Nine Inch Nails is considered a hot group, though Trent Reznor has been the only permanent member. The introduction of Reznor to the music world was a turning point for industrial music, making it easier to listen to and understand. Trent is not only a singer - he also plays numerous instruments and has taken on the role of producer. As Nirvana hit the music scene in the 1990s, NIN established a large new fanbase with alternative rockers, and Reznor became a sex symbol.
Trent Reznor was born in Pennsylvania in 1965 and raised mainly by his grandparents, as his parents were divorced when he was only five. At school he was diverse in his talents as he learned to play the piano, tenor sax and tuba, as well as performing in school musicals. He eventually became a die-hard Kiss fan and decided to pursue music and computers at Allegheny College. After a year's time he wanted to pursue music on a full time basis and moved to Ohio with his friend Chris Vrenna. He became interested in underground as well as industrial music, and at nineteen he joined a band called Innocent, which released Livin' In the Streets. He then began working at a keyboard store and at the Right Track Studio as a janitor. He later became the studio engineer and worked with different computer applications to work on his own music while he wasn't on the clock.
In 1987, Reznor made his film debut in the Light of Day where he was in a bar scene playing keyboards with a group called the Problems. The movie starred Michael J. Fox and Joan Jett. He then dubbed himself Nine Inch Nails and signed with TVT after sending numerous demo tapes out. He released Pretty Hate Machine in 1989 and toured with Skinny Puppy. He put together drummer Chris Vrenna and guitarist Richard Patrick, and they opened for The Jesus & Mary Chain and Peter Murphy. Reznor played it smart - through his touring, the fans grew significantly. NIN then released 'Down in It' and 'Head Like a Hole'. They finally decided to make James Woolley their keyboardist and set off on the Lollapalooza tour, which again was a smart move. This in turn helped their first album, Pretty Hate Machine to sell over a million copies.
In 1990, Reznor set out on numerous side projects, including co-writing and singing on 'Suck' from a Pigface album, and singing 'Supernaut' for Al Jourgensen. He then signed with Interscope and made his own label, Nothing, releasing Broken in 1992. It was considered a deeper and heavier sound than his previous release. The album included 'Suck' and 'You're So Physical'. Their video 'Wish' won a Grammy for Best Heavy Metal Performance.
He then made the video 'Happiness in Slavery' which was never released because of its graphic content of a person being dismembered while watching Nine Inch Nails videos. Reznor decided to move to Los Angeles to create his next album, The Downward Spiral. It hit the charts at number two and went multi-platinum. Richard Patrick went on to create Filter, so he was replaced by Robin Finck on the guitar and Danny Lohner on base. They then hit the 25th anniversary Woodstock concert and were a success. They also hit the charts with 'Closer' and Reznor became the biggest rock sex symbol of his time.
NIN hired Charlie Clouser as their new keyboardist and began to tour with David Bowie. They reissued a remix of their album, Further Down the Spiral, which hit top 20 in the charts. Reznor then produced Marilyn Manson's sophomore album, Antichrist Superstar. He also began to work on the soundtrack for Lost Highway, on which he sang in the single 'The Perfect Drug'. Reznor was off the scene for sometime but then returned in 1999 with The Fragile, which hit number one, followed by Things Fall Apart and a world tour. The tour produced a DVD of various live recordings called And All That Could Have Been in 2002. Since then, Nine Inch Nails continued to tour when t
