Sebastian Bach

This article is about the heavy metal singer. For the classical composer, see Johann Sebastian Bach.

Sebastian Bach
Sebastian Bach, West Hollywood, CA on March 1, 2012
Background information
Birth name	Sebastian Philip Bierk
Born	(1968-04-03) April 3, 1968 Freeport, Bahamas
Origin	Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
Genres	Heavy metal, hard rock, progressive metal, glam metal, country rock, thrash metal, speed metal
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter, actor
Instruments	Vocals, guitar
Years active	1983–present
Associated acts	Skid Row, Frameshift, Damnocracy, Michael Schenker, Guns N' Roses, James LaBrie, Dokken, Winter Rose, Bon Jovi, Poison, Madam X, Kings Of Chaos, Hep Alien

Sebastian Philip Bierk (born April 3, 1968), known professionally as Sebastian Bach, is a Canadian heavy metal singer who achieved mainstream success as frontman of Skid Row from 1987-96. Since his departure from Skid Row, he has had many television roles, acted in Broadway plays, and leads a solo career.

Career

Kid Wikkid (1983–1985)

The members of Kid Wikkid were stationed in Peterborough. Upon hearing of the band and unaware of their ages, 14-year-old Bach auditioned for the group, and was successfully hired by guitar player and band leader, Jason Delorme. Kid Wikkid moved back to Toronto, and Bach's dad eventually allowed Bach to move in with an aunt.

Skid Row (1987–1996)

Skid Row initially formed in the mid 1980s with lead singer Matt Fallon. They began playing at various New Jersey clubs. Fallon would soon leave the band in 1987, leaving Skid Row without a singer. Bach was spotted singing at rock photographer Mark Weiss's wedding at the age of 18, and the members asked him to join in early 1987.

Rachel Bolan (left) and Sebastian Bach (right) opening for Mötley Crüe in 1989

In 1991, Bach was criticized for performing wearing a T-shirt reading "AIDS Kills Fags Dead". Later he claimed he wore it without reading it first; it had been thrown to him by a fan. Although he didn't make light of the incident in his original apology (stating that he also would've been offended by someone mocking his grandmother's then-recent death with a "Cancer Kills Grandmas Dead" shirt), Bach has since apologized for and disavowed the statement, "That was really stupid and wrong for me to wear that for one half-hour in my life. What nobody brings up is in 2000, when I was in Jekyll & Hyde, and at an auction for Broadway Cares, I donated $12,000 of my own money to fight AIDS."

Bach was eventually fired when he booked a show where Skid Row would have opened for KISS in 1996. Other band members told Bach that Skid Row was too big to be an opening act and that they were not going to do the show. Bach then left a message on a bandmate's answering machine telling him that you are never too big to open up for KISS. Bandmate Rachel Bolan also had a side project, a punk band Prunella Scales who were playing at the same time as the planned KISS show. The rift between Bach and the other band members subsequently led to him leaving Skid Row. Ironically enough, four years later, Skid Row was one of the opening acts for the 2000 Kiss Farewell Tour, without Bach.

Broadway and other projects (1996–2006)

In 1996, Bach formed a rock band called The Last Hard Men, with Frogs guitarist Jimmy Flemion, The Breeders lead guitarist Kelley Deal, and Smashing Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlin. The group recorded a full-length, self-titled album for Atlantic Records, who then opted not to release it. In 1998 it was released on Kelley Deal's label, Nice Records, with no fanfare and a very limited pressing of 1000 CDs. This run may have been sold via mail order only.

In 1999 Bach released his debut solo album Bring 'Em Bach Alive!, his first release after his departure from Skid Row. The album was mainly a live album composed of Skid Row songs of Bach's era; however it also included five new studio recordings including the single "Superjerk, Superstar, Supertears". In 2000, Bach began performing in Broadway productions. He made his Broadway debut with the title role in Jekyll & Hyde in April 2000. He also appeared as Riff Raff in The Rocky Horror Show in 2001. On November 28, 2001 Bach appeared at New York Steel, a benefit concert held in response to 9/11.

In early 2002, he became the host of VH1's Forever Wild. In October that same year, Bach was signed to perform in the national touring production of Jesus Christ Superstar, playing the title role alongside JCS veteran Carl Anderson. A DVD video of live performances called Forever Wild was released in June 2004. That same year, he reprised the title role(s) in another showing of Jekyll and Hyde.

