Hollywood Vampires | |
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Background information | |
Origin | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
Genres | Hard rock |
Years active | 2012–present |
Labels | |
Members | |
Website | hollywoodvampires |
Hollywood Vampires is an American rock supergroup formed in 2012 by Alice Cooper, Johnny Depp, and Joe Perry. The band name derives from The Hollywood Vampires, a celebrity drinking club formed by Cooper in the 1970s which included but was not limited to: John Lennon and Ringo Starr of the Beatles, Harry Nilsson, Keith Moon of the Who, and Micky Dolenz of the Monkees. [1] Touring members include or have included Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum of Guns N' Roses fame, as well as Robert DeLeo from Stone Temple Pilots.
The band has released two studio albums featuring guest appearances by Paul McCartney, Dave Grohl, Joe Walsh, Zak Starkey and Christopher Lee, among others. [2]
The band originally takes its name from a drinking club consisting of mainly Cooper, Keith Moon, Ringo Starr, Micky Dolenz and Harry Nilsson with additional members including John Lennon. The mission of the original Hollywood Vampires was to drink until no one could stand up. This took place during the height of Cooper's drinking in the 1970s. Cooper talks in more detail about the Rainbow Bar incarnation of the Hollywood Vampires in the 1991 video biography Prime Cuts.
The group's debut live performances were held at Roxy Theatre (West Hollywood) in Los Angeles on September 16 and 17, 2015. [3] The three core members were accompanied by bassist Duff McKagan, drummer Matt Sorum, rhythm guitarist Tommy Henriksen, and Bruce Witkin on keyboards and additional guitar. Guest performers for both nights were Tom Morello, Geezer Butler, Perry Farrell, Zak Starkey, and Kesha, [4] [5] and Marilyn Manson guesting on the second night. [6] The next week, the group performed at Brazil's Rock in Rio festival on September 24, 2015, and was webcast live by AOL. [7] Guest performers were, Lzzy Hale, Zak Starkey, and Andreas Kisser. [8]
In February 2016, the group performed at the Grammy Award ceremony as a tribute to Lemmy, who had died at the end of 2015. [9] The group also announced their first concert tour, which began at Turning Stone Resort & Casino on May 24. [10] The group was scheduled to make their first late-night television appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on July 11, 2016; [11] however, lead guitarist and co-founder Perry collapsed on stage during a performance on July 10. [12] The band continued to perform without Perry prior to his return to the tour on July 22. [13] The group made their first late-night television appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on June 19, 2019. [14]
In June 2022, the band announced a new tour that took place in Europe in the summer of 2023. On April 3, 2023, the band announced additional dates of the tour to take place in the United States in late May and early June; however, those dates were later rescheduled to late July after Johnny Depp suffered an ankle injury. [15]
On July 30, 2023, the band played at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts in Bethel, New York, the site of the 1969 Woodstock Festival, which was the last show of their 2023 tour. [16] [17] The 2023 tour featured Alice Cooper, Johnny Depp, Joe Perry, and Tommy Henriksen. [18] [19]
Current members
| Current touring musicians
Former touring musicians
| Session musicians
|
This is an approximate timeline of Hollywood Vampires members and their touring band.
Studio albums
Live albums
John Christopher Depp II is an American actor and musician. Known for his roles in gothic and fantasy movies, he is the recipient of multiple accolades, including a Golden Globe Award as well as nominations for three Academy Awards and two BAFTA awards. His films, in which he has often played eccentric characters, have grossed over $8 billion worldwide, making him one of Hollywood's most bankable stars.
Alice Cooper is an American rock singer and songwriter whose career spans sixty years. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusions, Cooper is considered by many music journalists and peers to be "The Godfather of Shock Rock". He has drawn equally from horror films, vaudeville, and garage rock to pioneer a macabre and theatrical brand of rock designed to shock audiences.
Zak Richard Starkey is an English rock drummer who has performed and recorded with the Who since 1996. He is also the third drummer to have appeared with Oasis. Other musicians and bands he has worked with include Johnny Marr, the Icicle Works, the Lightning Seeds, and the Semantics. He is the son of the Beatles' drummer Ringo Starr and Maureen Starkey.
Joseph Anthony Pereira, professionally known as Joe Perry, is an American musician best known as a founding member, guitarist, backing and occasional lead vocalist of the rock band Aerosmith. Perry also has his own solo band called the Joe Perry Project, and is a member of the all-star band Hollywood Vampires with Alice Cooper and Johnny Depp.
Matthew William Sorum is an American drummer. He is best known as both a former member of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he recorded three studio albums, and as a member of the supergroup Velvet Revolver. Sorum is currently on tour with Billy Gibbons, with whom he also records, is a member of the touring project Kings of Chaos, and is a former member of both The Cult and Y Kant Tori Read. Sorum was also a member of Guns N' Roses side projects, Slash's Snakepit and Neurotic Outsiders, and has released two solo albums, Hollywood Zen (2004) and Stratosphere (2014). He was the touring drummer for the supergroup Hollywood Vampires from 2015 to 2017. His latest project is Deadland Ritual, featuring Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler, Billy Idol guitarist Steve Stevens, and Apocalyptica vocalist Franky Perez.
Michael Andrew "Duff" McKagan is an American musician. He was the bassist of hard rock band Guns N' Roses for twelve years, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. McKagan rejoined the band in 2016, following their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Tracy Irving Richard Ulrich, known professionally as Tracii Guns, is an American guitarist best known as the co-founder of glam metal group L.A. Guns, as well as the supergroups Brides of Destruction and Contraband. He was also a founding member of Guns N' Roses, but left shortly afterwards and was replaced by guitarist Slash.
