Nic Cester

Nicholas John Cester, better known as Nic Cester, is my hero because he is not only a great musician but he has done great things as well. Nic Cester is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist but is mostly known for playing with the band "Jet." He is also known for forming the Australian supergroup "The Wrights" and playing with bands like "Muse."

Nic Cester was born on July 6, 1979 in Melborne, Vitoria, Australia. Nic grew up with his family in Dingley village, a suburb outside of Melbourne. When he was growing up he listened to his parents' old records by bands such as The Who or AC/DC but, he most frequently played The Beatles or The Rolling Stones. He eventually formed a pretend band playing drums on couch cushions and using tennis rackets as guitars. The band consisted of his little brother Chris on drums, Cameron Muncey on Guitar, Mark Wilson on bass, and he sang lead vocals. This would eventually become the line-up for Jet. When he was in high school his uncle taught him how to play guitar after he watched him play "Blackbird" by the Beatles. In 1996, Nic Cester decided to form a band with Cameron Muncey and Chris Cester with Doug Armstrong on bass.

Nic Cester and Jet played at small clubs and bars. During this time he worked as a forklift operator in a Melbourne factory. One night while playing at the Duke of Windsor Hotel, Dave Powell of Majorbox Music became their manager. In 2002, Nic and Jet released the Dirty Sweet EP printing only 1,000 copies but, there was such a demand for the EP they printed 1,000 more. In 2003, Nic and Jet accepted a record contract with Electra Records and a re-release of Dirty Sweet. Nic and Jet released their debut album "Get Born" in 2003 and toured with "The Rolling Stones." Their new album became an instant hit, selling 3.5 million copies worldwide. During their "Get Born" tour, Nic's father died of cancer. So Nic and his brother Chris dedicated their second album to their father and wrote the song Shine-on to help his family through their hard times. After they released Shine-on, the band took some time of. During this time Nic Cester formed the Wrights to play a benefit show for one of his friends to help him raise money for alcohol and drug rehabilitation but most of the money went to the Red Cross to help with the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami. After the Wrights, Nic went back to record Jet's most recent album "Shaka Rock" and a single with Iggy Pop.

Nic Cester is a great musician but he still found time to help people in need. Nic has done several benefit show The Wrights and Jet some of which include the concert for a cure for Cancer awareness. He also performed with Jet at Sound Relief which helped the Red Cross with the relief for the Victorian brush fires. Nic also performed many benefit concerts and released a single with all the proceeds going to The Red Cross and The Salvation Army with The Wrights. Also in 2007, Nic and Jet signed a petition to end Canada's annual seal hunt. He is also an activist for The Fred Hollows Foundation which helps aid counties with blindness. In 2008, Nic filmed a Youtube video with Jet to raise awareness for the organization.

In conclusion, Nic Cester is my hero because he is a great musician, a great person, and overcame great odds to get where he is today. Nic currently is touring with Jet on their world tour for their new album "Shaka Rock." Nic spends his free time in his two homes in Milan and Melbourne with his girlfriend Pia McGeoch. Nic Cester is a great musician and a great role model for any young musician.