ecember 2015, Tesfaye was sued by Cutting Edge Music, which alleged that the 

bassline for "The
Hills" had been taken from a composition featured in the score for the 2013 science fiction film The
Machine.[292] One of the producers of the song was alleged to have sent a private Twitter message to
Tom Raybould, the composer of the film's score, to tell him about the sample. [293] In September 2018,
Tesfaye and Daft Punk were sued for allegedly stealing the rhythm for "Starboy" from Ethiopian poet
and singer-songwriter Yasminah. [294] Tesfaye denied the allegations. [295]
In April 2019, Tesfaye was sued by British trio William Smith, Brian Clover, and Scott McCulloch,
who accused Tesfaye of copyright infringement from plagiarising their song "I Need to Love" in order
to create his song "A Lonely Night". They sought $150,000 from Tesfaye and Belly. In August 2019,
the lawsuit was dismissed via summary judgment with the option to amend, with the court ruling that
they had failed to show that Tesfaye or anyone else involved in making "A Lonely Night" had access
to their song or that the works were substantially similar. [296] In September 2019, the plaintiffs filed an
amended claim based on secondary infringement, which is still in litigation. [297][298]
In February 2020, Tesfaye and Kendrick Lamar were sued by the now-defunct indie band Yeasayer,
claiming that "Pray for Me" includes an unauthorized sample of their song "Sunrise". [299] Later that
year, Yeasayer voluntarily dismissed their lawsuit. [300] In September 2021, Tesfaye, Nicolás Jaar,
and Frank Dukes were sued for copyright infringement by producers Suniel Fox and Henry Strange,
protesting that "Call Out My Name" is "strikingly [or] substantially similar, if not identical" to their 2015
track "Vibeking".[301][302]

Allegations of homophobic lyrics

In January 2019, Tesfaye was criticized for some of the lyrics in his and Gesaffelstein's single "Lost
in the Fire". The second verse of the song, with the lines "You said you might be into girls, said
you're going through a phase / Keeping your heart safe / Well, baby, you can bring a friend / She can
ride on top your face / While I fuck you straight", were accused of being homophobic, fetishizing
bisexuality, and perpetuating the falsehood that a person who identifies as being part of
the LGBTQ+ community can be "turned straight".[303][304] However, some listeners have suggested that
the lyrics were actually referring to a sex position. [305] Tesfaye quietly addressed the controversy in
the song "Snowchild" from After Hours, with the lines "Every month another accusation / Only thing
I'm phobic of is failing".[306][307]

Other ventures
Acting
Tesfaye is a cinephile, and has made numerous movie references in his music videos and teasers.
[308][309]
 On August 30, 2019, during the Telluride Film Festival, he made his acting debut in the
film Uncut Gems.[310] On March 7, 2020, during his third appearance as a musical guest on Saturday
Night Live, he starred in the skit "On The Couch" with actors Kenan Thompson and Chris Redd.
[311]
 On May 4, he co-wrote and starred in an episode of American Dad!.[312] In July, he voiced three
characters during the 200th episode of Robot Chicken.[313] On June 29, 2021, Tesfaye announced
that he will be co-creating, co-writing, executive producing and starring in the
upcoming HBO television drama series The Idol, alongside his producing partner Reza Fahim
and Euphoria creator Sam Levinson.[314] On March 20, 2022, Tesfaye voiced two characters during
an episode of The Simpsons.[315]

