Members History
This are the people that are/were members or additional musicians in W.A.S.P. albums and tours. (for the line-ups please go to the Discography Section in which you can see the line-up for each album)
Blackie Lawless
(Lead Vocals, Bass Guitar, Lead, Rhythm and Acoustic Guitar, Electric Sitar, Keyboards, Organ, Synthesizers, Major Song Writer, Producer, etc...)
Blackie is the founder member of W.A.S.P. and the bands main man. Throughout W.A.S.P.'s career there have been a few changes to the bands line up, but Blackie has always remained in the band and became a focal point in a way. He is the creative talent and has written, and still writes the majority of the bands material.
Blackie was a former New York Doll. He replaced Johnny Thunders in the last few months before the Dolls broke up. After their demise, he and former Dolls bassist Arthur Kane headed to L.A. and formed a band called Killer Kane. When Killer Kane broke up, Arthur returned to New York and Blackie remained in L.A. Around 1978 he formed a band called Sister, they were one of the first bands in L.A. to use occult symbolism such as pentagrams and wear facial make up. After Sister's demise Blackie created W.A.S.P.
Although he has played on all the W.A.S.P. albums we must give him credit for The Crimson Idol and Still Not Black Enough, these two albums especially The Crimson Idol, shows everyone just how good a writer and musician he really is.
Chris Holmes
(Lead, Rhythm Guitar)
Blackie first saw Chris's photo while he was browsing through the "Beaver Hunt" section of a copy of Hustler Magazine. This section is where readers send in nude pictures of their wives and girlfriends. Although the pictures were mainly of females, they always had one which stated "One For The Ladies". He was advertised as a Rock'n Roll Animal and mentioned that he was a guitar player. Blackie got in contact with him and to everyone's surprise Chris could really play the guitar! He was then recruited for Sister.
Chris has played on all the W.A.S.P. albums except for The Crimson Idol and Still Not Black Enough. He left the band for a while in 1989 after The Headless Children tour, due to musical differences between him and Blackie and for his drunken appearence in The Metal Years video (The Decline Of Western Civilization Part 2). He then formed another band called Psycho Squad.
In August of 1995 Blackie contacted Chris after not speaking to him since 1989, and he agreed to return to the band to work on the K.F.D. project.
Don Costa
(Bass Guitar)
Don Costa was in the first W.A.S.P. line-up and
then he was out. (Thanks to Bruce Forrest for this information)
Rik Fox
(Bass Guitar and Vocals)
Rik Fox played with the band very shortly (just for 1 live show as far as I know) and
then he left. After he left, Blackie switched to bass and Chris Holmes comes in on a guitar.
Randy Piper
(Lead, Rhythm Guitar and Vocals)
Blackie met Randy through Ace Freley of Kiss in 1975, and they played together
in Circus Circus. Randy Piper played on the first two W.A.S.P. albums:
W.A.S.P. & The Last Command. He can also be found on several tracks
on the First Blood....Last Cuts album.
He left the band in 1986 and formed a band called Animal.
Tony Richards
(Drums and Vocals)
Tony was the first W.A.S.P. drummer. He played on the debut W.A.S.P. album, but then left the band just before the start of the first W.A.S.P. world tour. Blackie once (half jokingly) stated that the reason why Tony had left the band was because he had shot him and that he had bad breath. The real reason however, was that Tony was a good drummer but he was inconsistent. Blackie once said that he would go on one night and be great, but the next night he would not be so good.
Steve Riley
(Drums and Vocals)
Steve Riley, ex-Keel Drummer is recruited just before the start of W.A.S.P.'s first world tour and replaced Tony Richards. His other musical credits had included Steppenwolf, in which he drummed for about 30 months at the end of the seventies, and a band that was pronounced the Bees.
Steve played on The Last Command, Inside The Electric Circus, Live...In The Raw and can also be found on several tracks on First Blood...Last Cuts.
He left the band in 1987 and joined L.A. Guns.
Johnny Rod
(Bass Guitar and Vocals)
Former King Kobra member Johnny Rod joins the band as bassist when Randy Piper leaves. This enables Blackie to switch back from bass to rhythm guitar.
Johnny plays bass on Inside The Electric Circus, Live...In the Raw and The Headless Children albums and several tracks on First Blood...Last Cuts. He did not play on The Crimson Idol , but was later recruited for the tour. After the tour he leaves the band.
Frankie Banali
(Drums and Percussion)
Frankie Banali is borrowed from Quiet Riot to play on The Headless Children album after Steve Riley leaves the band. He does not become a full time member of W.A.S.P., but after he finishes touring with Quiet Riot he joins the W.A.S.P. Headless Children Tour.
He plays on The Headless Children, some of The Crimson Idol, several track on First Blood....Last Cuts and Still Not Black Enough. He decided to leave the band due to personal reasons.
He also played on more recent albums, he plays drums many times on W.A.S.P. although he's not a band member.
Ken Hensley
(Keyboards)
Ken Hensley was a member of Uriah Heep and played the keyboards part on The Headless Children album, but he was never a band member he just worked on this album as an additional musician.
Stet Howland
(Drums, Percussion and Vocals)
Stet Howland former Run 21 takes over on drums half way through The Crimson Idol album. He plays percussion on "Scared to Death" on Still Not Black Enough and drums and vocals on K.F.D. and Helldorado.
Bob Kulick
(Lead Guitar)
Bob Kulick plays lead guitar on The Crimson Idol and Still Not Black Enough albums. He has a long list of credits under his belt such as Paul Stanley's 1978 solo album and work with Meatloaf. He did not became a member W.A.S.P. or tour with them. He did the studio work only.
Doug Blair
(Lead Guitar)
Doug Blair played with Stet in Run 21. He was recruited to play on
The Crimson Idol tour only.
Mark Josephson
(Electric Violin)
Mark played as additional musician only on Still not black enough album and
never was a band member or toured with them.
Mike Duda
(Bass Guitar and Vocals)
Former Arcade bassist Mike Duda joins the band in 1995 and works on K.F.D.
and Helldorado.
Roy Z.
(Lead Guitar)
Roy Z. played lead guitar on "Unholy Terror" on the songs "Wasted White Boys" and "Who Slayed Baby Jane?".
Valentina
(Background Vocals)
Valentina sung background Vocals on "Unholy Terror" on the song "Who Slayed Baby Jane?".
Darrell Roberts
(Lead, Rhythm Guitars)
Darrell Roberts joined W.A.S.P. in 2001 before the "Unholy Terror" American Tour to replace Chris Holmes. Darrell spent the last several years in L.A. performing with his Metallica tribute band "Alcoholica", where he played guitar and sang lead vocals. W.A.S.P. heard about Darrell from some insiders at their record label, Sanctuary Records Group. Darrell had previously auditioned for labelmates Megadeth, but he lost the job to Marty Friedman. W.A.S.P. sees it as "their loss, but our gain". W.A.S.P. feels he is one of the most talented performers and musicians the band has had.
CHAINSAW CHARLIE 2000-2004