Back in 1979 an elevn-year-old Bradley Nowell and his
family took a trip down to Jamaica, and it was here that
he grew a liking for Raggae music. Bradley had all ready
been playing the guitar since he was very young, but the
rhythms of Raggae music had a large impact on the style of
music he was creating. Growing up in Long Beach, CA during
the 1980s he had such influences as the Ziggens (his favortie
band), the Vandals, Secrete Hate and he always admired Bob
Marely. He had old school punk and ska influences, and of
course raggae. As Bradley grew older he also became
influenced by dub and some rap. He came to have a unique
talent for mixing multiple styles of music together and
creating a rather different sound.

     The other members of Sublime, Bud (bass) and Eric
(drums), had been friends since they were children. Bud's
father taught Eric how to play the drums. Bud and Eric grew
up together, playing in one unsuccessful band after another.
It would be in 1988 when they meet up with Bradley, when
things begin to change for them. At the time Bradley was
attending Cal State Long Beach. They began to play together
on the CSULB's campus and gathered a fairly large following
there. Soon thereafter they adopted the name "Sublime."

     Attending CSULB with Bradley, was Micheal "Miguel"
Happoldt, who at the time was a member of the Ziggens and
wanted to release some of their demo tapes. But they did not
have a record label and so Miguel took a sharpie marker and
scribbled Skunk Records on the liner for the demo tapes.
Sublime had just finished a 4-song 16-track demo tape and
Miguel asked them if they wanted to put it out on his new
record label, and the partnership began. A partnership that
would lead the music from keg parties to video music awards
and platinum plaques.

     After many years of hard work and playing in no name
clubs, Sublime released their first legal full length album in
1992, entitled "40 oz. to Freedom." A funny side note about
their album, is that everyone in the band and Miguel, still
to this day will not comment on how they financed the
recording of 40 oz. They had one radio hit off of this
album, that being "Date Rape." Shortly after "Date Rape"
became extremely popular Southern California radio stations,
such as KROQ 106.7, Bradley released this statement stating
how Sublime would never "sell-out" and always let the music
be about just the music and NOT the money. Something that
Sublime has always been known for is that their music was
more than just actual music and playing the music and
listening to the music, it was and is a life style.

     After the success of "40 oz. to Freedom" in 1992, Sublime
released their second album in 1994, "Robbin' the Hood."
Shortly after this album Sublime joined the Vans Wrapped
Tour in 1995, by this time Sublime had developed a
following around the world. Also by this time Bradley and
Bud had been in and out of rehab multiple times and both
had once again started shooting herion. Sadly a few months
after Bradley's son was born and a few months before
their thrid album, self titled, was released, Bradley over
dosed on herion and ended his life on May 25th, 1996. The
most unfortunate part of this story, is that after all of
Bradley's hard work for the band and his family, he never
saw the real success and popularity Sublime recieved after
self titled was released in 1996. They would have four hits
off of their thrid album. They even won an award at the
MTV usic Video Awards, also self titled went on to platinum.

     After the huge success of Sublime's thrid album, self
titled, and the tragic passing of Bradley, the remaining
members of Sublime, Bud and Eric, and other friends of the
band got together to do benefit concerts for Bradley's son
and wife, and also in memory of Bradley and what Sublime
stood for. When Bud, Eric, and the other friends of Sublime
did these concerts, the began calling themselves "The Long
Beach Dub All Stars," or LBDA for short. This band became
such a huge success, that they decided to actually form a band
and make a record. In late 1999, eleven years after Sublime
formed, LBDA released their first album, "Right Back."
Their first single, "Trailer Ras," was a hit on radio
stations and made it to the top 20 of billboard's charts.
Also, LBDA continues to stand by Sublime's creed, of just
letting it be about creating the music and not how many
albums they can sell or how many arenas they could sell
out. And just how it was back in the old days, in the small no
name clubs, Bradley's faithful dalmation, Louie, still attends
every concert and is on stage to join in.