Michael Fitzpatrick (musician)
The sharp-dressed frontman who led Fitz and the Tantrums with soulful swagger, reviving a classic sound for a modern indie-pop audience.
Born 1970 (age 56)·French musician·Birthday: July 21·Generation X
Biography
Michael Fitzpatrick, known simply as FITZ, emerged not from a traditional music scene, but from a moment of personal revelation. Working in a documentary film company, he purchased a vintage organ on a whim, and a late-night songwriting session birthed 'Breakin' the Chains of Love,' the track that would become the foundation for Fitz and the Tantrums. With no guitarist in the lineup, Fitz built the band's signature sound around his soul-infused vocals, that organ, and a powerhouse co-vocalist in Noelle Scaggs. Their 2010 debut, 'Pickin' Up the Pieces,' was a stylish, retro-fueled statement made on a shoestring budget. FITZ's confident, energetic presence and the band's airtight live shows propelled them from LA clubs to international fame, with hits like 'The Walker' and 'HandClap' ensuring their throwback soul became a ubiquitous, danceable fixture.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Michael was born in 1970, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Michael Was Born
The biggest hits of 1970
#1 Movie
Love Story
Best Picture
Patton
#1 TV Show
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Michael's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1970Born
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1975Started school
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1983Became a teenager
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1986Could drive
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1988Could vote
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1991Turned 21
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2000Turned 30
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 40
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 50
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 56 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Founded and leads the indie pop band Fitz and the Tantrums, known for hits like 'HandClap' and 'The Walker'.
- The band's debut album, 'Pickin' Up the Pieces', was recorded in his home studio and achieved critical acclaim.
- Performed as a headlining act on major television shows including 'The Tonight Show' and 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!'.
Did You Know?
He is half-French and lived in Paris for a period during his childhood.
Before music, he worked in the film industry, including at the documentary company where he edited films like 'March of the Penguins.'
The band's name was partially inspired by his own nickname, 'Fitz,' and the idea of a 'tantrum' representing energetic musical outbursts.
“I bought an organ and wrote a song in one night; it was that simple.”
