Introduction
Pete Finestone (born June 11, 1964) was the second drummer of the punk rock band Bad Religion. He played in the band in 1981-1982 and again from 1984 to 1991.
Early life and musical career
Finestone was born on June 11, 1964, in Los Angeles, California, where he attended Chaminade College Preparatory Middle School but was expelled in the middle of his 8th-grade year. He then attended Taft High School, where he met the rest of Bad Religion—Greg Graffin, Jay Bentley, Jay Ziskrout, and Brett Gurewitz.
Finestone recorded a few tracks on Bad Religion's 1982 debut How Could Hell Be Any Worse?. After the release of that album, he departed, then returned two years later to record the EP Back to the Known (1985). When the band brought the How Could Hell Be Any Worse? line-up back together in 1986, Finestone recorded the band's first three reunion albums, Suffer (1988), No Control (1989), and Against the Grain (1990), which are widely considered to be among Bad Religion's most important works.
Finestone left Bad Religion again in the spring of 1991 due to his role in drumming for The Fishermen and also to raise his family. It seems to have been an amicable departure, as he was thanked in the booklet of the Generator album, which would be Bad Religion's first release with Finestone's replacement Bobby Schayer. In a 2003 show in Las Vegas, Nevada, Finestone reunited with Bad Religion to play the drums for "F**k Armageddon...This Is Hell" with the band live on stage.
Finestone also composed music for the recent film score, Joel Miller-directedThe Still Life (released in 2006) with Dave "The Snake" Sabo, Skid Row; Adrian Young, No Doubt; Dizzy Reed, Guns N' Roses; Darius Rucker, Hootie and the Blowfish; Delaney Bramlett, Bonnie and Delaney and Friends; Eddie Hedges, Blessid Union of Souls; Dean Dinning, Toad the Wet Sprocket; Louise Post, Veruca Salt and Sonny Mone, Crazy Horse. The film stars Jason Barry, Rachel Miner, Terry Moore, and Don S. Davis among others.
Personal life
Finestone is from the San Fernando Valley town of Northridge, roughly 20 miles north of Los Angeles, where Bad Religion is centered and makes a living building workout machines at a local business. He was a former music student of original Circle Jerks drummer Lucky Lehrer and is featured in Bad Religion's 1989 European tour documentary Along the Way.
Finestone is still drumming today and is rumored to be playing in several bands including Black On Sunshine and Jackass as well as doing studio work and film scoring. There's even a Peter Finestone tribute page in honor of his drumming talents.