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Alice Cooper was born Vincent Damon Furnier, in Detroit, Michigan, the son of a minister. He moved to Phoenix, Arizona, at a young age and still lives in the state today. At age 17, he formed a rock band called the Earwigs, who changed their name to The Spiders and then The Nazz, before finally settling on Alice Cooper. The line-up included himself, Dennis Dunaway, Michael Bruce, Glen Buxton and Neal Smith. Rumors (which the band did not necessarily make efforts to deny) to the contrary, the name was not chosen from a Ouija board reading nor was it named after a woman once burned at the stake for witchcraft -- it was picked because the random name had a twisted sense of originality and misleading innocence, complementing the band's bizarre and macabre stage theatrics and lyric themes.
The band got their first big break playing at the Whisky a Go Go in Los Angeles one night in 1969 when Frank Zappa discovered them and signed them to his record label. After two albums-and relocating to Detroit -- they were signed by Warner Bros., hooked up with famous producer Robert Ezrin and came out with their third album, the breakthrough "Love It to Death" in 1971. Several albums followed, including "Killer", the highly successful "School's Out", "Billion Dollar Babies" and "Muscle of Love". The band made an appearance in the movie Diary of a Mad Housewife (1970) and their own theatrically released documentary Good to See You Again, Alice Cooper (1974). Alice himself also starred in an episode of The Female Instinct (1972).
The original Alice Cooper band broke up in 1975, with the lead singer getting his name legally changed to Alice Cooper -- and performing under the name ever since -- while some of the other members formed a band called the Billion Dollar Babies. That same year saw the release of a Greatest Hits album, while Alice as a solo artist completed the album "Welcome to My Nightmare" and his incredibly theatrical tour. It was on this tour that he met his future wife Sheryl Cooper, who had been hired as a dancer.
Along with the album and tour came a television special, Alice Cooper: The Nightmare (1975), and both included dialog from horror movie legend Vincent Price. Alice made a number of other television and movie appearances in the second half of the decade, including The Muppet Show (1976), Mae West's final film Sextette (1977), Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1978) and several appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962).
However, by the late 1970s, Alice's problems with alcohol became life-threatening, and he was checked into a clinic for rehabilitation. He told of his experiences on the semi-fictional album "From the Inside" (there was also a comic book of the same title), and explored different sounds in the early 1980s with four albums ("Flush the Fashion", "Special Forces", "Zipper Catches Skin", "DaDa"). After having a severe "falling off the wagon" to the point of almost dying, he sobered up once more -- this time for good -- and returned with the albums "Constrictor", "Raise Your Fist and Yell" and the 1989 album "Trash", which featured the hit song "Poison". The 1980s also saw Alice starring in the horror films Monster Dog (1984) and Prince of Darkness (1987), as well as having mostly new songs for the soundtracks to Roadie (1980), Class of 1984 (1982), Friday the 13th: The New Blood (1988) and Shocker (1989).
However, it was the 1990s that brought Alice's most memorable movie appearance: playing himself in Wayne's World (1992). The phrase uttered by characters Wayne and Garth in his presence, "We're not worthy!", became one of the most popular movie catchphrases of the decade. Alice also played the father of Freddy Krueger in Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991), and himself on That '70s Show (1998) and Something Wilder (1994). The decade also saw the release of his "Hey Stoopid" and "The Last Temptation". Alice toured occasionally but took a break from releasing albums until 2000, when he released "Brutal Planet". He followed this up with "Dragon Town", "The Eyes of Alice Cooper" and "Dirty Diamonds", and continues to tour regularly, performing shows with the bizarrely dark and horror-themed theatrics that he's best known for.- Actor
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Born and raised in Lafayette, Indiana, W. Axl Rose is the pure embodiment of decadent late 1980s rockerdom. Brash, slightly misogynistic and notoriously wild, Rose grew up in a maniacally dysfunctional household - molested by his own father at age two; beaten by his abusive stepfather.
When Axl was 17 he fled Indiana on a Greyhound bus destined for Los Angeles (the haven for all that embodies sinnin' and grinnin'). After auditioning for a lion's share of punk bands (many of which he was turned down for because of his uncanny vocal resemblance to Robert Plant) he joined the seminal rock band L.A. Guns before ultimately forming Guns N' Roses. After Guns N' Roses met with the unprecedented success of their debut album "Appetite For Destruction", massive stadium tours soon became a reality, and Axl's status as a bona fide sex symbol was officially cemented. However, internal troubles with the band members and the heavy drug use among them eventually rendered Guns N' Roses obsolete until only recently. Comeback? We'll see.- Music Artist
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Michael Philip Jagger was born in Dartford, Kent on 26th July 1943. When he was 4 he met Keith Richards until they went into secondary schools and lost touch. But one day in 1960 they accidentally met on the Dartford train line and both realized that they had an interest in rock n roll combined with blues. Between 1960 and 1962 The Rolling Stones formed. It was comprised of Mick on lead vocal and harmonica, Keith Richards on guitar, Bill Wyman on bass, Charlie Watts on drums and Brian Jones on guitar.
In 1964 they released their first album "The Rolling Stones". Eventually in 1965 they had their first number 1 hit in the UK with "The Last Time" which was followed by "I can't get no Satisfaction". Throughout 1966-1969 they toured the world with many great hits like "Let's Spend the night together" (1967) and "Sympathy for the Devil" (1968). But in 1969 Brian Jones committed suicide and Mick and Keith Richards were blamed for his death. But this fusion blew over and they got another guitarist to replace Brian in Mick Taylor. They released the album "Let it Bleed" (1969) with the track "Honky Tonk Woman". After they completed a North American tour Jagger finally went to star in Performance (1970) as the retired rock star Turner. The film was released in August 1970 with Mick starring opposite James Fox and Mick even had his first solo hit which was the soundtrack to the film "Memo from Turner".
In 1971 The Rolling Stones came back with the album "Sticky Fingers" which would be the most popular album they ever made. From this album there were songs like "Wild Horses" and "Brown Sugar" and were major hits all over the world. While this was happening Bianca Jagger gave birth to Jaggers daughter Jade Jagger. Throughout the 70s The Rolling Stones made thousands of live performances and achieved endless record sales with hits like "Angie" (1973), "It's Only Rock and Roll" (1974), "Hot Stuff" (1976) and "Respectable" (1978). In 1974 Ronnie Wood had replaced Mick Taylor on guitar and Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood both played lead guitar. In 1980 Jagger divorced Bianca Jagger and went on to record and release "Emotional Rescue" with The Rolling Stones and it was a platinum album. In 1981 "Tattoo You" was released and the group went on a major world tour, their first in three years, which filled stadiums in the US and arenas in Europe. After the tour ended in 1982 Jagger was starting to like other music. In 1983 The Rolling Stones recorded the album "Undercover" at the Compass Point in Nassau. But recording sessions didn't go well as during this time Mick and Keith Richard were having arguments about the kind of music the group should be playing. Even though the album was a success it seemed like The Rolling Stones were now going over the edge.
In May 1984 Mick recorded "State of Shock" with The Jacksons which led Mick wanting to try out a solo career. So in September he recorded his first solo album with guests like Pete Townshend and Jeff Beck. Shortly before the album was released The Rolling Stones decided to record their first album under a new Sony records contract. Keith Richards didn't approve of the solo efforts - he wanted Mick to stick to The Rolling Stones. In July 1985 Jagger made his first solo live appearance at the Live Aid benefit concert in Philadelphia. The Rolling Stones were going to perform but decided not to as things weren't going well for them at the time. During 1986 Mick worked on his second solo album "Primitive Cool" which he hoped would be a success but this was not to be. However, his 1988 tour proved to be a success, selling out in Japan.
But Mick accepted the fact that the only way to carry on with success was to get back with The Rolling Stones so in January 1989 he and Keith Richards reformed and they wrote songs for what was to be the "Steel Wheels" album. After the album was released The Rolling Stones went on a major worldwide tour with special concerts at London's Wembley Stadium. Sadly though in 1992 bassist of The Rolling Stones Bill Wyman announced his departure from the group which was to be the following year. Even though The Rolling Stones were upset to see him leave they accepted the fact that he'd been in there too long and they had to let go. Jagger released some more solo material during this time but it wasn't such a success. In 1994 The Rolling Stones released the album "Voodoo Lounge" and they went back on tour. The first The Rolling Stones project without Bill Wyman. The tour was the biggest tour in rock history raising over 300 million. As this tour was a success they returned yet again in 1997 with the "Bridges to Babylon" album and tour which lasted for two years which was combined with the "No Security" live album and tour. After the tour was finished Jagger's marriage was on the line as he had another child from a secret love affair. Soon after this was found out the marriage between him and Jerry Hall had ended. Since then Jagger's been a film producer and a solo artist. He has produced the film Enigma (2001) and has recorded his 2001 album "Goddess in the Doorway" - another commercial flop. But never fear because just recently the Stones announced a 40th Anniversary tour and that it will start in September, 2002.- Actor
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Dee Snider was born on 15 March 1955 in Massapequa, Long Island, New York, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for Twisted Sister: We're Not Gonna Take It (1984), StrangeLand and Rock of Ages (2012). He has been married to Suzette Snider since 23 October 1981. They have four children.- Actor
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Best known as the fire breathing, blood splitting and larger than life co-founder of the major hard rock group, KISS. Simmons was actually born Chaim Witz in August 1949 in Haifa, Israel, the son of Hungarian Jewish parents, Flóra "Florence" (Klein or Kovács) and Feri Yechiel Witz. He moved to New York as a young child. Like many American teenagers of the 1960s, he was influenced by a fascination with comic book super heroes, monster movies and rock and roll music, thus the teenage Simmons set about creating what he perceived as the ultimate music supergroup.
Simmons eventually crossed paths with like-minded musician / songwriter Paul Stanley (born Stanley Eisen) in the early 1970s, and after several failed attempts to create their dream band, they recruited fellow New Yorkers spaced out guitarist Ace Frehley (born Paul Daniel Frehley) and "do anything to make it" drummer Peter Criss (born Peter Crisscuola).
The four struggling young musicians practiced relentlessly in a rundown loft in New York City refining their music & stage show before eventually launching themselves on the New York live music scene in the early 1970s with their blitzkrieg style of hard rock, kabuki stage make up and unforgettable high energy performances. After bombarding media, TV & public relations identities with invites to their shows, Simmons and Stanley soon brokered a deal with Madison Ave executive Bill Aucoin for him to manage the band, and Aucoin soon scored KISS a record deal with the fledgling Casablanca Records & Filmworks.....and the rest as they say is KISStory!
Since their first album debuted in 1974, KISS have sold over 80 million albums and played over 2,000 shows to millions of loyal fans (known as the KISS Army) right around the globe. Never one to keep still for too long, the charismatic Simmons made his first feature film appearance as his alter ego (The Demon from KISS) in the 1978 telemovie Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park (1978), which received scathing reviews in the USA from TV critics. However KISS fans internationally loved the film and it played theatrically to strong box office business in dozens of countries, and has since become something of a cult film....despite its corny, cartoonish plot! Since KISS didn't drop wearing their distinctive make up until 1983, it was several years before Simmons appeared in front of the cameras again (this time without the Demon make up), as an evil techno-junkie killer battling Tom Selleck in the thriller Runaway (1984). Simmons has since continued to turn up in low-key roles in B-grade thrillers such as Wanted: Dead or Alive (1986) and Red Surf (1989) that utilize his ability to glower and look menacingly into the camera. In addition, Simmons has appeared in minor guest roles in several TV crime shows including Miami Vice (1984), Millennium (1996) and, most recently, in Third Watch (1999).- Music Artist
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One of the pioneers of heavy metal and one of its most commercially successful and iconic artists, Ozzy Osbourne was born in Birmingham, England, as John Michael Osbourne. After leaving school and having many odd jobs, he ended up in a band with Geezer Butler. This group then split, leading Ozzy and Geezer to join Tony Iommi and Bill Ward in a new band that went under several names (including Earth) that ended up being called Black Sabbath after a song of the same name that appeared on their first album (released 1969/70). He recorded several more albums with Sabbath despite the decline of his relationship with Tony Iommi, which after several break ups led to him leaving/being fired from the band in 1979. After a short time he launched a solo career with a line up behind him that varied immensely from album to album and tour to tour. During the 80's he was treated several times for alcoholism and was sued twice for the suicides of some of his young fans (cleared completely). Following his No More Tears album he declared he would tour for the last time. In 1991, on his last date he reformed briefly on stage with Black Sabbath for three songs. However a much talked about reformation tour fell through and Ozzy seemed to go into retirement, his bassist (Mike Inez) joined Alice in Chains and the guitarist (Zakk Wylde) formed his own band, Pride and Glory. Now however he is recording a new album and has said he intends to tour again. The album should be out in the summer of 1995 and the tour should be shortly after. Geezer Butler has now quit Sabbath (again) and rejoined Ozzy (he played bass for him on tour during the mid to late 80's) and should play on the new album.- Actor
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Vince Neil was born on 8 February 1961 in Hollywood, California, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for The Dirt (2019), Friday Night Lights (2004) and Hot Tub Time Machine (2010). He has been married to Lia Gherardini since 9 January 2005. He was previously married to Heidi Mark, Sharise Ruddell and Elizabeth W. Lynn.- Actor
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How many rock stars can brag about recording and touring consistently in six different decades? That's just one of the many claims to fame enjoyed by Ronnie James Dio. Born on July 10, 1942, this Cortland, New York native began his recording career back in 1958. Even back then, the seeds of Ronnie James Dio's future musical excesses had already been sown. After more than 40 years in the rock business, Ronnie James Dio has shown he still has what it takes to get the job done. The mystery surrounding Ronnie's age is still going. He himself says the age is not important, the only thing that matters is the music. He was born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, but was raised in Cortland, near Syracuse in New York State in the USA, in a quiet, Italian, middle class community. Ronnie changed his name sometime (the exact date is unknown) from Padovana to Dio - Which means "God" in Italian.- Producer
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Sammy Hagar was born on 13 October 1947 in Monterey, California, USA. He is a producer and actor, known for Rock & Roll Road Trip with Sammy Hagar (2016), Footloose (1984) and Over the Top (1987). He has been married to Kari Hagar since 29 November 1995. They have two children. He was previously married to Betsy Berardi.- Actor
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David Lee Roth was born in Bloomington Indiana in 1954. A few years later, his father Nathan, a doctor, moved the family to sunny California. The move proved to be a good one because while attending Pasadena Community College, David teamed up with the Van Halen brothers and Michael Anthony to form the Mighty Van Halen hard rock band. Their debut album was in 1978, the self titled album "Van Halen". Their biggest success was the song "Jump" in 1984 - the song reached No. 1 on the Billboard charts. In 1985, Dave decided to branch out on his own and leave the popular Van Halen. Dave's EP "Crazy From The Heat" was a hit and his solo career was on its way. As years passed, Dave's solo career faded. In 1996, Van Halen and Dave reconvened (due to the departure of Dave's replacement, Sammy Hagar) for two new songs on the band's greatest hits CD. Their reunion was short lived as the Van Halen brothers chose a another singer (Gary Cherone formerly of Extreme) over Dave. In 1997, he wrote and released his autobiography book titled "Crazy From The Heat". These days, he still tours as a solo artist.- Music Artist
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Prior to Hobbstweedle (a pickup blues band formed to honour a gig at West Midlands College Of Education) Robert was the frontman for The Band of Joy - featuring Percy, John Bonham, Paul Lockey (bass), Chris Brown (keyboards) and Kevyn Gammond (guitar). The BOJ were on verge of making a record deal when they split a little acrinmoniously. This led to Rob eventually joining Led Zeppelin after a few blind alleys. The rest is history.- Actor
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George Thorogood was born on 24 February 1950 in Wilmington, Delaware, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), Bull Durham (1988) and Megamind (2010). He has been married to Marla Raderman since 16 July 1985. They have one child.- Actor
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Dave Mustaine was born on 13 September 1961 in La Mesa, California, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for Last Action Hero (1993), X-Men: Apocalypse (2016) and Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997). He has been married to Pamela Anne Casselberry since 3 March 1991. They have two children.- Actor
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Ronald Belford Scott was born on July 9, 1946 in Kirriemuir, Scotland, UK. In 1952, the Scott family relocated to Australia. Bon's strong distaste for authority led him to quit his studies at the age of 15. Bon's earliest musical efforts were both on vocals and drums. His first "real" job in the music business was in a pop band called The Valentines, whose single "Every Day I Have To Cry" reached the top five of the local charts. On September 1969, however, The Valentines were arrested for dope possession which shattered their clean-cut image beyond repair, and the band officially called it quits a few months later. Within six months of The Valentine's dissolution, Bon joined a new blues-rock band called Fraternity; the efforts of the band to achieve some success in Europe were largely fruitless and they returned to Australia slightly disillusioned. After returning home, Bon was involved in a motorbike accident that left him in a coma for three days and in the hospital for several months, ending his association with Fraternity. Now based in Adelaide, Bon was reduced to taking on casual work until the day he was offered the chance to drive the bus for this new and really young rock band called AC/DC around. But Bon harboured ambitions to front the band. He persuaded the Young brothers that the band needed a better frontman and he suggested himself as the ideal replacement. And when former singer Dave Evans failed to turn up for a show, Bon seized his chance. With Bon Scott as a frontman, AC/DC got into sharp focus and the next five and a half years saw them getting more popular with each passing year, ultimately achieving world-wide success with their million-selling "Highway To Hell". The band's legendary status is believed to be largely due to the period spent with Bon Scott as the band's lead singer. Yet Bon Scott was also an excessive drinker and this would ultimately lead to tragedy. After a night of heavy drinking, Bon died in a car parked outside a friend's flat in South London sometime on February 19, 1980. He was prononced dead on arrival at Kings College Hospital. Bon Scott lies in the Fremantle Cemetery's Memorial Garden in Australia.- Music Artist
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Freddie Mercury was born on the Tanzanian island of Zanzibar. His parents, Bomi and Jer Bulsara, sent him off to a private school in India, from 1955 til 1963. In 1964, he and his family flew to England. In 1966 he started his education at the Ealing College of Art, where he graduated in 1969. He loved art, and because of that, he often went along with his friend Tim Staffell, who played in a band called Smile. Also in this band where Brian May and Roger Taylor.