Business
In 2013, Tesfaye collaborated with condom company ONE to give away limited-edition condoms at
his shows during the Kiss Land Fall Tour.[316][317] In November 2015, he partnered with electronic
vaporizer company Pax Labs to release a limited edition vaporizer.[318][319] He also collaborated with
fashion designer Alexander Wang for an apparel collection.[320] In 2016, Tesfaye became a creative
collaborator and global brand ambassador for the clothing brand Puma.[321] With the partnership, he
released numerous capsule collections and hosted several pop-up retail stores.[322][323]
In 2017, Tesfaye partnered with retail company H&M for their men's collection.[324] He cut ties with the
company in 2018, following a racist incident within the company. [325] In July 2018, Tesfaye
collaborated with Marvel Comics to release a comic book inspired by his third studio album Starboy.
[326]
 In August, he released an apparel collection in collaboration with A Bathing Ape.[327][328] A second
collection was released in January 2020. [329]
In April 2019, Tesfaye became an owner and global ambassador of the esports company OverActive
Media, who owns the Splyce and Overwatch League team Toronto Defiant.[330]
On August 31, 2020, Tesfaye partnered with TD Bank to launch Black HXOUSE, an entrepreneurial
initiative within the incubator HXOUSE, where he serves as a sleeping partner.[331] On September 9,
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a CA$221,000,000 joint venture with HXOUSE
for Black Canadian entrepreneurs.[332]
In March 2021, Tesfaye auctioned a collection of visual artwork and an unreleased song in the form
of a non-fungible token (NFT) on Nifty Gateway.[333][334] In October, he joined football player Tom
Brady's NFT platform Autograph as a member of their board of directors.[335]

Philanthropy
After being presented with a Bikila Award for Professional Excellence in 2014, Tesfaye donated
CA$50,000 to the University of Toronto to fund a new course on Ge'ez, the classic language of
Ethiopia.[336] In December 2015, he worked with Ryan Seacrest's foundation to visit the Children's
Hospital of Atlanta.[337][338] In May 2016, during Orthodox Easter, Tesfaye donated CA$50,000 to the
St. Mary Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church in Toronto, Canada, a church he attended growing
up.[339][340] Despite having previously worked with the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Toronto,
[341]
 Tesfaye cancelled a scheduled appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! with Belly in May 2016 due to
then-presidential candidate Donald Trump being present.[342][343] In August 2016, he funded a
new Ethiopian studies program at the University of Toronto.[344]
In June 2017, Tesfaye donated US$100,000 to the Suubi Health Center, a maternity and children's
medical facility in Budondo, Uganda. He was inspired to support the center after learning of French
Montana's work with Global Citizen and Mama Hope to help raise awareness for Suubi and the
people of Uganda.[345]
In April 2020, Tesfaye launched a line of non-medical face masks with all of the proceeds going to
the MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund, a campaign launched by the Recording Academy to help
musicians affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.[346] In addition, Tesfaye donated US$500,000
to MusiCares and CA$500,000 to the Scarborough Health Network.[347]
In August 2016, Tesfaye donated US$250,000 to the Black Lives Matter Global Network
Foundation following numerous reports of police brutality in the United States.[348][344][349] In May 2020,
in response to the murder of George Floyd and the protests that followed, Tesfaye donated
US$500,000 to the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, Colin Kaepernick's Know Your
Rights Camp, and the National Bail Out.[350] He then urged other music executives, major record
labels, and streaming services to donate to the cause as well. [351][352]
On August 7, 2020, Tesfaye held "the Weeknd Experience", an interactive virtual concert on the
social media platform TikTok that drew two million total viewers, including 275,000 concurrent
viewers. The concert raised over US$350,000 for the Equal Justice Initiative. He also donated
US$300,000 to Global Aid for Lebanon in support of victims of the Beirut explosion.[353][354] On
November 2, the University of Toronto announced that it was able to reach and surpass its
fundraising goal of CA$500,000 for its Ethiopic program, which included a CA$30,000 donation from
Tesfaye.[355] In May 2021, he was among the celebrities expressing more solidarity for civilians who
died during the 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis.[356][357] On September 23, Tesfaye was honored with
the Quincy Jones Humanitarian Award at the inaugural Music in Action Awards, which was
presented by the Black Music Action Coalition.[358]

WFP ambassadorship
On April 4, 2021, Tesfaye announced a US$1,000,000 donation through the United Nations World
Food Programme (WFP) to relief efforts in Ethiopia for people affected by the Tigray War.[359] On
June 9, he met with the administrator of the United States Agency for International
Development, Samantha Power, to discuss the humanitarian crisis of the Tigray War. During the
meeting, Tesfaye was briefed on the latest developments and discussed ways of increasing public
pressure so direct action can be made to help civilians. [360][361] Tesfaye was appointed as a
UN Goodwill Ambassador for the World Food Programme on October 7.[362][363] On March 3, 2022, he
partnered with the WFP to launch the XO Humanitarian Fund. Through the fund, Tesfaye will donate
US$1 from every ticket sold at his After Hours til Dawn Tour, in addition to a US$500,000 donation,
to the WFP.[364]