Sometime in 2003, Bach tried out for Velvet Revolver before the band found Scott Weiland, but was turned down because, according to Slash, "We sounded like Skid Roses!" From 2003 to 2007, Bach had a recurring role on the WB television show Gilmore Girls as "Gil", the lead guitarist in Lane Kim's band, Hep Alien. Members of Bach Tight Five (a project initiated by Bach in 2004, but shortly dissolved thereafter) lived with Bach and his family as documented on VH1's I Married ...Sebastian Bach, one of the "I Married ..." series. Stars also included Dee Snider, of the rock band Twisted Sister. In 2005, Bach cooperated with Henning Pauly to be the singer on the Frameshift album called An Absence of Empathy, which was released in April 2005. He was recommended to Henning by Dream Theater's James LaBrie.

On May 12 and May 14, 2006 at the Guns N' Roses' warmup show at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City, Bach joined Axl Rose on stage for the song "My Michelle"..... He joined Rose and gang for a third time the following night (May 15) to sing "My Michelle" once again. He also joined them for their Pre-Download Festival show in the Apollo Hammersmith, London, singing My Michelle. Rose introduced Bach by saying that the two had rekindled their friendship in the previous week after 13 years of not speaking. On June 4, 9 & 11 he again joined Rose on stage at the 2006 Gods of Metal Festival (Milan), Download Festival in RDS Dublin and in Donington, respectively. On September 23, 2006, he joined Axl on stage once again at KROQ-FM's Inland Invasion festival in California for a rendition of "My Michelle".

SuperGroup and Angel Down (2006–2010)

Sebastian Bach live at Norway Rock Festival in 2010

Bach starred with Ted Nugent, Evan Seinfeld, Jason Bonham and Scott Ian on the VH1 show Supergroup in May 2006. The musicians formed a band called Damnocracy for the reality show, during which they lived in a mansion in Las Vegas for twelve days and created music. He announced a partnership record label with EMI to jointly create a label owned by Bach, including his album Angel Down, which was released on November 20, 2007. Bach also recorded backing vocals for the track "Sorry" on Guns N' Roses' long-delayed Chinese Democracy, which was released in November 2008. He spent the summer of 2008 playing with Poison and Dokken.

Bach was the winner of the second season of the CMT reality show, Gone Country."

Kicking & Screaming and Sterling's departure (2010–2012)

Bach toured as an opening act for GNR's "Chinese Democracy Tour" 2009–2010, and performed "My Michelle" with Axl Rose in Quebec City on February 1, 2010. On January 5, 2011, he was featured on NBC's Jimmy Fallon Show in a live performance and a subsequent video of "We Are The Ducks", a power ballad written for University of Oregon Ducks, set to play in the BCS national championship game Monday, January 10, 2011. In 2011, Bach was interviewed by British metalcore band Asking Alexandria in the March/April issue of Revolver. The band are fans of Skid Row and covered two of their songs the preceding year of the interview. The same year, Bach performed Youth Gone Wild with the band live at the Revolver Golden Gods Awards and Rock on the Range. Bach was also filmed in their music video "Closure".

Bach provided the voice of Prince Triton, King Neptune's rebellious son, in the SpongeBob SquarePants episode, "SpongeBob and the Clash of Triton" (July 2010). On June 15, 2011, Bach revealed the title of his upcoming solo album would be Kicking & Screaming. In July 8, 2011 track list, cover art and title of the first single were revealed. It was released September 27, 2011 for North America and worldwide and September 23, 2011 for Europe on Frontiers Records. On August 13, 2012, Nick Sterling was fired by Bach after refusing to sign an agreement to appear on an undisclosed TV show. Sterling reportedly broke rules set by Bach regarding consuming alcohol prior to shows. Bach stated—in a radio interview that Nick is not allowed in Canada due to an alcohol-related incident -- "Nick got into some legal trouble, having to do with alcohol, down in Arizona. Where he lives." Sterling was replaced later by Jeff George.

Recent events (2013–present)

On April 30, 2013, Bach confirmed via Twitter that a new studio album was in the works. He went on to say that Bob Marlette would be returning as producer. Bach had collaboration work for the upcoming album with John 5, Duff McKagan, and Steve Stevens. On January 13, 2014, Give 'Em Hell was announced with a prospective release date of April 22, 2014. He also appeared in two Trailer Park Boys episodes from their 2014 season. In 2014, Bach completed his Give 'Em Hell tour and in 2015, Bach went on another tour titled the "18 and LIVE" tour.