When Staffell left the band in 1970, Mercury became their new singer. He changed the band's name into Queen, and they took on a new bass-player in February 1971, called John Deacon. Their first album, "Queen", came out in 1973. But their real breakthrough was "Killer Queen", on the album "Sheer Heart Attack", which was released in 1974. They became immortal with the single "Bohemian Rhapsody", on the 1975 album "A Night At The Opera".
After their biggest hit in the USA in 1980 with "Another One Bites The Dust", they had a bad period. Their album "Flash Gordon" went down the drain, because the movie Flash Gordon (1980) flunked. Their next, the disco-oriented "Hot Space", was hated not only by rock critics but also by many hardcore fans. Only the song "Under Pressure", which they sang together with David Bowie, made a difference. In 1983, they took a year off. But, in 1984 they came back with their new album called "The Works". The singles "Radio Ga Ga" and "I Want to Break Free" did very well in the UK but a controversy over the video of the latter in the USA meant it got little exposure and flopped. Plans to tour the USA were cancelled and the band would not recover their popularity there during Mercury's lifetime.
In April 1985, Mercury released his first solo album, the less rock-oriented and more dance-oriented "Mr. Bad Guy". The album is often considered now to have been a flop, but it actually wasn't. It peaked at number six in the UK and stayed on the chart for 23 weeks, making it the most successful Queen solo project. The band got back together again after their barnstorming performance at Live Aid (1985) in July 1985. At the end of the year, they started working on their new album, "A Kind Of Magic". They also held their biggest ever world tour, the "Magic Tour". They played Wembley Stadium twice and held their very last concert in Knebworth, in front of 125.000 people.
After 1986, it went silent around Queen. In 1987, he was diagnosed with AIDS but he kept working at a pace. He released a cover of the 1950s song "The Great Pretender", which went into the UK top ten. After that, he flew to Spain, where he made the magnificent album "Barcelona", together with Montserrat Caballé, whom he saw performing in 1983. Because Mercury loved opera, he became a huge fan of her. For him, this album was like a dream becoming reality. The single "Barcelona" went huge, and was also used as a theme song for the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.
After "Barcelona", he started working with the band again. They made "The Miracle", which was released in early 1989. It was another success, with hits such as "Breakthru", "I Want It All", "The Invisible Man" and the title track. At this point, Mercury told the band he had AIDS, meaning that a tour of the album was out of the question. After Mercury told the band, he refused to talk about it anymore. He was afraid that people would buy their records out of pity. He said he wanted to keep making music as long as possible. And he did. After "The Miracle", Mercury's health got worse. They wanted to do one more album, called "Innuendo." They worked on it in 1990 and early 1991. Every time when Mercury would feel well, he came over to the studio and sang. After "Innuendo" was released in January 1991, they made two video clips. The first one was the video clip of "I'm Going Slightly Mad", shot in March 1991. Because Mercury was very thin, and had little wounds all over his body, they used a lot of make-up. He wore a wig, and the clip was shot in black and white.
Mercury's final video clip was released in June 1991. The clip, "These Are The Days Of Our Lives", later turned out to be his goodbye song, the last time he appeared on film. You could clearly see he was ill, but he still hadn't told the world about his disease. Rumours went around that he some kind of terrible disease. This rumor was confirmed by Mercury himself, one day before he passed on. His death was seen as a great loss for the world of popular music.- Actor
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Steven Tyler was born on 26 March 1948 in Yonkers, New York, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for Be Cool (2005), Epic (2013) and Wayne's World 2 (1993). He was previously married to Teresa Barrick and Cyrinda Foxe.- Music Artist
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Sebastian Bach was born on 3 April 1968 in Freeport, Bahamas. He is a music artist and actor, known for Rock of Ages (2012), Gilmore Girls (2000) and Swearnet (2014). He has been married to Suzanne T. Le since 22 August 2015. He was previously married to Maria Bierk.- Music Artist
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Robert Bartleh Cummings, more famously known as Rob Zombie, was born in Haverhill, Massachusetts on January 12, 1965. He is the oldest son of Louise and Robert Cummings, and has a younger brother, Michael David (aka Spider One; b. 1968), who is the lead singer of Powerman 5000. Growing up, Zombie loved horror movies, which have greatly influenced his music and filmmaking career; in 1983, he graduated from Haverhill High School. After graduating, he moved to New York City to attend Parsons School of Design, also briefly working as a production assistant on Pee-wee's Playhouse (1986).
Zombie and his then-girlfriend, Sean Yseult, co-founded the band White Zombie, named after the Bela Lugosi classic horror film of the same name (White Zombie (1932)). The band released their debut studio album, 'Soul-Crusher', in 1987; their second, 'Make Them Die Slowly', followed in 1989, but generated little buzz.
Following the release of their fourth extended play, however, White Zombie caught the attention of Geffen Records, who in 1992 went on to release their third studio album, 'La Sexorcisto: Devil Music Volume One'. This album sold over two million copies in the U.S., becoming the band's breakout hit. White Zombie's fourth and final album, 'Astro-Creep: 2000 - Songs of Love, Destruction and Other Synthetic Delusions of the Electric Head', was released in 1995 to critical and commercial success, ultimately becoming their most successful album. The band released a remix album in 1996 and disbanded the same year, officially breaking up in 1998.
Rob Zombie began working on a debut album in 1997; 'Hellbilly Deluxe: 13 Tales of Cadaverous Cavorting Inside the Spookshow International' came out in 1998, selling over three million copies. Zombie formed his own record label, Zombie-A-Go-Go Records, in 1998.
Zombie composed the original score for the video game Twisted Metal III (1998) and designed a haunted attraction for Universal Studios in 1999. In 2000, he began working on his directional debut, House of 1000 Corpses (2003). Inspired mainly by classics such as The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), the film was delayed until 2003 due to distributional issues. Though criticized for its explicit depictions of violence and gore, it went on to gross over $16 million and has garnered a cult following.
Zombie's second studio album, 'The Sinister Urge', was released in 2001 and sold over a million copies. In 2002, he married his longtime girlfriend Sheri Moon Zombie, who has appeared in all of his movies to date and often accompanies him on tour to choreograph dance routines and create costumes. Zombie released a sequel to 'House of 1000 Corpses' in 2005, entitled The Devil's Rejects (2005). Although it received much more positive reviews than its predecessor, it was still criticized for its violent content. He released his third studio album, 'Educated Horses', the following year.
In 2007, Zombie decided to focus on his work as a filmmaker for a while; the same year, he would release his most polarizing movie to date: Halloween (2007), a remake of the 1978 classic of the same name (Halloween (1978)). It received a mixed reception, but was a box office hit, and still currently resides as the top Labor Day weekend grosser. Zombie directed a fictitious trailer entitled 'Werewolf Women of the SS' (inspired by the exploitation flick Ilsa: She Wolf of the SS (1975)) for Grindhouse (2007). In 2009, Zombie directed Halloween II (2009), which was critically panned, and The Haunted World of El Superbeasto (2009), which was based upon one of his comic book series.
Also in 2009, Zombie began working on a new album; 'Hellbilly Deluxe 2: Noble Jackals, Penny Dreadfuls and the Systematic Dehumanization of Cool' came out the following year. In 2011, he directed a horror-themed commercial for Woolite, and began work on a new film, The Lords of Salem (2012). Unlike Zombie's previous efforts, 'The Lords of Salem' focused more on building suspense and a nightmarish, surreal atmosphere and less on brutal violence and excessive profanity. It ultimately received mixed reviews; just after its release, Zombie came out with his fifth studio album, 'Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor', his lowest-selling to date.
Zombie lent his voice to the superhero movie Guardians of the Galaxy (2014). He also began work on 31 (2016), which tells the story of five carnival workers who are trapped and forced to fight for survival against a gang of murderous clowns. It premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival in January, and will be released in September. In April, Zombie's sixth studio album, 'The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser', was released. Additionally, he has signed on to direct a film on the life of zany comic Groucho Marx, though a release date is uncertain.
Zombie is most recognized for his heavy metal style of music, influenced by his love of classic horror, and his exploitation/splatter-type movies. Overall, he has sold an estimated fifteen million albums worldwide, and his films have grossed over $150 million in total.- Actor
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Rob Halford was born on 25 August 1951 in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, England, UK. He is an actor and composer, known for Spun (2002), Godzilla vs. Kong (2021) and Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992).- Actress
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Joan Jett rose to fame in the 1970s all-girl rock band The Runaways. Her cover of "I Love Rock and Roll" was a number one hit in 1982; "Crimson and Clover" was another hit for her. Jett has appeared as Columbia in the Broadway production of "The Rocky Horror Show".- Music Artist
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James Douglas "Jim" Morrison was an American poet, singer, and songwriter from Florida. He was the lead vocalist of the rock band "The Doors" (1965-1973), and has been cited as "one of the most influential frontmen in rock history". Morrison recorded a total of six studio albums with the Doors, all of which sold well. Morrison struggled with alcohol dependency for most of his adult life, and displayed erratic behavior both on and off the stage. He was described as "A Jekyll and Hyde" by record producer Paul Rothchild, due to often displaying contradictory character traits in his interactions with others. Morrison died unexpectedly in Paris, France at the age of 27. No autopsy was ever performed, and the cause of Morrison's death remains disputed. His mysterious death has inspired a large number of theories, and has fascinated people for decades.
In 1943, Morrison was born in Melbourne, Florida, a city located 72 miles (116 kilometers) southeast of Orlando. Melbourne emerged as a new settlement in the 1870s. It was named after Melbourne, Australia, because the new town's first postmaster had spend most of his life in the Australian city. Morrison's parents were George Stephen Morrison (1919-2008) and his wife Clara Virginia Clarke (1919-2005). Morrison's father was a career officer of the United States Navy, and would eventually reach the rank of rear admiral. George is primarily remembered for his service in the Vietnam War. The Morrisons were part of a Scottish-American family that had been living in the United States since the 18th century. Genealogical research has indicated that they were descendants of Clan Morrison, a Scottish clan which is primarily associated with the Isle of Lewis and Harris.
Morrison experienced the typical nomadic life of a military brat, as his family never settled permanently in any location. At various points in his childhood, Morrison lived in San Diego, in northern Virginia, in Kingsville, Texas, and in Albuquerque, New Mexico. In 1957, Morrison started his high school years in Alameda, California. In 1959, he was transferred to the George Washington High School, located in Alexandria, Virginia. He graduated from there in June 1961. During his last years of high school, Morrison maintained a grade average of 88. He reportedly tested in the top 0.1% with an IQ of 149.
Following his high school graduation, Morrison went to live with his paternal grandparents in Clearwater, Florida. He initially attended the St. Petersburg Junior College, which had been operating as a private, non-profit institution since the late 1920s. In 1962, Morrison started attending the Florida State University (FSU), located in Tallahassee. In September 1963, he was first arrested for the police. He had been found drunk at a home football game, and was charged with disturbing the peace.
In 1964, Morrison was transferred to the film program at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He enrolled at a class which studied the works of Antonin Artaud (1896-1948), and reportedly developed a fascination with surrealist theatre. In 1965, Morrison completed his undergraduate degree at UCLA's film school. He refused to attend the graduation ceremony, and the University mailed his diploma to his mother.
Following his university graduation, Morrison followed a bohemian lifestyle in Venice Beach, California. He lived on the rooftop of a building, and wrote song lyrics without having a chance to perform them. In the summer of 1965, Morrison and his recent acquaintance Ray Manzarek decided to form a rock band. They soon recruited the guitarist Robby Krieger and the drummer John Densmore. Morrison decided to name the band "The Doors", after the autobiographical book "The Doors of Perception" (1954) by Aldous Huxley. The name of the book was a reference to using "psychedelic drugs as facilitators of mystical insight".
Morrison soon emerged as the primary lyricist of the band, though Krieger wrote or co-wrote several of their hit songs. Morrison typically avoided using music instruments in live performances, though he learned to use both the maracas and the tambourine. In June 1966, the band were the opening act at the nightclub "Whisky a Go Go" in West Hollywood. During their performances there, Morrison interacted with the Irish singer Van Morrison (1945-), and studied aspects of Van's stage persona and stagecraft. He eventually incorporated several of these aspects into his own stage persona.
In November 1966, Morrison and the other members of the band produced the promotional film "Break On Through (To the Other Side)", named after the title of their first single. They would continue to create short music films throughout the initial years of the band. In 1967, the band signed a contract with the record company Elektra Records. The company would promote their songs to nationwide. The band had its breakthrough hit in the summer of 1967, with the single "Light My Fire". It spent three weeks at the top spot of the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
The band was soon booked to perform two of their songs in the variety television series "The Ed Sullivan Show". The show's censors insisted on changes to "Light My Fire", due to the show's explicit references to drug use. The band feigned compliance, but instead used the explicit version of the song. The resulting controversy caused the cancellation of their six further bookings for television appearances. However, their popularity among rock fans increased.
In September 1967, the band released their second album "Strange Days". It reached the 3rd place number on the US Billboard 200, and earned favorable reviews by the music press. The bands distinctive blend of blues and dark psychedelic rock had turned them into one of the most popular rock bands in the United States. However, Morrison would soon gain notoriety for different reasons. He was arrested on stage in New Haven, Connecticut, after narrating to the audience his recent encounter with a police officer who had maced him. The local police charged him with indecency and public obscenity, though the charges were eventually dropped. Morrison was the first rock performer to be arrested onstage during a live performance.
In September 1968, the Doors played in Europe for the first time. They gave four performances at the Roundhouse, London. Their performances were filmed by Granada Television for the television documentary "The Doors Are Open", which introduced the band to a wider British audience. As the band was gaining international popularity, the members increasingly took note of Morrison's self-destructive behavior. They were aware that he was a heavy drinker, but they realized that he started regularly appearing inebriated in their recording sessions.
By early 1969, Morrison had gained weight. He decided to stop wearing leather pants and concho belts, and to dress casually instead. He also ditched his typically clean-shaven look, and grew a beard for the first time. On March 1, 1969, Morrison increased his own reputation for rebellious behavior. While performing at the Dinner Key Auditorium in Miami, he encouraged the audience to start a riot and threatened to expose his penis on stage. Within days, six warrants for his arrest were issued by the Dade County Police department. One on them on charges of indecent exposure.
Due to Morrison's ongoing legal problems, many of the Doors' scheduled concerts had to be canceled. On September 20, 1970, Morrison was convicted of indecent exposure and profanity in a jury trial in Miami. In October 30, he was officially sentenced to imprisonment for 6 months and a fine of 500 dollars. Morrison remained free on a bond of 50,000 dollars. He commented in a press interview that the American judicial system favors the wealthy, and that (in his words) "if you have money you generally don't go to jail".
Morrison's last album with "The Doors" was "L.A. Woman". It was recorded between December 1970 and January 1971, and eventually released in April 1971. The album was heavily influenced by the blues genre, even more so than their previous works. It was co-produced by the veteran sound engineer Bruce Botnick. The album peaked at the 9th place on the Billboard 200, and the 28th place on the UK Albums Charts. Its most popular song was "Riders on the Storm", which peaked at the 14th place on the U.S Billboard Hot 100.
After finishing the recording of the album, Morrison announced to his band-mates that he planned to move to Paris, France. They had no objection to his decision. In March 1971, Morrison joined his longtime girlfriend Pamela Courson (1946-1974) at her rented apartment in Rue Beautreillis. This Paris street was noted as the former residence of the poet Charles Baudelaire (1821-1867). While staying in Paris, Morrison shaved his beard and lost some weight.
On July 3, 1971, Courson found Morison dead in the bathtub of their apartment at approximately 6:00 a.m. No autopsy was performed, as it was not required by French law. The official cause of death was heart failure, though this was just an educated guess. There were initial rumors of an accidental heroin overdose, but no evidence could confirm them. Morrison was buried at "Père Lachaise Cemetery", the largest cemetery in Paris and the most visited necropolis in the world. The cemetery was founded by the emperor Napoleon in 1804, and houses the remains of several famous writers and artists. Morrison has continued to inspire musicians for decades, and has repeatedly been cited as a main inspiration for the gothic rock genre.- Music Artist
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Kurt Cobain was born on February 20 1967, in Aberdeen, Washington. Kurt and his family lived in Hoquiam for the first few months of his life then later moved back to Aberdeen, where he had a happy childhood until his parents divorced. The divorce left Kurt's outlook on the world forever scarred. He became withdrawn and anti-social. He was constantly placed with one relative to the next, living with friends, and at times even homeless. Kurt was not the most popular person in high school as he was in public school. In 1985 Kurt left Aberdeen for Olympia where he formed the band Nirvana in 1986. In 1989 Nirvana recorded their debut album Bleach under the independent label Sub-Pop records. Nirvana became very popular in Britain and by 1991 they signed a contract with Geffen. Their next album Nevermind became a 90s masterpiece and made Kurt's Nirvana one of the most successful bands in the world. Kurt became trampled upon with success and found the new lifestyle hard to bear. In February 1992 Kurt married Courtney Love, the woman who was already pregnant with his child, Frances Bean Cobain. Nirvana released their next album Incesticide later that year. The album appealed to many fans due to the liner notes, which expressed Kurt's open-mindedness. In September 1993 Nirvana released their next album, 'In Utero', which topped the charts. On March 4, 1994, Kurt was taken to hospital in a coma. It was officially stated as an accident but many believe it to have been an unsuccessful suicide attempt. Family and friends convinced Kurt to seek rehab. Kurt was said to have fled rehab after only a few days from a missing person's report filed by Courtney Love. On April 8th Kurt's body was found in his Seattle home. In his arms was a shotgun, which had been fired into his head. Near him laid a suicide note written in red ink. It was addressed to his wife Courtney Love and his daughter Frances Bean Cobain. Two days after Kurt's body was discovered people gathered in Seattle, they began setting fires, chanting profanities, and fighting with police officers. They also listened to a tape of Courtney reading sections of the suicide note left by Kurt. The last few words were "I love you, I love you".- Actor
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Ted Nugent was born on 13 December 1948 in Detroit, Michigan, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for Superbad (2007), The Heat (2013) and Pain & Gain (2013). He has been married to Shemane Nugent since 21 January 1989. They have one child. He was previously married to Sandra Ann Jezowski.- Actor
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Brian Johnson was born on 5 October 1947 in Dunston, Gateshead, England, UK. He is an actor and composer, known for Iron Man (2008), Maximum Overdrive (1986) and The Avengers (2012). He is married to Brenda. He was previously married to Carol.- Actor
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Chris Cornell was a rock icon who thrived on contradictions. An innovator who resisted genre labels, he was nonetheless a chief architect of the 90s grunge movement. Frequently ranked as one of the best voices in music history, he successfully maintained his own unique identity over decades as a multi-Grammy award-winning musician and universally acclaimed singer, songwriter and lyricist.
