Glenn Danzig

Infobox musical artist
Name = Glenn Danzig


Img_capt =
Background = solo_singer
Birth_name = Glenn Anzalone
Born = birth date and age|1955|6|23 Lodi, New Jersey, U.S.
Died =
Instrument = Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards, Bass, Piano, Drums, Harmonica
Genre = Punk rock Horror punk Hardcore punk Hard rock Heavy metal Doom metal Deathrock Blues rock Industrial metal Gothic rock Classical
Occupation = Musician, Singer-songwriter, Producer
Years_active = 1977–present
Label = Plan 9 Evilive
Associated_acts = The Misfits Samhain Danzig
URL = http://www.danzig-verotik.com/

Glenn Danzig (born Glenn Anzalone on June 23, 1955) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, entrepreneur and a progenitor of the Horrorpunk genre of music. He is the founder of bands The Misfits, Samhain, and Danzig. He also owns the Evilive record label and Verotik, an adult-oriented comic book publishing company.

Danzig's musical career, beginning in the mid-1960s, encompasses genres such as punk rock, heavy metal, industrial, blues, and classical. He has written songs for long-time idols Johnny Cash and Roy Orbison.

As a singer, he is noted for his vocal range and distinctive style, which has been compared to that of Elvis Presley, Jim Morrison, Howlin' Wolf, and Italian tenor Mario Lanza. [Craig Lee. "Horror-movie rock from Misfits". L.A.Times. 15. April 1982] [Mike Gitter. "Live Metal". RIP Magazine. 1988] [Mike G. "Interview with Danzig". Metal Maniacs. December 1999.] As an author, he is known for his fascination with horror, gore, occult, erotic and religious themes.

Early life

Danzig was born in 1955 to a New Jersey Protestant family of Italian, German, and Scottish-American heritage. He has two older brothers and one younger brother. Their father was a strict Marine Corps veteran of World War II and the Korean War who worked as a television repairman. One of Danzig's brothers introduced him to heavy metal at an early age by playing him music by Blue Cheer.

Danzig became an avid collector of comic books (especially Golden Age comics), rare Japanese toys, occult books, horror related articles, b-movie posters, Japanese animation videos (especially Astro Boy, Black Jack, Captain Harlock and Devilman) and the skulls of deceased animals. He was an outsider in school.

Around the time he began writing music, Danzig worked in a comic book store in nearby New York. [http://www.kaluta.com/pages/rock/danzig.html]

Glenn Danzig graduated from Lodi High School in 1973, aspiring to become a comic book writer and/or photographer. (Danzig would eventually start an adult-oriented comic book company, Verotik, in the 1990s.)

Musical career

Danzig started in the music business at the age of 11: first as a drum roadie and then as a bass player in local garage bands. He had never taken vocal lessons, but the first time he auditioned for the role of a vocalist, his vocal prowess gained him attention in the local scene. Throughout his teenage years he sang for several local bands, such as Talus and Whodat And Boojang, most of which played half original songs and half Black Sabbath songs.

In 1977, when he was 21, Danzig started The Misfits. The band's name comes from Marilyn Monroe's last film. The Misfits combined Danzig's harmonic vocals with camp-horror imagery and lyrics, backed by punk thrashing.

In 1983, after releasing several singles, three albums, and gaining a small underground following, Danzig disbanded The Misfits due to increasing animosity among the band members and his dissatisfaction with their musical abilities.

After The Misfits, he began work on a new band project: Samhain. In 1987, Samhain was signed to a major label by producer Rick Rubin and the name of the band was changed to Danzig to avoid legal problemsFact|date=March 2008. The band consisted of guitarist John Christ, bassist Eerie Von, and former Circle Jerks/D.O.A./Black Flag drummer, Chuck Biscuits.

In 1987, Danzig, owing to his association with Rubin, was asked to write a song for Roy Orbison. The result was "Life Fades Away", featured in the 1987 movie "Less than Zero". Danzig also contributed to the film's soundtrack with "You and Me (Less than Zero)". Eerie Von has said that the song was a salute to the 1960s song "To Sir, with Love" by the Scottish singer, Lulu, and the tracks have similar instrument changes. On the soundtrack's sleeve, the song is credited to "Glen Danzig and the Power and Fury Orchestra" [sic] , which actually featured the same membership as the initial lineup of Danzig, the band, with the exception of Eerie Von. Since Von did not like the way producer Rubin wanted the bass played on the song, George Drakoulias played the bass instead.

In 1988, the newly formed band Danzig released their eponymous debut. Its sound showed a progression from the gothic/deathrock sound of Samhain, to a slower, heavier, more blues-based heavy metal sound. Stand-out tracks included "Twist of Cain", "Am I Demon", "Mother", and "She Rides". Songs such as "End of Time" and "Soul on Fire" displayed Danzig's prowess with softer, melodic vocalizations.

In 1990, their follow-up album "" marked an immediate change of musical direction. Featuring a strong blues influence, it has often been cited as the most popular Danzig album among fans. Stand-out tracks included the driving "Long Way Back From Hell", the bluegrass dobro of "777", the hard-rocking "Girl" and "Her Black Wings", as well as the lilting, Presley-inspired "I'm the One" and "Blood and Tears".

