- Born
- Birth nameKimberly Ann Deal
- Nicknames
- Kimmy
- Mrs. John Murphy
- Height5′ 5″ (1.65 m)
- Kim Deal and her twin sister, Kelley Deal, grew up in Dayton, Ohio. When they were teenagers, they formed their own folk-rock duo, The Breeders, playing at local truck stops. In 1986, Kim moved to Boston with her husband, John Murphy. She saw an ad in The Boston Phoenix, looking for a bassist into Peter Paul & Mary and Hüsker Dü. She was the only one who auditioned for this band, who later became one of the most influential alternative rock bands in America, The Pixies. In the seven odd years "The Pixies" were together, they released five albums, with Kim playing bass and singing back-up vocals.
In 1988, Kim try reviving her childhood band. She and her friend, Tanya Donelly (of Throwing Muses and Belly) recorded some demos together with David Lovering (Pixies drummer) and David Narcizo (Throwing Muses drummer). They later recruited Josephine Wiggs (British bassist for "Perfect Disaster", who once opened for Pixies) and Slit drummer Britt Walford. With their collective bands still together, The Breeders recorded their debut album, "Pod", in 1990. Kelley Deal was supposed to play guitar for them, but she couldn't get the time off work to record. "The Pixies" broke up in 1993, leaving Kim with her "Breeders". Kelley replaced Tanya as lead guitarist, and The Breeders went on to record their second album, "Last Splash", released that year. In 1994, The Breeders, now with drummer Jim McPherson, played "Lollapolooza".
1995 was a rough year for the band. Josephine unofficially quit to be with her girlfriend and Kelley was sent to rehab for her heroin addiction, leaving Kim and Jim, by themselves. While all this was going on, the two formed a side project, Tammy and the Amps, later reduced to The Amps. With a new guitarist and bassist, they released one album, in 1995, titled "Pacer". The Amps disbanded in 1997. Kim and Kelley tried getting The Breeders back together. They recorded demos with them playing all the instruments.
In 2000, The Breeders officially reformed with a new line up: Kim Deal, Kelley Deal, Richard Presley Jr. on lead guitar, Mando Lopez on bass, and Jose Mendles on drums. The new Breeders released the wonderfully lo-fi "Title TK" in 2002. Kim is now back with the Pixies for a very successful reunion tour. It has been rumored The Pixies will release a new album. But it is confirmed The Breeders will be back in the recording studio.
- IMDb mini biography by: Britty (aka dietspritezero)
- SpouseJohn Murphy(May 1983 - 1988) (divorced)
- Smoking cigarettes while playing bass guitar
- She was credited as "Mrs. John Murphy" on the first two Pixies records. When she divorced her husband in 1988, she went back to her real name. Another stage name she used was "Tammy Ampersand" when she was in the Amps.
- Ranked #98 on VH1's 100 Greatest Women of Rock N Roll.
- A fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997), she and her band, The Breeders, appeared live on the show.
- She was the only one to answer the band ad in the Boston Phoenix wanting a "female bassist/vocalist for high harmonies, no chops". When she joined the Pixies, she played her sister Kelley Deal's Aria Pro bass. She used the Aria to record "Come On Pilgrim" and "Surfer Rosa". Before recording "Doolittle", producer Gil Norton told her she had to buy a better sounding bass. It was then she bought her 1962 Fender Precision Bass reissue. That is her main bass today.
- Twin sister of Kelley Deal.
- I wanted to be a cellular biologist. I liked cells. I went to college for a couple of years. I graduated with an associate's degree and was asked to work in a laboratory at a hospital. Then I worked at a biochemical lab doing tests on urine, even sperm counts; sperm was the worst. I mainly worked with blood, though. Then I started getting away from that. I'm hepatitis-positive just because of working with blood. I'd open a vial and get sprayed right across the face and then I'd just wipe it off. I wasn't as careful as I should have been.
- Bass still doesn't feel like my instrument. But I think I'm good at it.
- I remember one of the guys' mothers coming to see us, and it was just when Madonna was breaking. She was telling me, 'Well, all you need to do is get yourself a nice bustier, a lot of bracelets and some big earrings, and you'll look real alternative rock'.
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