Happy Birthday today (Sept. 4) to Blackie Lawless of W.A.S.P. who turns 60. Also celebrating today is guitarist Kim Thayil of Soundgarden (56) and Pretenders drummer Martin Chambers (65).

Blackie Lawless was raised in Staten Island, New York and eventually moved out to California. W.A.S.P. formed in 1982 out of the Los Angeles metal scene, that started bands like Van Halen, Motley Crue, Dokken, Quiet Riot, Ratt, Guns N' Roses, Great White, L.A. Guns, and many others. The band gained notoriety for their shock rock themed image, lyrics, and live performances. They signed to Capitol Records and released their debut album W.A.S.P. in 1984 and have sold over 12 million albums.

W.A.S.P. released their most recent album (their 15th studio album) Golgotha in Oct.  of 2015 on Austria’s Napalm Records. For more on W.A.S.P., check out the band's official website here.

Kim Thayil
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Martin Chambers
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