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Skid Row (American band)

Skid Row is an American rock band formed in 1986 in Toms River, New Jersey. Their current lineup comprises bassist Rachel Bolan, guitarists Dave Sabo and Scotti Hill and drummer Rob Hammersmith, with Halestorm singer Lzzy Hale currently filling in on vocals.[2] The group achieved commercial success in the late 1980s and early 1990s, with its first two albums Skid Row (1989) and Slave to the Grind (1991) certified multi-platinum, the latter of which reached number one on the Billboard 200. Those two albums also produced some of Skid Row's most popular hits, both in and outside of the United States, including "18 and Life" and "I Remember You", which peaked in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, and other charting singles such as "Youth Gone Wild", "Monkey Business", "Slave to the Grind", "Wasted Time", and "In a Darkened Room". The band's third album Subhuman Race (1995) was also critically acclaimed, but failed to repeat the success of its predecessors. Those three albums featured the band's "classic" lineup, which consisted of Bolan, Sabo, Hill, drummer Rob Affuso and frontman Sebastian Bach. The band had sold 20 million albums worldwide by the end of 1996. Amid rising tensions, Bach was fired and Affuso left Skid Row towards the end of that year, after which the band entered a three-year hiatus.

Skid Row

Skid Row reformed in 1999, with Johnny Solinger as Bach's replacement and a revolving cast of drummers, the latest being Rob Hammersmith. Solinger recorded two albums with the band – Thickskin (2003) and Revolutions per Minute (2006) – as well as the EPs United World Rebellion: Chapter One and Rise of the Damnation Army – United World Rebellion: Chapter Two (2013 and 2014 respectively); those recordings garnered mixed reception. In April 2015, Skid Row parted ways with Solinger, and replaced him with former TNT singer Tony Harnell. Eight months later, however, Harnell left the band. In January 2017, former DragonForce vocalist ZP Theart was named the official lead singer after spending a year as a touring member of the group.[3] Theart remained with Skid Row until March 2022, when the band replaced him with Erik Grönwall, who debuted on their first studio album in 16 years, The Gang's All Here, which was released in October 2022. Grönwall left Skid Row in March 2024 due to health issues, as he had to prioritize full recovery after receiving treatment for leukemia, and Lzzy Hale will fill in for him on upcoming live dates.[4]

History[edit]

Early years (1986–1988)[edit]

Skid Row was formed in 1986 in Toms River, New Jersey, by bassist Rachel Bolan and guitarist Dave Sabo.[5] The pair recruited guitarist Scotti Hill and drummer Rob Affuso through newspaper ads.[6] Lead vocalist Sebastian Bach replaced original singer Matt Fallon after the band spotted Bach singing at rock photographer Mark Weiss's wedding at the age of 18, and the members asked him to join in early 1987. Bolan claimed in a 2020 interview on the Chuck Shute Podcast that, before settling with Bach on vocals, then-future Mötley Crüe singer John Corabi auditioned for Skid Row.[7] The band began playing shows in clubs throughout the eastern United States.


Sabo and Jon Bon Jovi were teenage friends and Sabo was briefly a member of Bon Jovi before being replaced by guitarist Richie Sambora. Sabo and Bon Jovi agreed that if one of them made it in the music business, he would help the other out. Bon Jovi's manager Doc McGhee sought out Skid Row and secured the band a record deal with Atlantic Records in 1988.[5] Skid Row recorded its debut album Skid Row at the Royal Recorders in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin with producer Michael Wagener. Before releasing the album, the management paid a reported $35,000 to guitarist Gary Moore for the rights to the name of his namesake band.[8]

Skid Row and Slave to the Grind (1989–1992)[edit]

The band's debut album Skid Row, released in January 1989, was an instant success. The record went 5× platinum on the strength of three singles: "Youth Gone Wild", "18 and Life" and "I Remember You", the latter two becoming Top 10 hits. Skid Row supported the album by opening for Bon Jovi on their New Jersey tour. As part of the six-month tour, Skid Row played its first-ever UK gig supporting Bon Jovi's outdoor show at Milton Keynes Bowl on August 19, 1989. The next day, Skid Row played a successful club show at London's Marquee Club in Charing Cross Road.[9] Skid Row also took part in the Moscow Music Peace Festival, which was set up to keep McGhee out of jail. McGhee was facing drug trafficking charges, and therefore set up an anti-drug/peace concert in Russia, featuring a few of the artists that he and his brother managed.[10]

– guitar, backing vocals (1986–1996, 1999–present)

Dave "The Snake" Sabo

– bass, backing vocals (1986–1996, 1999–present)

Rachel Bolan

– guitar, backing vocals (1987–1996, 1999–present)

Scotti Hill

Rob Hammersmith – drums, backing vocals (2010–present)

Current members


Current live members

American Music Awards

(1989)

Skid Row

(1991)

Slave to the Grind

(1995)

Subhuman Race

(2003)

Thickskin

(2006)

Revolutions per Minute

(2022)

The Gang's All Here

Official website

at AllMusic

Skid Row

discography at Discogs

Skid Row