Kane Roberts

Last updated

Kane Roberts
Kane Roberts performing at Caesars Windsor, 2022-09-11 02.jpg
Roberts in 2022
Background information
Birth nameRobert William Athas
Born (1962-01-16) January 16, 1962 (age 61)
Genres Hard rock, glam metal, heavy metal
Occupation(s)Musician, songwriter
Instrument(s)Guitar, vocals
Years active1985–present
Formerly of Alice Cooper, Phoenix Down

Kane Roberts (born Robert William Athas; January 16, 1962) is an American rock guitarist and singer best known as a former lead guitarist for Alice Cooper. [1] Additionally, he has performed as a solo act, and his cover of the unreleased Bon Jovi song "Does Anybody Really Fall in Love Anymore" (which had already been covered by Cher on her Heart of Stone album) cracked the Top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100. Roberts is notable for his Rambo-like appearance and physique and his usage of an electric guitar shaped like a machine gun.

Contents

Career

Roberts was the guitarist who played on Alice Cooper's Constrictor and Raise Your Fist and Yell and their respective tours. He is the man responsible for Alice's metal years in the late 1980s, [1] as he co-wrote nearly every track from those albums. Just by being on stage, he was a part of the show with his huge physique and rocket shooting guitars. [1]

After Raise Your Fist, Roberts released his first solo album, Kane Roberts, [1] which featured Cooper's lyrics on "Full Pull." He then guested on Cooper's 1989 Trash album, playing guitar on "Bed of Nails," which he co-wrote. Two years later, he released a second solo album, Saints and Sinners , [1] which contained the Bon Jovi-penned "Does Anybody Really Fall in Love Anymore?", previously recorded by Cher as well.

While he is primarily a guitar player, Roberts is also a skilled vocalist, capable of extreme high range, as is evident on his solo projects. He has contributed backing vocals on several albums, including Steve Vai's Sex & Religion , Desmond Child's Discipline , and the song "Shocker" by the Dudes of Wrath, which served as the title track from the 1989 film of the same name .

His additional musical contributions include playing on the Bob Ezrin-produced Count Three & Pray album by Berlin, and the 1986 Rod Stewart album Every Beat of My Heart . He also co-wrote "Take It Off" with Paul Stanley and Bob Ezrin, which appeared on Kiss' Revenge album.

Roberts took a long hiatus from music after his second solo album, but returned in 1999 with a band called Phoenix Down, named for a life potion in the video game franchise Final Fantasy . Phoenix Down recorded one album, entitled Under A Wild Sky. Fans of both say that much of the record is inspired by the seventh game in the series, one of Roberts' favorite games.

After several years away from the music industry, working in graphic arts and as a video game programmer, Roberts began work on a new album, Touched, in 2006.

On October 23, 2011, Roberts performed with Talon at Firefest VIII, marking his first live performance in over twenty years. In 2012, Roberts released Unsung Radio, a collection of previously unreleased tracks. In 2016, Roberts featured on a track for the Northern Ireland-based hard rock outfit, Maverick. The track and video (also featuring Roberts) for "Asylum" also included Jakob Samuel from Sweden's The Poodles.

On January 25, 2019, Roberts released a new solo album, The New Normal, on Frontiers Records.

In late 2019, it was reported that Roberts is working on his next solo album, which was described as being heavier than the previous album.

In July 2022, Alice Cooper announced that Roberts would rejoin his touring band for the fall of 2022 tour following the departure of Nita Strauss. This marks Roberts' first official stint in Cooper's band in over 30 years. [2] On March 3, 2023, Alice Cooper announced that Nita Strauss would return for the 2023 tour. [3]

Discography

Roberts with Alice Cooper in 2022 Kane Roberts performing at Caesars Windsor, 2022-09-11 01.jpg
Roberts with Alice Cooper in 2022

Studio albums

with Alice Cooper

with Phoenix Down

Guest appearances


Title

ReleaseContributionOther artist(s)Album
"Will I Ever Understand You"1986Guitar Berlin Count Three & Pray
"Like Flames"
"Bed of Nails"1989 Alice Cooper Trash
(several songs)1991Backing vocals SouthGang Tainted Angel
"Love on a Rooftop" Desmond Child Discipline
(several songs)1993 Steve Vai Sex & Religion
2000CD artwork and design Alice Cooper Brutal Planet
"Dead Don't Dance"2023Guitar Alice Cooper Road

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alice Cooper</span> American singer (born 1948)

Alice Cooper is an American rock singer whose career spans over five decades. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusions, including pyrotechnics, guillotines, electric chairs, fake blood, reptiles, baby dolls, and dueling swords, 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kip Winger</span> American rock musician

Charles Frederick Kip Winger is an American singer and bass guitarist, active as a member of the rock band Winger and as a solo artist. He initially gained notability as a member of Alice Cooper's band, contributing bass to his Constrictor (1986) and Raise Your Fist and Yell (1987) albums.

