Skillet: The Band, The Music, and The Reasons They Rock

What I love most about Skillet is their passion and the phenomenal energy with which that passion is expressed. Skillet's music is powerful. And it's real. Their music speaks to me in a way that few other bands can; their songs feel very personal. And, of course, their music rocks: it's loud, fierce, and intense.

The band has gone through some changes over the years and even experimented with different styles of music, but the bottom line is that they've always rocked. They rock hard (they'll "rock your face off" as John Cooper often says) and they're the most amazing band I've ever seen live.

My husband introduced me to Skillet when we were dating and I remember thinking that they had a very distinctive sound. To this day they still feel pretty unique to me. At the time they had four albums out and I loved all of them, so I was eager to see them in concert. Seeing them live and watching them tear up the stage with not only a wild energy but incredible music as well really sealed the deal for me, and they've since been one of my all-time favorites.

It was much the same way for my husband who first saw Skillet live at Atlantafest back in 1996 (the same year their first, self-titled album was released), and he was amazed by this unknown band that took the stage with a simple, "Hi, we're Skillet," and proceeded to blow out the park, completely stealing the show and giving what my husband says is still the best live performance of any band he's ever seen to this day.

I love Skillet because of the immense talent they have that really shines through in their high-quality sound. I love that even though they've experimented with different sounds over the years, that there's still this consistency of style, both through the distinctive lead vocals of John Cooper, which has always been a constant, and through the powerful music that has repeatedly pushed the edge but always resulted in a successful attempt to reach and entertain their audience.

I love that Skillet is a Christian band, and that even though they have a powerful message and an overwhelming passion for the Lord, their message never becomes intrusive. They have songs that I can really identify with in my own struggles. Skillet exposes a wide range of emotions for their fans, all the while reminding us that they love God and are here to serve Him. I know that I truly want to be a better Christian and a better person, but that can sometimes be a difficult ("I'm sometimes sinner sometimes saint"). I feel that Skillet understands this struggle and acknowledges it without condemning me and while still encouraging me to be more Christ-like everyday.

I love that Skillet not only has this passion that's so well reflected in their music, but they also have a genuine desire to share it with the world. I think it's wonderful that they're still so open to their fans and that they're easily approachable. They use their music to reach out to fans of all ages, bringing their message to everyone who loves rock, and although I wish there were more bands like that, I know no one will match their amazing combination of passion, talent, and unique style.

(Photos of John, above left, and Korey, above right, by Will Norris on Flickr.)

From left to right: Jen Ledger, John Cooper, Korey Cooper, and Ben Kasica.

JOHN L. COOPER: (lead vocals and bass guitar, 1996-present)

Born April 7, 1975 in Memphis, Tennessee, John Landrum Cooper is the founding member of Skillet. He has always done the lead vocals and written many of the songs, so he provides a consistent voice throughout the band's many albums. He was classically trained on the piano and originally played keyboard for the band as well as bass and lead vocals, vividly displaying his natural talent as a musician, though his wife Korey, with whom he has two children, took over the keyboard years ago. John has loved rock music since he was five years old, and he likes science fiction, Dr. Pepper and cheeseburgers.

KOREY COOPER: (vocals, guitar and keyboard, 1999-present)

Korey was born July 21, 1972 and is from Kenosha, Wisconsin. She was a member of the band Alkeme before joining Skillet. Korey is married to John and they have two children together: Alexandria and Xavier. She's also co-written many songs with John. Korey loves to read and likes the Food Network and peanut butter M&Ms.

BEN KASICA: (guitar, 2001-present)

Ben, who's full name is Benjamin Judah Kasica, was born on April 15, 1984 and is from St. Louis, Missouri. He's been the lead guitarist for Skillet since 2001 when he was only sixteen years old. A guitar prodigy, his talent is evident on the albums but especially comes alive during onstage solos. Ben likes coffee and Target and his favorite quote is by Theodore Roosevelt.

JEN LEDGER: (drums and vocal, 2008-present)

Skillet's newest member, Jen, or Jennifer Carole Ledger, was born on December 8, 1989 in Coventry, UK. She joined Skillet as the drummer when she was eighteen years old. In the past she also played bass for the band The Spark. Jen likes Starbucks and English chocolate and anything "girly," like getting her hair done.

Former Band Members:

Former band members include Ken Steorts, who played the guitar from 1996-1999, Trey McClurkin, who did drums and backing vocals from 1996-2000, Kevin Haaland, who was on guitar from 1999-2001, and Lori Peters, who was the drummer from 2000-2007.

Lori Peters, for myself and many other fans, was a very recognizable face in Skillet as she did four albums and many tours with them. When John announced to the world that Lori was moving on to start a new chapter in her life, he referred to her as the "coolest chick drummer ever," and even though her replacement is also an awesome drummer, I feel that Lori still deserves a special mention here.

Skillet has explored many styles since their first album release in 1996. They've spanned grunge rock, hard rock, techno, acoustic, symphonic rock and industrial rock. There's always been a consistent style and sound, even with these varied genres, mostly because John Cooper has a fabulous and recognizable voice throughout the albums and because the band is always filled with phenomenal talent: no matter the style, there is always a great quality to what they do.

Skillet started in 1996 when the two bands that John Cooper and Ken Steorts were in disbanded and they were encouraged to start a new band together, later joining up with Trey McClurkin. From the start, Skillet was recognized as something special and they began touring the country right away with their first, self-titled album released that year.

They released their next album, Hey You, I Love Your Soul two years later. It had a different style from their first album, and this continued experimentation can probably be attributed to John telling ChristianityToday.com in an interview that they often ask themselves, "What can we do next?"

Before the release of their next album Invincible in 2000, Ken Steorts left the band and Kevin Haaland and Korey Cooper joined Skillet. Soon afterwards, Lori Peters replaced Trey McClurkin as drummer. Ardent Worship was also released that year.

In 2001, Alien Youth was released and Ben Kasica replaced Kevin Haaland on guitar. Alien Youth's title song was a big hit on Christian radio and helped to draw even more fans to their next two albums, Collide , released in 2003, and Comatose, released in 2006. During the Comatose tour in 2007/08, Lori Peters left the band and Jen Ledger became the new drummer.

Skillet's newest album, Awake was released in August of 2009 with the singles "Hero" and "Monster" already released to radio. The album reached the #2 slot on Billboard's top 200.

Skillet has two Grammy Award nominations: Collide for "Best Rock Gospel Album" in 2005 and Comatose for "Best Rock or Rap Gospel Album" in 2007. They've also won a Dove Award for "Rock Recorded Song of the Year" with "Comatose" at the 39th Annual GMA Dove Awards in 2008.

(Photo of John and Lori, above left, and Ben, above right, by Matt Garber on Flickr.)

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