In 1992, Danzig once again changed musical direction, releasing the fast, power-chord driven "". Of the 10 songs, only the sad and soft "Sistinas" diverges from the unrelenting, dominant guitar riffs and angry lyrical content of songs like "Left Hand Black", "Godless" and "Bodies".

In 1993–1994, Danzig broke into the mainstream when the live video of "Mother '93" became a hit on MTV, six years after the original song was recorded.

In 1994, the release of "Danzig 4" saw a revisiting of the hard-blues sound and further development of his vocal range; most notable in songs like "Let It Be Captured" and the haunting "Cantspeak".

In 1996, the band underwent a complete overhaul. The original lineup had fallen apart, as had Glenn Danzig's relationship with their record label, American Recordings. He enlisted new bandmates, signed to a new label and recorded "Blackacidevil". Once again, he explored a new musical direction; this time infusing heavy metal with industrial rock.

In 1999, during the U.S. touring for the album "" Danzig reunited Samhain along with drummers Steve Zing and London May. Danzig guitarist Todd Youth was invited by Glenn Danzig to fill in the guitar position for the Samhain reunion tour, replacing Samhain's original guitarist, Pete "Damien" Marshall, who had opted out in order to tour with Iggy Pop. Erie Von was not invited to rejoin Samhain due to personal issues within the band. Both Zing and May handled bass duties. Switching from drums to bass in between the "Blood Show".

Danzig's subsequent three albums, "" (1999), "I Luciferi" (2002) and "Circle of Snakes" (2004), all musically and lyrically evolved to a more stripped down, heavier goth metal sound. The Danzig lineup continued to change with each album, while Danzig's voice started to show strain after years of touring.

Although Danzig's later releases never got the mainstream attention that the single "Mother" achieved, the band has maintained a worldwide following.

In 2005, Glenn Danzig's tours to support the "Circle of Snakes" album and the Blackest of the Black Tour were highlighted by the special guest appearance of Misfits guitarist Doyle. Doyle joined Danzig on stage for a 20-minute set of classic Misfits songs. "To do this right, I invited Doyle to join Danzig on stage at 'Blackest Of The Black' for a special guest set. This is the first time we will be performing on stage together in 20 years. It's the closest thing to a Misfits reunion anyone is ever going to see", Danzig said in 2004 interview with KNAC.com. Despite this fact, Ram's Head Live of Baltimore, Maryland, advertised his 2007 tour show as "Playing classic Misfits and Danzig Songs", even though no Misfits songs were performed. Videos of outraged fans can be found on YouTube.

On October 17, 2006, he released his second solo album "Black Aria II" (the follow-up to his first classical album "Black Aria").

In November 2006, Danzig toured the west coast with Samhain bassist Steve Zing. They played 3 Samhain songs including "All Murder All Guts All Fun." In Los Angeles and Las Vegas, Doyle joined the band onstage for the encore and played two Misfits songs, "Skulls" and "AstroZombies." [ [http://www.punknews.org/review/5870 Punknews.org | Danzig / Lacuna Coil / the Haunted - live in Los Angeles ] ]

In October and November 2007, Danzig toured the western United States, along with ex-Misfits guitarist Doyle, who performed in his new metal-influenced band, Gorgeous Frankenstein. Danzig was also joined by psychobilly group, the Horrorpops. This "3 Weeks of Halloween" tour was in support of his most recent album, "The Lost Tracks of Danzig", as well as the newest graphic novel release from his comic book company Verotik, "Drukija: Countessa of Blood". On October 23, 2007, Danzig was performing the song "How the Gods Kill" in Baltimore and fell off the stage about four minutes into the piece, injuring his left arm. Despite this injury, he completed the rest of the tour, although he wore a sling on his left arm for the remainder of the tour. Todd Youth (as heard on the "I Luciferi" album) was chosen to perform on the guitar.

Personal life

Sometime in the late 1980s or early 1990s, Danzig became a student of Jerry Poteet, a world-renowned martial artist in Jeet Kune Do.cite web|url=http://youtube.com/watch?v=BlBcD8qqGT8|title=Glenn Danzig trained in Jeet Kune Do by Bruce Lee|year=1972|accessdate=2007-08-23]

Danzig's personality has clashed numerous times with musicians with whom he has crossed paths. At a show in Tuba City, Arizona, Danny Marianino (lead singer of the band North Side Kings) punched Danzig after being pushed. The altercation was posted on the internet and became a popular [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEehtlKVKps download] .