<i>Welcome to My Nightmare</i> 1975 studio album by Alice Cooper

Welcome to My Nightmare is the debut solo studio album by American rock musician Alice Cooper, released on February 28, 1975. It is his only album for the Atlantic Records label in North America; in the rest of the world, it was released on the ABC subsidiary Anchor Records. Welcome to My Nightmare is a concept album. Played in sequence, the songs form a journey through the nightmares of a child named Steven. The album inspired the Alice Cooper: The Nightmare TV special, a worldwide concert tour in 1975, and his Welcome to My Nightmare concert film in 1976. The ensuing tour was one of the most over-the-top excursions of that era. Most of Lou Reed's band joined Cooper for this record.

<i>Love It to Death</i> 1971 studio album by Alice Cooper

Love It to Death is the third studio album by American rock band Alice Cooper, released on March 9, 1971. It was the band's first commercially successful album and the first album that consolidated the band's aggressive hard-rocking sound, instead of the psychedelic and experimental rock style of their first two albums. The album's best-known track, "I'm Eighteen", was released as a single to test the band's commercial viability before the album was recorded.

<i>DaDa</i> 1983 studio album by Alice Cooper

DaDa is the eighth solo studio album by American rock singer Alice Cooper, released on September 28, 1983, by Warner Bros. Records. DaDa would be Cooper's final studio album until his sober re-emergence in 1986 with the album Constrictor.

<i>Constrictor</i> (album) 1986 studio album by Alice Cooper

Constrictor is the ninth solo studio album by American rock musician Alice Cooper, released in October 1986, by MCA Records. After a hiatus from the music industry after the release of DaDa (1983), Cooper remained in seclusion for three years. He starred in Monster Dog (1986), a horror film for which he wrote two songs. He also guest starred on the Twisted Sister track "Be Chrool to Your Scuel". Constrictor was Alice Cooper's first studio album to feature Kane Roberts on guitar, Kip Winger, who would later gain fame with his own band, Winger, on bass guitar, and the only one to feature David Rosenberg on drums.

<i>Raise Your Fist and Yell</i> 1987 studio album by Alice Cooper

Raise Your Fist and Yell is the tenth solo studio album by American rock musician Alice Cooper, released in October 1987, by MCA Records. It features the track "Prince of Darkness", which is featured very briefly in the John Carpenter film of the same name, in which Cooper has a cameo as a murderous vagrant. The song can be heard on the Walkman of one of his victims. A music video was made for the song "Freedom", which also became the album's sole single. Raise Your Fist and Yell is the only Alice Cooper album to feature Ken K. Mary on drums and the second and last to feature Kip Winger on bass.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dick Wagner</span> American guitarist (1942–2014)

Richard Allen Wagner was an American rock guitarist, songwriter and author best known for his work with Alice Cooper, Lou Reed, and Kiss. He also fronted his own Michigan-based bands, the Frost and the Bossmen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Iron Maidens</span> American heavy metal band

The Iron Maidens are an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, formed in 2001 as an all-female tribute act to English heavy metal band Iron Maiden. The band currently consists of drummer Linda McDonald, bassist Wanda Ortiz, lead vocalist Kirsten Rosenberg and guitarists Nikki Stringfield and Shani Kimelman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Hunter</span> American musician

Stephen John Hunter is an American guitarist, primarily a session player. He has worked with Lou Reed and Alice Cooper, acquiring the moniker "The Deacon". Hunter first played with Mitch Ryder's Detroit, beginning a long association with record producer Bob Ezrin who has said Steve Hunter has contributed so much to rock music in general that he truly deserves the designation of "Guitar Hero". Steve Hunter has played some of the greatest riffs in rock history - the first solo in Aerosmith's "Train Kept A Rollin'", the acoustic intro on Peter Gabriel's "Solsbury Hill" and he wrote the intro interlude on Lou Reed's live version of "Sweet Jane" on Reed's first gold record.

