Getty Images / Arturo Holmes
The Ska Punk Surf Rock Band Sublimate The band was founded in 1988 and experienced an unforgettable summer after Jakob Nowell, the son of frontman and singer Bradley Nowell, who died in 1996, took over the role of frontman of the band and toured with them all over the country from Coachella to Florida.
I’ve been a fan of Sublime since the mid to late 90s. Back in April I wrote at length about my experiences with the music and how I was introduced to Sublime through my older brother, who died when I was just 13, and how Sublime’s music has kept me connected to him over the years. I never expected this article to reach so many people, but I’ve received some incredibly nice responses, including one from the band who said they read it on their tour bus.
If you want to read “Bradley Nowell’s son Jakob takes over as frontman of Sublime, it means so much more than just a changing of the guard,” you’ll find it there, but not before checking out their latest performance of “Santeria” on The Howard Stern Show. As an older millennial from a certain era, this performance touched me deep within and gave me goosebumps:
Sublime performs “Santeria”
Jakob Nowell’s stage presence, singing and feeling for music are truly incredible. He was only 11 months old when his father Bradley Nowell died of an overdose, but he has lived with his father’s music his entire life.
To see him carry the torch of the band and build a connection to the music is something very special for him and for people like me who are lifelong fans of Sublime’s music. We are all really lucky to be able to witness this.
With this in mind, I wanted to share this episode of Artist friendship with Joel Madden where he sat down with Jakob Nowell. They talk about what it was like for Jakob to grow up with his father’s legacy, losing his father to an overdose, accepting comparisons, sobriety and more:
