Rogue (musician)

Rogue (born Virgil Roger du Pont III^[1], July 4,1972) is a founding member and creator of the American darkwave band The Crüxshadows. Born in Charlottesville VA to a middle class family, he moved frequently throughout the 1970s and early/mid 1980s, living on or near US Army bases in Europe and the United States. The son of an Army officer, he spent many of his formative years abroad. As a youngster, he was removed from normal classes to be placed in an Art program designed to find talent and cultivate it in young children. His family finally returned to Jacksonville, Florida where both his mother and father had lived prior to his birth, and he was enrolled in several Catholic schools. As a child he excelled in art, poetry, drama, and music. He was a troupe member of Marion Conner's Story book players, and was active in musical theater for a number of years, as well as many other art & vocal related programs. He toured parts of the US with the Theater Jacksonville production of Oliver Twist in the mid 1980s, as well as participating in other musical productions.

Called "Bear" by his family he was dubbed "Rogue" by friends as a teenager^[2]. At 13 he attended Bishop Kenny High School in Jacksonville, FL where he was an honor student, letterman, founder of the poetry club, national competitor in speech & debate, Editor-in-Chief of the yearbook, and Executive Officer in the school's Navy Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC).

After high school he was awarded a full academic scholarship and attended Florida State University in Tallahassee, majoring in Art. It was here that he convinced the FSU Music School to allow him to learn the violin, an instrument which he originally performed in the Crüxshadows in addition to vocals. While a student he took courses in music composition, paleontology, film, and Math Logic . He graduated magna cum laude from FSU's art school with straight A's throughout his college career. While at FSU Rogue was involved in the student government association, and was the leader of the Monarchy Party^[3] during its final period. He engineered the party's biggest and only significant victory, taking control of the executive branch of the student government. He was the last real leader of that group, although he did not take a royal title as was the tradition in the MP. The party fell into infighting and chaos following his graduation in 1994, and soon after disappeared.

He went to work for a year as a curator in a state-funded art gallery in the Florida State University Student Union building named the Oglesby Gallery, which he had proposed and helped to realize while a student^[4]. He was responsible for a short-lived artistic movement out of that school called Sentimentalism, that held several art shows in the southeastern united states. Rogue's own artwork involved stone-carving, installation sculpture, photography, film, animation, computer manipulation, and oil paints & pastels. Later he would create primarily digital artwork. Rogue was a DJ at a club called Brothers^[5] in Tallahassee through most of the 1990s. The New Wave/80's night he DJ'd was one of the most popular weekly events in the City for several years.

Rogue started The Crüxshadows in the early 90's while in college. Eventually the band became synonymous with the singer/poet/performer. He is responsible for writing most, if not all of the bands songs to date (lyrics & music), and is the primary force in the bands decade and a half history. His artwork adorns several of the covers of the Crüxshadows' albums & EPs.

His most regarded composition is Winterborn, although Sophia is the band's first Billboard hit. Marilyn, My Bitterness, & Deception are among a few of the more popular songs he penned and recorded.

Rogue's spider-like hairstyles may be the most identifiable feature of his appearance, though he is also known for his unique performing style, the oddly moral and hope filled lyrics he writes, his awkwardly impassioned vocals, and the tight and personable relationship he has with his fans^{[citation needed]}. His stage persona is charismatic and dramatic, which often includes significant audience interaction and mobility allowed by his headset microphone. It is not uncommon that he climbs trusses, tables, and whatever else is available while singing, and often moves freely through the audience while performing.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rogue.

• Official Site of The Crüxshadows
• Interview w/Rogue @ Legends
• Rogue's Writing Credits