Throughout the the rest of the 70’s, the all-girl band released three more albumsーmany of which charted in multiple countries. To date, some of The Runaways’ best known songs include Queens of Noise, Hollywood and Cherry Bomb. After the dissolution of the group in 1979, Ford made the decision to embark on a solo music career in the 80’s. Signing with their previous label Mercury Records, the former lead guitarist released her debut solo album, Out For Blood in 1983; she later followed up with a second album release the next year entitled, Dancin’ on the Edge, which ultimately saw more success than the first record. Altogether, Ford has released over half a dozen studio albums throughout her solo career; the most successful being that of the self-titled Lita which was made available in 1988.

Shortly after the release of her second album, Ford received her first Grammy Award nomination for the category of “Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Female Artist” in 1985. Since then, she’s also received another Grammy Award nomination for her 1991 hit Shot of Poison and a MTV Video Music Award nomination for her 1988 classic, Kiss Me Deadly. Aside from her musical endeavours, the artist also received some screen-time on television when she was featured exclusively in the 2005 documentary, Edgeplay: A Film About the Runaways, which chronicled the history of the all-girl rock band that she was a member of. More recently in 2015, Ford was also a contestant on the reality cooking show, Chopped.

So what has the music artist been up to nowadays? Where has her work brought her these past few years? What happened to Lita Ford? Where is she now in 2026?

Lita Ford’s Early Life and Musical Beginnings with The Runaways

Born on September 19, 1958, in Los Angeles, California, Lita Rossana Ford is the daughter of Harry Leonard and Isabella Ford, the latter of whom worked as a supervisor at a hospital. Growing up in the area around Long Beach, Ford took up guitar when she was eleven years old with encouragement from her mother. Almost immediately taking to the stringed instrument, she soon wrote her very first songー”a lovely Spanish piece,” which her mother later recalled. An aspiring musician, Ford drew much inspiration during that period from rock guitarist Jimi Hendrix and the bands Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple. Carrying on with her musical endeavours into her teen years, Ford continued to play the guitar, something which she’d already mastered.

Around that time, she was eventually approached by a few girls that invited her to join their rock band, The Runaways. Taking the opportunity to be part of a novel, all-girl music group, she soon joined the band and became their lead guitarist; other original members included singer and bassist Micki Steele, drummer, Sand West and rhythm guitarist, Joan Jett. After gathering all the members together, The Runaways secured a recording deal with Mercury Records in the mid 70’s and went off to work on the first album; the self-titled, The Runaways was later released in June 1976. Climbing in popularity after its release, the band embarked on an American tour and performed countless sold-out concerts.

Lita Ford and Her Time with The Runaways

Upon the release of their debut effort, it received much praise from critics, many of whom compared the band’s musical style to that of The Stooges and Led Zeppelin. Produced by Kim Fowly, the two-sided disc contained ten hard and punk rock tracks including Dead End Justice, which has since been covered by popular American artist, Kristen Stewart. Another highlight from the album was the song, Cherry Bomb; listed as the “52nd Best Hard Rock Song of All Time” by VH1, it has also been featured in numerous films such as Guardians of the Galaxy, Dazed and Confused and RV, amongst a couple of others. The best-performing track from the album, its eventual single reached number 106 on the US Billboard Hot 100 Chart and topped both the Scandinavian and Japanese Singles Charts; it also peaked at number two in Ukraine.

The following year, Ford and her bandmates released their second studio album entitled, Queens of Noise in January 1977. Although it was essentially a hard rock album, it incorporated many other influences from blues rock, heat metal as well as punk rock. While many consider it to be comparable to that of their debut work, the album is noted for putting much greater emphasis on both musical sophistication and volume. The Runaway’s best performing album in the United States to date, it consisted of ten tracks, a handful of which were co-written by Ford. Commended for its “improved studio sound” by contemporary music critics, Queens of Noise peaked at number 172 on the US Billboard 200 and at number twenty eight in Sweden. The album went on to spawn one single, Heartbeat which made its way to number 110 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart in the US.

Coming out with two full-length albums in one year, The Runaways released their third studio album, Waitin’ for the Night in October 1977. Their first record to feature the girls as a quartet, it was fairly successful in Europe although it failed to be a major hit in their native United States. Given a modest C+ rating from the “Dean of American Rock Critics” Robert Christgau, its hard/punk rock track-list consisted of ten songs, two of which were composed by Ford. Waitin’ for the Night saw the most success in Sweden where it reached number thirty-four on the Albums Chart shortly after its release. One single, School Days was later released as a single; although not an overnight sensation, it did go on to peak at number twenty-nine on the Ultratop 50 Belgian Singles Chart.