Chris Cornell was born Christopher John Boyle on July 20 1964 in Seattle, Washington. He was the second youngest of six children, and was the son of Karen Cornell, an accountant, and Edward Boyle, a pharmacist. He was of mostly Irish, English, Scottish, and Norwegian ancestry, with many of his mother's ancestors coming from Canada. His parents divorced when Chris was in his early teens, and Chris and his siblings changed their surnames from Boyle to his mother's maiden name. Chris rebelled against his Catholic upbringing and was on the verge of being expelled from the parochial school he attended when his mother pulled him out. As an adolescent, he experimented with drugs and stealing. Among the things he stole were a collection of Beatles records from his neighbour's basement which sparked an interest in songwriting. Though his parents had given him piano lessons from early on, Chris said his mother saved his life when she bought him a snare drum. A week later he bought himself an entire drum kit and thus began his forage into rock n roll.
Cornell dropped out of school at the age of 15 for two reasons: one was because he had problems with authority, the other was that he wanted to work to help his mother support the family. He waited tables and later on became a cook. He honed his skills as a songwriter and musician by playing in bands on the side. He experienced his first bouts of depression during his teens. His condition became so severe he didn't leave his home for almost a year. Fortunately, he was able to check his use of recreational drugs. He later earned his GED.
He formed Soundgarden with Hiro Yamamoto, Kim Thayil and Matt Cameron in the mid-eighties. Yamamoto left the band was replaced by Ben Shepherd. Soundgarden were the first of the Seattle grunge bands to get signed by a major label during the late 80s and would eventually go on to become on of the most successful bands of the 1990s. Soundgarden were a law to themselves, edgy, dark and deeply individual. Their savage soundscapes, coupled with Cornell's incisive lyrics and predatory roar, seduced audiences hungry for musical depth and complexity, while leading trends in street fashion and iconic design. Their sound continued to change and evolve over the course of five pioneering albums.
Chris also enjoyed success with several side projects, among them Temple Of The Dog with Eddie Vedder. Temple had already shown Cornell's more soulful side, and introduced future Pearl Jam frontman Vedder to the world.
Around this time, he married his long-time girlfriend, Alice In Chains manager Susan Silver. Silver, at the request of Cornell's band, had also taken on the management duties of Soundgarden. After achieving multi-platinum status and earning 2 Grammy awards, Soundgarden amicably disbanded in 1997.
Cornell decided to go it alone and released 'Euphoria Morning', a solo album that showed his amazing versatility as a vocalist and songwriter, with its richly melodic and critically acclaimed sound, recognized for its alienation and despair. His songs shocked his grunge fanbase by boldly exploring folk, R&B and melding a variety of genres. 'Euphoria Morning' earned Cornell a Grammy nomination in the category of Best Male Rock Performance. However Cornell was dissatisfied with the commercial performance of his solo album and severely disillusioned by the deaths of several close friends. Plagued for many years by social phobias and alcohol abuse, it all came to head and he plunged into a deep depression. Once again, he began to use drugs.
In June of 2000. Chris and Susan welcomed their first child, a daughter, Lillian Jean. The couple later divorced. In a turn of fortune, 2000 was also the year producer Rick Rubin suggested Cornell jam with the remaining members of Zach de la Rocha's abandoned band, Rage Against The Machine. The collaboration was so successful, Cornell along with guitar virtuoso Tom Morello, innovative bassist Tim Commerford and powerhouse drummer Brad Wilk formed Audioslave, a multi-platinum supergroup which lived to deny its detractors, producing three top-selling albums, touring the world and becoming the first American band to bring rock to Castro's Cuba. They built a reputation as a live act second to none.
Cornell subsequently redefined his sound and vision to encompass new music, new collaborations and new activities. Having contributed solo songs to movie soundtracks from "Great Expectations" to "Mission Impossible II", he became the first American male singer to write the theme song for the James Bond franchise in its most successful film to date, "Casino Royale." His bold and bluesy reinvention of Michael Jackson dance classic "Billie Jean" courted controversy and attracted imitators. And his triumphant 2007 world tour brought together songs from every stage of his career, reinterpreting them for new audiences and blending their original fire with the shock of the new. He also married publicist Vicky Karayiannis, and the couple had two children.
Outside music, Cornell fronted fashion designer John Varvatos's Spring 2006 collection and settled in Paris with his family, where he has helped revive a historic restaurant, the stylish Black Calavados.
Chris Conell died on May 18, 2017 in Detroit, Michigan. Always eclectic, always experimental, he broke rules, made history and challenged expectations.- Actor
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Paul Stanley is the charismatic front man/lead vocalist/rhythm guitarist/songwriter for hard rock super group KISS, best known for his wailing vocals, high-energy on-stage antics and appeal to female fans. Born Stanley Eisen on January 20, 1952, in Queens, New York, Stanley took a keen interest in music from a young age, and in his early teens he was already playing guitar and writing his own songs.
A chance meeting with another aspiring young musician, Gene Simmons, led the two of them to form several musical groups including "Wicked Lester"; however, none of them took off commercially. Stanley and Simmons then decided on a revamped idea of how their "ultimate group" should look and sound, and they then recruited lead guitarist Ace Frehley and drummer Peter Criss. After mediocre success from their first three studio albums titled "Kiss", "Hotter Than Hell" and "Dressed To Kill", they released a double live album simply titled "Kiss: Alive", and it was a mega success. KISS was the hottest group in the US between 1975 and 1980, with every album going platinum and stadiums being sold out to frenzied fans.
However, all was not well within the KISS ranks, with Criss departing in 1980, followed by Frehley in 1983. Various guitarists and drummers moved in and out of the band over the next 12 years, but an Unplugged (1989) special brought all four original members back together in 1995 with considerable interest from promoters. Subsequently, the original four members embarked on "Kiss: Alive Worldwide", the biggest grossing tour of 1996/97, and they continued to tour relentlessly for the next four years.
Thirty years of wild leaps, swirls and prancing had taken their toll on his body, however, and in early 2005 he underwent hip replacement surgery, from which he is expected to make a full recovery. Whilst many may disagree, Simmons and Stanley can proudly stand alongside other key popular song writing duos such as Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, or John Lennon and Paul McCartney in terms of both longevity and artistic output.
His on-camera appearances have included playing his "Starchild" alter ego in the hokey Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park (1978) and as himself in The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years (1988)- Actor
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Dave Grohl, Foo Fighters front-man, will always be remembered as the drummer for Nirvana. But, drumming for a great band such as Nirvana is not Dave's only claim in the world of music. Dave's musical career began at age 15 as the guitarist and later as the drummer for a punk band called "Freak Baby". A year later, he was behind the drums for "Mission Impossible" and later that summer drumming for "Dain Bramage". Another year down the road, an opportunity to drum with one of his favorite punk bands, "Scream", was just too great to pass up. This leads us to 1990 when "Scream" seemed to be coming to an end and "Nirvana" was in need of a drummer. While recording and touring with "Nirvana", Dave continued to write lyrics and music that he would record during breaks with "Nirvana". After the tragic end of "Nirvana", Dave eventually turned to his music to create Foo Fighters. While playing guitar and singing with Foo Fighters is his main job, you can also find Dave channeling his musical genius throughout the world of rock. Dave has drummed for Queens of the Stone Age and Killing Joke. He has also recorded and guest performed with his buddies Tenacious D. All the while recording for his own hardcore project, "Probot".- Composer
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Malcolm Young was born on 6 January 1953 in Glasgow, Scotland, UK. He was a composer and actor, known for School of Rock (2003), Last Action Hero (1993) and Maximum Overdrive (1986). He was married to Linda. He died on 18 November 2017.- Composer
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Angus Young was born on March 31, 1955 in Glasgow, Scotland. At school, Angus was an unenthusiastic student. His only real academic interest was art which allowed him some freedom of expression. He gave up school at 15 and went to work for a soft porn magazine called Ribald as a printer. But his ambitions laid elsewhere anyway, and for a year prior to leaving school Angus had been practising guitar almost constantly, jamming around with friends and playing at school dances. In the beginning, Angus messed around with brother Malcolm Young's guitars for years before his mother finally bought him his own, a cheap little acoustic. By the time he was eleven Angus had flirted with a tutorial course, but he prefered to learn by himself and most of his musical education was pure trial and error. While his older brother Malcolm Young was hatching plans for his new band, Angus was well on his way toward establishing a distinctive stage persona. His seemingly out-of-control onstage body language has always come naturally. Such trademark Angus moves as his patented duckwalk could be handy attention-getting devices when playing for drunken, rowdy barroom crowds. Many of these gestures grew out of accidents.
One night Tantrum, the pre-AC/DC band Angus was playing with, was going down really badly. Angus walked across the stage and tripped over the guitar lead, so he kept running across the floor. He made it look like a death scene, screaming all hell from the guitar. It was the only clap they got that night. Angus told his brother about it. Malcolm Young asked him to join the band he was putting together.- Actor
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Saul Hudson, mainly known as Slash, was born on July 23, 1965, and was raised in Stoke-on-Trent. Both his parents worked in the entertainment business, his mother being a clothing designer (she did some of David Bowie's costumes) and his father being an art director for a record company. When Slash was 11 he moved with his mother to Los Angeles, leaving his father behind in England, although he eventually joined them in L.A. years later. Slash became sort of an outsider at school since he didn't really fit in with other kids. In the mid 70s his parents separated and Slash moved in with his grandmother. During this time Slash got interested in BMX riding, and went on to win several awards and money in competitions.
When he was 15 he got his first guitar, and his schoolwork started to go downhill as he skipped class to sit playing guitar all day. Slash eventually got so tired of school that he dropped out in 11th grade. As he lived in Los Angeles, a city flourishing with new, young rock bands, he quickly got in touch with people to jam with. After meeting Steven Adler the two of them formed a band called Road Crew. Then he met Izzy Stradlin who played in a band with Axl Rose, and after hearing Axl sing live, he was set on getting him in his band. Soon a bass player answered one of Slash's ads in the paper, and Slash (guitar), Steven (drums), Izzy (guitar), Axl (vocals) and Duff McKagan (bass) formed Guns N' Roses in 1986. Soon enough, GNR were known across the globe as the new rock n' roll sensation. Album sales went sky high and the band was having a blast on their world tours, and during this time Slash worked with artists like Michael Jackson on the Dangerous album and Lenny Kravitz, just to name two. But after the Use Your Illusion tour, GNR decided to take a break. Slash however, needed to play music and so he formed his own band Slash's Snakepit. With the success of this bands album It's Five O'Clock Somewhere (1995), Slash told the public that Slash's Snakepit would be back again. During this time Slash and Axl were having some heated arguments about Guns N' Roses and what would happen next. Guns N' Roses as we knew them then, was terminated by the result as Slash decided to leave the band, handing all rights of the band name over to Axl.
After this Slash did a few gigs here and there, formed a band called Blues Ball who played blues covers, and even brought back Slash's Snakepit as he said he would, although they didn't last very long this time either. In 2000, Slash met Perla Ferrar and on October 15, 2001, married her. It's not surprising that he wore black leather pants, a white shirt and his faithful black leather jacket to the wedding! His new status as a married man didn't slow him down, though. In 2003, Velvet Revolver was formed by the former members of Guns N' Roses; Slash, Duff and Matt (who replaced Steven in 1990), Scott Weiland (vocals) from Stone Temple Pilots and Dave Kushner (guitar) from Wasted Youth. Velvet Revolver's debut album Contraband (2004) was long-awaited and sold incredibly well. They are now going to show up on the second Live Aid concert along with many other huge artists, which will be held in London. Velvet Revolver's plans to become a rock band of great magnitude are definitely in the works, and Slash himself has earned his title as one of the greatest rock n' roll guitar players in history.- Actor
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Layne was born August 22, 1967 in Kirkland, WA. When Layne was seven, his parents divorced. He started playing drums around the age of 12.
Layne always wanted to sing when he played his drums, so his groupies told him that he should sing instead. So, Layne traded in his drum set for a microphone and delay.
While at a party in Seattle in 1987, he met Jerry Cantrell who suggested the two start a band. Jerry then introduced Layne to Mike Starr, who introduced him to Sean Kinney. Layne was known to be dark and mysterious, but he actually had a thirst for knowledge and was a chatterbox. He was also an artist. Layne did the artwork both for Mad Season's album and in sleeve of Alice in Chains' "Dirt" album. His best known artwork is probably the Alice In Chains Sun Logo.- Actor
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Lemmy was born on 24 December 1945 in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, UK. He was an actor and composer, known for Grosse Pointe Blank (1997), Airheads (1994) and Smokin' Aces (2006). He died on 28 December 2015 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Actor
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Eddie Vedder was known in San Diego for being a surfer and a singer in the progressive rock band Bad Radio, where he sang in the 80's until he departed to join Pearl Jam in 1990. Right before Eddie left Bad Radio, they opened for Andy Summers at the Bucchanal in San Diego. After the show, Eddie jumped off stage to talk to a pal of his, who had predicted Bad Radio winning at a competition in the late 80's. Eddie was poor and desperate, and found strong encouragement in the words of his friend Boris, who predicted once again his huge success. Boris Acosta is now a film producer and director.- Actor
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His parents were divorced, and at a young age, he lost his mother to cancer. He grew up hunting, playing guitar, and was an ordinary quiet kid. Lars Ulrich put out an ad in 1981 in a newspaper asking somebody to jam out and listen to rock music with him and he replied. Lars Ulrich and James hooked up, and started the band, Metallica.- Music Artist
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Jon Bon Jovi, was born John Francis Bongiovi, Jr. On March 2, 1962, in Perth Amboy, New Jersey to parents John Francis Bongiovi, Sr. and Carol Sharkey.
Family: Jon's mother, Carol Sharkey, was a former model and one of the first Playboy Bunnies. She met Bon Jovi's father after she enlisted in the United States Marines. John was already in the Marines when they met.
Bon Jovi has two brothers, Anthony and Matthew. Bon Jovi has four children, and is married to Dorothea Hurley (1989-present).
Known best as a singer-songwriter, in 1983 he was the founder and frontman of a band that bears his name. Bon Jovi is also known as a record producer, actor and philanthropist.
Music Career: Bon Jovi's music career started in June of 1982 after he was turned down by several record labels, including Atlantic Records and Mercury (Polygram) for the song "Runaway" which he recorded with a studio band named "The Allstars."
After being turned down he visited New York City's major market rock station WAPP, also known as "The Apple" at 103.5FM. WAPP included the song on a compilation of local talent and it became in instant hit.
In 1983 he signed with Mercury Records to promote "Runaway" and had to form a new band. Jon Bon Jovi became David Bryan, Alec John Such, bassist, Tico Torres, drummer, and his neighbor, Dave Sabo at lead guitar. Sabo played only a few local shows before he left to form the group Skid Row with Rachel Bolan. Sabo was soon replaced with Richie Sambora.
After "Runaway" became a worldwide hit, Bon Jovi wanted a name for the band. He wanted to call themselves Johnny Electric. But Richard Fischer, employed then by Doc McGhee, suggested that Bon Jovi follow the norm where many bands were naming their groups by the lead or frontman' name, such as, Van Halen, Dokken, Bryan Adams, Alice Cooper (70's), so Bon Jovi became the name of the band.
The band's breakout album, "Slippery When Wet," was their third studio album released in 1986. It became the band's best-selling album, selling more than 28 million worldwide, according to a Jan. 29, 2008 issue of the Daily Telegraph.
Bon Jovi's next album, "New Jersey," not only shared the same success as "Slippery When Wet," the album had five top-10 hits on Billboard's Hot-100. No other album or artist ever produced as many top-10 hits, and as of this writing (September 4, 2016) this record still stands. And two of the top-10 hits, "Bad Medicine" and "I'll Be There For You" topped the charts at number one, according to Bon Jovi's Biography on the Billboard website.
The band then went on an 18-month international tour, and when they finished, the band went on a hiatus.
Hiatus and Young Guns II: During the hiatus, Bon Jovi was hired to write the soundtrack for the movie "Young Guns II." During this time actor Emilio Estevez approached Bon Jovi and asked if he could use "Wanted, Dead or Alive" as the title song for the movie.