Personal life
Tesfaye is known to be very enigmatic, and prefers to keep his personal life out of the public eye. [365]
[366]
 In the beginning of his career, he refrained from participating in interviews and instead chose to
communicate via Twitter, which he attributed to shyness and insecurities. [367] To this day, he is still
adamant about not participating in interviews, only agreeing to be interviewed in rare situations. [368]
From April 2015 to August 2019, Tesfaye was in an on-again, off-again relationship with American
model Bella Hadid.[369][370] She starred in the music video for his single "In the Night" in December
2015.[371] He briefly dated American singer-actress Selena Gomez from January to October 2017.[372]
[373]
 Both of the relationships received widespread media attention, and were the topic
of tabloid speculation.[374][375][376]
Tesfaye's hairstyle, which has been described as one of his most recognizable traits, has been
claimed to be partly inspired by American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat.[21][377] He began growing it out in
2011 and remarked at how easy it was to maintain with "a hard shampoo every once in a while".
[21]
 He cut his hair in 2016, prior to the release of Starboy.[378] On 
side from drumming, he founded the clothing company Famous Stars and Straps in 1999, and the
record labels LaSalle Records in 2004 and DTA Records in 2019. Companies such as DC
Shoes and Zildjian cymbals have co-designed products in his name. He released a memoir, Can I
Say: Living Large, Cheating Death, and Drums, Drums, Drums, in 2015. Barker is also a vegan and
has invested in the Los Angeles vegan restaurant Crossroads.[2]

Early life and education[edit]

Barker was born in Fontana, California on November 14, 1975,[3] When Barker was four, his mother
gave him his first drum kit, which was the only one he would have until he was 15. Barker began
taking drum lessons at age five with a drummer named Michael Mai, who would expose young
Barker to many different playing styles. At this time, he also began taking trumpet lessons. In junior
high, Barker learned to play the piano and briefly tried singing, joining the madrigals men and
women's choir.[4] In addition, Barker had non-musical aspirations; he also was interested in becoming
a professional surfer and skateboarder. However, Barker states that "I always migrated back to
drums, though. That was the one direction that kind of felt like I was connected to and I could kind of
understand. I could express myself better through my drums than I could anything else." [5]
Barker has described himself as a stoner during his tenure at Fontana High School.[4] His mother,
who had been diagnosed with Sjögren syndrome three months earlier, died the day before he
started high school.[3] She told him to keep playing music and to follow his dreams. At Fontana High
School, Barker played the drum set in the jazz ensemble and snare drum in the marching band.[4] He
gained a lot of experience performing at regional competitions and festivals. Barker employed a
variety of styles including military and jazz rhythms, but was attracted to the driving rhythms of hip-
hop and punk rock.[6]

Career[edit]
Musical beginnings (1993–1998)[edit]
After graduating from Fontana High School, Barker worked as a trash man in Laguna Beach and
played with the punk rock band Snot and Feeble, a Fontana-based band where he met Chad
Larson.[7][8] Larson went on to co-found the ska punk group the Aquabats in 1994. After local shows
and demo tapes, the band recruited Barker through Larson's connection. [7] Barker, who was
"sleeping on [his] friend's couch" and still working as a trash man, only intended to fill in for a few
days but ended up joining the band. [9] The group then went into the studio with veteran producer Jim
Goodwin to record The Fury of the Aquabats![6] Barker's speed and accuracy meant that once his
parts were recorded, he was free to head off and rehearse (and sit in with other bands). He had
picked up a nickname with the Aquabats—Baron Von Tito—the reasons for which are lost to history
as none of the members recall why.[10]

Barker (top right) joined Blink-182 in 1998.

