We hardly recognized R.E.M. legend Michael Stipe under that heavy white beard, but the iconic musician hit the red carpet this week.
Stipe, 66, rose to fame alongside Peter Buck, Mike Mills, and Bill Berry in the ’80s and ’90s as the lead vocalist of R.E.M., and continued to reign supreme as a musical titan. Most often associated with songs like “Losing My Religion,” “It’s the End of the World As We Know It,” and “Man on the Moon,” the band also earned immense critical acclaim all the way from their humble beginnings as a college rock band up until their later albums. Stipe has also released several albums independently and continues to collaborate with others.
This week, Stipe attended the premiere of HBO’s Rooster in New York City. Sporting a full white beard and a knit red cap with red-tinted sunglasses, we almost didn’t recognize the musician as he celebrated the show, which stars Steve Carell as a best-selling author who visits his daughter at a college to support her as she deals with a personal crisis.
Photo by Arturo Holmes on Getty Images
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What’s Michael Stipe Doing on The Simpsons?
Stipe’s work in the television realm goes back several years. He first appeared on The Simpsons back in 2001, and returned just last month for an episode about a business formed by Homer and Kirk Van Houten, the father of Millhouse, Bart’s best friend. Kirk’s mental health starts to fall apart, leading to a fun spin on R.E.M.’s “Everybody Hurts” turned into “Everybody Kirks.”
Take a look at the lyrics to “Everybody Kirks” below, and give it a watch to hear Stipe’s haunting vocals take a humorous turn:
“When your day is long / And at night, at night you snack alone / When you’re sure your hunger’s gone, for this life, well, pang on / Don’t let yourself choke, just because your mouth is dry / Everybody Kirks, crumb times / Well, everybody Kirks, crumb times, when crackers taste like lies / Everybody Kirks, so munch on, munch on.”
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Related: Michael Stipe Reveals The R.E.M. Song He Wrote In Tribute to Neil Young