Bon Jovi balked at the idea, saying he didn't think that song was the proper song, so he quickly wrote "Blaze of Glory."
As the story goes, Kiefer Sutherland in an interview for UNCUT magazine said; "When Jon (Bon Jovi) joined the team for Young Guns II, we were all eating hamburgers in a diner and Jon was scribbling on this napkin for, say, six minutes. He declared he'd written 'Blaze of Glory', which of course then went through the roof in the States. He later gave Emilio Estevez the napkin. We were munching burgers while he wrote a No. 1 song... Made us feel stupid."
Afterwards, Bon Jovi played the song in a New Mexico desert for Estevez and John Fusco. This was the first time Bon Jovi played the song and heard by anyone. When the co-producers heard the song in a trailer, it was a no-brainer. It became the theme song for "Young Guns II."
"Young Guns II," which was released in 1990 named which Bon Jovi made into his next album "Blaze of Glory." This was Bon Jovi's first solo album as the other band members were off doing other things during the hiatus.
The movie's budget was $20 million and went on to earn $44 million. Two hits came from this album, "Blaze of Glory" and Miracle." Bon Jovi earned several Grammy and Oscar nominations.
While he wrote a song or two for a couple of shows before this, this was his first and only project where he wrote every song for a movie's soundtrack. He did go on to write songs for other movies, and many of the group's songs were used in a variety of TV series.
Back Together (Kind Of): During the years from their first hit "Runaway" in 1982, the group has released 12 studio albums and Bon Jovi recorded two solo albums and a number of singles. Worldwide, his band has sold more than 130 albums, ranking them among the top of the best sellers.
But the band isn't sitting around and resting. In 2015 there were rumors of a planned new album to be released sometime in 2016.
Rumors used to spread like wildfires, but today, the Internet allows them to travel at the speed of light. Talk about a new album for 2016 was confirmed by a consultant, and another world tour would follow.
On September 30, 2015, Bon Jovi said during a press conference confirming the new album, its title will be "This House Is Not For Sale." He further said that the album is about the group's integrity.
"Integrity matters and we're at a place in our career where we don't have anything left to prove," Bon Jovi said.
However, the new album is the first one without creative input from Richie Sambora, who left the group in 2013.
On Bon Jovi's Facebook page, a post announced that the new album, "This House Is Not For Sale" was released on August 27, 2016
Acting Career: He started acting in the 1990's starring in minor roles in movies such as "U-571," and "Moonlight and Valentino," and as Helen Hunt's husband in the movie "Pay It Forward" starring Kevin Spacey. He also appeared on several TV shows such as "Sex and the City" and "Ally McBeal."
Accolades: In 2009, Bon Jovi was inducted into Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Bon Jovi has also made appearances on some prestigious lists:- In 1996, he was named one of the "50 Most Beautiful People In The World" By People Magazine.
- In 2000, the same magazine named him the "Sexiest Rock Star."
- Also in 2000 VH1 placed him on its "100 Sexiest Artists."
- In 2012 was ranked 50th in Billboard's magazine's "Power 100," a ranking of "The Most Powerful and Influential People In The Music Business."
Philanthropy: In addition, Bon Jovi was the one of the founders and majority owners of the Arena Football League team Philadelphia Soul. He is the founder of The Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation which was founded in 2006 and exists to combat issues that force families and individuals into economic despair. He also campaigned for Al Gore in the 2000 Presidential election, John Kerry in the 2004 Presidential election, and Barack Obama in the 2008 Presidential election. In 2010, President Barack Obama named Bon Jovi to the White House Council for Community Solutions. He was also awarded an honorary Doctorate of Humanities from Monmouth University in 2001.- Music Artist
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John Winston (later Ono) Lennon was born on October 9, 1940, in Liverpool, England, to Julia Lennon (née Stanley) and Alfred Lennon, a merchant seaman. He was raised by his mother's older sister Mimi Smith. In the mid-1950s, he formed his first band, The Quarrymen (after Quarry Bank High School, which he attended) who, with the addition of Paul McCartney and George Harrison, later became The Beatles.
After some years of performing in Liverpool and Hamburg, Germany, "Beatlemania" erupted in England and Europe in 1963 after the release of their singles "Love Me Do" and "Please Please Me". That same year, John's first wife Cynthia Lennon welcomed their only son Julian Lennon, named after John's mother. The next year the Beatles flew to America to appear on The Ed Sullivan Show (1948) (aka The Ed Sullivan Show), and Beatlemania spread worldwide. Queen Elizabeth II granted all four Beatles M.B.E. medals in 1965, for import revenues from their record sales; John returned his four years later, as part of an antiwar statement. John and the Beatles continued to tour and perform live until 1966, when protests over his calling the Beatles phenomenon "more popular than Jesus" and the frustrations of touring made the band decide to quit the road. They devoted themselves to studio work, recording and releasing albums such as "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band", "Magical Mystery Tour" and the "White Album". Instead of appearing live, the band began making their own "pop clips" (an early term for music videos), which were featured on television programs of the time.
In the late 1960s John began performing and making albums with his second wife Yoko Ono, as the Beatles began to break up. Their first two albums, "Two Virgins" and "Life With The Lions", were experimental and flops by Beatles standards, while their "Wedding Album" was almost a vanity work, but their live album "Live Peace In Toronto" became a Top Ten hit, at the end of the 1960s.
In the early 1970s John and Yoko continued to record together, making television appearances and performing at charity concerts. After the release of John's biggest hit, "Imagine", they moved to the US, where John was nearly deported because of his political views (a late-'60s conviction for possession of hashish in the U.K. was the excuse given by the government), but after a four-year legal battle he won the right to stay. In the midst of this, John and Yoko separated for over a year; John lived in Los Angeles with personal assistant May Pang, while Yoko dated guitarist David Spinozza. When John made a guest appearance at Elton John's Thanksgiving 1974 concert, Yoko was in the audience, and surprised John backstage. They reconciled in early 1975, and Yoko soon became pregnant. After the birth of their son Sean Lennon, John settled into the roles of "househusband" and full-time daddy, while Yoko became his business manager; both appeared happy in their new life together.
After a five-year break from music and the public eye, they made a comeback with their album "Double Fantasy", but within weeks of their re-emergence, Lennon was murdered on the evening of December 8, 1980 by Mark David Chapman, a one-time Beatles fan angry and jealous over John's ongoing career, who fatally shot Lennon four times in the back outside his apartment building, The Dakota, as Lennon was returning from a recording session. Within minutes after being shot, John Lennon was dead at age 40. His violent death was a sudden and tragic end to the life of a talented singer and musician who wanted to make a difference in the world.- Actor
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Tommy Lee was born on 3 October 1962 in Athens, Greece. He is an actor and composer, known for Barb Wire (1996), The Dirt (2019) and Vanilla Sky (2001). He has been married to Brittany Furlan since 14 February 2019. He was previously married to Pamela Anderson, Heather Locklear and Elaine Margaret Starchuk.- Composer
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Jimmy Page was born on 9 January 1944 in Heston, Middlesex, England, UK. He is a composer and actor, known for The Song Remains the Same (1976), Godzilla (1998) and The Adam Project (2022). He was previously married to Jimena Gomez-Paratcha, Patricia Ecker and Charlotte Martin.- Music Department
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John Bonham is still regularly voted in polls as the greatest and most influential rock drummer of all time, an opinion which has also been expressed by the likes of Roger Taylor of Queen, Dave Grohl of Nirvana and Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
He started playing drums at the age of five using a makeshift kit and later progressed to real drums. His influences included great American jazz drummers such as Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich. He played in a series of bands and formed an association with Robert Plant through Band of Joy, who combined blues, psychedelics and extended musical workouts. According to Plant: "Bonzo was totally and absolutely devoted to getting it right. Everything that he listened to he could go beyond, not only could he recreate it but he could take it somewhere new. He knew that he was a powerhouse among drummers... we seemed to have a great affinity for each other."
Although Bonham and Plant went their separate ways after Band of Joy, they reunited in The Yardbirds, which already featured Jimmy Page. John Paul Jones joined and this led to the formation of Led Zeppelin, who released their first album in 1969. They went on to become the biggest rock band of the 1970s, achieving extraordinary success in the United States in particular.
Bonham died aged 32 in 1980. He had a reputation as a heavy drinker and had consumed too much vodka in the 24 hours before his death, which caused vomiting and asphyxiation. The coroner returned a verdict of accidental death. Led Zeppelin announced they were finished as a band. According to Page, the band could not have continued without him, he was so integral to their sound. They didn't play again as Led Zeppelin until Live Aid (1985), which included Plant's solo drummer Phil Collins and The Power Station's Tony Thompson replacing him in a performance which has been disowned by the band. Bonham's son, Jason Bonham, has become a successful drummer himself and a member of Led Zeppelin for subsequent reunion performances.- Composer
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Ronnie Van Zant was born on January 15, 1948 in Jacksonville, Florida. He was the oldest son of six children (3 sisters and 2 brothers - musicians Donnie and Johnny). Ronnie attended Lee High School in Jacksonville with fellow band members Gary Rossington and Allen Collins. They soon formed what would become Lynyrd Skynyrd. At the height of their fame, on October 20, 1977, their chartered plane crashed. Ronnie was killed along with band members Steve Gaines and his sister Cassie. His signature songs are "Free Bird" and "Sweet Home Alabama".- Actor
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Johnny Van Zant is known for Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (2016), WWE SmackDown vs. RAW 2010 (2009) and Cars: The Video Game (2006).- Composer
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Ritchie Blackmore was born on 14 April 1945 in Weston Super Mare, England, UK. He is a composer and actor, known for Point Break (1991), Twister (1996) and Almost Famous (2000). He has been married to Candice Night since October 2008. They have one child. He was previously married to Amy Rothman, Margrit Volkmar and Barbie Hardie.- Music Artist
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Thomas Earl Petty was an American musician and actor who was the lead vocalist and guitarist of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, formed in 1976. He previously led the band Mudcrutch, was a member of the late 1980s super-group the Traveling Wilburys, and had success as a solo artist.
Petty had many hit records. Hit singles with the Heartbreakers include "Don't Do Me Like That" (1979), "Refugee" (1980), "The Waiting" (1981), "Don't Come Around Here No More" (1985) and "Learning to Fly" (1991). Petty's solo hits include "I Won't Back Down" (1989), "Free Fallin'" (1989), and "You Don't Know How It Feels" (1994). Solo or with the Heartbreakers, he had hit albums from the 1970s through the 2010s and sold more than 80 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. Petty and the Heartbreakers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002. Petty was honored as MusiCares Person of the Year in February 2017 for his contributions to music and for his philanthropy.
In 2017, Petty died of an accidental drug overdose, at the age of 66, one week after the end of the Heartbreakers' 40th Anniversary Tour.- Actor
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Joe Elliott was born on 1 August 1959 in Sheffield, England, UK. He is an actor and composer, known for Last Action Hero (1993), Encino Man (1992) and Rock of Ages (2012). He has been married to Kristine E. Wunschel since 1 September 2004. They have two children. He was previously married to Karla Rhamdani.- Actor
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Hammett was born in San Francisco, California on November 18, 1962, to Teofila (Oyao) and Dennis L. Hammett, a merchant seaman. He learned guitar at age 15 and joined Metallica to replace Dave Mustaine in 1982. He has won several Grammys with Metallica and participated in their class action law suit against Napster. His father had Irish, English, Scottish, and German ancestry, and his mother's family is Filipino.- Writer
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Randy Rhoads was born on 6 December 1956 in Santa Monica, California, USA. He was a writer, known for Ghost Rider (2007), Megamind (2010) and Tag (2018). He died on 19 March 1982 in Leesburg, Florida, USA.- Music Department
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As co-founding member, principal co-songwriter, electrifying lead guitarist and co-producer of Aerosmith--America's Greatest Rock & Roll Band--Joe has achieved permanent iconic stature in the pantheon of rock. He has helped to drive his band, over the course of three decades, to sales of more than 150 million albums, critical acclaim, four Grammy Awards and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The world's true Guitar Hero was immortalized in 2008, when Aerosmith made history and created a cultural firestorm with the Activision released Guitar Hero®: Aerosmith®, an epic collaboration that marked the first music-based game to feature one band. The groundbreaking partnership united "America's greatest hard rock act" (as described by Mojo editor Phil Alexander in a May '07 cover story) with the massively successful video game franchise; sales exploded and broke records, with Aerosmith reaching yet again a younger generation of fans.
In 2009, Joe Perry released his fifth solo CD- Have Guitar Will Travel, entirely written and produced by Perry. The hard driving, ten-song, in your face, collection features Perry's trademark rock and blue ferocity. In his 2005 Grammy-nominated fourth solo album Joe Perry--recorded at the BoneYard, Perry's basement home studio in Boston-- he provided an exciting glimpse of another side of himself. Still as scorching hot on guitar as he is preternaturally cool in his persona, Perry created a collection of songs reflecting his deepest personal concerns, from his passion for rock and love of the blues to his keen social conscience and devotion to friends and family.
His previous solo works--as the "Joe Perry Project"--include the self-produced Let The Music Do The Talking (1980) and Once A Rocker, Always A Rocker (1983), along with I've Got The Rock 'N' Rolls Again (1981), all of which were recorded at a time when Joe was on hiatus from Aerosmith.
As a producer, JOE has received a producing credit (solo or included as AEROSMITH) for the band's following albums: Rocks, Draw The Line, Night In The Ruts (Partial), Greatest Hits, Classics Live Ii, Just Push Play, and their last studio album Honkin' On Bobo.
PERRY has expanded his musical outreach to include composing for film and television. He composed the theme song for the "Spiderman" animated TV series as well as instrumental music for the independent movie This Thing of Ours, starring James Caan. His other instrumental credits include Aerosmith's Grammy-nominated track, "Boogie Man," a guitar tour de force from 1994's Get A Grip album, as well as "Mercy"--from Joe Perry, his last solo album--which earned him a Grammy nomination in the "Best Rock Instrumental Performance" category (2005).
Perry's guitar prowess was documented in a version of James Moore's "I'm A King Bee," performed with Aerosmith bandmate Steven Tyler heard on the album and film, Lightning In A Bottle, the 2005 Martin Scorsese-produced concert documentary on the blues shot at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.
In September, 2009 Joe Perry met the nation's Top Scientists and Leaders on Capitol Hill for a panel discussion focusing on promoting cures and improving therapies for Cancer, Alzheimer's Disease, HIV/AIDS and PTSD, followed by a performance with JOE and a back up band consisting of NIH Director Francis Collins, MD PhD, Rudy Tanzi, PhD Professor of Neurology at Harvard University and others. A few months later JOE and other iconic celebrities including will.i.am, Sheryl Crow, Seal and Josh Groban, appeared alongside the Top Scientists and Leaders for a feature called Rock Stars of Science in GQ's Men of the Year issue.
At the Lollapalooza Festival in 2009, JOE took the stage with Janes Addiction to play "Jane Says", for what would be the band's first major performance together at Lollapalooza since 1991. The night before PERRY joined Jimmy Buffett at Toyota Park in Chicago and performed on "Margaritaville" to roughly 30,000 fans.
On July 1, 2007, PERRY joined Tom Jones and his band at the historic "Concert For Diana" at Wembley Stadium on the classic "Ain't That A Lot of Love" (with Joss Stone on guest vocals) and covers of Prince's "Kiss" and the Arctic Monkeys' "I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor." Between this appearance, viewed by more than 500 million worldwide, and his special guest performance with Kelly Clarkson on the 2007 season finale of "American Idol," Perry and his fiery signature guitar sound (not to mention his cool, mysterious aura) were a part of two of the year's biggest TV events.
In late 2006, at the personal invitation of Chuck Berry, JOE jammed with Mr. Berry and his band at his 80th birthday celebration at Blueberry Hill in St. Louis. JOE also played guitar on Mick Jagger's last solo album, Goddess in the Doorway; appeared in the video for Nelly's "#1" hit single; and played guitar on Les Paul & Friends: A Tribute To A Legend.
In June 2006, PERRY and his wife Billie hosted a concert for the town of Woodstock, Vermont (where his family occasionally live in the landmark "Sleepy Hollow Farm") for the Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars. Later that year, PERRY went to see the All Stars and joined them on stage for a medley of Bob Marley's "War" and "Get Up Stand Up." JOE also ensured that the band could continue to pursue their music by providing them with instruments (guitars, basses and strings) along with a MAC computer for the youngest member.
Beyond his music career, JOE made his acting debut guest-starring as DEA agent "Joe Landrewsky" in an October 1998 episode of the critically hailed NBC drama "Homicide: Life On The Street." Perry also had a cameo in Wayne's World 2 and the 2005 film MGM/UA movie Be Cool, a sequel to Get Shorty, which also features an Aerosmith performance of the group's smash "Cryin'." In 2005, fashion designer John Varvatos, a fan of JOE's, asked him to be in one of his major fashion campaigns with his son Tony. He appeared on billboards and high fashion magazines around the US.
Perry and his wife Billie have four sons (Tony, Roman, Adrian and Aaron); The legendary guitarist frequently sits in with TAB THE BAND which is led by sons Adrian and Tony.
In 2003, PERRY launched his own food company "Joe Perry's Rock Your World". With the first products being BoneYard Brew Table Sauce, later followed by Mango Peach Tango; JOE is planning to release his Mac and Cheese "Joe Perry's Rockin' Roni" soon. It will have two flavors: White Cheddar and Shells and Spicy Buffalo Cheddar and Elbows.
PERRY and his family are well-known animal lovers and helped to fund the building of a new animal shelter in their community. PERRY was also instrumental in bringing awareness to the Friesian Horse. Twenty years ago, Joe and Billie were the first in the New England area to own a pair of the once endangered breed, a cause Billie is very involved with. In that time, the Friesian Horse has gone from the endangered list to rare breeds list and now numbers in the tens of thousands in America alone. In addition, he also supports the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society whose members undertake campaigns to protect marine species and environments.
