Blackie Lawless
Background information
Birth name	Steven Edward Duren
Born	September 4, 1956 (1956-09-04) (age 51)
Origin	Staten Island, New York
Genre(s)	Heavy metal
Occupation(s)	Musician, songwriter and actor
Instrument(s)	vocals, guitar and bass
Years active	1965-present
Associated acts	W.A.S.P., Mötley Crüe, London, Circus Circus, Sister, Killer Kane, New York Dolls, Orfax Rainbow, Black Rabbit and The Underside

Steven Edward Duren (born September 4, 1956, in Staten Island, New York), better known as Blackie Lawless, is best known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for heavy metal band W.A.S.P.. He has become notorious in the heavy metal community for his live performances, controversial album covers and lyrics. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (1,600 × 1,200 pixels, file size: 470 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... is the 247th day of the year (248th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... A car from 1956 Year 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Staten Island (disambiguation) Staten Island, shown in an enhanced satellite image Staten Island is one of the five boroughs of New York City, located on an island of the same name on the west side of the Narrows at the entrance of New York Harbor. ... This article is about the state. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Heavy metal redirects here. ... A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. ... In music a singer or vocalist is a type of musician who sings, i. ... For other uses, see Guitar (disambiguation). ... A sunburst-colored Precision Bass The electric bass guitar (or electric bass; pronounced , as in base) is a bass stringed instrument played with the fingers (either by plucking, slapping, popping, or tapping) or using a pick. ... Year 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. ... W.A.S.P. is an American heavy metal band formed in 1982. ... Mötley Crüe (pronounced Motley Croo) is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California in 1980. ... This article is about the American band London. ... Circus Circus is a circus-themed hotel and casino on the Las Vegas Strip, owned by the Mandalay Resort Group. ... Los Angeles early 1980s Heavy Metal band who were the first known band to use the pentagram logo. ... Killer Kane is a fictional character and primary antagonist in the 1939 Buck Rogers movie serial produced by Universal. ... For the self-titled debut album, visit New York Dolls (album) The New York Dolls are a rock band formed in New York City in 1971. ... is the 247th day of the year (248th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... A car from 1956 Year 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the borough in New York City. ... This article is about the state. ... For other uses, see Singer (disambiguation). ... Rhythm guitar is a guitar that is primarily used to provide rhythmic and harmonic accompaniment for a singer or for other instruments in an ensemble. ... Heavy metal redirects here. ... In music, a band is a company of musicians, or musical ensemble, usually popular or folk, playing parts of or improvising a musical arrangement on different musical instruments. ... W.A.S.P. is an American heavy metal band formed in 1982. ... A controversy is a contentious dispute, a disagreement over which parties are actively arguing. ... An album cover is a cover used to package commercial audio recordings such as the printed cardboard covers that were typically used to package 12 gramophone records from the 1960s through to the 1980s when the 12 record was the major format for distribution of popular music. ... Look up lyrics in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Biography

Duren is of Blackfoot Native American ancestry. His mother was part French and part Indian and he has German Jewish heritage.^[1] For other uses, see Blackfoot (disambiguation). ... This article is about the people indigenous to the United States. ... German Jews have lived in Germany for over 1700 years, through both periods of tolerance and spasms of antisemitic violence, culminating in the Holocaust and the near-destruction of the Jewish community in Germany and much of Europe. ...

Duren's musical interests began when he was nine years old ("My brother had a guitar and I used to sneak down to his bedroom and play it when he wasn't there"), he had his first guitar about a year later and earned his first pocket money with his first band called "The Underside."

At 16, Blackie played with the band "Black Rabbit" in local bars, another early band was "Orfax Rainbow." After leaving high school he worked two years for his father's construction firm.

Music career

For about fifteen days, in May 1975, Blackie played guitar for the New York Dolls, replacing Johnny Thunders at two shows, during their tour through Florida. After the tour, he went to California with Arthur Kane and helped found the "Killer Kane Band", (Single "Mr. Cool"), where Lawless was the singer. At that time his artistic name was "Blackie Goozeman." About a year later Kane went back to New York while Lawless decided to stay in Los Angeles. For the self-titled debut album, visit New York Dolls (album) The New York Dolls are a rock band formed in New York City in 1971. ... Johnny Thunders, born John Anthony Genzale, Jr (July 15, 1952 - April 23, 1991), was a rock and roll guitarist and singer, first with the New York Dolls, the proto-punk glam rockers of the early 1970s. ... This article is about the U.S. State of Florida. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... Arthur Killer Kane in 2004 Arthur Kane (February 3, 1949 – July 13, 2004) was a musician and librarian best known as the bassist for the pioneering glam punk band the New York Dolls. ... Cover of Mr. ... This article is about the state. ... Flag Seal Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government State County California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,290. ...