Discography

The Misfits

tudio albums

* "Walk Among Us" (1982) - LP
* "Earth A.D." (1983) - EP
* "Legacy of Brutality" (1985) - Compilation
* "Misfits" (1986) - Compilation
* "Collection II" (1995) - Compilation
* "Misfits Box Set" (1996) - Compilation
* "Static Age" (Recorded 1978. Released 1997) - LP
* "12 Hits From Hell" (2001) - CD (deleted prior to official release)

ingles

* "Cough/Cool" (1977) - 7" single
* "Bullet" (1978) - 7" EP
* "Horror Business" (1978) - 7" EP
* "Night of the Living Dead" (1979) - EP
* "Beware" (1980) - 12" EP
* "3 Hits from Hell" (1981) - 7" EP
* "Halloween" (1981) - 7" single
* "Die, Die My Darling" (1984) - 12" single

Live albums

* "Evilive" (1982) - 7" EP

amhain

tudio albums

* "Initium" (1984) - LP
* "November-Coming-Fire" (1986) - LP
* "Final Descent" (1990) - LP; reissued with new / different tracks (2000)

E.P.

* "Unholy Passion" (1985) - 12" EP

Compilations

* "Samhain Box Set" (2000) - box set

Danzig

tudio albums

* "Danzig" (1988) - LP
* "" (1990) - LP
* "" (1992) - LP
* "4P" (1994) - LP
* "" (1996) - LP
* "" (1999) - LP
* "" (2002) - LP
* "Circle of Snakes" (2004) - LP

E.P.

* "" (1993) - EP
* "Sacrifice" (1997), (reissued 2000 with extra tracks) - EP

ingles

* "Mother" (1988) - promotional CD single (this song was also featured on RedOctane's "Guitar Hero 2", and the soundtrack to Rockstar's "", on the radio station "Radio X")
* "Her Black Wings" (1990) - promotional CD single
* "Killer Wolf" (1990) - promotional CD single
* "A Taste Of Danzig III" (1992) - promotional CD single
* "Dirty Black Summer" (1992) - CD single
* "How The Gods Kill" (1992) - promotional CD single
* "It's Coming Down" (1993) - promotional CD single
* "Mother '93" (1993) - promotional and wide-release CD singles
* "Until You Call On The Dark" - (1994) - promotional CD single
* "Brand New God" (1994) - promotional CD single
* "Cantspeak" (1994) - CD single
* "I Don't Mind The Pain" (1995) - CD single
* "7th House" (1996) - promotional CD single
* "Sacrifice" (1996) - CD single
* "Unspeakable" (1999) - promotional CD single
* "Wicked Pussycat" (2001) - promotional CD single

Compilations

* "The Lost Tracks of Danzig" (2007) - 2-CD collection of rare and unreleased songs

oundtracks

* "You and Me (Less Than Zero)" "Less Than Zero Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" (1987)
* "Deep" "" (1996)
* "underBelly of the Beast" " Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" (2000)

Live albums

* "Live on the Black Hand Side" (2001) - double-LP

Official Videography

* "Danzig (1990)" - VHS [http://www.7thhouse.com/site/index.html Official DANZIG Fansite - www.The7thHouse.com ] ]
* "Lucifuge: The Video" (1991) - VHS [http://www.7thhouse.com/site/index.html Official DANZIG Fansite - www.The7thHouse.com ] ]
* "Danzig III: How the Gods Kill: Special Limited Edition" CD/VHS Box Set (1992)
* "Archive de la Morte" (2004) - DVD
* "Il Demonio Nera" (2005) - DVD

Glenn Danzig & the Power and Fury Orchestra

* "You and Me (Less Than Zero)" "Less Than Zero Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" (1987)

olo

* "Who Killed Marilyn?" (1981) - 7" single
* "Black Aria" (1992) - LP
* "Black Aria II" (2006) - LP

Other

* "Less Than Zero Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" (1987) (Danzig wrote the song "Life Fades Away," performed by Roy Orbison)
* "Kinghorse" (1990) (Eponymous debut album produced by Danzig)
* "American Recordings" by Johnny Cash (1994) (Danzig wrote the song "Thirteen")
* "Songs from the Earth" by Son of Sam (2001) (Extra guitar and keyboards on "Songs from the Earth" and extra guitar on "Stray")

TV/Film

* Glenn Danzig appeared in an episode of "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" entitled "Cybernetic Ghost of Christmas Past from the Future", where he purchased Carl's house.
* Glenn Danzig had a minor role as a fallen angel in the film "The Prophecy II", starring Christopher Walken.

References

External links

* [http://www.the7thhouse.com/ 7th House - Official Danzig Fansite]
* [http://www.misfitscentral.com/ Misfits Central]
* [http://www.onethirtyeight.com/main.html One Thirty Eight]
* [http://crawdaddy.wolfgangsvault.com/Article.aspx?id=2192&page=1&cpage=1 "The Night the Lights Went Out on Glenn Danzig"] article concerning 2004 fight ("Crawdaddy!", August 1, 2007).
*
* [http://synthesisradio.net/2006/11/30/glenn-danzig-november-2006/ Glenn Danzig audio interview from] Synthesis (Magazine)
* The Onion AV Club (A) [http://www.avclub.com/content/node/57114
* [http://clintjcl.wordpress.com/2008/01/24/i-want-my-the_misfits-songs-back/ Angry fans after 2007 Baltimore show advertised as "Classic Songs By The Misfits" ]