Chuck Treece

Philadelphia based musician Chuck Treece's musical work includes playing drums with Bad Brains, bass with Billy Joel and Urge Overkill, guitar with The Roots, and as a singer for 25 years with the skate punk band McRad.

The name Chuck Treece often arrives with a prelude – legendary, prolific, influential – to name a few. Everyone deserves an esteemed title but what’s most important to Treece is having music as his main inspiration in life and becoming the person he set out to become. At first it was all about being a drummer at age 6. But between growing into adolescence, visits to his mom’s in West Philly and trips to the Cherry Hill Skate Park his vision turned to skate ramps and asphalt. When a 13-year-old Treece discovered the Sex Pistols, The Clash, and Minor Threat it became all about the music, and the skateboarding, and the skateboarding music. There was certainly a way to be a skater and a musician and, by 1982, Treece claimed the town of Philly to do just that. Thanks to Stacy Peralta (of Dogtown and Z Boys fame) he became sponsored, and within the year formed the punk rock band McRad with fellow skater Zeke Zagar. With McRad and Peralta came skate rock and skate videos such as Public Domain, Ban This, and Propaganda. In the years to follow Treece turned pro, allowing his two worlds to come together in the best way possible.

In 1990 Chuck Treece quit pro skating and began focus on a solo music project. The end result is his most memorable session to date – a full-length album entitled Dream’n (Caroline Records). Around this time Treece worked on remixes through Ruffhouse records for numerous artists including Sting, Amy Grant, and The Goats. 1993 was a year of door-opening opportunities including one of the greatest band and touring experiences ever. After auditioning (and being turned down) to be the new lead singer of Bad Brains in 1989, Treece returned only a few years later as their drummer on three consecutive tours. Life on the road continued as he joined Urge Overkill and toured back to back with Bad Brains. And the other door that opened? Treece started to make a name for himself as a session musician, making his mark, playing bass on the Billy Joel hit album "River of Dreams”. The session gigs continued and continued working with loads of talented artists like King Britt, Buck-O-Nine, Res and G. Love. His most recent session work includes collaborations with producer Scott Storch for Jadakis featuring Mariah Carey, Kevin Lyttle, and Ricky Martin. Plans are already in the works for future sessions with Busta Rhymes, Floetry, Vivian Green, Sean Paul, and Aretha Franklin. In addition, Treece has continued life on the road with the Mosquitos (opening for the Doobie Brothers, Sugar Ray, and the B 52s) and playing bass on tour (and drums on record) with G. Love & Special Sauce. In the interim Chuck Treece found time to work on a 4-track, bedroom project called Tent and plans to revive McRad by recording new material and re-releasing the old. Treece says, “music is my heart and my job and skating is the release when situations in music and life get too stressed.” Treece’s heart and his job come together as two more Philly collaborations are in full force: drumming in the punk outfit Stiffed (fronted by the dynamic Santi White) and producing the debut full-length of rock singer-songwriter sensation Leiana.