Joe's work with Aerosmith has resulted in an unending array of accolades and honors. Beyond their Grammy Awards and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, other key milestones over the past 35 years include: 12 MTV Video Awards; two People's Choice Awards; six Billboard Music Awards; eight American Music Awards; 23 Boston Music Awards; and an Academy Award nomination for Best Song, "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" (from the soundtrack to Armageddon).
Recent Aerosmith releases include: 2011's Tough Love: Best Of The Ballads; the 2004 blues-influenced CD Honkin' On Bobo (which received a four-star review in Rolling Stone); 2004's live DVD You Gotta Move; 2005's Rockin' The Joint, a live CD recorded at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas; and 2006's career retrospective Devil's Got A New Disguise: The Very Best of Aerosmith that featured two unreleased songs. Aerosmith are recording a new album this summer with Producer Jack Douglas. They've maintained their high profile through an array of key television, commercial and film appearances and have had their music featured in numerous films, commercials and TV shows. In 2001, Aerosmith performed at the prestigious NFL Superbowl XXXV Halftime Show along with Britney Spears and 'N Sync--in front of approximately 84.3 million viewers--and they were a headliner at Woodstock '94. Other highlights include the CBS-TV 4th of July concert in 2006 with the Boston Pops Orchestra and an alliance with NASCAR racing: their newly-recorded live version of their classic "Back In The Saddle," with new racing-themed lyrics, was an integral part of the ABC-TV/ESPN's NASCAR telecasts in 2007.
In 2007, Aerosmith's World Tour broke attendance records with sold out stadium shows in numerous countries including Dubai, Russia, India, Finland, France, England Italy, Germany, Ireland, Estonia, Latvia, Belgium etc. In November 2009, the band played at the Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi to 50,000 fans. On the 2010 Cocked Locked, Ready to Rock tour, Aerosmith felt "Aero-mania", as thousands of frenzied fans in Latin America mobbed the band everywhere they went. In October 2011, the band returned to Latin America where they played to fans in Peru, Argentina, Mexico, Chile, Panama, Brazil, Columbia and Ecuador. In November, 2011, Aerosmith performed in Japan for the first time in 7 years and really enjoyed playing for their fans who were struck with the recent tragedies there.- Actor
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Tony Iommi was born on 19 February 1948 in Birmingham, England, UK. He is an actor and composer, known for Iron Man (2008), Suicide Squad (2016) and Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 (2000). He has been married to Maria Sjöholm since 1999.- Music Artist
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Robert Allen Zimmerman was born 24 May 1941 in Duluth, Minnesota; his father Abe worked for the Standard Oil Co. Six years later the family moved to Hibbing, often the coldest place in the US, where he taught himself piano and guitar and formed several high school rock bands. In 1959 he entered the University of Minnesota and began performing as Bob Dylan at clubs in Minneapolis and St. Paul. The following year he went to New York, performed in Greenwich Village folk clubs, and spent much time in the hospital room of his hero Woody Guthrie. Late in 1961 Columbia signed him to a contract and the following year released his first album, containing two original songs. Next year "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan" appeared, with all original songs including the 1960s anthem "Blowin' in the Wind." After several more important acoustic/folk albums, and tours with Joan Baez, he launched into a new electric/acoustic format with 1965's "Bringing It All Back Home" which, with The Byrds' cover of his "Mr Tambourine Man," launched folk-rock. The documentary Bob Dylan: Dont Look Back (1967) was filmed at this time; he broke off his relationship with Baez and by the end of the year had married Sara Dylan (born Sara Lowndes). Nearly killed in a motorcycle accident 29 July 1966, he withdrew for a time of introspection. After more hard rock performances, his next albums were mostly country. With his career wandering (and critics condemning the fact), Sam Peckinpah asked him to compose the score for, and appear in, his Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid (1973) - more memorable as a soundtrack than a film. In 1974 he and The Band went on tour, releasing his first #1 album, "Planet Waves". It was followed a year later by another first-place album, "Blood on the Tracks". After several Rolling Thunder tours, the unsuccessful film Renaldo and Clara (1978) and a divorce, he stunned the music world again by his release of the fundamentalist Christrian album "Slow Train Coming," a cut from which won him his first Grammy. Many tours and albums later, on the eve of a European tour May 1997, he was stricken with histoplasmosis (a possibly fatal infection of the heart sac); he recovered and appeared in Bologna that September at the request of the Pope. In December he received the Kennedy Center Award for artistic excellence.- Music Artist
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Eric Clapton was born in Ripley, Surrey, England, on March 30, 1945. His real father was a Canadian pilot but he didn't find that out until he was 53. When he was 2 his mother felt she was unable to look after him, so Eric then went to live with his grandparents. When he was 14 he took up the guitar, having been influenced by blues artists such as B.B King, Buddy Guy, Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker.
In 1963, after he was chucked out of art college, he joined Paul Samwell-Smith, as he was in art school with Keith Relf. He stayed for about 18 months before beginning a stint with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers. Eric became known as "god", as he impressed the whole English music scene with his amazing guitar playing.
After about a year Eric had had enough of impersonating his blues idols and decided to form a group of his own, so in 1966 he formed a band with bassist Jack Bruce and drummer Ginger Baker (who had the idea) that became known as Cream. This band was not a purist blues group but a hard-driving rock and blues trio. They first performed together at a jazz and blues festival in Surrey before signing a record contract. In November 1966 their debut single, "Wrapping Paper", hit UK #34, but their next single, "I Feel Free", made more of an impression, hitting UK #11 the following January. At the same time they released their debut album "Fresh Cream", which was a top-ten hit, going to UK #6 and went on to make US #39 later in the year.
Cream spent most of 1967 either touring or writing, recording and producing "Disreali Gears", which was to be one of their finest efforts. The first single that confirmed the group as a mainstream success was "Strange Brew", which went to #17 in the UK. After a hectic worldwide tour, their second album "Disreali Gears" was released and became an enormous worldwide hit, rising to UK #5 and US #4. The album's success r4esulted in one of its tracks, "Sunshine Of Your Love", a hit in the US, going to #36. In February 1968 Cream set out on a six-month US tour, the longest time that a British band ad ever been in America. The tour took in hundreds of theaters, arenas and stadiums, but in April 1968 the band was exhausted and decided to take a short break from touring. However, during their break disaster struck. While Cream was in America Eric had given an interview to the magazine "Rolling Stone" which had Eric the editor make critical points about his guitar playing. This led to an eruption within the band, which was the beginning of the end. Despite this setback, the band's US tour carried on until June, during which they had been recording their most popular project, "Wheels Of Fire", a double album that was released in August 1968; the live album shot to UK #3 and the studio effort to UK #7, but both went directly to US #1 for four weeks. Despite the fact that the band had sold so many records, had sold out nearly every concert, had made millions and even managed to boost "Sunshine Of Your Love" to hit US #5 and UK #25, they decided that after a farewell tour of America Cream would split. The band toured North America in October, played two concerts at the Royal Albert Hall in London in November and then Cream was no more - as Clapton explained, "The Cream has lost direction."
In the winter of 1969 Eric began jamming with former Traffic front man Steve Winwood, with Ginger Baker also joining in Eric's mansion in Surrey. With bassist Ric Grech added to the lineup, the band became Blind Faith and started rehearsing and recording material. In June 1969, after the band finished a recording session for their first and only album, they made their live debut in Hyde Park to a crowd of over 200,000 fans. Despite the fact that Baker and Grech felt that the concert was a triumph, Clapton and Winwood, however, were more or less convinced that Blind Faith had blown it first time round. However, despite their feelings, Blind Faith set out on a summer sellout tour of the US, playing in arenas and stadiums all over the country. The tour itself earned the band a fortune, but the band members were convinced that the music itself was unsatisfying.
After the tour was over their only album, "Blind Faith", was released, and it topped the charts worldwide. Despite the success of the album and tour Blind Faith still decided to disband, though, and Clapton went on tour with Delaney & Bonnie & Friends, who were Blind Faith's support act on the tour, and also performed at times with The Plastic Ono Band. In March 1970 Eric launched his highly successful solo career, by releasing a first solo album, which featured Delaney & Bonnie.- Music Artist
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Thomas Earl Petty was an American musician and actor who was the lead vocalist and guitarist of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, formed in 1976. He previously led the band Mudcrutch, was a member of the late 1980s super-group the Traveling Wilburys, and had success as a solo artist.
Petty had many hit records. Hit singles with the Heartbreakers include "Don't Do Me Like That" (1979), "Refugee" (1980), "The Waiting" (1981), "Don't Come Around Here No More" (1985) and "Learning to Fly" (1991). Petty's solo hits include "I Won't Back Down" (1989), "Free Fallin'" (1989), and "You Don't Know How It Feels" (1994). Solo or with the Heartbreakers, he had hit albums from the 1970s through the 2010s and sold more than 80 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. Petty and the Heartbreakers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002. Petty was honored as MusiCares Person of the Year in February 2017 for his contributions to music and for his philanthropy.
In 2017, Petty died of an accidental drug overdose, at the age of 66, one week after the end of the Heartbreakers' 40th Anniversary Tour.- Music Artist
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Widely regarded as the greatest and most influential guitarist in rock history, Jimi Hendrix was born on November 27, 1942 in Seattle, Washington, to African-American parents Lucille (Jeter) and James Allen Hendrix. His mother named him John Allen Hendrix and raised him alone while his father, Al Hendrix, was off fighting in World War II. When his mother became sick from alcoholism, Hendrix was sent to live with relatives in Berkeley, California. When his father returned from Europe in 1945 he took back Hendrix, divorced his wife, and renamed him James Marshall Hendrix.
When Jimi was 13 his father taught him to play an acoustic guitar. In 1959 Jimi dropped out of high school and enlisted in the U.S. Army, but soon became disenchanted with military service. After he broke his ankle during a training parachute jump, he was honorably discharged. He then went to work as a sideman on the rhythm-and-blues circuit, honing his craft but making little or no money. Jimi got restless being a sideman and moved to New York City hoping to get a break in the music business. Through his friend Curtis Knight, Jimi discovered the music scene in Greenwich Village, which left indelible impressions on him. It was here that he began taking drugs, among them marijuana, pep pills and cocaine.
In 1966, while Jimi was performing with his own band called James & the Blue Flames at Cafe Wha?, John Hammond Jr. approached Jimi about the Flames playing backup for him at Cafe Au Go Go. Jimi agreed and during the show's finale, Hammond let Jimi cut loose on Bo Diddley's "I'm the Man." Linda Keith, girlfriend of The Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards, was one of Jimi's biggest fans and it was she who told friend Chas Chandler, a band manager, about Jimi. When Chandler heard Jimi play, he asked him to come to London to form his own band, and while there Chandler made the simple change in Jimi's name by formally dropping James and replacing it with Jimi. Having settled in England with a new band called the Jimi Hendrix Experience, which consisted of Jimi as guitarist and lead singer, bass player Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell, Jimi took the country by storm with the release of his first single "Hey, Joe."
In the summer of 1967 Jimi performed back in the USA at the Monterey Pop Festival, a mix-up backstage forced Jimi to follow The Who onstage, where after a superb performance Jimi tore up the house by trashing his guitar in a wild frenzy. Afterwards, Jimi's career skyrocketed with the release of the Experience's first two albums, "Are You Experienced?" and "Axis: Bold as Love," which catapulted him to the top of the charts. However, tensions, possibly connected with Jimi's drug use and the constant presence of hangers-on in the studio and elsewhere, began to fracture some of his relationships, including Chas Chandler, who quit as manager in February 1968.
In September 1968 the Experience released their most successful album, "Electric Ladyland." However, in early 1969 bassist Redding left the Experience and was replaced by Billy Cox, an old army buddy who Jimi had jammed with. Jimi began experimenting with different musicians. For the Woodstock music festival Jimi put together an outfit called the Gypsies, Sun and Rainbows, with Mitchell and Cox as well as a second guitarist and two percussionists. Their one and only performance in August 1969 at Woodstock took place near Bethel, New York, where Hendrix and his band were to be the closing headline act. Because of the delay getting there and the logistical problems, Jimi performed on the morning of the fourth and final day. Only 25,000 people of the original 400,000 stayed to watch Jimi and his band as the closing music number, where Jimi's searing rendering of "The Star-Spangled Banner" became the anthem for counterculture.
After Woodstock, Jimi formed a new band with Cox on bass and Buddy Miles on drums with the May 1970 release of the album "The Band of Gypsys." Jimi's last album, "Cry of Love", featured Cox on bass and former Experience drummer Mitchell on drums. However, Jimi's drug problem finally caught up with him. On the night of September 17, 1970, while living in London, Jimi took some sleeping pills, which were prescribed for his live-in girlfriend Monika Danneman. Sometime after midnight, Jimi threw up from an apparent allergic reaction to the pills and then passed out. Danneman, thinking him to be all right, went out to get cigarettes for them. When she returned, she found him lying where he collapsed, having inhaled his own vomit, and and she couldn't wake him. Danneman called an ambulance, which took him to a nearby hospital, but Jimi Hendrix was pronounced dead a short while later without regaining consciousness. He was 27 years old.
Jimi Hendrix's life was short, but his impact on the rock guitar is still being heard and set the course for a new era of rock music.- Actor
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David Coverdale was born on 22 September 1951 in Saltburn-by-the-Sea, North Yorkshire, England, UK. He is an actor and composer, known for Thunder Force (2021), The Fighter (2010) and Almost Famous (2000). He has been married to Cindy Barker since 22 April 1997. They have one child. He was previously married to Tawny Kitaen and Julia ?.- Actress
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Lita Ford was born on 19 September 1958 in London, England, UK. She is an actress and composer, known for Captain Marvel (2019), The Kite Runner (2007) and Brütal Legend (2009). She was previously married to Jim Gillette and Chris Holmes.- Music Artist
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Elvis Aaron Presley was born on January 8, 1935 in East Tupelo, Mississippi, to Gladys Presley (née Gladys Love Smith) and Vernon Presley (Vernon Elvis Presley). He had a twin brother who was stillborn. In 1948, Elvis and his parents moved to Memphis, Tennessee where he attended Humes High School. In 1953, he attended the senior prom with the current girl he was courting, Regis Wilson. After graduating from high school in Memphis, Elvis took odd jobs working as a movie theater usher and a truck driver for Crown Electric Company. He began singing locally as "The Hillbilly Cat", then signed with a local recording company, and then with RCA in 1955.
Elvis did much to establish early rock and roll music. He began his career as a performer of rockabilly, an up-tempo fusion of country music and rhythm and blues, with a strong backbeat. His novel versions of existing songs, mixing 'black' and 'white' sounds, made him popular - and controversial - as did his uninhibited stage and television performances. He recorded songs in the rock and roll genre, with tracks like "Jailhouse Rock" and "Hound Dog" later embodying the style. Presley had a versatile voice and had unusually wide success encompassing other genres, including gospel, blues, ballads and pop music. Teenage girls became hysterical over his blatantly sexual gyrations, particularly the one that got him nicknamed "Elvis the Pelvis" (television cameras were not permitted to film below his waist).
In 1956, following his six television appearances on The Dorsey Brothers' "Stage Show", Elvis was cast in his first acting role, in a supporting part in Love Me Tender (1956), the first of 33 movies he starred in.
In 1958, Elvis was drafted into the military, and relocated to Bad Nauheim, Germany. There he met 14-year old army damsel Priscilla Ann Wagner (Priscilla Presley), whom he would eventually marry after an eight-year courtship, and by whom he had his only child, Lisa Marie Presley. Elvis' military service and the "British Invasion" of the 1960s reduced his concerts, though not his movie/recording income.
Through the 1960s, Elvis settled in Hollywood, where he starred in the majority of his thirty-three movies, mainly musicals, acting alongside some of the most well known actors in Hollywood. Critics panned most of his films, but they did very well at the box office, earning upwards of $150 million total. His last fiction film, Change of Habit (1969), deals with several social issues; romance within the clergy, an autistic child, almost unheard of in 1969, rape, and mob violence. It has recently received critical acclaim.
Elvis made a comeback in the 1970s with live concert appearances starting in early 1970 in Las Vegas with over 57 sold-out shows. He toured throughout the United States, appearing on-stage in over 500 live appearances, many of them sold out shows. His marriage ended in divorce, and the stress of constantly traveling as well as his increasing weight gain and dependence upon stimulants and depressants took their toll.
Elvis Presley died at age 42 on August 16, 1977 at his mansion in Graceland, near Memphis, shocking his fans worldwide. At the time of his death, he had sold more than 600 million singles and albums. Since his death, Graceland has become a shrine for millions of followers worldwide. Elvis impersonators and purported sightings have become stock subjects for humorists. To date, Elvis Presley is the only performer to have been inducted into three separate music 'Halls of Fame'. Throughout his career, he set records for concert attendance, television ratings and recordings sales, and remains one of the best-selling and most influential artists in the history of popular music.- Music Artist
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David Bowie was one of the most influential and prolific writers and performers of popular music, but he was much more than that; he was also an accomplished actor, a mime and an intellectual, as well as an art lover whose appreciation and knowledge of it had led to him amassing one of the biggest collections of 20th century art.