After the October 1997 release of The Fury of the Aquabats!, the group toured nationwide with San
Diego-based Blink-182, who had recently completed their second album Dude Ranch. The trio's
drummer, Scott Raynor, announced to his fellow members that he would depart following
the SnoCore Tour in February 1998.[11][12] The ensemble enlisted Barker to fill in for Raynor. Barker,
who did not have time to prepare or practice with the duo, learned the drum tracks for the 20-song
setlist in only 45 minutes before the first show and performed them flawlessly thereafter. [13] Raynor
returned that May, but arguments only grew worse.[14] Raynor was fired by DeLonge and Hoppus,
ostensibly over a drinking problem,[14] and the band recruited Barker once more. "I remember Travis
rehearsing backstage for an hour or two, then playing with them during sound-check", recalled
Aquabats member Adam Deibert. "A few of us were standing by the stage and I vividly remember
the feeling of this is the new Blink. We should have looked for a new drummer right then because it
was so obvious what band he belonged in."[9] The addition of Barker inspired DeLonge and Hoppus
to "play better" and keep up with their new member, whom DeLonge called "perfect." [15] Barker
continued playing with Blink-182 throughout 1998 and stepped in to play with the Vandals, where he
filled in for Josh Freese as the year closed.[16]

Mainstream success (1999–2004)[edit]

Barker's first album with Blink—Enema of the State—was released in June 1999 and catapulted the
trio to stardom, becoming the biggest pop punk band of the era. Three singles were released from
the record—"What's My Age Again?", "All the Small Things", and "Adam's Song" — that crossed
over into Top 40 radio format and experienced major commercial success.[17] "All the Small Things"
became a number-one hit on the Modern Rock Tracks chart, but also became a crossover hit and
peaked at number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Its video parodied boy bands and pop music
videos and won a Moon Man for Best Group Video at the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards.[18][19][20] The
album has sold over 15 million copies worldwide and had a considerable effect on pop punk music. [21]
[22]

Barker performing in 2003

The band's success did great things for Barker. "Four years ago, I couldn't afford to feed myself," he
said in an interview at the time. "But now I can buy art, work on old Cadillacs, and live in comfort. I
can finally buy a dog and afford to feed him." He began dating Melissa Kennedy and purchased a
rehearsal studio.[18] Barker branched out into retail at this time, opening a store in Riverside
called Famous Stars and Straps. The storefront was shut down by the city, but FSAS products
began to be carried by other retailers and via the Internet. [23] Barker also began offering drum lessons
and added Guitar Center drum clinics to his list of activities.[24] The band began its first arena tour in
the fall of 1999,[25] but Barker missed much of the 2000 Mark, Tom and Travis Show tour after he
broke his finger.[18]
Blink-182's next effort, Take Off Your Pants and Jacket (2001), was greeted with immediate
success, debuting at number one on the Billboard 200 and going triple platinum within three weeks
(the record eventually sold in excess of 14 million copies worldwide). [26]
In 2001, Barker married Melissa Kennedy, but the two divorced in August 2002 after nine months of
marriage.[27] Following a cancelled European tour, DeLonge went back to San Diego to record an
album he deemed an experiment in ideas he felt weren't suited to Blink-182. [15][28] DeLonge, not
wanting to pay for a studio drummer, simply asked Barker to step in and perform on the record,
called Box Car Racer. The experiment became a full-time band and toured in 2002, which led to
strained relations between DeLonge and Hoppus. [29]
Word had got around that not only was Travis Barker an amazing drummer, [but that] he was also an amazing studio drummer
which was a skill that a lot of drummers don't necessarily share. Travis had this reputation of being a guy who could sit down
with a click track and no music and have the arrangement in his head and he could lay down the drum tracks in five, ten minutes
for a song and then the band could play on top to him as if he was a drum machine.
Dave Carlock[30]
Through a connection with Jerry Finn, Rancid vocalist Tim Armstrong contacted Barker in the
summer of 2002 to record tracks for a rap/rock collaboration called the Transplants.[30] For his role on
the Transplants record, Rolling Stone called Barker "punk rock's first superstar drummer."[31] He also
began appearing in music videos, including Puff Daddy's "Bad Boy for Life," as well as adding to his
collection of vintage Cadillacs.[32] Blink-182 released their fifth, untitled album in 2003, which marked
a more mature direction.[33] Shortly before the album's completion, Barker's girlfriend, ex-Miss
USA Shanna Moakler, gave birth to their son, Landon Asher, in October 2003. [citation needed]
The Kinison, who supported Blink-182 on their tour dates, impressed Barker and were the first group
signed to LaSalle Records, a record label Barker officially set up in 2004.[34] LaSalle was named after
Barker's favorite Cadillac, and the label was designed to branch out to find all types of music, be it
country or hip-hop. Barker met once a week with designers at Famous Stars and Straps to oversee
designs for shoes and in his spare time picked up boxing. [34] He injured his foot at a Melbourne,
Australia show in 2004 but performed the next night using his left foot for the kick-drum; he was in so
much pain afterward that the tour had to be canceled. [35] Barker's doctor informed him that not only
did he break his foot, but he tore tendons and ligaments—described by Hoppus as "the type of injury
that people get in motorcycle accidents."[36] In the meantime, Barker purchased a Wahoo's Fish
Taco franchise in Norco, California, and began work on a new Transplants record.[37] The year for
Blink-182 rounded off with a European tour that was soured by division in the band. In February
2005, the band issued a press statement announcing their "indefinite hiatus." [38]

