Shavo Odadjian

Shavo Odadjian (born April 22, 1974) is an American musician, songwriter, and music video director, who is best known as the bassist, backing vocalist, and occasional keyboardist of the American rock band System of a Down. Odadjian is also the founder and CEO of the independent record label Chop Shop Records, which he established in 2002.

Early Life and Influences: Shavo Odadjian was born in Yerevan, Armenia, and moved to Los Angeles, California, with his family at the age of five. He attended Alex Pilibos Armenian School and graduated from Glendale High School. Odadjian's early musical influences include Metallica, Slayer, and Faith No More. He began playing the bass guitar at the age of 16.

System of a Down: Odadjian met System of a Down vocalist Serj Tankian while they were both attending Hollywood's Rose and Alex Pilibos Armenian School. Along with guitarist Daron Malakian and drummer John Dolmayan, they formed System of a Down in 1994. The band quickly gained popularity in the Los Angeles underground music scene and released their debut album, System of a Down, in 1998. The album was a critical and commercial success, selling over two million copies in the United States.

System of a Down went on to release four more studio albums: Toxicity (2001), Steal This Album! (2002), Mezmerize (2005), and Hypnotize (2005). All of these albums were commercially successful, with Toxicity reaching triple-platinum status in the United States. The band also won a Grammy Award in 2006 for Best Hard Rock Performance for the song "B.Y.O.B." System of a Down went on hiatus in 2006, but they reunited in 2010 and have continued to tour and perform sporadically since then.

Chop Shop Records: In 2002, Odadjian founded the independent record label Chop Shop Records. The label has released albums by artists such as Scars on Broadway, Achozen, and the Apex Theory. Odadjian has also produced and directed music videos for many of the artists on his label.

Other Work: Odadjian has also directed music videos for other artists, including Wu-Tang Clan, P.O.D., and Serj Tankian. He has also appeared in several films, including The Devil's Rejects (2005), American History X (1998), and The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006).

Personal Life: Odadjian is married to Angela Odadjian, and they have two sons together. He is an avid collector of art and vintage toys. Odadjian is also a supporter of animal rights and has worked with PETA on several campaigns.