Born David Jones, he changed his name to Bowie in the 1960s, to avoid confusion with the then well-known Davy Jones (lead singer of The Monkees). The 1960s were not a happy period for Bowie, who remained a struggling artist, awaiting his breakthrough. He dabbled in many different styles of music (without commercial success), and other art forms such as acting, mime, painting, and play-writing. He finally achieved his commercial breakthrough in 1969 with the song "Space Oddity", which was released at the time of the moon landing. Despite the fact that the literal meaning of the lyrics relates to an astronaut who is lost in space, this song was used by the BBC in their coverage of the moon landing, and this helped it become such a success. The album, which followed "Space Oddity", and the two, which followed (one of which included the song "The Man Who Sold The World", covered by Lulu and Nirvana) failed to produce another hit single, and Bowie's career appeared to be in decline.
However, he made the first of many successful "comebacks" in 1972 with "Ziggy Stardust", a concept album about a space-age rock star. This album was followed by others in a similar vein, rock albums built around a central character and concerned with futuristic themes of Armageddon, gender dysfunction/confusion, as well as more contemporary themes such as the destructiveness of success and fame, and the dangers inherent in star worship. In the mid-1970s, Bowie was a heavy cocaine abuser and sometime heroin user.
In 1975, he changed tack. Musically, he released "Young Americans", a soul (or plastic soul as he later referred to it) album. This produced his first number one hit in the US, "Fame". He also appeared in his first major film, The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976). With a permanently-dilated pupil and skeletal frame, he certainly looked the part of an alien. The following year, he released "Station to Station," containing some of the material he had written for the soundtrack to this film (which was not used). As his drug problem heightened, his behavior became more erratic. Reports of his insanity started to appear, and he continued to waste away physically. He fled back to Europe, finally settling in Berlin, where he changed musical direction again and recorded three of the most influential albums of all time, an electronic trilogy with Brian Eno "Low, Heroes and Lodger". Towards the end of the 1970s, he finally kicked his drug habit, and recorded the album many of his fans consider his best, the Japanese-influenced "Scary Monsters". Around this time, he appeared in the title role of the Broadway drama The Elephant Man, and to considerable acclaim.
The next few years saw something of a drop-off in his musical output as his acting career flourished, culminating in his acclaimed performance in Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence (1983). In 1983, he released "Let's Dance," an album which proved an unexpected massive commercial success, and produced his second #1 hit single in the United States. According to producer Nile Rodgers, the album was made in just 17 days and was "the easiest album" he'd ever made in his life. The tour which followed, "Serious Moonlight", was his most successful ever. Faced with this success on a massive scale, Bowie apparently attempted to "repeat the formula" in the next two albums, with less success (and to critical scorn). Finally, in the late 1980s, he turned his back on commercial success and his solo career, forming the hard rock band, Tin Machine, who had a deliberate limited appeal. By now, his acting career was in decline. After the comparative failure of Labyrinth (1986), the movie industry appears to have decided that Bowie was not a sufficient name to be a lead actor in a major movie, and since that date, most of his roles have been cameos or glorified cameos. Tin Machine toured extensively and released two albums, with little critical or commercial success.
In 1992, Bowie again changed direction and re-launched his solo career with "Black Tie White Noise", a wedding album inspired by his recent marriage to Iman. He released three albums to considerable critical acclaim and reasonable commercial success. In 1995, he renewed his working relationship with Brian Eno to record "Outside." After an initial hostile reaction from the critics, this album has now taken its place with his classic albums. In 2003, Bowie released an album entitled 'Reality.' The Reality Tour began in November 2003 and, after great commercial success, was extended into July 2004. In June 2004, Bowie suffered a heart attack and the tour did not finish its scheduled run.
After recovering, Bowie gave what turned out to be his final live performance in a three-song set with Alicia Keys at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York in November 2006. He also returned to acting. He played Tesla in The Prestige (2006) and had a small cameo in the comedy David Bowie (2006) for fan Ricky Gervais. In 2007, he did a cartoon voice in SpongeBob SquarePants (1999) playing Lord Royal Highness. He had a brief cameo in the movie ''Bandslam'' released in 2009; after a ten year hiatus from recording, he released a new album called 'The Next Day', featuring a homage cover to his earlier work ''Heroes''. The music video of ''Stars are Out Tonight'' premiered on 25 February 2013. It consists of other songs like ''Where Are We Now?", "Valentine's Day", "Love is Lost", "The Next Day", etc.
In 2014, Bowie won British Male Solo Artist at the 2014 Brit Awards, 30 years since last winning it, and became the oldest ever Brit winner. Bowie wrote and recorded the opening title song to the television miniseries The Last Panthers (2015), which aired in November 2015. The theme used for The Last Panthers (2015) was also the title track for his January 2016 release, ''Blackstar" (released on 8 January 2016, Bowie's 69th birthday) was met with critical acclaim. Following Bowie's death two days later, on 10 January 2016, producer Tony Visconti revealed Bowie had planned the album to be his swan song, and a "parting gift" for his fans before his death. An EP, No Plan, was released on 8 January 2017, which would have been Bowie's 70th birthday. The day following his death, online viewing of Bowie's music skyrocketed, breaking the record for Vevo's most viewed artist in a single day.
On 15 January, "Blackstar" debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart; nineteen of his albums were in the UK Top 100 Albums Chart, and thirteen singles were in the UK Top 100 Singles Chart. The song also debuted at #1 on album charts around the world, including Australia, France, Germany, Italy, New Zealand and the US Billboard 200. At the 59th Annual Grammy Awards, Bowie won all five nominated awards: Best Rock Performance; Best Alternative Music Album; Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical; Best Recording Package; and Best Rock Song. The wins marked Bowie's first ever in musical categories. David Bowie influenced the course of popular music several times and had an effect on several generations of musicians.- Actor
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Bret Michaels was born on 15 March 1963 in Butler, Pennsylvania, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for A Letter from Death Row (1998), Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005) and Friday Night Lights (2004).- Actor
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Mick Mars was born on 4 May 1951 in Terre Haute, Indiana, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for The Dirt (2019), Spun (2002) and The Indian in the Cupboard (1995).- Actor
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Frank Ferranna II was born to Frank and Deana Ferranno. When Nikki was in his thirties, he found out that he had a sister with down syndrome. She was older than him. The day before he was to meet her for the first time, she passed away. His father left him and his mother soon after he was born. He was often swapped between his mother and his grandparents and moved numerous times to numerous places. His mother was well known for her long list of boyfriends which even included Richard Pryor. He went to seven schools within 11 years. He moved out of his mother's home, living in the streets and sold drugs until he was kicked out. He went to live with his grandparents in Idaho and then to Los Angeles, California. He formed Mötley Crüe in 1981 with Tommy Lee, Mick Mars, and Vince Neil, after being in several bands, but just after "London". Changed his name to Nikki Sixx legally before joining Crüe. In December of 1987, Nikki was pronounced clinically dead due to an overdose. After the incident, Mötley Crüe went into rehab. Nikki married Brandi Brandt in 1989. They had 3 children, Gunner Nicholas (b. 1991), Storm Brieanne (b. 1994) and Dekker Nilsson (b. 1995). They divorced in November 1996. One month after the divorce, Nikki married Donna D'Errico in December 1996 and they had Frankie-Jean Mary (b. 2001). Nikki and Donna briefly separated in 2001 and reconciled months later.- Actor
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Hammett was born in San Francisco, California on November 18, 1962, to Teofila (Oyao) and Dennis L. Hammett, a merchant seaman. He learned guitar at age 15 and joined Metallica to replace Dave Mustaine in 1982. He has won several Grammys with Metallica and participated in their class action law suit against Napster. His father had Irish, English, Scottish, and German ancestry, and his mother's family is Filipino.- Actor
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Lars Ulrich was born on 26 December 1963 in Gentofte, Denmark. He is an actor and composer, known for Get Him to the Greek (2010), X-Men: Apocalypse (2016) and Mission: Impossible II (2000). He has been married to Jessica Miller since 2015. He was previously married to Skylar Satenstein and Debbie Jones.- Actor
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Former lead guitarist for hard rock super group KISS, best known for his "space ace" character, on stage stagger, cackling laugh and smoking guitar effects. Frehley was born Paul Daniel Frehley on April 27th, 1951 in The Bronx, New York City and received his first electric guitar at age 14. A creative and gifted teenager, he counts The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin as early influences on his musical tastes.
Frehley answered a newspaper ad in early 1973 for a then-unnamed group seeking a lead guitarist with "flash and balls", and successfully auditioned in front of bassist Gene Simmons and rhythm guitarist Paul Stanley, to become the fourth member of what would become KISS. Soon after, the group was joined by drummer Peter Criss and the four set about launching themselves. After mediocre success from their first three albums, "Kiss Alive" (a double live album) was released in 1975, and the rocket ride had begun! Kiss were very successful from 1975 until 1979, however, cracks appeared in the band and Peter Criss left the group in 1980, followed by Frehley in 1982.
Frehley put together his own band ("Frehleys Comet") and they regularly toured the New York City club circuit and released several albums, predominantly purchased by KISS fans still loyal to Ace! However, after several years of icy relations between ex-members Frehley / Criss and band founders Simmons / Stanley, all four original members reunited for a 1995 MTV Unplugged Special that was met with huge interest. This prompted a full-blown reunion tour (Kiss - Alive Worldwide) that was the biggest grossing tour of 1996/97!! Met with such keen enthusiasm from fans, the band toured relentlessly into the new century, however, Peter Criss was not satisfied with his salary, and was replaced by drummer Eric Singer, in 2001. Frehley stuck around another year or so, however, the old issues of Ace's unreliability caught up with him once again, and he once more exited the band, to be replaced by Tommy Thayer.
Most recently, Ace had a small part in the gangster film Remedy (2005).- Actor
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Ivan L. Moody was born in 1980 in Denver, Colorado, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for Supernatural (2005), Lollipop Chainsaw (2012) and Time Crisis: Razing Storm (2010).- Music Artist
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Marilyn Manson was born Brian Hugh Warner on January 5, 1969 in Canton, Ohio, to Barbara Jo (Wyer) and Hugh Angus Warner. He has German and English ancestry. During his childhood, one of his neighbors molested him several times until the young Brian broke down one day and told his mother what happened. As an only child, he would often get into mischievous activities such as adventure through his grandfather Jack Warner's sex toys, shoot his BB gun with his cousin Chad, and create sex magazines to sell to his classmates. His parents raised him as an Episcopalian, and he attended the religious private Heritage Christian School. It was there that he became fueled with hate towards Christanity. During his tenth grade year, he convinced his parents to let him attend a public school.
After he graduated from high school, he and his parents moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida because his father got a better job there. He studied journalism and theater at the local community college called Broward, and being some place new and feeling lonely, he wrote poems and short stories. After being fired from his last job at a record store, he became entertainment journalist for a local magazine. He interviewed several famous musicians including Trent Reznor from the band "Nine Inch Nails". Along with his job and writing, he would also frequently go to rock clubs. He soon decided to create his own band.
With musical influences from Ozzy Osbourne and KISS, he recruited other musicians with the same interests and started the band called "Marilyn Manson and the Spooky Kids". He got the name Marilyn Manson as a combination from the names of the movie star Marilyn Monroe and the psycho killer Charles Manson. The band's name would later officially change to just Marilyn Manson, and most of the original band members would leave and be replaced, too. Manson reunited with Trent Reznor and had his band tour with "Nine Inch Nails". Reznor would also produce Marilyn Manson's first three albums (Portrait of an American Family, AntiChrist Superstar, and Mechanical Animals) and an E.P. (Smells like Children). "Mechanical Animals" is Marilyn Manson's most successful album to date. With the success, Manson became a controversial celebrity, because the anti-Christian message in his songs, and Satanist 'Anton Szandor LaVey' deemed Manson a Reverend for the Church of Satan. Also with fame, Manson started to mingle with other celebrities, and began a romantic relationship with the actress Rose McGowan. They became engaged, but broke off the relationship in 2001.
He then fell in love with the burlesque dancer Dita Von Teese, and soon became engaged. They had a fairy tale, non-denominational wedding in a castle in Ireland. Meanwhile, Manson came out with two more albums (Holy Wood, and the Golden Age of Grotesque), and a best of album (Lest We Forget: The Best Of...). He also dabbled into acting by being in such movies as Jawbreaker (1999), Party Monster (2003) and The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things (2004). He continues to make music and act in movies.- Music Artist
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Stevie Ray Vaughan was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist from Dallas, Texas. He was the main guitarist and frontman for the musical trio "Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble" from 1978 to his death in 1990. Vaughan and his band-mates specialized in blues rock, and Vaughan was a key figure in the blues revival of the 1980s. He was killed in an accidental helicopter crash at the age of 35. His recordings continued to sell well following his death, and he has been cited as an influence on musicians of the blues, rock, and alternative genres.
In 1954, Vaughan was born in Dallas Texas. His father was Jimmie Lee "Big Jim" Vaughan (1921-1986), a World War II veteran who had served in the United States Navy. Vaughan's paternal grandparents were the sharecroppers Thomas Lee Vaughan (died in 1928) and Laura Belle LaRue. Laura was an amateur pianist and singer.
Vaughan reportedly had a difficult childhood. Big Jim (his father) struggled with alcohol abuse and had a violent temper. He was physically abusive with both his family and his friends. Vaughan idolized his own older brother, the aspiring musician Jimmie Vaughan (1951-). Vaughan wanted to become a musician as well, and unsuccessfully attempted to use the drums and the saxophone at an early age.
In 1961, Vaughan received a toy guitar as a gift. The guitar was a Western-themed "Wyatt Earp" model, a type produced by Jefferson Manufacturing from 1959 to 1968. Vaughan learned how to use the guitar by ear, and practiced on playing tunes by the Nightcaps. The Nightcaps (his favorite band) were a Dallas-based blues band. Vaughan would later study the music recordings of the guitarists Albert King, Otis Rush, Muddy Waters, Jimi Hendrix, Lonnie Mack, and Kenny Burrell. He tried to emulate their playing-style, in order to improve his own guitar skills.
In 1963, Vaughan received a hand-me-down electric guitar from his brother Jimmie. It was a Gibson ES-125T, a model popular from 1941 to 1970. In 1965, Vaughan joined the Chantones, his first band. They participated in a talent show, but were unable to perform a Jimmy Reed song in its entirety. Vaughan was disappointed and quit the band.
During his early teen years, Vaughan performed professionally at local bars and clubs. He performed with a local band, the Brooklyn Underground. He met with the disapproval of both his parents, and he was increasingly miserable in his home life. In 1969, Vaughan auditioned for a position in the pop rock band Southern Distributor. He was hired after impressing the band-mates with a perfect rendition of the song "Jeff's Boogie" by the the Yardbirds. However, his fascination with the blues met with the band's disapproval, as they believed that nobody could make a living by playing the blues. The band soon disbanded.
Later in 1969, Vaughan had a jam session with the experienced bass guitarist Tommy Shannon (1946-). They liked each other's style, and would on occasion perform together over the following years. In February 1970, Vaughan became the main guitarist of the band Liberation. The group's original guitarist, Scott Phares, stepped down from that role. He believed that Vaughan outclassed him in guitar performances. Later in 1970, the band performed with another new Texas-based band, called ZZ Top (1969-).
In September 1970, Vaughan recorded two songs with the band Cast of Thousands. The songs were intended for a compilation album, and were the first studio recordings in Vaughan's career. In January 1971, Vaughan quit the band Liberation in order to form his own band. He called the new band Blackbird. At that point, Vaughan decided to drop out of high school and move to Austin, Texas with his band-mates. Austin reputedly had more liberal and tolerant audiences than Dallas, and Vaughan was frustrated with the conservative culture of Dallas.
In Austin, Vaughan took residence in the blues club Rolling Hills Club. He and Blackbird opened shows for bands such as Sugarloaf, Wishbone Ash, and Zephyr. Success eluded them, and the band had a frequent changes in its membership. Vaughan himself quit the band in December 1972. He served for 3 months as a new member of the band Krackerjack.
In March 1973, Vaughan joined the band Nightcrawlers. The band included a number of his old acquaintances as members. They recorded an album at Sunset Sound Recorders in Hollywood, but it was rejected by a record company. The album included Vaughan's first songwriting efforts, "Dirty Pool" and "Crawlin". Later that year, the band signed a contract with music impresario Bill Ham (1937 -2016). Ham arranged gigs for them across the Southern United States, but was disappointed at the lack of audience interest in their performances. Ham left the band stranded in Mississippi, and later wanted the members to reimburse for his expenses.
In 1975, Vaughan joined the band "Paul Ray and the Cobras". He started giving weekly performances at Austin clubs. In late 1976, Vaughan and his new band recorded their first single. It was released in February 1977, to positive reviews by the local music press. The band topped a poll by the counterculture newspaper "Austin Sun" (1974-1978), voted by the readers as the band of the year. Vaughan went on a tour with the band.
In the autumn of 1977, Vaughan was disappointed to learn that the Cobras planned to change their music style and to strive for a "mainstream" musical direction. He soon quit the band, and formed the new band Triple Threat Revue. In January 1978, the new band recorded four songs. These were their only audio recordings, as they disbanded for unknown reasons. Vaughan had written the lyrics to one of their songs.
In May 1978, Vaughan co-founded the band Double Trouble with the singer Lou Ann Barton (1954-) and the drummer Fredde "Pharaoh" Walden. They named themselves after the title of a song by Otis Rush. Walden quit the band in July, and was briefly replaced by Jack Moore. Moore himself quit the band by early September, replaced by Chris Layton (1955-). Vaughan and Layton would continue performing together until 1990.
Vaughan's personal life underwent changes in the summer of 1978. He first met and befriended Lenora "Lenny" Bailey. The two soon started a romantic relationship to each other. They were married in December 1979, at Vaughan's insistence. The marriage lasted until 1988, ending in a divorce. Lenny was Vaughan's only wife, and his longest-lasting romantic relationship.