In 1976, he formed Sister, who are believed to be the first Los Angeles group to use the (inverted) pentagram as their logo. Randy Piper, later of W.A.S.P., was Sister's second and longest-staying guitar player. Lawless' stage antics at the time included lighting his boots on fire (the trick he later gave on to Nikki Sixx) and eating live worms. Around 1978, a new lineup was assembled that included the aforementioned Sixx on the bass and Lizzie Grey on guitars. This lineup tried to record a few songs, but the outcome was so terrible they decided to scrap the idea altogether. Around that time, Chris Holmes came into the picture for the first time to play guitar. According to Holmes, this lineup managed to play live at least once. Los Angeles early 1980s Heavy Metal band who were the first known band to use the pentagram logo. ... Randy Piper is an American musician who made his name in the early days of W.A.S.P. and now has formed his own band called Animal (band) with other former members from W.A.S.P., Chris Holmes and Tony Richards. ... Nikki Sixx (born Frank Carlton Serafino Feranna, Jr. ... Year 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar). ...

After this version of Sister failed in its turn, Lawless started his next band "Circus Circus", in 1979, with Randy Piper again appearing in the lineup. When it became clear that this band was going nowhere as well, in 1981, Lawless joined Lizzie Grey and Nikki Sixx's relatively successful London, with whom he played a few gigs and recorded two songs as demos, already without Sixx. In 1982, Lawless assumed bass duties and along with Randy Piper formed W.A.S.P.. The lineup was soon completed with Chris Holmes on lead guitar and Tony Richards on drums. Circus Circus is a circus-themed hotel and casino on the Las Vegas Strip, owned by the Mandalay Resort Group. ... Nikki Sixx (born Frank Carlton Serafino Feranna, Jr. ... This article is about the American band London. ... Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ... A sunburst-colored Precision Bass The electric bass guitar (or electric bass; pronounced , as in base) is a bass stringed instrument played with the fingers (either by plucking, slapping, popping, or tapping) or using a pick. ... W.A.S.P. is an American heavy metal band formed in 1982. ... Chris Holmes can refer to one of the following people: Chris Holmes (architect), a Canadian architect Chris Holmes (musician), a US musician Chris Holmes, British keyboard player, member of Babe Ruth This is a disambiguation page: a list of articles associated with the same title. ... Lead guitar refers to a role within a band, that provides melody or melodic material, as opposed to the rhythm of the rhythm guitar, bass, and drums. ... Tony Richards born Anthony Richard Orlando. ... For other uses, see Drum (disambiguation). ...

W.A.S.P.

During W.A.S.P.'s long history, there have been numerous band/lineup changes, and today Lawless is the only remaining original member. He writes pretty much all of the songs and music scores on W.A.S.P.'s albums and says his favorite album to date is The Crimson Idol. Many of his songs tend to deal with religion, due to his fundamentalist Christian upbringing and the fact that his grandfather was a deacon and his uncle was a preacher, but veer into socio-political topics from time to time. Lawless even spoke often about going into politics, but has not yet actively pursued that action. W.A.S.P. is an American heavy metal band formed in 1982. ... An album or record album is a collection of related audio or music tracks distributed to the public. ... The Crimson Idol was the fifth studio album by American heavy metal band W.A.S.P., originally released by Capitol Records in 1992 (1993 in the United States). ... For other uses, see Christian (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Politics (disambiguation). ...

Lawless' influences include AC/DC, Black Sabbath and the Beatles. His notorious stage theatrics were influenced by Alice Cooper and The Who, but he took it one step further with throwing raw meat into the audience and girls positioned on torture racks. During the 1980s he was severely criticized by organizations like the Parents Music Resource Center because of W.A.S.P.'s rather extreme live shows with concerts regularly cancelled by local authorities and, in some countries, banned from playing entirely. This article is about the band. ... For other uses, see Black Sabbath (disambiguation). ... The White Album, see The Beatles (album). ... Alice Cooper (born February 4, 1948) is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans four decades. ... The Who are a British rock band that first formed in 1964, and grew to be considered one of the greatest[1] and most influential[2] bands in the world. ... The Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC) was an American committee formed in 1985 by four women: Tipper Gore, wife of Senator and later Vice President Al Gore; Susan Baker, wife of Treasury Secretary James Baker; Pam Howar, wife of Washington realtor Raymond Howar; and Sally Nevius, wife of Washington City... W.A.S.P. is an American heavy metal band formed in 1982. ...