Personal life

Sebastian Bach was born in The Bahamas and was raised in Peterborough, Ontario. At one time, he lived in Red Bank, New Jersey. In August 2011 his New Jersey home was damaged by Hurricane Irene and declared uninhabitable. Several Kiss and Skid Row artifacts, including Skid Row master tapes, were destroyed but his father's art, comic books, and the Kiss gargoyles from their 1979 tour were salvaged. Bach began dating Maria Aquinar in the mid 1980s and the couple had a son, Paris, in 1988. Bach and Aquinar married in July 1992 and had another son, London, in 1994. The couple divorced in September 2010. In December, Bach began dating model Minnie Gupta and the two were engaged in April 2012 but ended things in late 2014. On December 28, 2014, Bach became engaged to Suzanne Le after dating for two months.

Solo band members

Current

• Bobby Jarzombek – drums (2005–present)
• Rob De Luca – bass (2006–2012, 2014–present)
• Brent Woods - lead and rhythm guitar (2014–present)

Former

• Johnny Chromatic – rhythm and lead guitar (2004–2014)
• Nick Sterling – lead and rhythm guitar (2009–2012)
• "Metal" Mike Chlasciak – guitar (Angel Down 2005–2008)
• Steve DiGiorgio – bass guitar (Angel Down 2005–2007)
• Ralph Santolla – guitar (2004–2005)
• Anton Fig – drums (1998–2000)
• Richie Scarlet – guitar (1998–2002)
• Larry Fisher– bass (1997–1999)
• Jimmy Flemion – guitar (1997–1999)
• Mark "Bam Bam" McConnell – drums (1997–2005)
• Randall X. Rawlings – guitar (2004–2005)
• Adam Albright – guitar (2004–2005)
• Cheeze (né Brian Hall) – bass (2004–2005)
• Paul Crook – guitars (1999–2004)
• Devin Bronson – guitar (2013–2014)
• Jason Christopher - bass (2012–2014)
• Jeff George - guitars (2012–2013)
• Mike Dover - drums (2004)

Discography

Main article: Sebastian Bach discography

Studio albums

• Angel Down (2007)
• Kicking & Screaming (2011)
• Give 'Em Hell (2014)

Live albums

• Bring 'Em Bach Alive! (1998)

Compilation albums

• Bach 2: Basics (2001)

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2000	Point Doom	Slim
1999	Final Rinse	Buddy
2010	Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage	Himself
2012	Asking Alexandria: Through Sin and Self-Destruction	Himself
2012	Rock of Ages	Rocker	Cameo
2013	Sebastian Bach: Kicking and Screaming and Touring	Himself
2013	Yukon Kornelius		Television film
2014	Swearnet: The Movie	Sebastian Bach

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1993	Saturday Night Live	Himself	Episode: "Charles Barkley / Nirvana"
2000	MTV Cribs	Himself
2001	Strange Frequency	Grim Reaper	Episode: "Don't Fear the Reaper"
2002	Never Mind the Buzzcocks	Himself
2003–2007	Gilmore Girls	Gil	13 episodes
2004	Kiss Loves You	Himself
2006	Supergroup	Himself	7 episodes
2007	Trailer Park Boys	Himself	Episode:"Friends of the road"
2007	Celebrity Rap Superstar	Himself
2008	Robot Chicken	Wildman Martian Manhunter	Voice Episode: "They Took My Thumbs"
2008	Z Rock	Himself	Episode: "Paul and David Nearly Miss a Huge Gig"
2008–2009	Gone Country	Himself	8 episodes
2010	Celebrity Fit Club	Himself	5 episodes
2010	SpongeBob SquarePants	Triton	Voice 2 episodes
2011	Adults Only	Shifty
2012	The Eric André New Year's Eve Spooktacular	Himself
2013	Californication	Dead Rock Star	Episode: "Dead Rock Stars"
2014	Trailer Park Boys	Himself	2 episodes

Stage

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2000	Jekyll & Hyde	Dr. Henry Jekyll / Edward Hyde
2001	The Rocky Horror Show	Riff Raff
2002–2003	Jesus Christ Superstar	Jesus of Nazareth
2004	Jekyll & Hyde	Dr. Henry Jekyll / Edward Hyde	Raleigh Memorial Auditorium

External links

• Official website
• Fanpage on Facebook
• Sebastian Bach at the Internet Movie Database
• Sebastian Bach discography at MusicBrainz