Gene Simmons, Sebastian Bach, Lita Ford, et Quiet Riot

Born Sebastian Bierk and raised in Peterborough, Ontario, Sebastian Bach's music career began at the tender age of 14 when he joined a local hard rock band by the name of Kid Wikkid in 1983. However, that band would only last until 1985, and after they split Bierk began singing wherever he could, and in 1987, that took him to rock photographer Mark Weiss's wedding. Also attending the wedding were members of the New Jersey glam metal band Skid Row, whose singer had recently left the band. They were all impressed with the 18 year old up on stage, and shortly after the wedding, they asked Bach to join the band, which he gladly accepted. Skid Row went on to become the last truly enormous glam metal band before grunge arrived and shut it all down, with their self-titled debut album going five times Platinum within months of its release.

Of course, Skid Row wouldn't have been a true glam metal band without inner tension and pettiness, and it all came to a head in 1996, when Bach booked a show for the band opening for KISS. The other band members resented this, claiming that the band were too big to open for anyone, and the resulting arguments lead to Bach leaving the band in the same year. Ever since then, Bach has succeeded in everything he's tried his hand at, from his solo career which began in 1999, a Broadway career which began a year later in the title role of Jekyll And Hyde and a screen acting career that's seen him show up in everything from The Trailer Park Boys to Spongebob Squarepants. He's one of heavy metal's great survivors, and thirty years after his first foray into rock music, he still comes highly recommended.

Lita Ford joined a rock band called The Runaways in the mid to late 1970s as a lead guitarist and was partly responsible for the bands signature sound. Unfortunately, the band broke up in April 1979, and Ford decided to pursue a solo career.

Ford released her debut full-length studio album entitled “Out for Blood” but unfortunately didn’t chart, however her sophomore album, “Dancin’ on the Edge” managed to achieve a little success at least charting in the Top 100 of the UK and the US, and even a Grammy Award nomination.

It was Ford’s third album that secured her place in rock history, which was simply just called “Lita”. The album was released on February 2nd 1988 and featured a collaborative single with Ozzy Osbourne on the song “Close My Eyes Forever” thanks to Sharon Osbourne being her manager at the time. The album reached number 29 on the Billboard 200, whilst the single managed to reach number 8 on the Hot 100. “Kiss Me Deadly”, also from the album managed number 12 on the Hot 100. The album was later certified Platinum by the RIAA.

On May 15th 1990, Ford released the album “Stiletto” which was recorded in New York City. It featured the single “Hungry” which reached number 14 in the US Mainstream Rock Charts, and number 63 in the UK. The album managed to reach number 52 in the Billboard 200. Following this album came “Dangerous Curves” which was released on November 12th 1991. This album produced the single “Shot of Poison” which was nominated for a Grammy Award for ‘Best Female Rock Vocal Performance’ in 1993. Ford released a greatest hits compilation in 1992, which included some of her biggest singles to date and on Valentine’s Day in 1995; she released an album called “Black” which took her music in a completely different direction inviting influences from Blues and Grunge.

Ford didn’t release another album until “Wicked Wonderland” in October 2nd 2009. The album reached number 38 in the US Independent Chart.

Quiet Riot formed in 1973 with the original line-up of guitarist Randy Rhoads, bassist Kelly Garni, lead vocalist Kevin DuBrow, and drummer Drew Forsyth. Originally under the moniker Mach 1 and later Little Women, the Quiet Riot name was inspired by Rick Parfitt of Status Quo whose thick English accent made the potential band name “Quite Right” sound like Quiet Riot. After becoming a well-known band in the Los Angeles area, opening for such acts as Van Halen, Quiet Riot signed with Song in 1977 and released their eponymously-titled debut the same year.

The band subsequently released “Quiet Riot II” in 1978, but like it’s predecessor was only released in Japan. After which, Garni was kicked out the band and replaced by Rudy Sarzo and in 1979 lead guitarist Rhoads departed for Ozzy Osbourne’s band essentially derailing the whole project, which officially ended in 1980. The band returned in 1982 with a line-up of DuBrow, guitarist Carlos Cavazo, bassist Rudy Sarzo and drummer Frankie Banali, which turned out to be their most commercially successful. Quiet Riot recorded and released their American debut album “Metal Health” in 1982, which became the first heavy metal album to ever reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Led by the eponymously-titled lead single and spawning the cover of Slade’s “Cum on Feel the Noize”, the latter of which became the first heavy metal song to break into the Top 5 on the U.S. singles chart, the album was their American breakthrough.

With this new found success, Quiet Riot were able to tour as the opening act for Black Sabbath on their Born Again Tour from October 1983 to March 1984. The band’s subsequent release, “Condition Critical”, despite reaching No. 15 in the U.S. album chart and No. 14 in the Canadian album chart, failed to live up to the success of “Metal Health” and marked the band’s decline from the mainstream. Quiet Riot released “QR III” in 1986 and “QR” in 1988, the latter of which proved to be their last album to chart on the Billboard 200.

The band didn’t let this halt their flow however and continued to record and release a host of new albums , and still maintain an impressively extensive touring schedule and live show. Quiet Riot’s subsequent albums include “Terrified” in 1993, “Down to the Bone” in 1995, “Alive and Well” in 1999, “Guilty Pleasures” in 2001, “Rehab” in 2006 and “Quiet Riot 10” in 2014.