In 2003 Lawless was an outspoken defender of Pete Townshend (from The Who), who was arrested on suspicion of possessing indecent images of children. W.A.S.P. did a cover song from The Who's "The Real Me" on the The Headless Children (1989) CD. Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend (born May 19, 1945 in Chiswick, London), is an award-winning English rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, and composer. ... The Who are a British rock band that first formed in 1964, and grew to be considered one of the greatest[1] and most influential[2] bands in the world. ... W.A.S.P. is an American heavy metal band formed in 1982. ... The Who are a British rock band that first formed in 1964, and grew to be considered one of the greatest[1] and most influential[2] bands in the world. ... Quadrophenia track listing I Am the Sea (1) The Real Me (2) Quadrophenia (3) The Real Me is a song written by Pete Townshend on The Whos second full-scale rock opera, Quadrophenia in 1973. ... The Headless Children is the fourth album by W.A.S.P., released in 1989 (see 1989 in music). ... CD may stand for: Compact Disc Canadian Forces Decoration Cash Dispenser (at least used in Japan) CD LPMud Driver Centrum-Demokraterne (Centre Democrats of Denmark) Certificate of Deposit České Dráhy (Czech Railways) Chad (NATO country code) Chalmers Datorförening (computer club of the Chalmers University of Technology) a 1960s...

Acting

Apart from being a musician, Lawless can be seen in Can't Stop the Music (1980), a musical about The Village People, and in the 1985 fantasy/horror film The Dungeonmaster. He also had a cameo role in the 1984 movie This Is Spinal Tap. See Cant Stop the Music (album) for the soundtrack album of the movie or Cant Stop The Music (song) for the title song. ... Village People were a disco band of the late 1970s. ... The Dungeonmaster, (originally, Ragewar: The Challenges of Excalibrate), is a 1985 low-budget sci-fi/fantasy movie starring Jeffrey Byron, Richard Moll and Leslie Wing. ... This article is about the year. ... This Is Spin̈al Tap (which is officially spelled with a non-functional umlaut symbol over the N) is a 1984 mockumentary directed by Rob Reiner and starring members of the semi-fictional heavy-metal glam rock band Spinal Tap. ...

Lawless was tapped to play Sammi Curr in the horror film Trick or Treat (1986), but declined the offer. The role was instead given to Tony Fields. Trick or Treat is a 1986 horror film by Echo Bridge Home Entertainment, starring Marc Price (of “Family Ties”), Tony Fields, and Lisa Orgolini, with special appearances by Gene Simmons and Ozzy Osbourne. ...

Lawless was also considered for the role of the liquid-metal T-1000 in Terminator 2: Judgment Day, although his height proved to be a problem. In an AOL chat, Lawless explained: "Probably the biggest regret that I have, though I didn't turn it down, was a part in Terminator 2 that Robert Patrick got. Schwarzenegger wanted me to do the part, but when he found out I was 6'4", I couldn't. I regret not being able to do that." T-1000 in police disguise The T-1000 (Advanced Prototype Terminator Infiltrator Series 1 Model 1A Type 1000) is a fictional android assassin, featured as the main antagonist in Terminator 2: Judgment Day. ... Terminator 2: Judgment Day (commonly abbreviated T2) is a 1991 movie directed by James Cameron and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, and Robert Patrick. ... Terminator 2: Judgment Day (commonly abbreviated T2) is a 1991 movie directed by James Cameron and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, and Robert Patrick. ... Robert Patrick (born November 5, 1958) is a Saturn Award-winning American film and television actor. ... Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian-American actor, politician, bodybuilder, and businessman, currently serving as the 38th Governor of California. ...

Recent times

In 2006 Lawless was found not guilty of criminal assault in an Arizona courtroom. The charge dated back to August 2005, when he reportedly kicked a security guard during a tantrum whilst performing in Scottsdale, Arizona. Official language(s) English Spoken language(s) English 74. ... A courtroom is the actual enclosed space in which a judge regularly holds court. ... For other uses, see Scottsdale . ...

The band cancelled its previously announced European dates in July 2006, after Lawless was diagnosed with an abnormality in one of the arteries leading to his heart. He's now fine after some rest and special treatment. Later on he announced new European dates for the same year. For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ...