Prior to their dissolution in the spring of 1979, the all-girls group released one final studio album entitled, And Now…The Runaways. Distributed via Polydor Records and Cherry Red Records in the US and UK respectively, it was known for including more glam-rock oriented sounds in its track-list compared to their preceding album. Produced by John Alcock, And Now…The Runaways showcased a total nine songs, one of which featured Ford as its lead vocalist (e.g. I’m a Million). Although the album failed to chart, it was given a modest three star rating from critics at Allmusic. A few years after its original release in 1981, the record was re-issued as a picture-disc under the name, Little Lost Girls.

Lita Ford’s Eventual Solo Music Career

After the band went their separate ways due to alleged creative differences, Ford returned to the music scene as a solo music artist. The former lead guitarist released her first studio album, Out for Blood in May 1983. Produced in collaboration with Artie Ripp, Joel Soiffer and Neil Merryweather, the album featured a very heavy metal-inspired Ford, who was seen holding a blood-spurting guitar on the original cover art. Her first solo endeavour, Out For Blood included ten heavy and glam metal tracks including Stay with Me Baby, Just a Feeling, If You Can’t Live with It and Any Way That You Want Me, amongst others. Although Ford was applauded for her “abundant guitar skills” in the album, it ultimately did not chart in the US.

It wasn’t until the spring of 1988 that Ford received a break in her solo music career with the release of her third studio album, Lita. Her first record with RCA Records, it was met with favourable reviews upon its release; it currently holds a four and a half star rating from the UK based Kerrang! Magazine. Largely a hit, the self-titled album peaked at number twenty-nine in the US Billboard 200 chart and also reached number forty-two and forty-five on the Canadian and New Zealand Albums Chart respectively. In addition to the success of the album, it also spawned several single hits including Close My Eyes Forever, Kiss Me Deadly, Falling In and Out of Love and Back to the Cave; Close My Eyes Forever eventually became the best-performing song, having peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100. Her most successful album to date, it has received Platinum certification from the RIAA for selling over a million copies in the US as of 1989.

What’s Lita Ford Doing Now in 2026 – Recent Updates

Lita Ford hasn’t released any new albums in many years (her most recent release is Living Like a Runaway in 2012). She was, however, recently featured in Ace Frehley’s cover album, Origins, which came out in 2020. The two had worked together on a cover version of The Beatles’ Jumping’ Jack Flash. While it didn’t reach the top of the US music charts, it did peak at number 9 on Billboard’s Top Rock Albums and number 14 on Billboard’s Top Independent Album.

Will she ever release a new solo album? The answer is yes. According to a 2019 interview, she’s been putting the finishing touches on her new album, which she’d hoped to release in 2022. It’s currently unknown whether or not that’ll still happen as there hasn’t been any recent news on the project.

She’s also performed several concerts over the past couple of years. In 2021, she participated in the M3 Rock Festival alongside several other artists. She also performed at various venues across the United States including the Beaver Dam Amphitheater in Beaver Dam, Kentucky, Key West Amphitheater in Key West, Florida, and the Genesse Theatre in Waukegan, Illinois. And before the pandemic had gotten out of hand in 2020, she performed with Alice Cooper at the Miller High Life Theatre.

Fast forward to 2026 and it’s been announced that she’ll be taking part in the Live to Rock Tour (also featuring Warrant, Quiet Riot, and Skid Row). In total, there will be 10 concerts, with the first one kicking off on April 30th at the Paramount Arts Centre in Ashland, Kentucky. From there, they’ll travel across the country to perform in Florida, Ohio, Indiana, California, and several other states.

They’ll also be making a stop in Canada to perform at The Colosseum at Caesars Windsor in Windsor, Ontario before returning to the US for their final show on September 15. Those who are interested can purchase tickets from her official website. Also, according to her, there will be new guitar designs and VIP meets and greets at most of their upcoming concerts.

It’s also worth mentioning that she’ll be participating in the Rock Fest Cadott 22, which will take place on July 13th. As far as we can tell, she’ll be joined by Firehouse, Islander, Warrant, Paralandra, Versus Me, and Otherwise. And in 2023, she’ll be making an appearance at the H-E-B Centre at Cedar Park in Texas alongside Dokken.

