3, 2014). "Rob Scallon Covers Slayer's 'Angel of Death,' Explains Making Money Off YouTube: Exclusive Premiere". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 13, 2021. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  8. ^ Scallon, Rob (April 19, 2019). "Seeing my signature guitar in my hometown Guitar Center". YouTube. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  9. ^ a b c d Scallon, Rob (May 2, 2020). "My Instrument Collection". YouTube. Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  10. ^ Hartmann, Graham (May 27, 2014). "Banjo Player Crushes Slayer's 'Raining Blood'". Loudwire. Archived from the original on April 19, 2021. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  11. ^ Pasbani, Robert (May 2, 2016). "The METALLICA "Master of Puppets" Banjo Cover You've Been Waiting For". Metal Injection. Archived from the original on April 19, 2021. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  12. ^ Hill, John (August 28, 2017). "Rob Scallon Drops Banjo Cover of Slipknot's 'Psychosocial' With Corey Taylor Cameo". Loudwire. Archived from the original on April 19, 2021. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  13. ^ "Rob Scallon". DFTBA. Archived from the original on June 20, 2020. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  14. ^ "Hank Green And The Perfect Strangers". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 27, 2018. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  15. ^ Stolzer-Gary, Isaac (October 16, 2018). "Here's What An Album Written And Recorded In 10 Hours Sounds Like". GearGods. Archived from the original on October 24, 2020. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  16. ^ The most expensive sound on earth (Sonic Boom). Retrieved May 9, 2024 – via www.youtube.com.
  17. ^ "Chapman Artist Rob Scallon". Chapman Guitars. Archived from the original on January 21, 2017. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  18. ^ Breathnach, Cillian (January 20, 2020). "NAMM 2020 video: Rob Chapman runs us through what's new for Chapman in 2020". Guitar.com. Archived from the original on September 29, 2020. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  19. ^ Roche, Sam (May 24, 2022). "Rob Scallon launches new signature line with Schecter, marking end of partnership with Chapman Guitars". Guitar World. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
  20. ^ Astley-Brown, Michael (August 30, 2019). "Rob Scallon and Sweetwater just broke the world record for the largest guitar effect pedalboard". Guitar World. Archived from the original on December 17, 2019. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  21. ^ Owen, Matt (March 29, 2021). "Rob Scallon launches mission-based learning platform, GuitarQuest". Guitar World. Archived from the original on April 19, 2021. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  22. ^ Benitez-Eves, Tina (March 23, 2021). "Rob Scallon Teams Up with Guitareo, Offering Personalized Guitar Course". American Songwriter. Archived from the original on April 19, 2021. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  23. ^ Neilstein, Vince (March 23, 2021). "Rob Scallon Unveils New Song and Video, "MudHook"". MetalSucks. Archived from the original on April 19, 2021. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  24. ^ Kennelty, Greg (March 22, 2021). "Rob Scallon Drops New Eight-String Song "MudHook"". Metal Injection. Archived from the original on April 19, 2021. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  25. ^ We're releasing a game! (really... this is real), June 10, 2023, retrieved June 10, 2023
  26. ^ "Fretless - The Wrath of Riffson on Steam". store.steampowered.com. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  27. ^ Making an Album in 4 Years. Retrieved September 26, 2024 – via www.youtube.com.
  28. ^ Bienstock, Richard (March 3, 2020). "The guitar world is freaking out over B-Benders again – and it's all Rob Scallon's fault". Guitar World. Archived from the original on January 24, 2021. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  29. ^ "Yesterday was Tamara and my two year anniversary. So we went to Headquarters Beercade and vlogged about it". facebook.com.
  30. ^ "Chicago's most popular young metal guitarist plays on YouTube, not onstage". chicagoreader.com. March 29, 2017.
  31. ^ "Currently on a small road trip with the girlfriend, any song recommendations for us to YouTube?". facebook.com.
  32. ^ Scallon, Rob (November 7, 2020). "Married!". Facebook. Archived from the original on April 9, 2022. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  33. ^ "Married!". twitter.com.
  34. ^ "Marriage". facebook.com.
  35. ^ "Mr T and the Awesomeness of VHS". YouTube. Good Mythical Morning. April 2, 2012. Archived from the original on November 28, 2020. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  36. ^ Reed, Ryan (April 21, 2014). "Pharrell's 'Happy' Becomes 'Vine Symphony'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on November 28, 2020. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  37. ^ Rob Scallon (July 6, 2024). I have Bipolar 1 disorder (mania, psychosis and my mental health struggles of 2023). Retrieved July 8, 2024 – via YouTube.
  38. ^ "Anchor (feat. Jessica Burdeaux) - Single". music.apple.com.
  39. ^ "MudHook (feat. Nick Pierce) - Single". music.apple.com.
  40. ^ "Blind. Deaf. Mute". music.apple.com.
  41. ^ "Promise Land - Single". music.apple.com.
[edit]
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