Alain David Jourgensen[6][a] (born Alejandro Ramírez Casas;[11] October 9, 1958) is a Cuban-American singer, musician and music producer.

He was the primary musician of several Ministry-related projects, such as Revolting Cocks, Lard, and Buck Satan and the 666 Shooters.

Jourgensen is a prominent figure in industrial music,[sources 1] influencing numerous other groups and musicians, both in alternative and industrial-associated acts.

Born in Havana shortly before the Cuban Revolution of 1959, at the age of three Jourgensen moved to the United States with his family, and was raised mainly in Chicago and Breckenridge, Colorado.

Jourgensen formed Ministry in 1981 in Chicago and received significant attention from music press regarding the band's 1983 debut studio album, With Sympathy.

[20] He was a fan of a wide range of artists including the Beatles, Pink Floyd, Hawkwind, Led Zeppelin, Hank Williams and George Jones.

Jourgensen formed Ministry in 1981 after leaving Special Affect, a post-punk band that included Frankie Nardiello, founding member (as Groovie Mann) of My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult and drummer Harry Rushakoff of Concrete Blonde).

However, its next album, Filth Pig (1996), divided their fan base, leading to a commercial decline that became evident when Warner Bros. Records dropped them from the label in 2001.

Ministry's next albums, Rio Grande Blood (2006) and The Last Sucker (2007), as well as the 2006 Revolting Cocks album Cocked and Loaded, were released on Jourgensen's new record label, 13th Planet Records, which he formed after falling out with the mainstream agendas of major industry labels.

stood for "Anal Intruder" and threatening to walk off production because it was not a porn film,[citation needed] he and Spielberg enjoyed a friendly relationship,[24] with two compositions appearing on the soundtrack: "What About Us" and "Dead Practice".

[26][27] In a November 2008 issue of Hustler Magazine, Jourgensen announced that Ministry was officially finished, as the band "[took] up so much time" and releasing new albums was difficult.

[29] At his 57th birthday listening party in Chicago he announced a new project called, SMM or Surgical Meth Machine.

[34] Revolting Cocks, also known as RevCo, is an American industrial rock band that began as a musical side project for Richard 23 of Front 242, Luc van Acker, and Jourgensen.

Their seventh album, Sex-O Olympic-O, which was produced by Jourgensen at his studio, was released on his 13th Planet label in March 2008.

[36] During the late 1980s, Jourgensen started a short-lived side project named 1000 Homo DJs, under the pseudonym Buck Satan.

[38] In 2015, Jourgensen announced that he started "a speed metal project" named Surgical Meth Machine with engineer and longtime collaborator Sam D'Ambruoso.

Jourgensen also produced music for Reverend Horton Heat, Skinny Puppy, Dessau, Skrew, Rigor Mortis,[40] The Blackouts, and DethRok.

[44][45] Inspired by The 13th Floor Elevators, Jourgensen started utilizing vocal effects beginning with The Land of Rape and Honey to distort his voice using Eventide.

Jourgensen kicked his heavy drug (heroin, methadone, crack, pills) habit, and as of 2019, he has limited his intake to beer, marijuana, and psilocybin mushrooms.

[53] Jourgensen almost lost his arm and foot in two separate incidents, the first due to a spider bite,[54] the second the result of a hypodermic needle wound.