For those who’d like to stay in touch with the artist, you can follow her on Instagram (@litafordofficial). She’s also active on Twitter (@litaford) where she has over 202K fans. There’s her official website and Facebook page as well for those who are interested.

The post What Happened to Lita Ford – 2026 News & Updates appeared first on Gazette Review.

Despite their best efforts however, their initial albums from the 70’s- especially their production values, were generally criticized by fans. It wasn’t until they recruited the help of renowned music producer Touru Yazawa, that they began to set a name for themselves with the release of their seventh studio album, Hard Dog (1981). Going on to attract a solid fan base, Bow Wow has since recorded over a dozen full length albums including Warning from Stardust (1982), Led by the Sun (1996), Beyond (2000), Another Place (2001), What’s Going On? (2002), and Era (2005). On top of that, they’ve also released six EPs, seven live albums, thirteen compilation albums, and over twenty singles; some of their most popular titles include Sabishii Yuugi, Soldier in the Space, Keep on Rockin’, Gonna be Alright, Take Me Away, One Last Time, and King or Queen. Although they officially disbanded in the summer of 1990, they have since come back together for a number of reunions.

Aside from being known for his affiliation with Bow Wow, Yamamoto has also embarked on a successful solo music career. Regarded as one of Japan’s most skilled guitarists, he is also noted for being one of the first to incorporate the tapping technique into hard rock music. At the age of twenty four, he released his debut solo album entitled, Horizon after signing with the Sounds Marketing System label.Two years later, he followed up with Guitar Man (1982), and Electric Cinema (1982), both of which were generally well received. As of 2017, he has come out with a total of ten studio albums- his latest being that of Philosophy, which was made available in 2014.

So what has Yamamoto- one of Japan’s most renowned guitarists been up to these days? At sixty years old, has he retired from recording? Or is he still actively making music at the studio? What can we expect to see from him this upcoming year? What happened to Kyoji Yamamoto? Where is he now in 2018?

Kyoji Yamamoto’s Early Life and the Formation of Bow Wow

Born on March 23, 1956 in Shimane, Japan, Kyoji Yamamoto spent most of his early life in the city of Matsue. Growing up, he often found himself listening to music. Eventually wanting to try his hand at performing, he decided to pick up the guitar at the age of fifteen- drawing inspiration from Eddie Van Halen and Alvin Lee; practicing for hours every day, he soon found himself having mastered the stringed instrument.By the time he was eighteen, he was studying music at the renowned Yamaha Music School in Japan. Bursting with natural talent, his skillfulness on the guitar garnered him much attention as a student; before long, people around him had started to refer to him as a guitar genius.

At the age of nineteen, he was recruited as a guitarist into an up-and-coming heavy metal group called Bow Wow, that had been formed by an amateur music producer named Yoshimi Ueno. Scouted from the music school alongside his classmate Kenji Sano, they were the third and fourth members of the original lineup; the other two bandmates included Toshihiro Niimi on drums and Mitsuhiro Saito on guitars. Having officially come together as a band, they eventually signed with Victor Entertainment, a Yokohama-based recording label in 1976- just a year after meeting each other for the first time.

Kyoji Yamamoto’s Career with Bow Wow

In 1976, Bow Wow released their self titled debut album, Bow Wow. Produced by Yoshimi Ueno, who put the group together, it featured Yamamoto on lead vocals, lead guitar, as well as drums. Just over thirty minutes in length, the album boasted eight tracks including the titles Heart’s on Fire, Brown House, A Life in the Dark, James in My Casket, Withered Sun, and Theme of Bow- all of which featured a mix of English and Japanese lyrics. Although not an instant smash hit in their native Japan, it was considered a solid album by fans.

Determined to put themselves out there in the Japanese hard rock scene, they later dropped their second full length album, Signal Fire in 1977. Comparable to their initial effort in terms of content, its sounds were fairly typical for metal groups of that period. Another album to feature Yamamoto as the lead vocalist and guitarist, its ten-song track list consisted of Get on Our Train, Just One More Night, Rock ‘N’ Roll Drive, Rainbow of Sabbath, Tell Me Tell Mee, Still, and Silver Lightning, among a few others.

