Ben Moody

Moody was born on January 22, 1981 in Little Rock, Arkansas.[1][2] He described his youth in Little Rock as being lax, stating that "everybody has their fun. In Little Rock, I'm an infamous thief - it was all there was to do."[2] He began playing drums, but switched to guitar after experiencing carpal tunnel issues.[3] He did not take guitar lessons, and took influence from 1980s artists like Metallica, Ozzy Osbourne and Mötley Crüe.[3] Commenting on his favorite era of music, Moody said: "Honestly, I think I was born about 10 years too late. I listen to The Final Countdown by Europe once a week just for the hell of it".[3] He called Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett his "hero" and the reason he played guitar.