Shaun Morgan

Shaun Morgan
Morgan performing with Seether in 2012
Background information
Birth name	Shaun Morgan Welgemoed
Born	(1978-12-21) 21 December 1978
Origin	Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
Genres	Post-grunge alternative metal hard rock nu metal
Occupations	Musician singer songwriter producer
Instruments	Vocals guitar
Years active	1999–present
Member of	Seether
Formerly of	Saron Gas
Spouse	Jordan Kirby ​ (m. 2021)​

Shaun Morgan Welgemoed ([ˈveːl.χɐmut], born 21 December 1978) is a South African musician. He is the lead singer, songwriter, and rhythm guitarist for the rock band Seether.

Early life

Morgan spent most of his early life in South Africa. His parents divorced when he was still a child. Morgan is the youngest of three children; he had a brother, Eugene, who committed suicide in 2007, and a sister, Lucy. He was a student at Merchiston Preparatory School and Maritzburg College in Pietermaritzburg, where he played rugby in his first three years of high school. In his third year, he injured his back and was unable to play anymore, which then led to him picking up the guitar.

At the age of fourteen, he discovered the Seattle grunge movement after listening to Nirvana's Nevermind album, which inspired him to become a musician.

Career

Morgan performing with Seether in 2010

Prior to forming the band Saron Gas, Morgan was a member of a tribute band, covering songs by musicians such as Creed and Tom Petty. In May 1999, the band Saron Gas was created. They were originally a four-piece, but when the singer and guitarist did not turn up to the first practice, the band decided to stay as a three-piece, with Morgan on lead vocals and guitar. Saron Gas enjoyed moderate success before the bass player decided to quit in January 2000, causing Morgan to get in touch with the only other good bass player he knew, Dale Stewart. The band released an album later that year, entitled Fragile.

In January 2002, they relocated to the United States to sign with Wind-up Records. During this time, the band's original drummer returned home to South Africa, whilst the two remaining members were left to think of a new band name, at the request of Wind-up. Eventually they settled on Seether, after the Veruca Salt song of the same name. Around this time, Morgan decided to use his middle name as his last name professionally while performing for Seether because some Americans have a hard time pronouncing "Welgemoed". Seether went on to release their debut major-label album, Disclaimer, on 20 August 2002, which was remixed and rereleased as Disclaimer II with a few additional songs in 2004.

Since then, Seether has released six more studio albums: Karma and Effect (2005), Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces (2007), Holding Onto Strings Better Left to Fray (2011), Isolate and Medicate (2014), Poison the Parish (2017) and Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum (2020). In addition, they released the live CD/DVD One Cold Night in 2006.

In 2013, Morgan collaborated with Hall of Fame band Lynyrd Skynyrd and guitarist John 5 on "Sad Song", a track that appeared on the special edition of Lynyrd Skynyrd's album Last of a Dyin' Breed.

Bands that have influenced Morgan include Nirvana, Portishead, Silverchair, The Beatles, Metallica, Stone Temple Pilots, Nine Inch Nails, Mad Season, Rage Against the Machine, Black Sabbath, Korn, Soundgarden, Led Zeppelin, Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, and Deftones.

Equipment

Shaun Morgan was originally offered an endorsement and a signature model with PRS, but declined. He became endorsed by Schecter Guitars early in his career and stayed with them until 2019. He now plays an Ernie Ball Music Man StingRay RS guitar.

Personal life

From 2003 to 2005, Morgan dated Evanescence singer Amy Lee. Morgan checked into rehab in July 2006. Lee wrote the song "Call Me When You're Sober" about her relationship with him.

On 13 August 2007, Morgan's brother Eugene Welgemoed killed himself by jumping from an eighth-floor window of the Radisson Hotel in Rapid City, South Dakota, shortly after midnight. According to police, no foul play was suspected. A few weeks later, Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces was released. As the album was finished, there was no delay to its issue but the record was dedicated to Eugene and featured a memorial. Seether's song "Rise Above This" is a tribute to Eugene, written a few weeks before his death. Morgan has 1308 tattooed on his four right fingers, and 2007 on his four left fingers, marking the date his brother died.

In May 2021, Morgan married his longtime partner, Jordan Kirby, with whom he has a daughter.

Morgan is an atheist.

Discography

Saron Gas

• Fragile (2000)

Seether

Main article: Seether discography

Studio albums

• Disclaimer (2002)
• Disclaimer II (2004)
• Karma and Effect (2005)
• Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces (2007)
• Holding Onto Strings Better Left to Fray (2011)
• Isolate and Medicate (2014)
• Poison the Parish (2017)
• Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum (2020)
• The Surface Seems So Far (2024)

Live albums

• One Cold Night (2006)

Digital albums

• iTunes Originals – Seether (2008)
• Rhapsody Originals – Seether (2008)

Collaborations

• Art of Dying featuring Shaun Morgan – "Die Trying" (2008)
• HURT featuring Shaun Morgan – "World Ain't Right" on the album Goodbye to the Machine (2009)
• Acoustic cover of Alice in Chains' "Nutshell", with Brent Smith, lead singer of Shinedown. The song is featured on The 97X Green Room: Volume 2, which is a radio station based in Tampa, Florida.