That same year, Bow Wow also came out with their third studio album, Charge. A track shorter compared to their previous release, it featured the numbers Must Say Adieu, Jet Jive, The Clown, Blue Eyed Lady, Behind the Mask, Sister Soul, Rock and Roll Kid, and Fallen Leaves. To promote themselves and their new album, Yamamoto and his bandmates performed the opening act for the popular bands Kiss and Aerosmith during their JApanese concert tour. Despite their best efforts however, the album was generally criticized by critics for its poor production values and for being “all over the place”.

It wasn’t until they employed the help of Touru Yazawa, the music producer responsible for Alice- a renowned group in Japan, in the late 70’s that their popularity slowly began to rise. With Yazawa, they released their studio album, Hard Dog– which marked a turning point in their career in 1981. Mixed by Susumu Iguchi, the two sided disc came with a total of eleven tracks, including Gonna Be Alright, Can’t Take It Anymore, Breakdown of the Earth, My Dear Alarm Clock, Close to the End, New Red Books, and a few others. Although it still garnered a fair amount of mixed reviews, many critics praised it for being a vast improvement over their earlier releases. Shortly after the release of the album, Bow Wow gave a couple of performances at Switzerland’s Montreux Jazz Festival and at England’s Reading Festival, which helped boost their popularity.

Over the next few years, the hard rock band saw a few changes to its original line up. Following the departure of guitarist Mitsuhiro Saito, the group welcomed two new members- Rei Atsumi and Genki Hitomi on keyboards and vocals respectively. Feeling that a name-change was necessary, the quintet subsequently named themselves Vow Wow- a decision that was partly influenced by the name of the British group, Wow Wow.

After many years of being in Japan, Bow Wow relocated to England in 1987. From there, they worked with music producer Kit Woolven for the release of their album, V– which eventually spawned the hit single, Don’t Leave Me Now. Another studio album later, they released Rock Me Now, a number that is still considered a classic hard rock hit to this day. Shortly afterward, Yamamoto and the crew returned to their native country briefly for a Japan tour. In 1989, Bow Wow came together to record what was to be their last album, Helter Skelter, which was produced by Tony Taverner.

Although they officially disbanded in 1990, Bow Wow has since reunited several times. For instance, they came back together for a few more releases in 1995, and later reunited once again in 2009 for a reunion show concert in 2009.

Kyoji Yamamoto’s Solo Music Career

Aside from having had a successful music career with Bow Wow, Yamamoto has also carved an identity for himself as a solo recording artist. On May 25, 1980, the guitarist released his debut studio album entitled, Horizon under Sounds Marketing System. Recorded in various studios in Tokyo, the original album contained nine tracks including Summer Get Away, Solid Movement, Crush the Rock, Chasin’ the Shadow of You, Dog Fight, and Guitar Man– a number of which were instrumentals; altogether, the album boasted close to forty minutes of hard rock music.

Two years later, Yamamoto came out with his second full length album, Guitar Man. Distributed via SMS Records, the hard rock album came with a two-sided disc that contained a total of fourteen songs; some of the more memorable hits include Theme from Bloody Mary, Soldier in the Space, Chasin’ The Shadow of You, Breakdown of the Earth, Guitar Man, Scramble, and Solid Movement.

Prior to taking a prolonged break from his solo music career, the guitarist came out with a third studio album entitled, Electric Cinema. Recorded in London with a few members of the British rock band Last Flight, it consisted of ten titles, a few of which included Could This Be Magic, I’ll Wait a Lifetime, Just Can’t Take It, On the Edge, Love Lies Bleeding, E. Bow Concerto in D Minor, and Yomegashima. While all of the songs featured Yamamoto’s skillful guitar playing, four of the tracks saw him as the lead vocalist.

From there, it wasn’t until 1998 that he returned with the release of his fourth studio album, Mind Arc (1998). Since then, Yamamoto has come out with a number of additional albums including Requiem (1999), Time (2005), The Life Album (2010), Voyager: The Essential Kyoji Yamamoto (2010), and Philosophy (2014). In addition to his musical releases, the guitarist has also dropped three DVDS in 2006, 2008, and 2015.

What’s Kyoji Yamamoto Doing Now in 2018 – Recent Updates

It doesn’t look like the 60-year-old hard rock musician has given in the towel yet- in fact, just this past January, he performed a concert at the Shinyokohama Strage in Japan- one of the many shows that he’s put on since the start of 2017.

