Michael Monroe facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Michael Monroe
Monroe at the 2011 Ilosaarirock festival
Background information
Birth name	Matti Antero Kristian Fagerholm
Also known as	Mike Monroe, High in the Sky
Born	(1962-06-17) 17 June 1962 (age 63) Helsinki, Finland
Genres	Hard rock, glam metal, glam punk, glam rock
Occupation(s)	Singer, musician, songwriter
Instruments	Vocals, saxophone, harmonica, guitar, keyboards, drums
Years active	1979–present
Labels	Johanna Kustannus, Lick, Nippon Phonogram, CBS, Major Leiden, Backstage Alliance, Mercury, Yahoo!

Matti Antero Kristian Fagerholm (born June 17, 1962), known as Michael Monroe, is a Finnish rock musician. He became famous as the singer and saxophone player for the glam punk band Hanoi Rocks. He has also led other bands like Demolition 23 and Jerusalem Slim.

Early Life and Musical Start

Michael Monroe was born Matti Fagerholm on June 17, 1962. His father, Pentti Fagerholm, was a well-known radio personality in Finland. Michael first discovered rock music when he saw Black Sabbath on TV in 1970. He also loved bands like Alice Cooper and Led Zeppelin.

From 1976 to 1979, Monroe played in a band called Madness. During this time, he met guitarist Andy McCoy. They later played together briefly in a band called Bolin. Monroe also played saxophone for Maukka Perusjätkä's band.

Music Career Highlights

Forming Hanoi Rocks

Monroe and his band performing in Barcelona, Spain, in 2014

Monroe performing with his band in 2010

Monroe performing at the Ilosaarirock festival in 2008

Monroe performing in Helsinki in 2005

Monroe playing saxophone on stage

Michael Monroe and Andy McCoy had the idea for Hanoi Rocks. McCoy joined the band in 1980, bringing bassist Sami Yaffa with him. They later added drummer Gyp Casino.

In 1981, Hanoi Rocks released their first album, Bangkok Shocks, Saigon Shakes, Hanoi Rocks. McCoy and Monroe produced it together, calling themselves "The Muddy Twins." In 1982, the band moved to London. They released their second album, Oriental Beat, but felt it was not mixed well.

After this, they replaced Gyp Casino with a new drummer named Razzle. This lineup, with Monroe, McCoy, Nasty ..., Yaffa, and Razzle, is often called their classic group. The band felt Razzle brought new energy. They released Self Destruction Blues in 1982, which was a collection of older songs.

In 1983, they released Back to Mystery City. In 1984, they worked with producer Bob Ezrin on their fifth album, Two Steps from the Move. This was their first album released in the US. Many people consider it one of the best glam rock albums.

Hanoi Rocks became very popular in the UK in 1984. Sounds magazine readers voted them the second-best band in the world. Their single "Underwater World" and the album Two Steps from the Move were also highly rated.

A Sad Loss and Breakup

While on their first big US tour, a sad accident happened. Their drummer, Razzle, passed away. This was a very difficult time for the band.

After Razzle's death, Hanoi Rocks performed in Helsinki, Finland. This was their first show with new drummer Terry Chimes. It was also the last show for Sami Yaffa, who left the band. Michael Monroe felt things were not the same anymore. The band decided to break up after a short tour in Poland.

Solo Career and New Bands

After Hanoi Rocks ended in 1985, Monroe started his solo career. He also worked with his friend Stiv Bators. They recorded backing vocals for the song "Sun City" and appeared in its music video.

In 1986, Monroe formed his first solo band. In 1987, he released his first solo album, Nights Are So Long. In 1988, he signed with Mercury Records. His second solo album, Not Fakin' It, came out in 1989. It reached number 161 on the US Billboard Charts. Music videos were made for "Dead, Jail or Rock 'N' Roll" and "Man With No Eyes." Axl Rose from Guns N' Roses appeared in the "Dead, Jail or Rock 'N' Roll" video. Michael Monroe even hosted MTV's Headbangers Ball show.

Monroe also performed with Slash from Guns N' Roses and Steven Tyler from Aerosmith. He played saxophone with Aerosmith at a special birthday event.

In 1990, Monroe formed a new band called Jerusalem Slim with guitarist Steve Stevens. They released an album but broke up in 1992 due to musical differences. Monroe then formed another band called Demolition 23.. They released an album and toured, but also broke up.

Monroe continued to release solo albums throughout the 1990s and early 2000s.

Hanoi Rocks Returns

In 2002, Michael Monroe and Andy McCoy started working together again. They decided to bring back Hanoi Rocks with new members. They released Twelve Shots on the Rocks in 2003. In 2005, they released Another Hostile Takeover with new bassist Andy Christell and guitarist Conny Bloom. Their last album, Street Poetry, came out in 2007.

In 2008, McCoy and Monroe decided that Hanoi Rocks had gone as far as it could. They played 8 sold-out farewell shows in Helsinki in April 2009.

