Biography of Sims Ellison

Sims Ellison (1967-1995), was a prodigious songwriter and member of the band Pariah, one of Austin's most popular hard-rock bands in the early 90s. He was loved throughout the Austin music community because of his laid-back nature and his out-going personality. Sims played the bass and was well-known for wearing funky hats and leiderhosen while performing. He enjoyed spending time with friends and fans and his girlfriend of several years, Renee Zellweger. Good reviews from their two self-produced cassettes, Pariah and Rattle Your Skull gave Pariah a following of nearly 25,000 fans and sent them to Los Angeles where they bumped into Madonna at a recording studio. Sims invited Madonna to a game of pool which she declined… However, she later invited Sims to appear in her "Deeper and Deeper" video. In 1992 Pariah released the self-produced CD Make Believe, on the band's own label, Sick Kid Productions, and To Mock a Killingbird was released by Geffen Records in 1993. Two years later, Sims lost his battle with depression and took his own life.

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