According to his official website, he also has a few upcoming shows in Kyoto, Yamaguchi, Shimane, Aoba, Chiba, Saitama, on top of many others. From the looks of it, his schedule from now until July appears to be quite packed- the bad news is that, most of the planned events will be taking place in Japan. For more information, you can visit his official website- do note however that most pages are only available in Japanese.

If you’d like to keep in touch with the Japanese guitarist, your best bet is probably to check out his official website as mentioned earlier, at kyoji-yamamoto.com. Having said that, you can also visit his Youtube channel at @wildlandcorporation.

The post What Happened to Kyoji Yamamoto – News & Updates appeared first on Gazette Review.

A year after their conception, the Los Angeles based rock band released their studio album entitled Appetite for Destruction in July 1987. A best-seller, the album was monumental in the band’s almost immediate rise in popularity. Since then, Guns N’ Roses has released five more full-length albums, eighteen singles and over twenty music videos. One of the best-selling rock bands in the world, the group has won numerous awards and titles throughout their time together including four American Music Awards, four MTV Video Music Awards, two World Music Awards. A three time Grammy Award nominee, Guns N’ Roses has sold over 45,000,000 records in the United States alone. A critically acclaimed guitarist, Slash himself has also received much recognition for his work in music; not only has he been presented with a star on the prestigious Rock Walk of Fame, but he has also been given the title of being one of “The 100 Greatest Guitarist of All Time” by Rolling Stone.

While most people know him as the prodigy guitarist, Slash has also worked briefly on-and-off as an actor. The rock musician made his first appearance on television in the 1994 television series, Tales form the Crypt at the age of twenty nine. Some of his other projects in front of the camera include The Drew Carey Show (1998), Velvet Revolver’s Rock & Roll Revolution (2006), Osbournes Reloaded (2009), Metalocalypse (2009) and Anger Management (2013), to name a few. In 2009, he even starred as a guest mentor on the Fox singing competition series, American Idol.

So what has the famed guitarist been up to since then? What kind of projects have he been working on as of late? What happened to Slash? Where is he now in 2018?

Slash’s Childhood and Early Life

Born on July 23, 1965 in Hampstead, London, Slash (Real name: Saul Hudson) is the son of Anthony Hudson, a caucasian artist and Ola J. Hudson, an African American costume designer; he has a younger brother named Albion. As a young boy in the late 60’s and early 70’s, Slash was taken care of by his father and paternal grandparents in the city of Stoke-on-Trent, as his mother had relocated to Los Angeles due to her work. When he was five years old, Slash was reunited with her in LA together with his father. However the happy family life did not last longーhis parents eventually split up in 1974 when he was nine. Following their separation, Slash lived with his mother however was often sent to be with his maternal grandparents due to the constant traveling nature of her work. Occasionally, he also went with her to workーit was around this time that he received the nickname of “Slash” by Seymour Cassel, an American actor whom he had met at his mother’s workplace.

His musical interests didn’t begin to surface until his early teens. When he was fourteen, he came up with the idea of forming a band with a friend; although the actual band never materialized, it prompted him to take up the guitar. Using a one-string guitar given to him by his grandparents, he soon enrolled in music classes at the Fairfax Music School with instructor, Robert Wolin. Devoting himself entirely to the instrument, Slash practiced tirelessly every day, sometimes for a period of up to twelve hours. After performing with a string of different bands throughout the early 80’s, he joined the rock band Guns N’ Roses after being invited by Izzy Stradlin and Axl Roseーtwo former bandmates. Writing their own tracks, they performed at a number of local nightclubs including The Roxy, The Troubadour and Whisky a Go Go. Eventually being scouted, they landed a recording deal with Geffen Records in the spring of 1986.

Slash’s Musical Career with Guns N’ Roses

In July 1987, Slash along with the rest of his Guns N’ Roses bandmates released their first studio album entitled, Appetite for Destruction. Although the album initially debuted at a disappointing number 182 on the US billboard 200 Chart, it soon became a huge commercial hit, having spent four weeks at the top of the chart. Not only did it see success in the American charts, but it also ranked amongst the top ten in six other countries including Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Switzerland. Praised for its “unique mix of rock values”, Appetite for Destruction soon became one of the best-selling debut albums of all time in the United States, according to Billboard. Universally acclaimed, it track list saw twelve songs including Welcome to the Jungle, It’s So Easy, Paradise City, Sweet Child o’ Mine and Nightrainーall of which were eventually released as hit singles. Estimated to have sold 33,000,000 copies across the world, it has since been given 18x Platinum status by the RIAA.