Reality television star and collaborations (2005–2008)[edit]

Barker on stage in 2004

After a Nightmare Before Christmas-inspired wedding in October 2004, Barker starred in the
MTV reality series Meet the Barkers with wife Shanna Moakler. The series followed Barker and his
new family through his daily life, including Blink-182's final tour and the new Transplants album.
[39]
 The new Transplants album, Haunted Cities (2005), was completed in the aftermath of the Blink-
182 "hiatus" and released in mid-2005. Meanwhile, Hoppus and Barker continued recording music
together and began working on electronic demos, which they called +44.[40] Barker began another
new project in 2005 called Expensive Taste, featuring Paul Wall and Skinhead Rob—the project
would be more traditionally hip-hop. Barker also turned his direction to producing, working with
artists such as Bun B and T.I..[41] The +44 project came to a turning point when Hoppus and Barker
purchased their own studio in October 2005, named Opra Music. [42] When Your Heart Stops Beating,
the debut of +44, was greeted by less-than-stellar reviews and little commercial success.
Barker filed for divorce from Moakler that August; both used their MySpace blogs to comment on the
situation. Their breakup and the drama surrounding it made them tabloid favorites. [43] After he and
Moakler split up in 2006, he was frequently spotted at nightclubs—and photographed necking
with Paris Hilton. According to Barker, he was trying to blot out the guilt of giving his children a
broken home, and consumed "excessive amounts" of prescription painkillers, marijuana and alcohol.
[44]
 The painkiller usage eventually developed into a full-fledged addiction over 2007. [44] Barker broke
his arm during a video shoot for +44, but continued to tour performing with one arm. [45] In early 2007,
Barker began to work on hip-hop remixes and production techniques for many artists, preparing
some loops and beats for Juelz Santana and looking to open two new boutiques, one in Los Angeles
named Fast Life and one in Venice Beach by the name of Rogue Status.[46] He kept busy drumming
for Idiot Pilot ("Elephant") and the Federation ("Black Roses"), as well as creating well-received
remixes of Rihanna's "Umbrella" and "Crank That (Soulja Boy)".[47] After a stint on the Honda Civic
Tour with Fall Out Boy and Cobra Starship, +44 began work on a second studio album that October.
[48]

