Pete Wentz, the bassist and primary lyricist for the Chicago-based band Fall Out Boy, was born Peter Lewis Kingston Wentz III in Wilmette, Illinois. He is the son of Dale (Lewis), a high school admissions counselor, and Pete Wentz, an attorney. His grandfather, Arthur Winston Lewis, served as U.S. Ambassador to Sierra Leone. Pete's father is of German and English descent, while Pete's maternal grandparents were both from black Jamaican families. Pete grew up in the Chicago hardcore punk scene, and was in several bands before Fall Out Boy, including Firstborn, Arma Angelus, 7 Angels of the Apocalypse / Culture of Violence, Extinction, Forever Ended Today, and Yellow Road Priest. He grew up with band member Joseph Trohman. Fall Out Boy is the 4th band that Pete Wentz and Andrew Hurley have done together.
Wentz has written a book entitled The Boy With the Thorn In His Side, which is a story based on nightmares he had as a child. It is named after a song by The Smiths. He has another book titled "Rainy Day Kids," which was scheduled to be released February 14th, 2006, but has been postponed because he was unsatisfied with some of the material. In addition, Wentz is writing another book, alternating chapters with William Beckett of The Academy Is....
Wentz has a company called Clandestine Industries, which distributes books and, more notably, clothing, among other things. Additionally, he owns his own imprint of Fueled By Ramen, Decaydance Records, which has signed on several bands, including: Panic! At The Disco, October Fall, Gym Class Heroes and The Hush Soundand Lifetime . He also has a film production company called Bartskull Films, which has released the DVD "Release the Bats", a film about Peter, his friends both in and outside of Fall Out Boy, and many Decaydance/Fueled By Ramen bands.