Riding on their newly found success, they released their second album, G N’ R Lies in November 1988. Featuring a cover that’s a parody of tabloid newspaper, the albums stood out from the brand’s previous effort as it was officially an extended play (although it was treated as a full-length album during its release); its short track list consisted of four hard rock songs, three of which were cover songs of those by Hollywood Rose, Rose Tattoo and Aerosmith. Its acoustic-based tracks a strong follow up to their debut work, G N’ R Lies peaked nicely at number two on the Billboard 200 Chart shortly after its release. Similar to Appetite for Destruction, it also charted in a handful of other countries. A Platinum certified album as of February 1995, it has since sold more than 15 million units in the world.

The band put out their third and fourth studio albums, Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II in September 1991. Both released at the same time for the Guns N Roses Use Your Illusion tour, they debuted at number two and number one respectively on the Billboard 200, selling 1.4 million copies altogether within the first week. In contrast to their previous hard-rock oriented sounds, the Use Your Illusion series incorporated a blend of heavy metal, classical music, rock and roll and blues and was also much more political in terms of style, than their earlier efforts. Although the two albums fared similarly in the charts, Use Your Illusion II was slightly more popular, having charted at number one on five different charts worldwide. Each certified 7x Platinum by the RIAA, close to 40 million units have been sold combined to date.

Guns N’ Roses released their fifth album entitled, “The Spaghetti Incident?” in November 1993. The band’s only album not to be accompanied with a tour, it also marked Slash’s last collaboration work with the group. Featuring guitarist Gilby Clarke instead of the original Izzy Stradlin, the album mostly consisted of old punk rock covers and hard rock tracks. Positively reviewed, “The Spaghetti Incident?” debuted on the US Billboard 200 at number four and soon sold approximately 190,000 copies during the first week of releaseーa significant drop compared to their earlier albums. As of January 1994, it has been certified Platinum for achieving over one million sales.

Slash’s Solo Music Career in the 2010’s

It wasn’t until the spring of 2010 that Slash released his first solo studio album. First announced in his autobiography a few years prior, the self-titled project Slash featured fourteen tracks, all of which featured a musical guest in its vocals. Produced by a team consisting of Big Chris Flores, Kid Rock and Eric Valentine, Slash debuted on the Billboard 200 Chart at number three and achieved close to 61,000 sales in the first week. A relatively huge hit, it also entered the charts at number one in four different countries including Austria, Canada, Sweden and New Zealand. Praised to be “an excellent album” by critics on MTV, it currently holds a nine out of ten rating from Ultimate Guitar and has sold 160,000 copies in the United States.

Over the next four years, the former Guns N’ Roses guitarist released two more albumsーApocalyptic Love in 2012 and World on Fire in September 2014. Both released under the Dik Hayd label, the former peaked at number four on the Billboard 200 while the latter made its way to number ten on the Billboard 200 Chart. Combined, they have sold over 140,000 copies.

What’s Slash Doing Now in 2018- Recent Updates

In October 2016, the guitarist did something that had many fans turning their headsーhe put up his original guitar for auction online. One of slash’s beloved instruments in his early Guns N’ Roses Days, the guitar was custom made for the rock musician back in the early 1980’s. Although the exact reason for its selling is unknown, rumours have been circulating that the item has changed hands a few times since Slash first retired it in 1987. Priced at $30,000 to start, it is estimated to bring in at least 60 to 80 thousand dollars once the auction is over!

Back to music, Slash recently reunited with his long-time friends in Guns N’ Roses this April for a 2016 tourーit is also the first time that he performed together with original line-up members Duff McKagan and Axl Rose since the 1993 Use Your Illusion tour. Consisting of three legs, the concerts kicked off at The Troubadour in West Hollywood and has been ongoing, bringing the band across different continents in the world. Spanning fifty nine shows in total, Guns N’ Roses will not only performing in their native North America, but also South America, Central America, Oceania and Asia. According to their schedule, the tour will continue until its last show in Bangkok, Thailand in late February 2017.

If you’d like to stay connected with the rock guitarist of Guns N’ Roses fame, you can follow his online presence on social mediaーyou can find Slash on Instagram (@slash) as well as on Twitter (@slash). Don’t forget to also drop by his official Facebook page and website as well for some of the latest news available!