Barker continued releasing hip-hop remixes in 2008; a well-received remix of Flo Rida's "Low"
followed the "Crank That" rendition. The videos of Barker playing the revamped tracks grew heavily
in popularity on YouTube.[49] Barker hoped to collate his growing arsenal of remixes with a bunch of
new tracks on which he was working. It began to germinate into the idea of making a solo album,
producing it all himself.[49] As 2008 wore on, it became evident that the project would supersede +44
for the immediate future, though the band would return, by all accounts, once everything was in
place for the solo record.[50] Guests who recorded with Barker included Young Dro, E-40, Willie
Nelson, and Damian Marley. He began performing with DJ AM (Adam Goldstein) in June 2008 in a
collaboration called TRV$DJAM. Essentially, DJ AM would mix a set of classic songs (which ranged
from classic rock to dance) live with two turntables, then Barker would "enhance AM's groove" with
live drums.[44][50] The duo performed at the MTV Video Music Awards on September 7. "Our little duo
of drummer and DJ [had] reached heights we never thought were possible," said Barker in a 2011
interview.[51]

Plane crash (2008)[edit]

Main article: 2008 South Carolina Learjet 60 crash
I opened a door, and my hands caught fire. I ran to get out of the plane, but I fell through a wing. I immediately soaked up with
jet fuel and caught fire. And then I was on fire, running like hell. I was running for my family: I didn't care about anything except
being with my dad, my sister, Shanna, my three kids. I'm completely naked, holding my genitals—everything else is on fire—and
I'm running, trying to put myself out.
Travis Barker

On September 19, 2008, TRV$DJAM performed at an event with Jane's Addiction singer Perry

Farrell and Gavin DeGraw in Columbia, South Carolina.[52] The trip was a special occasion: "We all
thought it was kind of a treat—we were on a private plane," Barker said. Barker had invited his ex-
wife Moakler, but she declined, saying she had a weird feeling about leaving their children. With a
vacant seat, Barker invited his security guard Che Still, figuring he'd be good company and would
enjoy the trip. Barker was always afraid to fly; in his teenage years, he was "sure" he would die in a
plane crash.[44] When Blink-182 were putting together artwork for Take Off Your Pants and Jacket in
2001, they created a "Zoso-like" icon for each band member: a jacket, a pair of pants, and an
airplane. "Please don't give me the plane—I have a really fucked-up fear of flying," Barker begged,
who ended up with the plane anyway.[44]
Just before midnight, the plane, headed for Van Nuys, California, was heading down the runway
when the occupants heard a loud bang. [53] According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the
plane was departing from the airport when air traffic controllers saw sparks emanating from the
plane.[53] The pilots told the control tower that a tire had blown out and they would be aborting the
take-off. The plane hurtled through the airport's fence, across a highway and crashed into an
embankment. "When everything stopped, I tried to get everyone I could," Barker remembered.
Barker and Adam "DJ AM" Goldstein escaped the plane and ran in circles on the highway. Hearing
others yell, "Stop, drop and roll," Barker dropped to the ground and Goldstein helped him put out the
fire on his feet. "I was lying next to AM as the plane was exploding, and I was screaming, 'Are we
alive?'" Barker and DJ AM were transported to the Joseph M. Still Burn Center in Augusta, Georgia,
where they were both listed in critical condition.[52] They were the only survivors of the crash;
personal assistant Chris Baker and Che Still, along with the two pilots, died in the crash. Less than a
year later, Goldstein died from an overdose. [52]
The remains of the plane crash

Barker spent more than 11 weeks in hospitals and burn centers. He had 16 surgeries: blood
transfusions that lasted 4–8 hours and numerous skin grafts. [54] "There were times when they were
talking about amputating my foot because I didn't have enough skin on my body for my grafts," he
said. Barker also developed post-traumatic stress disorder, made worse by the intense guilt he felt
knowing Still was not supposed to be on the plane. During his time in the hospital, Barker was in so
much pain that he was calling friends, offering them $1 million to help him end his life. [55]
He stopped his vegetarian diet and began eating meat to increase his protein intake and possibly
speed up healing of his burns.[56] Barker recovered from the incident, enabling him to return to the
recording studio in November 2008. In his first television interview since the crash, he said to MTV,
"I'm already playing my drums again, and I'm already back in the studio". He elaborated by stating
that the return to the studio "was like riding a bike. It was really exciting to know I still have my
chops. It still felt good... I still can make it around the kit. Everything felt right, so I'm thankful to be
able to play."[57] Barker sued the plane's owners, Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co., and an airplane
maintenance company that month; the case was settled out of court in December 2009 and the
terms of the settlement are confidential.[58]