In October 1978, Vaughan and his band became resident performers at the Rome Inn, at the time one of the most popular music venues in Austin. In November 1979, Vaughan himself signed a management contract with Chesley Millikin. Millikin was the manager of Manor Downs, a horse racetrack which was also used as a music venue. In October 1980, Tommy Shannon applied for a position with the band. Vaughan thought about it, and recruited him in early 1981. Vaughan and Shannon would continue performing together until 1990.
In July 1982, Vaughan and his band were booked for the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. They were booed by part of the audience, leaving Vaughan depressed. However, the performance impressed some music lovers. The band was soon booked for a performance at the lounge of the Montreux Casino, and were offered use of Jackson Browne's personal recording studio in downtown Los Angeles. They took the offer and recorded ten songs in two days.
While staying in Los Angeles, Vaughan was approached by famous musician David Bowie (1976-2016). They had met in Montreux, and Vaughan had made a favorable impression. Bowie wanted Vaughan to perform as a guitarist in his next studio album, "Let's Dance". Vaughan accepted. In January 1983, Vaughan performed on six of the album's eight songs. One of them was a new rendition of "China Girl", which Bowie had co-written in 1977. The album was released in April 1983, to massive commercial success. It became Bowie's best-selling album, and EMI's fastest-selling record since the Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" (1967).
In March 1983, Vaughan and Double Trouble signed a contract with Epic Records (1953-). The company was a music subsidiary of CBS Records. It became a leading record label of the 1980s, after signing contracts with such music stars of the era as Michael Jackson and Gloria Estefan. The company financed Double Trouble's music video "Love Struck Baby", a first for the band.
In April 1983, Vaughan initially agreed to perform with David Bowie in the concert tour Serious Moonlight Tour. Vaughan quit the tour days before its opening date in May 1983, due to the failure of contract re-negotiations for his performance fee. Although he was mildly disappointed at the lack of an agreement, the publicity generated by his resignation boosted Vaughan's fame. In early May 1983, Vaughan and Double Trouble opened a New York City show for Bryan Adams (1959-). At the time, the music press commented that Vaughan was more impressive than Adams.
Vaughan released his debut studio album in June 1983, "Texas Flood". The album peaked at 38th place on the Billboard 200 chart shortly after its release, despite part of the press complaining about Vaughan's supposed lack of originality. Two of its songs were nominated for Grammy Awards. On June 16, Vaughan gave a performance at Tango nightclub in Dallas, in order to celebrate the album's release. About 700 people attended the performance, including radio station personalities and executives from New York City. Based on the album's success Double Trouble were booked as the opening act for a two-months tour with The Moody Blues, receiving 5,000 dollars for each performance. For the first time, the band was performing in crowded coliseums.
In January 1984, Vaughan and his band recorded their second album, "Couldn't Stand the Weather". They were joined by several other musicians for the recordings, including Jimmie Vaughan. The album was released in May 1984, and quickly outsold its predecessor. It peaked at number 31, and spent 38 weeks on the charts. The album confirmed that Vaughan's acclaimed debut was no fluke, and Vaughan was considered a leader in the then-ongoing commercial revival of the blues genre. Having played blues for most of his life, Vaughan had no real need to change his style.
In October 1984, Vaughan headlined a performance at Carnegie Hall. His concert included several guest musicians, with vocalist Angela Strehli (1945-) performing with them. They performed in front of an audience of 2,200 people, including Vaughan's wife and his family. The performance was recorded and later released as an official live LP. In late 1984, the band toured Australia and New Zealand. In November 1984, they played two successful concerts at the Sydney Opera House. Vaughan took a short vacation in December, and toured Japan in January 1985.
In March 1985, Vaughan and his band started recording their third album, "Soul to Soul". Vaughan had trouble with their recording sessions. He suffered from a lack of inspiration, and he had trouble concentrating due to an excessive use of alcohol and other drugs. In April 1985, Vaughan performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" in the Houston Astrodome. He was barely lucid at the time. His performance was booed by the audience, and the music press noted that nobody had asked Vaughan for his autograph.
"Soul to Soul" was released in September 1985, to great commercial success. It peaked at 34th place on the Billboard 200, and remained in the charts through mid-1986. However, it did not match the sales of their previous album. The press commented that Vaughan was running out of gas. Vaughan himself commented in an interview about the troubled production of the album, though he felt that his band still managed to stay strong.
In 1985 and 1986, Vaughan and his band spend nearly 10th months in constant touring. They did not have time for recording sessions. Epic Records eventually notified them that they were under contractual obligation to record a 4th album. Vaughan decided to record the new LP ( "Live Alive") during three live appearances in Austin and Dallas. They used recordings of their concerts to assemble the LP, with Vaughan himself serving as the producer. What they recorded, however, were "chaotic jams with no control".
"Live Alive" was released in November 1986. It peaked at the 52nd place at the Billboard 200. Music critics complained about Vaughan's "uneven playing" in these recordings. Vaughan later commented in an interview that he was in a bad shape at the time, and that the recordings sounded like "the work of half-dead people".
Back in September 1986, Vaughan collapsed after a performance in Germany. He was suffering from near-fatal dehydration, and required medical treatment. The experience convinced Vaughan to quit drugs, and to seek rehabilitation. He spend months in three different rehab clinics, located in London, Atlanta, and Austin. He was released in November 1986, and required positive reassurance to start performing again. He started a new tour on November 23.
In January 1987, Vaughan filed for a divorce from his wife Lenny. The legal proceedings restricted him from taking part in new music projects. He could not write or and record songs for almost two years. His band-mates composed the new song "Crossfire" without him. Vaughan was ,however, able to appear with them in concerts. Vaughan toured Europe with the band in 1988, ending his concert appearances in Finland.
In 1988, Vaughan's divorce was finalized. He and his band started recording their fourth and final studio album, "In Step". Vaughan wrote songs about addiction and redemption, and the album's liner notes contained references to the twelve-step program proposed by the Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). The album was released in June 1989. It peaked at 33rd on the Billboard 200, spending 47 weeks on the chart. Critics took note of songs with "startling emotional honesty", remarking that Vaughan's songwriting ability had improved.
On August 27, 1990, Vaughan performed at the Alpine Valley Music Theatre, located in the Alpine Valley Resort of East Troy, Wisconsin. He was performing with members of Eric Clapton's touring entourage. Vaughan departed the music venue with a Bell 206B helicopter, as the only road in and out of the area was nearly inaccessible due to heavy traffic. The helicopter crashed into a nearby ski hill shortly after takeoff. Vaughan was killed, along with the pilot and three other passengers. Vaughan was only 35-years-old at the time of his death.
At the time of the accident, there were foggy conditions in the area, resulting in low visibility for the pilot. A later investigation determined that the pilot was qualified to fly by instruments in a fixed-wing aircraft, but had no such qualifications for flying a helicopter. Vaughan was buried at Laurel Land Cemetery in Dallas, Texas, with his funeral attended by 3,000 mourners. In 1993, a memorial statue of Vaughan was unveiled in Austin.- Music Artist
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Keith Richards is an internationally recognized iconic figure in contemporary culture and popular music as a singer, guitar player, songwriter, film actor, and public figure. He was voted 10th greatest guitarist of all time by Rolling Stone Magazine, and was elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989, as founding member of the legendary rock band The Rolling Stones. Together with his song-writing partner, Mick Jagger, he wrote and recorded hundreds of songs, including their monster hit 'Satisfaction', one of the defining songs of the era.
He was born on December 18, 1943, in Dartford, Kent, England, UK. His father, Bert Richards, a factory worker, was injured during the WWII. His mother, Doris (Dupree), introduced him to music of jazz, and also encouraged his singing performances with a choir in Westminster Abbey. Keith Richards met Mick Jagger when he attended primary school during the 1950s, albeit when they went into secondary schools they lost touch for a while. But one day in 1960 they accidentally met on a train and talked about starting up a band. Eventually, Richards and Jagger made their dream come true. They established one of the most legendary life-long songwriting partnerships, following the example of John Lennon and Paul McCartney's songwriting for The Beatles. Besides their main success in popular music and entertainment, Richards and Jagger had carried on their early image of unkempt and surly youth that many others would emulate, and spread their influence across traditional boundaries of genres and styles into filmmaking, art, fashion, and contemporary lifestyle, thus turning Jagger and Richards into cross-cultural trend-setters.
Since The Rolling Stones were formed in 1962, Richards and Jagger were continuously absorbing from many musical styles and assimilated various genres and artistic influences, ultimately creating their very own inimitable style. Together they undergone transformation from semi-amateur local musicians to the leading international superstars. Both Richards and Jagger became poster boys for excess, however, they had survived ups and downs in their careers and personal lives, and remained the core of the band. Initially they shared a flat with the late Brian Jones in London, in 1962. The first lineup of the Stones consisted of Mick Jagger on lead vocal and harmonica Keith Richards on guitar, Bill Wyman on bass, Charlie Watts on drums and Brian Jones on guitar. In 1964 they released their first album titled "The Rolling Stones." In 1965 Richards and Jagger wrote their single, "The Last Time," that became their first number 1 hit in the UK. Then came "Satisfaction" (1965), which was composed by Keith Richards in his sleep, and with the addition of provocative lyrics by Mick Jagger it became the greatest hit and their calling card on each and every show.
In 1966, after The Beatles stopped giving live performances, The Rolling Stones took over as the unofficial "biggest touring band in the world" for the next few years. During 1966-1969 they toured the world, and constantly updated their song-list with many great hits like "Lets Spend the night together" (1967), "Sympathy for the Devil" (1968) and "Honky tonk woman" (1969). The incredible international success of the Stones came with a sad side, caused by Brian's drug and alcohol abuse that impaired his speech and appearance, so the band-mates had to replace him. In July 1969, Brian Jones died of drowning in his swimming pool while having signs of drug overdose. Upon Richards's and Jagger's approval, guitarist Mick Taylor took Brian's place. Brian's death at age 27 made him one of the first members of the infamous "27 Club" of rock stars who died at that age. Although Brian's estrangement from his band-mates, and his numerous arrests were caused by his personal problems with drugs, both Richards and Jagger were blamed at the time for Brian's death. The loss of one of their founding members was a painful moment for the Stones. However, at the end of the 1960s their creativity reached the new highs. Their albums "Beggars Banquet" (1968) and "Sticky Fingers" (1971) were among the most popular albums they ever made, having such hits as "Wild Horses" and "Brown Sugar."
During the 1970s The Rolling Stones remained the biggest band in the world, albeit they were rivaled by the Led Zeppelin. The Stones made thousands of live performances and multi-million record sales with hits like "Angie" (1973), "It's Only Rock and Roll" (1974), "Hot Stuff" (1976) and "Respectable" (1978). At that time both Keith Richards and Mick Jagger had individual ambitions, and applied their untamed creativity in various projects outside the Stones. Keith released his own single. In 1974 Ron Wood had replaced Mick Taylor on guitar and Keith and Ron both played lead guitars. During the decade Keith Richards had a family crisis on his hands, and suffered through emotional pain and drug abuse, albeit it didn't stop him from being himself. In 1980 the group released "Emotional Rescue" which Keith Richards didn't care for, and the group didn't even tour to promote the album. In 1981 with the release of 'Tattoo You', the group went on a major world tour filling stadiums in the US and in Europe. In 1983 the Stones recorded the album "Undercover" at the Compass Point in Nassau and during this time Mick and Keith were having arguments over rights of the group. After having created tens of albums and over a hundred popular songs together, their legendary song-writing partnership was undergoing the most painful test: the bitter rivalry between two enormously talented and equally ambitious superstars.
Outside of The Rolling Stones, Richards toured with The New Barbarians, and also was the front-man of the X-Pensive Winos in the 1980s. In 1985 Keith Richards took part in the "Artists United Against Apartheid" charity project, and has been a participant in many more charitable concerts ever since. In 1992 he released his solo album titled 'Main Offender', which got him back on the road with a promotional tour. Also during the tour he continued singing a few Stones songs. But individual career and solo performances did not bring Richards as much satisfaction as he experienced together with his writing partner. Eventually, Jagger and Richards got together in Barbados and started to write new songs for the album "Steel Wheels." After the Stones recorded it they went back on the road. It was the first tour of The Rolling Stones in 7 years. But in 1992 Bill Wyman announced that he was going to leave the group. In 1993 Keith Richards and his band released an album and toured for a few months. However, his artistic and personal connection with the Stones had eventually prevailed, and Richards reunited with his former band-mates.
In 1994 The Rolling Stones got back together again and recorded the album "Voodoo Lounge" and toured the world extensively. In 1995 an album of their warm up gig in a pub in Denmark was released. It was an acoustic live album called "Stripped". In 1997 they released the album "Bridges to Babylon" and started a new tour promoting the album. In 1998 a live album "No Security" was released. Their 1999 the tour ended and the group hasn't performed together until 2002. At that time Keith Richards continued playing guitar for various projects and artists, such as Norah Jones, and Aretha Franklin among others. Richards has been good friends with Johnny Depp, who modeled the character of Capt. Jack Sparrow after him, including his voice, his mannerisms, his personality, and aspects of his appearance. In return, Johnny Depp invited Keith Richards to play his father, Captain Teague, in the third installment of the "Pirates" franchise, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007).
The Rolling Stones have released 55 albums of original work and compilations, and sold over 200 million records word-wide during their career spanning over 45 years. "The Stones" played in all kinds of spaces from small clubs to big stadium arenas, they remained one of the biggest entertainment acts touring the world with a retinue of jet-set hangers-on. Their inimitable shows, no matter the best, or the worst, has been played with fire and emotion, giving their audiences the kind of music they do best - it's only rock'n roll. In 2007 they even rocked the Tsar's Winter Palace with fifty thousand fans in St. Petersburg, Russia, where the communist revolution took place. They gave more large-scale shows internationally than any other existing band in the world, culminating in their 2005-2007 "A Bigger Band" tour with 147 concerts, the highest grossing tour of all time with $559 million earned. At their shows, even if you don't shake your hips like Mick Jagger, just hold on to your hat as tears go by, and they can start you up and get you rocking. You can make it if you try.
Since 1962, during the career spanning over 45 years, Keith Richards has been the lead guitarist and primary musical force behind The Rolling Stones, as well as songwriter for the band. He also continues making numerous guest performances as guitarist, as well as actor and producer active in various other projects. Besides his favorite Telecaster and Gibson guitars, Keith Richards owns a valuable collection of about one thousand vintage guitars of various brands, many of which he takes along on concert tours and studio gigs.
Since Richards wrote the signature "Satisfaction" guitar riff, that was called by Newsweek "five notes that took the world," his influence on popular music had never stopped. In his own words, Keith Richards has been dedicated to "grow this music up" beyond the theatrics of the rock's past and "keep it fresh."- Music Artist
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David Jon Gilmour was born on 6th March, 1946, in Grantchester Meadows, Cambridge. As the lead guitarist of Pink Floyd, he is by many considered one of the most influential guitarists on the rock stage. Right up to "The Dark Side of The Moon", Dave wrote his own songs, but from then up to "The Final Cut", Roger Waters wrote almost all the lyrics. Dave made up for it by producing some excellent guitar work, and production work on all those albums, most notably on the songs Shine On You Crazy Diamond (from "Wish You Were Here") and Comfortably Numb (from "The Wall"). He also did a large amount of the vocals. In the early 90s Gilmour divorced his wife Ginger. He now lives with his girl friend Polly Samson, a journalist who also contributed to some of The Division Bell's lyrics. He is a neighbour to his friend and band mate Nick Mason in Maida Vale, London and has a fully equipped recording studio, The Astoria, on his houseboat on Thames. He also enjoys flying his planes and owns the Intrepid Aviation Company collection of classic aircraft. Among great friends he counted comedy sci-fi author Douglas Adams, who died on May 11, 2001 from a heart attack while working out in a gym in Santa Barbara, California.- Actor
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Billy Gibbons was born on 16 December 1949 in Houston, Texas, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for Battleship (2012), Armageddon (1998) and The Perfect Storm (2000). He has been married to Gilligan Gibbons since 14 December 2005.- Composer
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Geddy Lee is best known as the vocalist, bassist, and keyboard player for the rock group Rush, which also features drummer Neil Peart and guitarist Alex Lifeson. Rush is the most successful Canadian music group in history, and is the third most prolific seller of consecutive (American) Gold and Platinum Records and videos, behind only the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. Lee's spectacular bass-playing ability has earned him a reputation similar to that of his bandmates. All three share the distinction of being among the most highly influential virtuosos in their crafts. Geddy Lee is a natural overachiever when it comes to the production and performance of his music. He is equally well known for his wizard-like bass-playing ability as he his for his magical juggling of bass, singing, playing keyboards, and triggering his own pre-recorded accompaniments during live performances, all while maintaining his trademark enthusiasm as Rush's "frontman". Geddy has, in the past carried the dubious distinction of a hard-rocking, if somewhat unnatural, high-pitched singing voice. This has matured over the course of Geddy's career into a voice that is more widely accepted outside of Rush's original core hard-rock following, and shines most especially on recent Rush albums such as 2002's "Vapor Trails", and Geddy's polished 2000 solo album, "My Favorite Headache". After their longest break from recording and touring, A highly successful 2002 tour brought Rush back to the United States, Canada, and Mexico, to the great anticipation of fans. Rush ended their 2002 tour with their first-ever shows in Brazil, where they played to 125,000 fans in three nights. The final performance of the 2002 tour was captured on DVD as Rush in Rio (2003), which was certified double-platinum within weeks of its release. Geddy is the son of Polish parents who were survivors of the Nazi concentration camps. In addition to his composing, arranging, and performing duties for Rush, Geddy has produced albums for various other bands, including Rocket Science.- Music Artist
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Johnny Cash was born February 26, 1932, in Kingsland, Arkansas, to Carrie Cash (Rivers) and Raymond Cash. He made his first single, "Hey Porter", for Sun Records in 1955. In 1958 he moved to Columbia Records. He had long periods of drug abuse during the 1960s, but later that decade he successfully fought his addiction with the help of singer June Carter Cash, whom he married in 1968. In 1971 he appeared in the western A Gunfight (1971) with 'Kirk Douglas (I)'. Cash made only a few films, but quite a few appearances on television, both in series and made-for-TV films, and was especially effective as a rural Southern sheriff in the 1930s determined to bring to justice a wealthy landowner who committed murder because he believed he was above the law in Murder in Coweta County (1983), a drama based on a true story. In 1975 Cash wrote his autobiography, "Man In Black", which is now out of print. In the late 1980s he moved from Columbia Records to Mercury, then in the next decade moved again to American Recordings. Amongst his biggest hit records were "I Walk the Line", "Ring of Fire" and "A Boy Named Sue". After several years of ill health, he died of complications from diabetes on 12 September 2003, only a few months after the death of his beloved wife.- Actor
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Sully Erna, best known as singer and main songwriter of acclaimed rock band Godsmack was born and raised in the suburbs of Boston Massachusetts. He has been a musician since the tender age of 3 years old, where he began his musical journey as a drummer. Already a proven commodity as the frontman of one of today's most powerful rock bands, Erna is also a successful producer, actor, and multi-instrumentalist, and has reaped a myriad of accolades, including several industry records such as:
. 20 Million Albums World Wide . 3 consecutive #1 debut albums on the Billboard 200 charts o Faceless (2003) o Godsmack IV (2006) o The Oracle (2010) . 27-Top 10 singles - More than any other band in Active Rock history!! . Thirteen #1 Songs, including the smash hit "I Stand Alone" that stood at #1 for 17 weeks straight. . Billboard Music Award. "Rock Artist of the Year" . EMMY in 2005 for Best Sports Show on NESN . Four Grammy Nominations. . Soundtracks - The Expendables (Sylvester Stallone) , Any Given Sunday (Al Pacino), Scorpion King (Dwane Johnson), The One (Jet Li), and many many more.
