Travis Barker Biography

The American producer and musician Travis Barker was born in 1975. Long before Barker rose to prominence as the drummer for the rock band Blink-182, he grew up in California in a working class family, learning to play the drums when he was about five years old. In elementary and junior high school, Travis also learned to play the trumpet and the piano, and he joined his school’s choir. But Barker’s aspirations in his youth were not really in music; he was an avid skateboarder and self-proclaimed “stoner” throughout high school.

The loss of Barker’s mother to cancer when he was a teenager took a tremendous toll on him as a young man; but she had encouraged him to continue playing drums and before her passing, she told him to follow his dreams. So in high school, Travis joined the jazz ensemble and marching band as a drummer; he finally decided to compete at a school talent show, and – much to his surprise – he won.

After graduation, Travis Barker did a number of odd jobs around town, and periodically he would join a band here and there. Eventually, he joined a band which was touring with the band Blink-182, a fairly new band coming up in the music world. Following the abrupt departure of the band’s drummer while on tour, Travis saw an opportunity for his big break, and he took it. Quickly learning all the drum tracks for the band’s set, he jumped in and saved the band’s tour.

Travis Barker joined Blink 182 officially just in time for the band to record their third album, Enema of the State (1999.) The album became the band’s big breakthrough, and between 1999 and 2003, Blink-182 released two additional successful albums, Take Off Your Pants and Jacket (2001) and Blink-182 (2003), before disbanding. The band re-grouped in 2010 to record Neighborhoods (2011), and more recently, the album California (2016.) In between, Travis Barker also released his own chart-topping debut album, Give the Drummer Some (2011), featuring vocal contributions from artists such as Lil Wayne, Busta Rhymes, Lil jon, Slash, Rick Ross, Kid Ink, and Ty Dolla Sign. Barker has also performed or recorded with a number of other bands, including Transplants, TRV$DJAM, Aquabats, Box Car Racer, Expensive Taste, and Yelawolf.

Today, dubbed “punk’s first superstar drummer” by Rolling Stone, Travis Barker is a musician and entrepreneur like no other in his field. In addition to investments in clothing lines and musical equipment, Barker is the co-founder of LaSalle Records and even an investor in the LA-based vegan restaurant, Crossroads. Barker most recently performed live on the road with Antemasque; he joined the four-piece band as its drummer in 2015.