Paul Taylor, formerly credited as Paul Horowitz, is an American musician, who is best known as the keyboardist/guitarist for the hard rock band Winger. Although he is perhaps most frequently associated with Winger, Taylor has also played with numerous other prominent musicians, including future Sammy Hagar and Boston guitarist Gary Pihl, Eric Martin, Aldo Nova, Steve Perry of Journey, Alice Cooper and Tommy Shaw.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orianthi</span> Australian musician, singer and songwriter (born 1985)

Orianthi Penny Panagaris, known mononymously as Orianthi, is an Australian guitarist, singer and songwriter who rehearsed in 2009 with Michael Jackson in preparation for his This Is It concert series, and performed with Alice Cooper's touring band. Her 2009 debut single "According to You" peaked at No. 3 in Japan, No. 8 in Australia and No. 17 in the US; her second album, Believe, received a worldwide release in late 2009. The same year, she was named one of the "12 Greatest Female Electric Guitarists" by Elle magazine. She also won the "2010 Breakthrough Guitarist of the Year" award hosted by Guitar International magazine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Freedom (Alice Cooper song)</span> 1987 single by Alice Cooper

"Freedom" is a 1987 single by Alice Cooper, taken from his tenth solo studio album, Raise Your Fist and Yell. It was written by Alice Cooper and Kane Roberts.

<i>Saints and Sinners</i> (Kane Roberts album) 1991 studio album by Kane Roberts

Saints and Sinners is the second studio album by Kane Roberts. It was produced by Desmond Child, who also has co-writing credits on all tracks.

John McCurry is an American musician, songwriter and composer based in New York City. He has worked with many well-known musical artists, including Chicago, Cyndi Lauper, Billy Joel, David Bowie, Alice Cooper, John Waite, Belinda Carlisle, Julian Lennon, Joss Stone, Katy Perry, The Jonas Brothers, and Elliott Yamin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nita Strauss</span> American guitarist (born 1986)

Vinita Sandhya Strauss is an American rock musician. She is currently a touring guitarist for Demi Lovato and Alice Cooper and has a successful career as a solo artist. Strauss was the first female signature artist with Ibanez guitars and is regularly featured on the covers of worldwide print magazines including Guitar World and Guitar Player. She was ranked No. 1 on Guitar World's list of "10 Female Guitar Players You Should Know".

<i>The Manhattan Blues Project</i> 2013 studio album by Steve Hunter

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.

<i>Paranormal</i> (Alice Cooper album) 2017 studio album by Alice Cooper

Paranormal is the twentieth solo and twenty-seventh overall studio album by American rock musician Alice Cooper, released on July 28, 2017. It features three tracks performed by the "classic" line-up of the Alice Cooper band plus Larry Mullen Jr. from U2, Roger Glover from Deep Purple, Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top, Swedish songwriter and session guitarist Tommy Denander, Alice Cooper bandmate Tommy Henriksen, Steve Hunter. "Holy Water" is a cover of the Villebillies song.

<i>Detroit Stories</i> 2021 studio album by Alice Cooper

Detroit Stories is the twenty-first solo and twenty-eighth overall studio album by American rock musician Alice Cooper. The album was released on February 26, 2021, by Earmusic. It crowned Billboard's Top Album Sales chart debuting at No. 1 and was the first chart-topper for Cooper in the 29-year history of the Top Album Sales chart. The album was produced by Bob Ezrin, who also added various instruments. As a solo album, it incorporates a variety of artists contributing on a number of instruments.

<i>Road</i> (Alice Cooper album) 2023 studio album by Alice Cooper

Road is the twenty-second solo and overall twenty-ninth studio album by American rock musician Alice Cooper, released through Earmusic on August 25, 2023. It was recorded live in the studio by Cooper and his touring band—guitarists Nita Strauss, Ryan Roxie and Tommy Henriksen, bassist Chuck Garric and drummer Glen Sobel. The album was announced on June 14, 2023, alongside the release of the lead single "I'm Alice" which was followed by the album's second single, "White Line Frankenstein" (featuring Tom Morello), on July 19, 2023, and the album's third single, "Welcome to the Show" on August 8, 2023. Cooper will promote the album with a tour of US stadium shows supporting Mötley Crüe and Def Leppard in August, followed by a co-headlining tour with Rob Zombie into September.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Colin Larkin, ed. (1995). The Guinness Who's Who of Heavy Metal (Second ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 299. ISBN   0-85112-656-1.
  2. "Alice Cooper reenlists former lead guitarist Kane Roberts for fall tour". July 14, 2022.
  3. "Nita Strauss will return to Alice Cooper's lineup for 2023 tour". March 6, 2023.