2022 - Cast for Kevin Price, 2nd in command to Tom Sizemore in the feature "Damon's Revenge"
2018 - Cast for Co-lead Brett Bayton, a southern guest at "The Manor" starring Christina Robinson
2007 - Cast for "Mark" a small town junkie on the FX series "Dirt" starring Cortney Cox.
2013 - Cast for Paul "sunny" Wade, a prison assassin in the Eric Bross short film "Goliath"
2014 - Cast for Sherriff Bridge in the Indy horror "Army Of The Damned" starring Tony Todd & Michael Berryman
2016 - Cast for the Feature "Bleed For This", Executive Producer, Martin Scorsese. Starring Miles Teller, Katie Segal and Aaron Eckheart,- Actor
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Bruce Dickinson was born on 7 August 1958 in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, England, UK. He is an actor and composer, known for A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Child (1989), Into the Blue (2005) and Bride of Chucky (1998). He has been married to Leana Dolci since 2023. He was previously married to Paddy Bowden and Erica Jane Barnett.- Actor
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As founder, lead singer, and songwriter of the metal band RATT, Stephen Pearcy led his creation to multi-platinum success year after year and captured critical acclaim for his performances. RATT, formed, in Los Angeles in 1982 from his previous "brain child" band Mickey RATT, was known for their flamboyant appearance, rebellious attitude, and take no prisoner approach to metal. Atlantic Records recognized Ratt's potential and star power and signed the band to a contract resulting in the 1984 album "Out of the Cellar", which became one of many multi-platinum successes. The record generated top ten singles followed by sold out tours throughout the world. Their last recording, 1991's "Ratt 8191" marked the end of an era, and to the chagrin of many die hard "metalists" who seemingly could never get enough of Pearcy, it seemed to mark the end to a self proclaimed "dynasty of rough & tough metal" that ruled the better part of the 80s. During RATT's fifteen year span with Pearcy at its helm, they released 8 albums and played over a thousand shows worldwide and sold over 13 million records in the United States alone. In 1992, Stephen, explored other areas of interest, and created Arcade with Cinderella drummer Fred Coury. Vicious Delite, Nitronic and Vertex later followed suit. Today, with the release of his first ever solo debut in 2002, "Social Intercourse", and 20 CDs to his credit, he continues to record and tour vigorously to the delight of a new emerging fan base of "metalists". Today, he also heads Top Fuel Entertainment, as founder and CEO, which he founded in 1995.- Actor
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Don Dokken was born on 29 June 1953 in the USA. He is an actor and composer, known for Dark Angel (1990), A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987) and Brütal Legend (2009).- Actor
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Yngwie Malmsteen was born on 30 June 1963 in Stockholm, Stockholms län, Sweden. He is an actor and composer, known for Yngwie Malmsteen: I'll See the Light Tonight (1985), Yngwie Malmsteen: You Don't Remember, I'll Never Forget (1986) and Yngwie Malmsteen: Heaven Tonight (1988). He is married to April Malmsteen. They have one child.- Actor
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Kip Winger was born on 21 June 1961 in Denver, Colorado, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey (1991), The Karate Kid Part III (1989) and Conversations with Kip Winger (2022). He has been married to Paula De Tuilio since July 2004. He was previously married to Beatrice Richter.- Composer
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John Paul Jones was born on 3 January 1946 in Sidcup, Kent, England, UK. He is a composer and actor, known for The Song Remains the Same (1976), The Adam Project (2022) and Small Soldiers (1998). He has been married to Maureen Jones since 1967. They have three children.- Actor
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Tim 'Ripper' Owens is known for Hairmetal Shotgun Zombie Massacre: The Movie (2016), Who Am I? (2012) and Operation Mindcrime Feat. Blaze Bayley & Ripper Owens: Taking on the World (2016).- Actor
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Scott Weiland was born on 27 October 1967 in Santa Cruz, California, USA. He was an actor and composer, known for Tank Girl (1995), Battleship (2012) and Hulk (2003). He was married to Jamie Wachtel, Mary Forsberg and Janina Castenada. He died on 3 December 2015 in Bloomington, Minnesota, USA.- Actor
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Duff McKagan was born on 5 February 1964 in Seattle, Washington, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for Hulk (2003), The Italian Job (2003) and Fantastic Four (2005). He has been married to Susan Holmes-McKagan since 28 August 1999. They have two children. He was previously married to Linda Johnson and Amanda (Mandy) Brixx.- Actor
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Gregg LeNoir Allman was NOT primarily known for being an actor, he was a musician, songwriter and singer that formed the Allman Brothers Band with his brother Duane in 1969. His music appeared in the movie soundtracks of films such as Walking Tall (2004) and Jack Reacher (2012) and in the television drama miniseries The Crowded Room (2023) and True Detective (2014).- Actor
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Steve Perry was born on 22 January 1949 in Hanford, California, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for Independent Lens (1999), The Losers (2010) and Tron: Legacy (2010).- Actor
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Ric Ocasek was born on 23 March 1944 in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. He was an actor and composer, known for Super 8 (2011), The Saint (1997) and Transformers (2007). He was married to Paulina Porizkova, Suzanne LaPointe and Constance Campbell. He died on 15 September 2019 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA.- Actor
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David Ellefson was born on 12 November 1964 in Jackson, Minnesota, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for Super Mario Bros. (1993), Dwellers (2021) and The Lucid: Hair (2022). He has been married to Julie Foley since 1993. They have two children.- Actor
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Jani Lane was born on 1 February 1964 in Akron, Ohio, USA. He was an actor and composer, known for Shazam! (2019), Bring It On (2000) and Rock of Ages (2012). He was married to Kimberly Nash, Rowanne Brewer and Bobbie Jean Brown. He died on 10 August 2011 in Woodland Hills, California, USA.- Actor
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Steven Adler was born on 22 January 1965 in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for Megamind (2010), Gone Baby Gone (2007) and The Dead Pool (1988). He has been married to Carolina Ferreira since 23 January 2002. He was previously married to Cheryl Swiderski.- Actor
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Warren Haynes was born on 6 April 1960 in Asheville, North Carolina, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for The Perfect Storm (2000), 3000 Miles to Graceland (2001) and Renegades (1989).- Actor
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Steve Earle was born on 17 January 1955 in Fort Monroe, Virginia, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for The Wire (2002), Leaves of Grass (2009) and Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987). He was previously married to Allison Moorer, Lou-Anne Gill, Maria Teresa Ensenat, Carol-Ann Hunter, Cynthia Dunn and Sandra Jean Henderson.- Actor
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Ronald David Wood is an English rock musician, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, artist, author, and radio personality best known as a member of the Rolling Stones since 1975, as well as a member of Faces and the Jeff Beck Group. Wood began his career in 1964, when he joined the Birds on guitar.He then joined the mod group the Creation, but remained with the group only for a short time and appeared on only a few of their singles. He joined the Jeff Beck Group in 1967 as a bass guitarist. Their two albums, Truth and Beck-Ola, are both highly praised.- Music Department
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Mick Taylor was born on 17 January 1948 in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, England, UK. He is a producer and actor, known for The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976), Freight (2010) and The Last of the Finest (1990).- Actor
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Paul Rodgers was born on 17 December 1949 in Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England, UK. He is an actor and composer, known for Jerry Maguire (1996), Almost Famous (2000) and Friday Night Lights (2004). He has been married to Cynthia Kereluk since 24 September 2007. He was previously married to Machiko Shimizu.- Actor
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Robin Zander was born on 23 January 1953 in Beloit, Wisconsin, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for Over the Top (1987), Say Anything (1989) and Tequila Sunrise (1988). He has been married to Pamela Stein since 20 June 1993. They have two children.- Composer
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Former vocalist for the Javelins and Episode Six, Ian Gillan joined Deep Purple in 1969. They recorded the legendary albums "Deep Purple In Rock", "Fireball", "Machine Head" and "Who Do We Think We Are", as well as a number of live albums.
He left Deep Purple in 1973 due to differences with guitarist 'Ritchie Blackmore', as well as exhaustion due to excessive touring with the band. He then formed The Ian Gillan Band around late 1975/early '76. They released two studio albums: "Child in Time" (1976), which included a "jazzy" version of the Purple classic "Clear Air Turbulence" (1977), and a live album, recorded at the Budokan.
He then disbanded The Ian Gillan Band, and formed "Gillan". They released five albums: "Mr. Universe" (1979), "Future Shock" (1980), "Glory Road" (1980), "Double Trouble" (1981) and "Magic" (1982) before disbanding due to Ian's throat problems. Ian then met Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler and joined Black Sabbath in 1983. They did one album, "Born Again", that same year and toured in 1984. At that time Ian got a call from Ritchie Blackmore, asking him to reform Purple MKII, along with band mates Jon Lord, Roger Glover and Ian Paice. Ian left Sabbath and rejoined Purple. They recorded "Perfect Strangers" (1984) and "The House of Blue Light" (1987), before his problems with Blackmore made him quit Purple yet again. In 1988 he and fellow Purple band mate Glover made a record under the "Gillan/Glover" moniker, called "Accidentally on Purpose". Ian participated on various projects until 1992, when he formed a band and recorded "Cherkazoo and Other Stories".
In 1993 he was asked to rejoin Deep Purple yet again. He accepted, and recorded "The Battle Rages On". After a world tour Blackmore quit Deep Purple for good. They then made a couple of dates with Joe Satriani before finding a permanent replacement in Kansas/Dixie Dregs guitarist Steve Morse. The new Purple then recorded "Purpendicular" in 1996 and "Abandon" in 1998. In 1998, Ian released his solo album "Dreamcatcher".
Organist Jon Lord was replaced for the 2003 record "Bananas" with former Rainbow keyboardist Don Airey. Deep Purple MK VIII did a world tour for "Bananas", and went to work on their 18th studio album, "Rapture of the Deep", released in November 2005.
Ian released "Gillan's Inn" in 2006, and is touring with Deep Purple.- Music Artist
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Roger Daltrey is noted as a founder of the legendary rock band The Who. After leaving London's Acton County Grammar School in 1963, he formed a skiffle band called The Detours, then displayed an early genius by putting together unusual elements into a world-class performance. The unusual elements included Daltrey on vocals, John Entwistle on bass and Pete Townshend on lead guitar. In 1965 they added drummer Keith Moon, and the fabulous line-up was complete. The band was remarkable for the synthesis of personalities: Townshend's art-school sensibilities; Daltrey's down-to-earth interpretation; and Entwistle's and Moon's skill as performers. They were first noted for deafening shows and for smashing their instruments in ferocious displays of auto-destructive art, but they went on to considerable chart success through original songs written by Townshend and the more humor-oriented Entwistle. Townshend wrote the first rock mini-opera for their second album, and after their first tour of America, the band presented the full-length rock opus Tommy, which shattered barriers and established The Who as a major artistic force in the world of music. Daltrey released his first solo album in 1973, and followed that with a number of solo chart successes. He also established a stage and (somewhat offbeat) film career after starring in the movie of Tommy (1975). He pursued films more steadily after the death of drummer Moon, and turned to production with the drama McVicar (1980). The band continued to perform sporadically with different drummers and John Bundrick on keyboard, but returned to full force in the 1990s with the addition of Zak Starkey on drums. Though Townshend is noted as the songwriter and lead guitarist of The Who, Daltrey remains the genius who drives their performances. His energy and stage presence established The Who at the monumental Monterey Pop, Woodstock and Isle of Wight music festivals, and his instincts for production carved their path through the era of stadium rock. The filmography of musical performances stand as the best evidence of Daltrey's brilliance as both a musician and a stage performer.- Actor
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Former drummer for hard rock super-group "KISS", best known for his "cat" character and thumping drum solo's. Criss was born Peter George John Crisscoula on December 20th, 1945 in Brooklyn, New York City. Criss was influenced by the 1940s big band sound, and was quite keen on Gene Krupa's unique drumming style.
In early 1973, Criss placed an ad in the "Village Voice" stating "drummer willing to do anything to make it". The ad was noticed by two other aspiring musicians and Criss successfully auditioned in front of bassist Gene Simmons, rhythm guitarist Paul Stanley and lead guitarist Ace Frehley. After mediocre success from their first three albums, Kiss Alive (a double live album) was released in 1974, and the roller coaster ride had begun! KISS were the most successful US group from 1975 to 1980 with platinum selling albums and sold out stadium tours. However, cracks appeared in the band and Peter Criss was fired in 1980, and released two solo albums "Out of Control" and "Let Me Rock You", however they were commercial failures. Criss' close friend, Ace Frehley similarly left KISS in 1982, and met with only slightly better success than Criss with his own group ("Frehleys Comet") and several hard rock albums.
Interestingly, Criss was the subject of a tabloid scandal in 1991, when a national tabloid claimed Criss was penniless and living under a pier at Santa Monica. The drama unfolded on the "Phil Donahue Show" with Criss, the impostor and other concerned parties involved in a verbal slanging match! However, after several years of icy relations between ex-members Frehley / Criss and band founders Simmons / Stanley, all four original members reunited for a 1995 MTV Unplugged Special that was met with huge interest, prompting a full blown reunion tour (KISS - Alive Worldwide) that was the biggest grossing tour of 1996/97. Met with such keen enthusiasm, the band toured relentlessly into the new century, however Peter Criss was experiencing inflammation of his forearms. Additionally, relations with Simmons / Stanley had fallen on untenable terms and he was replaced by another former KISS drummer, Eric Singer, in 2001. Criss issued at statement on his website in April 2004, declaring he was permanently finished as the drummer with KISS.- Actor
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Krist Novoselic is an American musician, political activist, best known as the bassist and a founding member of the rock band Nirvana. Nirvana achieved massive success, earning multiple gold and platinum awards and touring around the world at sold-out shows.
After Nirvana disbanded following the death of its frontman Kurt Cobain in 1994, Novoselic formed Sweet 75 in 1995 and Eyes Adrift in 2002, releasing one album with each band. From 2006 to 2009, he played in the punk rock band Flipper, and in 2011, he contributed bass and accordion to the song "I Should Have Known" on the Foo Fighters' studio album Wasting Light. He is playing bass and accordion in the band Giants in the Trees since June 2017.
Apart from his musical endeavors, Novoselic has been active politically, including the creation of Joint Artists and Musicians Political Action Committee. From 2007 through 2010, he wrote a weekly column on music and politics for the Seattle Weekly website. Since 2008, Novoselic has been board chair of the electoral reform organization FairVote.- Actor
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Izzy Stradlin was born on April 8, 1962 in Lafayette, Indiana, USA as Jeffrey Dean Isbell. Izzy was born in the same town as Axl Rose, and later joined the band, Guns and Roses. His notoriety as the rhythm guitarist and song writer for that band, got him a small role in the Dead Pool (1988) with Clint Eastwood and Liam Neeson. After Guns and Roses broke up, he started his own band, Izzy and the Ju Ju Hounds.- Actor
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Dizzy Reed was born on 18 June 1963 in Hinsdale, Illinois, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for The Still Life (2006), Holyman Undercover (2010) and Guns N' Roses Appetite for Democracy 3D Live at Hard Rock Las Vegas (2014). He has been married to Lisa Reed since 5 July 1990. They have two children.- Music Artist
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Robert James Ritchie or Kid Rock is an American rapper, rock musician, singer and actor from Romeo, Michigan. He performed with Joe C and Uncle Kracker for his band. He is known for his appearances on The Simpsons, Joe Dirt and Osmosis Jones. He was previously married to Canadian actress Pamela Anderson.- Actor
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Chris Robinson was born on 20 December 1966 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for Ladder 49 (2004), He's Just Not That Into You (2009) and Raising Helen (2004). He has been married to Camille Johnson since January 2020. He was previously married to Allison Bridges, Kate Hudson and Lala Sloatman.