Chris “Motionless” Cerulli is the vocalist of Motionless in White. As such, he is a name of note when it comes to metal. Cerulli is the last founding member of the band still involved in it, though it is interesting to note that he is on speaking terms with at least one of his ex-band-mates.
1. Born in Scranton, PA
Cerulli was born in the city of Scranton in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is one of the numerous communities in Northeastern Pennsylvania that were transformed by coal mining during the Industrial Age. However, Scranton stands out from its counterparts by being both a cultural and a geographic center for the surrounding region. There was a time when the city’s economy had been devastated by the decline of coal mining. Fortunately, Scranton is now in a much vital state even though it is smaller than when it was at its peak.
2. Wasn’t Always Interested in the Guitar
Amusingly, Cerulli wasn’t always interested in the guitar. As the story goes, his grandfather tried to teach him how to play the guitar when he was around eight or nine years old. However, Cerulli wasn’t interested, so said effort met with no success whatsoever at the time. Still, he has said that the experience planted the seeds of his later passion for music.
3. His Band’s Original Name Was Crabgrass
Moving on, Cerulli formed his band when he was still in high school. Its original name was Crabgrass. Presumably, this would be a reference to the genus Digitaria that falls under the grass family. Generally speaking, crabgrasses are seen as weeds in North America because they can outgrow their domesticated counterparts before proceeding to leave huge gaps in the lawn when they die off during the fall. However, it is interesting to note that there are species of crabgrasses that are regarded in a much more positive light. Sometimes, this is because they make decent forage for livestock. Other times, this is because they are cultivated by humans for making food as well as making beer.
4. His Band’s Current Name Refers to an Eighteen Visions Song
Of course, Cerulli’s band is now named Motionless in White. Those who are unfamiliar should know that the band is named for an Eighteen Visions song called “Motionless and White,” though with a minor adjustment. Said song is often interpreted as someone trying to convince a heavy drug user to break their drug addiction. Something that has spawned speculation that “Motionless and White” might have inspired the Three Days Grace called “Never Too Late.” As for Eighteen Visions, it originally broke up less than a year after its debut on a major record label. However, it has since reformed, with the result that it is still making new music.
5. He Has a Strong Interest in Tattoos
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Cerulli has a strong interest in tattoos. In fact, he worked in a tattoo shop for a time after he graduated from high school. The practice of tattooing has been around for a very long time. However, its popularity has both waxed and waned at various points in time for various reasons. Supposedly, tattoos were actually popular for upper-class young adults in the United States from the Civil War to the First World War before plummeting in popularity with the invention of the electric tattoo machine. Chances are good that interested individuals can guess that the common explanation is that electric tattoo machines caused a fall in the price of tattooing, with the result that the practice became associated with rebels and criminals in significant part for quite a few decades before undergoing another resurgence. Nowadays, tattoos have become a popular method of self-expression once again.
6. His Most Meaningful Tattoo Is a Guitar and Cowboy Hat
On a related note, Cerulli’s most meaningful tattoo is a guitar and cowboy hat meant to honor the same grandfather who tried to teach him how to play the guitar. As he tells it, the guitar represents the guitar that his grandfather wanted to buy him but didn’t because he didn’t want it. Cerulli is rather regretful that he didn’t choose to play the guitar then because he missed out on a chance to bond with his grandfather.
7. Didn’t Find Becoming a Vegan to Be a Huge Challenge
Cerulli is a vegan. It is interesting to note that he didn’t find becoming a vegan to be a huge challenge, not least because he had already been a vegetarian for quite some time by that point. For that matter, he makes it sound as though he would have become vegan even earlier if it wasn’t for the fact that he wasn’t making a lot of money while being out on the road a lot in a time when accommodations for vegans weren’t quite as good as they are now. Besides this, Cerulli was also motivated by his desire to accompany his father, who needed to eat healthier because he had just had a heart attack because of high cholesterol.
8. Would Like to Play Country Music
Some people might already have been clued-in because of the mention of the guitar and cowboy hat tattoo earlier. Regardless, Cerulli has mentioned that he would like to write some country music at some point. In particular, he is a fan of the music put out by older artists such as Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley.
9. Annoyed By People Wearing Goth and Metal Fashion Without Living the Lifestyle
Cerulli has mentioned his annoyance at people wearing goth and metal fashion without actually living the lifestyle. However, he believes it to be nothing more than a trend that will pass in time. As a result, Cerulli believes that people living the lifestyle should continue dressing the way that they do without being too concerned about others stealing their particular style.
10. Has Pretty Good Advice on What to Do about Toxic Relationships
On a final note, Cerulli has given pretty good advice on what to do about toxic relationships. As far as he is concerned, people should give some serious thought to whether a toxic relationship is worth trying to save it or not. If it is, they should speak with the other person to see if the latter is willing to work with them to make an improvement in things. If said individual isn’t willing to do anything about it, people should just end the toxic relationship because successful relationships require two-way commitment. Without that, it is better to end things rather than waste time.
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