The post What Happened to Slash- News & Updates appeared first on Gazette Review.

From there, Neil and the rest of his Mötley Crüe bandmates continued to release a series of albums throughout the 80’s and into the 90’s. One of the most prolific heavy metal bands at the time, the group won numerous awards and nominations including a American Music Award win for the category of “Favourite Heavy Metal/Hard Rock Album”. A three-time Grammy Award nominee, Mötley Crüe was also inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame back in 2006. Although the band achieved much success together however, Neil had left the group during the early 90’s to focus his attention on a solo music career. He eventually released his first solo debut album, Exposed in 1993ーfour years after his last collaboration effort with the heavy metal band. Since then, Neil has released two more albums, Carved in Stone in 1995 and Tattoos & Tequila in 2010.

Besides his rock music lifestyle, Neil has actually made a handful of appearances on television and filmーnot as a performer, but as an actor. The former Mötley Crüe vocalist made his debut on the big screen in the 1990 comedy feature film, The Adventures of Ford Fairlane. Since then, he has guest starred in a number of other productions including The Hollywood Starlet Search (1995), Still Standing (2004) and more recently, Sharknado 4: The 4th Awakens (2016). A multi-talented individual, Neil has also participated in several reality game shows including The Weakest Link (2002), Skating with the Stars (2010) and Celebrity Wife Swap (2015), to name a few. Who knew he was such a good skater on ice?

So where has his work brought him to recently? What has he been up to this past little while? What happened to Vince Neil? Where is he now in 2018?

Vince Neil’s Childhood and Early Life

Born on February 9, 1961, in Hollywood, California, Vince Neil Warton is the son of Clois and Shirley Wharton; he is of Native American and Mexican descent. During his early childhood, the family moved often inside the greater Los Angeles area, before settling down in the city of Glendora. As a teen, Neil was a student at Royal Oak High School; it was there that he ultimately met Tommy Lee, his future Mötley Crüe bandmate and long-time friend. Growing up, the young lad had always been more interested in rock ‘n’ roll music than his school life. Unsurprisingly, he was eventually expelled out of school for drug use and fighting. Getting into trouble with his parents, he spent a period of time living in Tommy Lee’s van before getting things back together.

Becoming more and more absorbed in the world of hard rock, Neil soon found himself engrossed in the music scene, joining and performing with various local bands. When he was nineteen, Neil joined a band known as Rock Candy, acting as their vocalist; they later began to tour and perform in a number of clubs in the Los Angeles area. Around that same time, his friend Tommy Lee had recruited a few musician friends together to form a heavy metal band called Mötley Crüe. Although they originally had a vocalist, he later opted out, leaving the group with no one to perform their vocals. Knowing that his friend Neil was a talented vocalist, Lee eventually approached him about leaving Rock Candy to join their band. Although initially hesitant, Neil ultimately decided to join Mötley Crüe after a few months of deliberation, mainly due to the fact that some of his Rock Candy bandmates had taken time off to pursue their own projects.

Vince Neil’s Early Music Career with Mötley Crüe

In November 1981, the American heavy metal band released this debut studio album, Too Fast for Love. While the original album was distributed under Leathur Records, it was eventually re-released the following year under Elektra Records. Featuring an album cover that was a tribute to The Rolling Stones’ signature album, Sticky Fingers, its disc featured ten tracks including Live Wire and Stick to Your Guns, which were later released as singles. Debuting at number seventy-seven on the US Billboard 200, the album was met with mediocre success initially in terms of sales, although it had received many favourable reviews from critics. Although it did not fare too well on the charts, it has since sold over one million copies, earning it Platinum certification from the RIAA in the United States.

After their lukewarm hit, Neil and his band released Shout at the Devil in the fall of 1983. Responsible for bringing the group into the limelight, the breakthrough album was significant in the establishing of Mötley Crüe’s place in the heavy metal scene of the 1980’s. Produced by Tom Werman, Shout at the Devil featured eleven different rock tracks, including a cover of The Beatles’ 60’s hit, Helter Skelter. Rated four and a half stars by AllMusic, the heavy metal album peaked at an impressive number seventeen on the Billboard 200; it was also warmly received in Canada where it ranked at number twenty three on the RPM Chart. Hailed to be “metal at its best”, Shout at the Devil eventually spawned three singles: Looks That Kill/Piece of Your Action and Too Young to Fall in Love; they later peaked at number fifty-four and number ninety respectively on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart. A commercial success, Shout at the Devil soon became the band’s first multi-platinum certified album, after having sold an excess of four million copies.

