▁re loc ations ▁for ▁his ▁family . ▁His ▁younger ▁sister , ▁Ly nd a ▁St ipe , ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 2 ▁and ▁became ▁the ▁vocal ist ▁of ▁her ▁own ▁band ▁H etch ▁H etch y . ▁St ipe ▁and ▁his ▁family ▁moved ▁to ▁various ▁local es ▁during ▁his ▁child hood , ▁including ▁West ▁Germany , ▁Texas , ▁Illinois , ▁and ▁Alabama . ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 8 , ▁he ▁graduated ▁from ▁high ▁school ▁in ▁Collins ville , ▁Illinois . ▁His ▁senior ▁photo ▁is ▁p ict ured ▁in ▁the ▁album ▁art ▁work ▁of ▁E pon ym ous . ▁St ipe ▁also ▁worked ▁at ▁the ▁local ▁W aff le ▁House . ▁He ▁was ▁raised ▁in ▁and ▁came ▁from ▁" a ▁place ▁of ▁faith ", ▁as ▁previous ▁gener ations ▁of ▁his ▁family ▁were ▁Method ist ▁minister s . ▁ ▁Career ▁ ▁Form ation ▁of ▁R . E . M . ▁ ▁While ▁att ending ▁college ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Georgia ▁in ▁Ath ens , ▁St ipe ▁frequ ented ▁the ▁Wu xt ry ▁record ▁shop , ▁where ▁he ▁met ▁store ▁cl erk ▁Peter ▁Buck ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 0 . ▁" He ▁was ▁a ▁striking - looking ▁gu y ▁and ▁he ▁also ▁bought ▁weird ▁records , ▁which ▁not ▁everyone ▁in ▁the ▁store ▁did ", ▁Buck ▁re called . ▁The ▁two ▁became ▁friends ; ▁they ▁eventually ▁decided ▁to ▁form ▁a ▁band ▁and ▁started ▁writing ▁music ▁together , ▁although ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁St ipe ▁was ▁also ▁in ▁a ▁local ▁group ▁named ▁Gang ster