Wednesday 13 Bio
Joseph Michael Poole, known professionally as Wednesday 13, is an American singer, musician, and songwriter whose career has spanned more than three decades in the horror punk and heavy metal scenes. He first rose to wider recognition as the frontman of the horror punk and glam metal band Murderdolls and has maintained a long-running solo career under the Wednesday 13 name, releasing a string of studio albums and touring internationally. His music blends horror-themed imagery with punk, glam, and metal influences, drawing comparisons to acts such as Alice Cooper and Misfits. Poole has also performed in side projects including Maniac Spider Trash, Bourbon Crow, and Gunfire 76, and has used additional stage names such as Joe Nothing, Buck Bourbon, and Audrey 3.
Early Life and Background
Joseph Michael Poole was born on August 12, 1976, in Lexington, North Carolina. He grew up in the nearby community of Landis, North Carolina, where he spent his formative years before entering the local music scene as a teenager. The cultural backdrop of the American South, combined with a deep interest in horror films and rock music, helped shape the theatrical and macabre style that would later define his songwriting and stage persona. From an early age, Poole gravitated toward bands that combined dark imagery with loud, hook-driven music, and he began playing in bands while still in his mid-teens.
Poole’s earliest exposure to performing came through the local North Carolina punk and metal scene of the early 1990s, where he played in small venues and learned the basics of songwriting, stagecraft, and band management. He has spoken about being inspired by artists including Alice Cooper, KISS, and the Misfits, whose blend of horror aesthetics and catchy hard rock became a guiding influence on his later work. Although detailed records of his formal education are not publicly available, his practical training came through years of rehearsing, recording, and touring with successive bands.
Path to Music
Poole’s professional music career began in 1992, when he joined his first band, Mizery, as a guitarist. The group soon changed its name to Psycho Opera and featured Ray Franks on guitar, Michael Patrick on bass, Jeff Washam on drums, and Todd Cage on vocals. As the lineup shifted, Poole moved from guitar to lead vocals and helped form Maniac Spider Trash, which he fronted from 1992 to 1996. The band released a six-song cassette titled Dumpster Mummies in 1994 under the fictitious Dead/Hell Records label and recorded a full-length album called Murder Happy Fairytales in 1995, though the latter was not officially released at the time.
In 1996, Poole disbanded Maniac Spider Trash and formed the more punk-influenced Frankenstein Drag Queens from Planet 13 with Doug McCollum on drums and Robby McGalliard on bass. With the release of their first album, The Late Late Late Show, the members adopted stage names, with Poole becoming Wednesday 13, McCollum taking the name Sicko Zero, and McGalliard becoming Seaweed. Over the next several years, Wednesday 13 wrote and produced four studio albums for the group, contributing to horror punk tribute compilations for Alice Cooper and Sweet. By 2002, he was the only remaining original member, and his prolific output had caught the attention of Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison, setting the stage for his next major project.
Wednesday 13 Career
Early Career (1992–2001)
During the 1990s, Wednesday 13 built his reputation through the Frankenstein Drag Queens from Planet 13, releasing multiple albums and singles that became cult favorites in the horror punk underground. The band’s rotating lineup and relentless touring schedule helped Poole sharpen his songwriting voice and develop the macabre, theatrical stage presence that would become his trademark. His work during this period included numerous recordings, split releases, and contributions to tribute albums, establishing a loyal fan base in the United States and Europe.
By the early 2000s, Frankenstein Drag Queens from Planet 13 had released four studio albums and a string of singles, while Wednesday 13 had become the sole constant member and primary creative force. The success and visibility of these releases ultimately led to his recruitment by Joey Jordison for a new horror-themed collaboration, marking a turning point in his career.
Breakthrough (2002–2010)
In 2002, Joey Jordison contacted Wednesday 13 to join Murderdolls, a horror punk side project originally conceived with Tripp Eisen of Static-X and Dope. After the original configuration fell apart, Wednesday 13 moved from bass to lead vocals and became the driving creative force of the band. Murderdolls released the EP Right to Remain Violent in 2002, followed by their debut full-length album, Beyond the Valley of the Murderdolls, later that same year. The album included a cover of Billy Idol’s White Wedding and reached No. 40 on the UK album chart, giving Wednesday 13 his first major commercial breakthrough.
Murderdolls played their final show on January 17, 2004, before going on hiatus, with Jordison returning to Slipknot. Wednesday 13 launched a solo career the same year, beginning with the Graveyard A Go-Go tour of the United Kingdom and assembling a permanent backing band that included former Frankenstein Drag Queens member Ikky on guitar. In 2005, he released his first solo album, Transylvania 90210, supported by a music video for I Walked with a Zombie that incorporated footage from the original Night of the Living Dead film. That year also saw the band perform on the main stage of the Download Festival at Donington and open shows for Alice Cooper around Halloween.
Notable Works and Milestones
Beyond the Valley of the Murderdolls (2002) and Transylvania 90210 (2005) remain two of the most recognized releases in Wednesday 13’s catalog, both helping to define his signature blend of horror punk and glam metal. His later work with Murderdolls culminated in the 2010 album Women and Children Last, while his solo output continued with albums such as Fang Bang (2006), Skeletons (2008), and Fuck It, We’ll Do It Live (2008), the last of which was his first live album, recorded at Crocodile Rock in Allentown, Pennsylvania. He has also maintained side projects including Bourbon Crow, an outlaw country band he has fronted under the alias Buck Bourbon since 2005, and Gunfire 76, a glam rock collaboration with Todd Youth that released its debut album in 2009.
Wednesday 13 Award Nominations
Publicly verified records of formal music industry award nominations for Wednesday 13 are limited. The artist has built his reputation primarily through touring, album sales, and a dedicated cult following rather than mainstream industry awards.
Wednesday 13 Awards Won
No major mainstream music industry award wins for Wednesday 13 are clearly documented in the available sources. His career achievements have been recognized mainly through fan-driven support, festival appearances, and the commercial performance of releases such as Beyond the Valley of the Murderdolls, which reached the UK album charts.
Wednesday 13 Family
Wednesday 13 was born Joseph Michael Poole and is originally from Landis, North Carolina. He has one daughter with his ex-wife, Roxanne, and became a grandfather in 2017 with the birth of his granddaughter. He has also performed under the stage names Joe Nothing, Buck Bourbon, and Audrey 3 across his various musical projects.
Personal Life
Poole was previously married to Roxanne, though the couple later divorced. He has one daughter and a granddaughter, and he has spoken publicly about his family on occasion. The 2019 album Necrophaze was the first Wednesday 13 album he recorded sober, and he has since maintained his sobriety while continuing to record and tour.