In the early summer of 1985, Mötley Crüe released their third studio album entitled, Theatre of Pain. Dedicated to the Finnish rock band Hanoi Rocks after the passing of its member Nicholas Dingley, the album took a step away from its traditional heavy metal style and instead, focused more on glam metal oriented sounds. Their only album not to include a title track, its ten-song track list included Smokin’ in the Boys Roomーa cover of Brownsville Station’s 70’s hit. Charting at number six on the Billboard 200, Theatre of Pain garnered rave reviews from critics and currently holds a four star rating on Allmusic. The album eventually spawned three singles including Home Sweet Home, Smokin’ in the Boys Room and Keep Your Eyes on the Money (Promo), the second of which peaked at number seven on the US Mainstream Rock Chart.

The band released their next major hit, Girls Girls Girls in May 1987. Revolving around themes of whiskey, strip clubs and Harley Motorcycles, the album was noted for containing a much more “bloused riffed” style tracks compared to the group’s earlier efforts. Certified 4x Platinum by the RIAA as of 1995, the album climbed up to the second position on the Billboard 200 and also made it to number four on the Canadian RPM Albums Chart. Later producing three singles, Girls Girls Girls received a 9/10 rating from Metal Storm and has since sold over four million copies in the US.

In September 1989, Mötley Crüe released their fifth studio album entitled, Dr. Feelgoodーit was also  Neil’s last album with the band before his departure from the group. Their best-performing album to date, Dr. Feelgood has sold over six million copies across the country since it was first released at the end of the 80’s. Produced by Canadian music producer Bob Rock, the record was noted for including vibrant and lush soundsーsomething which the band’s previous releases had been lacking. Praised for its “entertaining values and renewed energy”, Dr. Feelgood was showered with nothing but positive reviews upon its release; it later earned the band two Grammy Award nominations for “Best Hard Rock Performance.” A chart-topper, the album peaked at number one on the Billboard 200 and ranked in the top ten in over half a dozen countries, including Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland and Norway.

Vince Neil’s Solo Music Career

After splitting from Mötley Crüe, Neil released his debut solo album entitled, Exposed in April 1993. Although it wasn’t an instant best-seller, the album did manage to peak at number thirteen on the Billboard 200 Chart. Eleven glam metal tracks were included on the disc including You’re Invited (But Your Friend Can’t Come), Sister of Pain, Can’t Change Me and Can’t Have Your Cake, all of which were later released as singles. Favourably received, Exposed was commended for its jazz guitar solos and admirable atmosphereーtwo things that ultimately earned it a four star rating from critics at Allmusic.

Since then, the former Mötley Crüe member has released two more solo effortsーCarved in Stone in 1995 and Tattoos & Tequila in June 2010.

What’s Vince Neil Doing Now in 2018- Recent Updates

On September 30, 2016, Vince Neil made a special appearance at the opening of the Fright Dome, a haunting attraction at the Adventuredome Theme Park at Circus Circus in Las Vegas, Nevada. For the event, the vocalist dressed up as a priest and was later seen being flanked on stage by “three naughty nuns.” Recognized as one of the best haunted attractions according to the Travel Channel, the five acre Fright Dome will remain open until midnight on October 31, 2016.

In other news, the vocalist recently found himself being sued for assault after being involved in a scuffle with an autograph seeker earlier in April. According to sources, an “aggressive” fan had pushed her through to where Neil and a friend were seated for lunch at the Aria Hotel and Casino. Although Neil admitted later on that he was indeed annoyed at the outburst, he insisted that he did not grab the woman by her hair, as she had claimed (the fan in question had stated that Neil “grabbed her by the hair before jerking her to the ground”). Released at the scene, the heavy metal musician was eventually scheduled to appear in court in June 2016 for the alleged assault.

If you’d like to stay up to date with the former Mötley Crüe member, you can do so by following the rock star on social mediaーyou can find him on Twitter (@thevinceneil) as well as on Instagram (@thevinceneil). Don’t forget to also check out his official Facebook page and website if you’re a fan!

The post What Happened to Vince Neil- News & Updates appeared first on Gazette Review.