| Background: | person |
| Johnny 3 Tears | |
| Birth Name: | George Ragan |
| Birth Date: | 24 June 1981 |
| Origin: | Los Angeles, California |
| Occupation: | Musician |
| Instrument: | Vocals, bass guitar |
| Discography: | Hollywood Undead discography |
| Years Active: | 2005–present |
| Current Member Of: | Hollywood Undead |
George Ragan (born on June 24, 1981), better known by his stage name Johnny 3 Tears (acronymized as J3T), is an American musician who sings and plays bass guitar for the band Hollywood Undead.
Ragan grew up in a rough neighborhood of Los Angeles that was heavily affected by street gun violence, drugs, graffiti, and gangs (particularly the 18th Street gang).[1] In preschool and kindergarten, he was close friends with some of his future Hollywood Undead bandmates, including Charlie Scene (birth name Jordon Terrell).[2] Ragan's parents regularly gifted him with books for Christmas to aid his education.[3] At the age of 17, Ragan graduated from high school while at juvenile hall for firearm possession.
Ragan co-founded Hollywood Undead in 2005; the band started out by posting their music to MySpace, and their popularity on the platform landed them a deal with MySpace Records after Tom Anderson took notice and invited the band out to dinner.[4] In 2008, Ragan assisted in writing the band's breakthrough single "Undead", which reflects an expression of the band's frustrations after getting into the corporate side of the music industry.[5] The song "Pour Me" (from the 2011 album American Tragedy), in which Ragan does all the rapping, contains introspective lyrics that chronicle his battle with alcohol.[6] In 2012, Ragan helped write the song "We Are" as a means to inspire youth and teen fans;[7] he started by writing the chorus for the song.[8]
On May 14, 2021, Ragan released a solo album titled The Abyss under the moniker "George Ragan the Dead Son".[9] [10] On March 27, 2024, he featured on the song "Vendetta" by TX2.[11]
Ragan has cited his ten most influential albums as Sea Change by Beck (2002), Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) by Wu-Tang Clan (1993), Pretty Hate Machine by Nine Inch Nails (1989), Relationship of Command by At the Drive-In (2000), Generation Rx by Good Charlotte (2018), For Those That Wish to Exist by Architects (2021), Now Or Never by Giggs (2020), Ghøstkid by Ghøstkid (2020), Who Do You Trust? by Papa Roach (2019), and …If You Don't Save Yourself by Zero 9:36 (2021).[12] [13]
Since 2010, Ragan and Hollywood Undead bandmate J-Dog (birth name Jorel Decker) have run a cannabis business together called "Dove and Grenade".[14] They began by growing in a few garages in the North Hollywood and Sylmar neighborhoods of Los Angeles. After the 2018 legalization of cannabis in Oklahoma for medical usage, Ragan and Decker moved their company's operations eastward to Lindsay, Oklahoma in 2019.[15] [16]
In an interview with Cryptic Rock, Ragan stated that he regularly meditates, and that he enjoys exploring the culture of places that he visits on tour.[17] Around early 2020, Ragan moved from his native Los Angeles to Nashville for a "change of pace".[18]