Blackie Lawless facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Blackie Lawless
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Lawless performing in 2012
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Steven Edward Duren |
| Born | September 4, 1956 Tampa, Florida, U.S. |
| Genres | Heavy metal, Christian metal, shock rock, glam metal, hard rock |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, musician, songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar, bass guitar |
| Years active | 1975–present |
Steven Edward Duren (born September 4, 1956), known to many as Blackie Lawless, is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He is most famous as the lead singer and guitarist for the heavy metal band W.A.S.P..
Contents
Early Life and Background
Steven Duren was born in Tampa, Florida. He grew up in Staten Island, New York City. He had a strong Christian upbringing and was very active in his church as a young person. Later, he explored different ideas, but in recent years, he has returned to his Christian faith.
Blackie Lawless is the nephew of Major League Baseball pitcher Ryne Duren. Lawless thought about becoming a professional baseball player. However, he chose to pursue music instead. He says his older brother helped him get started with playing the guitar.
Music Career Beginnings
Lawless started his music journey playing in bands like Black Rabbit and Orfax Rainbow. In 1975, he joined the glam rock band New York Dolls as a guitarist for the rest of their tour.
After the tour, he moved to California. There, he helped start a band called Killer Kane. At this time, he used the stage name "Blackie Goozeman." Around 1976, he formed a band called Sister. This band included Randy Piper, who would later join W.A.S.P.
In 1979, Lawless formed another band called Circus Circus, again with Randy Piper. In 1981, he joined the band London. He played a few shows and recorded some demo songs with them.
Forming W.A.S.P.
In 1982, Blackie Lawless switched to playing bass guitar. He then formed the band W.A.S.P.. The band's lineup included Chris Holmes on lead guitar and Tony Richards on drums.
W.A.S.P.'s Journey
W.A.S.P. has had many different band members over the years. Blackie Lawless is the only original member left. He is also the main songwriter for the band. Many of his songs talk about religious or end-of-the-world themes. This is because of his Christian background. Lawless has said in interviews that he has returned to his Christian faith.
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Lawless gets ideas from other famous bands and artists. These include AC/DC, Black Sabbath, the Beatles, Kiss, and Alice Cooper. His stage shows are also influenced by Alice Cooper and Kiss.
In the mid-1980s, W.A.S.P. faced some challenges. Lawless spoke up to defend heavy metal music. This happened when a group called the Parents Music Resource Center questioned their music.
Despite these challenges, the band became very successful from 1985 to 1988. They had several popular songs, such as "L.O.V.E. Machine," "I Wanna Be Somebody," and "Wild Child."
Blackie Lawless has mentioned that he once thought about becoming a senator.
Images for kids
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Lawless performing in 2012
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Lawless performing with W.A.S.P. in 2006
See also
In Spanish: Blackie Lawless para niños