Michael Monroe Band

In 2010, Michael Monroe announced his new band. It included Sami Yaffa on bass and Ginger on guitar. Later, Steve Conte joined on guitar and Karl Rosqvist on drums.

The Michael Monroe band played at many festivals around the world. Monroe even joined Slash on stage for some songs. In 2010, they released a live album called Another Night in the Sun: Live in Helsinki.

Their first studio album, Sensory Overdrive, was released in 2011. It was produced by Jack Douglas, who had worked with Aerosmith. Sensory Overdrive won "Album of the Year" at the 2011 Classic Rock magazine awards.

In 2013, the band released Horns & Halos. It went straight to number 1 on the Finnish album charts. In 2014, guitarist Dregen left the band and was replaced by Rich Jones.

Personal Life

Michael Monroe has become good friends with many famous musicians. These include Steven Van Zandt, Debbie Harry, Axl Rose, Slash, Duff McKagan, and Alice Cooper.

Michael Monroe and Hanoi Rocks have inspired many rock artists. Musicians from bands like Guns N' Roses and Mötley Crüe have said they were inspired by Hanoi Rocks. Many people see Monroe and Hanoi Rocks as pioneers of the glam-rock scene in Hollywood.

Michael Monroe met his first wife, Jude Wilder, in 1985. They married in 1989 and lived in Los Angeles and New York before moving to Turku, Finland. Jude passed away in 2001. Michael Monroe married his second wife, Johanna, in 2003.

Discography

Solo albums

• Nights Are So Long (1987)
• Not Fakin' It (1989)
• Peace of Mind (1996)
• Life Gets You Dirty (1999)
• Take Them and Break Them (2002)
• Whatcha Want (2003)
• Another Night in the Sun: Live in Helsinki (live album) (2010)
• Sensory Overdrive (2011)
• Horns and Halos (2013)
• Blackout States (2015)
• One Man Gang (2019)
• I Live Too Fast to Die Young! (2022)

Singles

• "Keep It Up" (1987)
• "Nights Are So Long" (1987)
• "She's No Angel" (1987)
• "Dead, Jail or Rock 'N' Roll (1989)
• "She's No Angel" (1989)
• "Not Fakin' It" (1989)
• "Man With No Eyes" (1989)
• "While You Were Looking At Me" (1990)
• "Magic Carpet Ride" (Featuring Slash, 1990)
• "Make It Go Away" (1996)
• "Stranded" (2003)
• "Superpowered Superfly" (2010)
• "'78" (2011)
• "Trick Of The Wrist" (2011)
• "Ballad Of The Lower East Side" (2013)
• "Eighteen Angels" (2013)
• "Stained Glass Heart" (2013)
• "Old King's Road" (2015)
• "Goin' Down With The Ship" (2015)
• "One Foot Outta The Grave" (2017)
• "One Man Gang" (2019)
• "Last Train To Tokyo" (2019)
• "Murder The Summer Of Love" (2022)
• "Can't Stop Falling Apart" (2022)
• ”Everybody’s Nobody” (2022)

Hanoi Rocks albums

• Bangkok Shocks, Saigon Shakes, Hanoi Rocks (1981)
• Oriental Beat (1982)
• Self Destruction Blues (1982)
• Back to Mystery City (1983)
• All Those Wasted Years (Live) (1983)
• Two Steps from the Move (1984)
• Rock & Roll Divorce (Live) (1985)
• Twelve Shots on the Rocks (2002)
• Another Hostile Takeover (2005)
• Street Poetry (2007)

Jerusalem Slim albums

• Jerusalem Slim (1992)

Demolition 23. albums

• Demolition 23. (1994)

Guest appearances

• Artists United Against Apartheid: Sun City (1985)
• Guns N' Roses: Use Your Illusion I (1991)
• Guns N' Roses: "The Spaghetti Incident?" (1993)
• Backyard Babies: Total 13 (1998) on the bonus track 'Rocker'
• Tarja Turunen: "Your Heaven and Your Hell" (2016)
• Lordi: Killection (2020) on the track "Like a Bee to the Honey"

Live Band Members

Current Members

• Michael Monroe – lead vocals, saxophone, harmonica, guitars, tambourine (1985-Present)
• Steve Conte - guitars, backing vocals (2010-Present)
• Sami Yaffa - bass, backing vocals (2010-Present)
• Karl Rockfist - drums (2010-Present)
• Rich Jones – guitars, backing vocals (2014-Present)

Current Touring Members

• Lenni-Kalle Taipale - keyboards (2021-Present)

Former Members

• Ginger - guitars, backing vocals (2010 - 2011)
• Dregen - guitars, backing vocals (2011 - 2014)

Tours

Headlining Tours

Supporting Tours

Tours with Hanoi Rocks

Tours with Demolition 23

See also

In Spanish: Michael Monroe para niños