Solo album and reunions (2009–present)[edit]

Barker drumming for Blink-182 in 2011

Barker's accident led to a Blink-182 reunion, [59] with the group announcing their return at the
February 2009 Grammy Awards.[60] Barker continued to produce remixes throughout 2009, including
a remix of "3 a.m." by Eminem; he also collaborated with Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash.[61] In the
midst of the band's reunion tour in August 2009, DJ AM was found dead by a friend in his New York
apartment. Though Goldstein had been prescribed medication for pain following the crash, the
medical examiner reported that he died from "acute intoxication" listing several prescription drugs
and cocaine.[62]
The plane crash led Barker to make some lifestyle changes; he began running and swimming each
day, and went vegan since leaving the hospital, although he had already been vegetarian for 17
years.[63] He has also overcome a painkiller addiction he had for years prior to the plane crash. [64][65]
[66]
 "I didn't even take any pain medication after I got out of the hospital. They told me I'd be on some
of the medicine for the rest of my life, but I got off all of them," said Barker. "They made me a
completely different person." Barker didn't fly again until 2021, traveling by himself on his bus—and
taking a boat when touring in Europe.[51]
After more than two years of setbacks and delays, Barker finally released his long-in-the-works solo
debut, Give the Drummer Some, in March 2011. The record features collaborations with artists
from Lil Wayne to Slipknot's Corey Taylor.[67] Neighborhoods, Blink's sixth studio album, was released
in September 2011 and peaked at number two on the Billboard 200.[68] Barker continued his
collaborations, working with Chester French, LL Cool J, Cypress Hill and producing an entire EP of
collaboration, Psycho White, with rapper Yelawolf. Barker was unable to attend Blink-182's
Australian tour in 2013; Brooks Wackerman (Bad Religion, Tenacious D) filled in.[69][70]
On July 1, 2016, Blink released their seventh studio album California to critical and commercial
success. To complete the project, Blink members Hoppus and Barker were forced to replace Blink
co-founder Tom DeLonge with vocalist/guitarist Matt Skiba of Alkaline Trio. Barker has joined
Hoppus in citing DeLonge as the principal cause of the replacement. Citing DeLonge's alleged
unwillingness to commit to working on new Blink projects, Barker revealed.
"We always covered up for [DeLonge] before. It was always, 'We're going to record an album,' then
'Tom refuses to get into the studio without a record deal.' So everyone does hella amounts of work to
get a record deal and now Tom isn't part of Blink-182. It's hard to cover for someone who's
disrespectful and ungrateful… Everyone should know what the story is with him and it's been years
with it."[71]
He is currently producing his second solo album.[72] Barker has written a memoir entitled Can I Say:
Living Large, Cheating Death, and Drums, Drums, Drums, which was released on October 20, 2015.
[73]
 He appeared in the 2016 Grammy-nominated documentary film about American DJ and
producer Steve Aoki, titled I'll Sleep When I'm Dead.[74]
In 2018, Travis Barker appeared on the trap-metal musician Ghostemane's track, "D(r)ead". He also
features on XXXTentacion's posthumous album "Skins", playing drums on the track "One Minute"
featuring Kanye West. In 2018 Travis Barker also joined The Aquabats for a 20th anniversary show
celebrating their second album The Fury of the Aquabats at the Fonda Theater in Los Angeles,
California.[75]
In 2019, Barker teamed up with popular New Orleans alternative hip hop duo $uicideboy$ to
announce Live Fast Die Whenever, a collaborative EP. Prior to the project's release, the singles
"nothingleftnothingleft" (a rapid-fire hardcore punk song) and "Aliens Are Ghosts" (which samples
music critic Anthony Fantano's review of $uicideboy$' debut album) were released. The EP was
released on May 24. Along with the lead singles, the EP also included the songs "Killing 2 Birds with
22 Stones", "Sour Grapes", "Don't Trust Anyone!" (stylized in all caps), and "Individuality Was So
Last Year". Several tracks on the EP also featured James Shaffer of Korn on guitar.[76] On July 12,
2019, Travis remixed Lil Peep & XXXTentacion's posthumous track "Falling Down".
On April 24, 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Barker was featured as the drummer during Post
Malone's well-received Nirvana tribute show and fundraiser for the WHO COVID-19 Solidarity
Response Fund.[77]
In May 2020, Barker signed American musician and TikTok personality Jxdn to his label DTA
Records, making Jxdn the first artist on the label. [78]
In September 2020, Barker was on a collaboration project with Machine Gun Kelly on Kelly's
album Tickets to My Downfall. He was also heavily featured in the movie adaptation of this
album, Downfalls High. Barker played on the Willow Smith pop-punk track "Transparent Soul",
released April 27, 2021.[79][80]
In February 2021, he launched a line of cannabinoid-infused products called Barker Wellness.[81] The
next month, on March 15, 2021, Barker was a featured artist in the Atreyu song "Warrior" on the
album "Baptize."
In July 2021, Barker signed an exclusive worldwide publishing administration deal with Warner
Chappell Music.[82]
In November 2021, Barker signed former BMG artist Avril Lavigne to DTA Records, with releases
due to be handled by Warner Music Group's Elektra Records.[83][84]
In 2022, Travis Barker executive produced Machine Gun Kelly’s eighth studio album. Barker and
Kelley announced the album name, Born with Horns, by getting matching tattoos of the album name
on their arms. Kelly later changed the album title to Mainstream Sellout.[85]