Paul Geary is an American rock and roll drummer and Artist Manager. He was co-founder and drummer of the Rock band Extreme, which he left in 1994 to pursue a career in artist management.
Halestorm is an American rock band from Red Lion, Pennsylvania, consisting of lead vocalist and guitarist Lzzy Hale, drummer Arejay Hale, guitarist Joe Hottinger, and bassist Josh Smith. Siblings Lzzy and Arejay founded the band in 1997. The group's self-titled debut album was released in 2009 through Atlantic Records.
The Hollywood Vampires was a celebrity drinking club formed by Alice Cooper in the 1970s. The hazing to get into the club was to outdrink all the members. According to Cooper in the documentary Prime Cuts: "The Speakeasy and Tramps were the place to be in London. There was a little loft at the Rainbow Bar and Grill in LA, they only had that for the club."
"Jeepster" is a song by English glam rock act T. Rex. It was released on 5 November 1971 by record label Fly as a single from the group's sixth studio album Electric Warrior. The B-side, "Life's a Gas", is taken from the same album. Several artists have recorded cover versions of it. Both of the single's tracks were written by Marc Bolan and produced by Tony Visconti.
Chris Wyse is an American bassist and vocalist. He is best known for his performances with The Cult, Ozzy Osbourne, Ace Frehley and Hollywood Vampires. He is also the vocalist and bassist for Owl, a band he founded in 2007.
Glen Sobel is an American drummer who has performed and recorded in many different genres. Mainly known for being the drummer for Alice Cooper since 2011, Sobel has worked with other musicians/groups, including Mötley Crüe, Hollywood Vampires, Richie Sambora, Orianthi, Beautiful Creatures, Chris Impellitteri, Gary Hoey, Tony MacAlpine, Jennifer Batten, Paul Gilbert, Saga and Shark Island.
Tommy Henriksen is an American musician from Port Jefferson Station, New York, best known for his work as a guitarist, bassist and songwriter with Alice Cooper, Hollywood Vampires, Crossbone Skully and German metal band Warlock. He has also fronted punk rockers P.O.L. and released several albums as a solo artist. In addition, Henriksen is a songwriter, arranger, producer and mixer who has worked with artists such as Lady Gaga, Meat Loaf, Lou Reed, Halestorm, Kesha, and Daughtry. Henriksen is currently based out of Zurich, Switzerland where he lives with his family.
Kings of Chaos is a hard rock supergroup with international membership featuring a core lineup of drummer Matt Sorum, bassist Duff McKagan, and guitarist Gilby Clarke, as well as a revolving appearances from members of Def Leppard, Deep Purple, Aerosmith and more. The group plays songs from all of these bands, and other classic rock covers. To date, they have only recorded and released one song, "Never Before", on the Deep Purple tribute, Re-Machined: A Tribute to Deep Purple's Machine Head.
The Final Tour was a concert tour by heavy metal band Mötley Crüe. At the time, it had been announced as the band's final tour before their initial hiatus from 2016 until their announced comeback reunion in 2019. Alice Cooper was announced as the opening act for the tour. The first leg of the tour began on July 2, 2014 in Grand Rapids, Michigan and concluded on November 22, 2014 in Spokane, Washington. The band further announced more dates for the second and final leg of the tour, which started February 11, 2015 in Kobe, Japan, and ended with three concerts at Staples Center in the band's hometown of Los Angeles on December 28, 30 and 31, 2015. The Tour was kicked off by a drum solo by Producer Joe of the FreeBeer & Hotwings show.
The Manhattan Blues Project is the fifth studio album by guitarist Steve Hunter. Released in 2013, the blues guitar album features instrumental interpretations of New York City. It is particularly notable for its all-star lineup of guest musicians: Phil Aaberg, 2Cellos, actor/musician Johnny Depp, Marty Friedman, Michael Lee Firkins, Tommy Henriksen, Tony Levin, Joe Perry, and Joe Satriani. The album also includes a composition by Jason Becker, co-founder of Cacophony.
Hollywood Vampires is the self-titled debut studio album by American rock supergroup Hollywood Vampires, formed in 2015 by Alice Cooper, Johnny Depp and Joe Perry to honor the music of the rock stars who died from excess in the 1970s. Released on September 11, 2015 for Republic Records, the album features guest appearances by Paul McCartney, Robby Krieger, Orianthi, Dave Grohl, Christopher Lee, Slash, Brian Johnson, Joe Walsh, Perry Farrell, and Zak Starkey amongst others.
Burleigh "Buck" Johnson is an American musician performing as keyboardist, backing vocalist and acoustic guitarist with the rock band Aerosmith, Hollywood Vampires, Steven Tyler, The Joe Perry Project, Brother Cane and Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band. He was co-vocalist, co-guitarist and keyboardist for the country music group Whiskey Falls. Johnson released his self produced album "Tongue And Groove" September 20, 2024 on Rosepony Records - https://onerpm.link/907678431986 He has had songs placed in television, film and recorded by other artists including "Just Feel Better" by Carlos Santana, featuring Steven Tyler on lead vocals.
Rise is the second studio album by American supergroup Hollywood Vampires, consisting of Alice Cooper, Johnny Depp and Joe Perry. It was released on June 21, 2019, on EarMusic.