While it is true that John Michael Stipe is surrounded by rumour, here are some facts:
- He has a tattoo of a brick on his hand and one of Krazy Kat on his upper arm (he was a big fan of the comic strip as a child. The brick is relevant).
- He is the youngest in his family. His older sisters, Linda and Cyndy, have both worked with him at various points, most recently on the album “Monster” as backing vocalists.
- He is a vegetarian who rolls his own cigarettes, preferring to use liquorice-flavoured papers.
- His favourite song is Wild Thing, by the Troggs (subject to change).
- The distinctive scar between his eyebrows dates from a car crash when he was nineteen.
- He has formed relationships with several interesting and provocative people, including the Reverend Howard Finster, Natalie Merchant, Kurt Cobain, Bill Clinton, the Beastie Boys and the Dalai Lama.
- He writes oblique, haunting lyrics of a universal nature equaled only by their obscurity.
- He had surgery for an inguinal hernia in 1995 and has been advised not to sing falsetto anymore. Despite this, old favourites like "Tongue" have been creeping back into the set recently.
- He is named after John Wesley, founder of the Methodist church.
- His image changes over the last two decades rival even Madonna's, and he has sported not only the shaved dome we all know and love but also a monk's tonsure, braided pigtails, Ian Hunter-esque bleached locks and a new-wave fringe.
- He has been accused of being willfully obscure, although he denies it.
- He has been known to unplug all the electrical appliances in his house, sing under his breath while being interviewed, lick people’s glasses clean, and take pictures of post boxes.
- He has described himself as an equal opportunity letch.
- He lives in Athens, GA, as well as LA, New York and London.
If anyone else has any random pieces of relevant Stipe info that they think will add to the whole, /msg me and I'll include them.