Spencer Smith is an American musician best known as the co-founding member and
former drummer of American rock band Panic! at the Disco. With the band he
has played on four studio albums, A Fever You Can't Sweat Out, Pretty. Odd.,
Vices & Virtues and Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die!. The band's debut album
went Platinum and charted at No. 13 on the US Billboard 200, spearheaded by the
hit single "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" which peaked at No. 7 in the Billboard
Hot 100. He announced his departure from the band
on April 2, 2015 via the band's official website.
Early life Born in Colorado, Smith was raised in
Las Vegas, Nevada and attended Bishop Gorman High School with former bandmate
Ryan Ross. He was born on Wednesday, September 2, 1987.
Music career Smith began playing drums at age 12 when
he received a drum kit for Christmas. Soon he began collaborating with his
friend, Ryan Ross, who had received a guitar. Ross and Smith mostly covered
blink-182 songs with Ross on vocals. Their two-piece band was originally
called Pet Salamander. They teamed up with Brent Wilson and Trevor Howell on
guitar to make "Summer League" before they met Brendon Urie and formed Panic!
at the Disco. Panic! at the Disco
Spencer Smith was the drummer for American rock band Panic! at the Disco,
formed in 2004. Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz discovered the band through
the Internet by accident, and quickly signed them to his Decaydance Records
label before the band had even played a single show. Smith has played the
percussion parts on the band's four studio albums, A Fever You Can't Sweat
Out, Pretty. Odd., Vices & Virtues and Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die!. A
Fever You Can't Sweat Out has sold over two million units worldwide, spurred on
by the lead single "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" which became the band's most
successful song, reaching #7 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and becoming the
band's mainstream breakthrough so early in their career. The 2008 album Pretty.
Odd. debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200, however it was less widely received in
comparison to Fever and quickly fell off the charts.
In 2007, members of The Cab sent Smith a demo and he helped sign them to Pete
Wentz's record label, Decaydance. Spencer appears in the music videos
"What a Catch, Donnie" and "Headfirst Slide into Cooperstown on a Bad Bet" by
Fall Out Boy, and also appears in the Gym Class Heroes video for the song
"Clothes Off!!" alongside bandmate Brendon Urie, and former Panic! at the
Disco band members Ryan Ross and Jon Walker. The members are seen dancing in
animal costumes, Spencer being in a seal suit. Recently Smith and bandmate
Brendon Urie appeared in Butch Walker's music video "Pretty Melody", appearing
as ninjas. In 2009, founding member and guitarist
Ryan Ross and bassist Jon Walker, left the band, leaving Smith and vocalist
Brendon Urie as the sole remaining members. Smith completed work on Panic!
at the Disco's third studio album Vices & Virtues with bandmate Brendon Urie,
which was released in March 2011. Prior to the release of Vices & Virtues, Smith
co-starred with Brendon Urie in a seven-minute short film, called The
Overture, directed by Shane Drake. The short film addressed the departure of
two former Panic! at the Disco members, founding member and guitarist Ryan Ross
and bassist Jon Walker. In an April 2011 interview with
Blogcritics, Smith revealed plans to expand Panic! at the Disco from the
current duo with the addition of new band members saying, "We knew it would
be just me and Brendon, but we have also left the option open to work with other
people." Smith also stated that being on tour is his favorite part of the musical
process, though that would be impossible without work in the recording studio.
On August 2, 2013, he released an open letter to his fans, coming clean about
his battle with alcohol and prescription pills. On August 7, 2013 Brendon Urie
announced via the band's website that Spencer would no longer be taking part
in the tour, stating that "He is away getting the help that he needs." On
April 2, 2015, Spencer announced his departure from Panic! at the Disco.
References Fekadu, Mesfin. "Panic! at the Disco
downsizes, may head to Broadway". San Francisco Chronicle. Associated Press.
Retrieved 2011-04-08. External links
Spencer Smith at the Internet Movie Database
Official Panic! at the Disco web site