Jimmy Gnecco

Gnecco was born on September 30, 1973 in Teaneck, New Jersey[1] at Holy Name Hospital and grew up in Ridgefield Park. Gnecco grew up well rounded in his musical influences, listening to old Motown artists like the Jackson Five, Smokey Robinson, and Marvin Gaye. Gnecco calls Gaye's What's Going On his favorite album. He has also cited artists and bands like Frank Sinatra, U2, Radiohead, Jellyfish, and KD Lang as people that helped shape his musical pathway.

Being fairly small all his life, Gnecco's years as a teenager in high school were plagued with a fair share of teasing and bullying from his peers. High school was also the time period in which Gnecco would start his life as a musician. Before forming Ours, Gnecco played guitar and fronted bands called "Lost Child", "Harmony Bandits", and "The Puddles". Gnecco started singing at the urging of other bandmates, eventually finding enjoyment in it. Gnecco had very little formal vocal training saying he couldn't afford it.

Gnecco, who has never been married, has three older sisters and two younger brothers. The youngest of them, Pit, formerly played drums for numerous Ours tours. Gnecco also had two children, both born to different mothers. Gnecco remains a doting father to both. In 2002, shortly after the release of their second album, Gnecco's then girlfriend ended her own life. This caused Gnecco to reconsider his choice to be a constantly touring musician after being distraught about not being there for his loved ones. It took a long while for Gnecco to resume his career as a musician. Gnecco stated, "I was really hesitant to pick up a guitar again and start singing or writing. I didn't feel like singing. And writing...I couldn't even look at myself in the mirror, so how could I write? I just felt like, 'I don't like myself at all.' I felt horrible. I felt guilty."

Maintaining a very small frame, Gnecco is an avid runner. He used to live a vegan lifestyle for several years, but explained in a recent interview that he added meat back into his diet after feeling weak at times. He stated, “I was a vegan for about twelve years, but I’m not anymore. I still try to be as much of it as I can. But every once in awhile I have to eat some salmon or some tuna, or turkey or something. I have to because I work out a lot and it’s really tough if I’m working out that much. I feel a little bit better when I eat a little bit of meat. I don't overdo it but I’m not fully a vegan.” Gnecco also cautiously protects his voice, often performing without air conditioning and also avoiding being in rooms where people are smoking.

Gnecco started a friendship with late musician Jeff Buckley shortly before his death. When his career with Ours finally got media attention, it was often falsely reported that Gnecco worked as Buckley's guitar technician. Along with those reports, vocal and physical comparisons to Buckley often plagued Gnecco. While Gnecco cites Buckley as an inspiration to him later in his career, in an attempt to silence the comparisons, he stresses that Buckley was not an influence on his singing style, explaining that he and Buckley shared a lot of the same influences growing up. Gnecco has often professed a great love and respect for Buckley and wrote the songs, "I Heard You Singing," "Bleed," "As I Wander," "Living In A Video," & "Saint" about his lost friend.