We already brought you part one of our list of 15 things you probably did not know about the Gorillaz, and now we’re back with part two! Check out eight more fascinating facts about the virtual band that brought us “Clint Eastwood” that you definitely (probably) did not know below. You might be surprised by what you find out!
Number Eight: There Are Two Actual Members, Seven Live Members, and Four Virtual Members. The actual members of the Gorillaz are Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett; the current live members are Mike Smith, Cass Browne, Jeff Wootton, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon, Jesse Hackett, and Gabriel Wallace; and the current virtual members are 2D, Murdoc, Russel, and Noodle.
Number Seven: They Are Closely Connected to Blur. You know that English rock band Blur? Well its lead singer is Damon Albarn – the same Damon Albarn who co-founded the Gorillaz!
Number Six: One of Its Members Is a Talented Comic Book Artist. Founding member Jamie Hewlett was a comic book illustrator before founding the Gorillaz. One of Hewlett’s most popular comics was Tank Girl, which was eventually made into a film.
Number Five: Damon Albarn Is the Only Permanent Member. It’s no secret that Albarn co-founded Gorillaz with Jamie Hewlett, but did you know Albarn is the only permanent member? Thanks to a fallout between Albarn and Hewlett, Hewlett took a hiatus from the group.
Number Four: The Fictional Characters Are Truly Fictional. While many artists and writers will base fictional characters on real people, the virtual members of Gorillaz have their own personalities and are not based on any actual members’ personalities.
Number Three: They Are the World’s Most Successful Virtual Band. Although we’re not sure they have much competition. Gorillaz have been named the world’s most successful virtual band by the Guinness Book of World Records.
Number Two: They Only Have One Grammy. It’s true! Though they were nominated for nine Grammy awards between the years of 2001 and 2011, they only one won for “Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals (for “Feel Good Inc.”).
Number One: They Might Release New Material This Year. In 2014, Damon Albarn made a statement that implied that the Gorillaz might be releasing new music, and in fact, he said that there was a possibility the new music We hope you enjoyed our list of 15 things you didn’t know about the Gorillaz!