Maynard James Keenan (born James Herbert Keenan on April 17, 1964) is an American rock singer, songwriter, musician, and producer. Although originally from Ohio, Keenan spent his high school years in Michigan and, after serving in the Army in the early 1980s, he attended Kendall College of Art and Design in Grand Rapids. He relocated to Los Angeles, California in 1988 to work in interior design and set construction, but soon found himself in the music industry.
Keenan is best known as the lead singer of the rock bands Tool, with whom he has released four studio albums, and A Perfect Circle, with whom he has released three studio albums. In 2003, he created Puscifer as a side project, financing and releasing its first studio album in October 2007. In addition to his music career, he has performed improvisational stand-up comedy, having been inspired to do so by close friend Bill Hicks. Enjoying a family trade of winemaking, he currently resides in Arizona where he owns Merkin Vineyards and Caduceus Cellars. He is also a partner in the Los Angeles restaurant Cobras & Matadors. Since rising to fame, Keenan has been a noted recluse, though he does emerge to help support charitable causes.