All rumours about Blackie Lawless having a bad heart have been declared false by his representatives at the official W.A.S.P. Website. As have rumours about Blackie being killed in a car accident in 2007. He is alive and well, though he is also now suffering from a type of skin disease called Seborrheic Dermatitis that results in dry, red patches of skin on the face and head.

In October of 2007, the band announced that no recording devices, including phones with cameras, would be allowed into shows and any phones found by security would be confiscated. It is speculated that this was mostly due to W.A.S.P's decreasing record sales, but is also thought to be to protect the video footage shown onscreen during the concert.

Trivia

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• Baseball legend Ryne Duren is his uncle. Before becoming a musician, Lawless played in the minor leagues for the Cincinnati Reds organization. He is a fan of his hometown team, the New York Yankees, but despite his involvement in baseball has stated that Muhammad Ali is his idol.
• Lawless has been friends with fellow Staten Islander and former New York Dolls bandmate David Johansen, as well as with Ace Frehley of Kiss and Nikki Sixx of Mötley Crüe, with whom he once worked in the band London.
• A March 31, 1985 article in Circus (magazine) by Ben Liemer states that Gene Simmons of KISS was influenced by Blackie in 1977 after watching Sister perform in Los Angeles. Blackie had come across a hand salute known as the corna in an occult book and had started using it during live performances. Three months later when KISS's new album Love Gun was released, Gene was using it on the album cover. Today that hand gesture is widely known in popular culture by many names such as "Devil Horns", "Metal Sign". etc.
• As part of the W.A.S.P. stage performance, Blackie mounts a demonic-looking metal sculpture that doubles as a microphone stand (Known by fans and Blackie as 'Elvis'). Reportedly weighing in excess of 1,000 lbs., it is mounted on springs to allow Blackie to climb atop and swing from it during the show to dramatic effect. This mic stand is often cited by the band as the reason for its cancellation of shows, due to its tremendous weight being too heavy for the stage.

Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... This article is about the sport. ... Rinold George Ryne Duren (born February 22, 1929, Cazenovia, Wisconsin) is a former relief pitcher in Major League Baseball. ... Major league affiliations National League (1890–present) Central Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 5, 8, 10, 13, 18, 20, 24, 42 Name Cincinnati Reds (1958–present) Cincinnati Redlegs (1953-1958) Cincinnati Reds (1882-1953) Cincinnati Red Stockings (1876-1882) Other nicknames The Redlegs, The Big Red Machine... Major league affiliations American League (1901–present) East Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 23, 32, 37, 44, 49 Name New York Yankees (1913–present) New York Highlanders (1903-1912) Baltimore Orioles (1901-1902) (Also referred to as... For other persons named Muhammad Ali, see Muhammad Ali (disambiguation). ... This article is about the borough in New York City. ... For the self-titled debut album, visit New York Dolls (album) The New York Dolls are a rock band formed in New York City in 1971. ... David Johansen on the cover of his 1987 eponymous debut as Buster Poindexter David Johansen (born January 9, 1950, Staten Island, NY) is an American rock, punk, blues and pop singer, songwriter and actor. ... Paul Daniel Frehley (born April 27, 1951[1]), better known as Ace Frehley, is an American guitarist best known as a founding member and lead guitarist for the rock band Kiss. ... Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in 1971. ... Nikki Sixx (born Frank Carlton Serafino Feranna, Jr. ... Mötley Crüe (pronounced Motley Croo) is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California in 1980. ... London were an American glam metal/hard rock band, based in Hollywood, California. ... Circus was a monthly American magazine devoted to rock music. ... Chaim Witz (חיים וויץ), (born August 25, 1949 in Haifa, Israel), better known by his stage name Gene Simmons, is an Israeli-American hard rock bass guitarist and vocalist. ... For other uses, see Kiss (disambiguation). ... Sister may refer to: a female sibling a member of a sorority a female member of a religious institution or congregation, often referred to as a nun in common language a female member of a mutual organisation such as a trade union one of a pair or larger group of... Flag Seal Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government State County California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,290. ... The Corna or Devil Horns The corna (Italian for horns, also mano cornuta, horned hand and fare le corna, to make the horns) is a gesture with a vulgar meaning in Mediterranean countries and a variety of meanings and uses in other cultures. ... Love Gun is an album by the American hard rock band Kiss. ... W.A.S.P. is an American heavy metal band formed in 1982. ...

References

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

Blackie Lawless

• W.A.S.P. Arena Of Pleasure Fan Site
• Restless Gypsy Fan Site
• Official W.A.S.P. Website
• 2007 Interview
• Blackie Lawless at the Internet Movie Database