Influences and favorite drummers[edit]

Barker told CBS Local that his first ever hero was Animal from The Muppets, crediting the character
as his inspiration to pursue drumming. He also cites John Bonham of Led Zeppelin, Alex Van
Halen of Van Halen, Tommy Lee of Mötley Crüe, and Danny Carey of Tool as his favorite drummers.
[86]
 In a 2016 Q&A with Vevo, Barker credited Buddy Rich as the greatest drummer of all time. He
also stated that Van Halen's "Jump" was the first song he learned on the drums.[87]

Personal life[edit]
Barker's first marriage, to Melissa Kennedy, lasted nine months until he filed for divorce in August
2002.[27] He later married actress and Miss USA 1995 titleholder Shanna Moakler on October 30,
2004. The couple had a The Nightmare Before Christmas Gothic-style ceremony inspired by the
Henry Selick film, and it was held on the eve of Halloween.[88] Barker and Moakler have two children
together, a son born in 2003, and a daughter born in 2005. [89] Barker also remains close with his
stepdaughter, Moakler's daughter with ex-fiancé, boxer Oscar De La Hoya. The family appeared in a
reality television series, Meet the Barkers, which aired on MTV from 2005 to 2006.
On August 8, 2006, Barker filed for divorce from Moakler after nearly two years of marriage. [90][91] The
divorce was made public as each used their MySpace pages to air their feelings on the matter.
[27]
 Despite their pending divorce, reports surfaced in early 2007 that Barker and Moakler were
"quietly trying to give it another go" as they were reportedly seen autographing a fan's book, with a
heart around their names.[92] In March 2007, Moakler told People magazine that she and Barker (still
married) were back together, but denied that she was pregnant. [93] This came after the couple were
publicly affectionate at a surprise birthday Barker threw for his wife in Miami.[93] People later reported
that the couple had separated again; no reason was given for the split. Barker and Moakler were
seen together at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards kissing and holding hands. However, on
February 11, 2008, the couple's divorce was finalized. [94]
Barker and Moakler were together during a DJ set Barker was playing with DJ AM in Las Vegas on
January 7, 2009.[95] The couple attempted to rekindle their relationship in early 2009, but announced
that they were no longer together on April 1, 2009. [96]
On December 7, 2014, the police were called to Barker and Moakler's shared home in Los Angeles
after the two were engaged in a verbal altercation. Criminal threats were made against one another,
which led to both Barker and Moakler getting arrested. No charges were filed against either party. [97]
In late 2015, Barker briefly dated singer and actress Rita Ora.[98] In June 2016, it was reported that
Barker and Moakler were amicably co-parenting their two children. [99]