Happy Birthday today (Oct. 11) to Andy McCoy. The guitarist best known for his work with the band Hanoi Rocks is 55.

Guitarist Andy McCoy and singer Michael Monroe rose to fame in the early 1980’s with the glam punk band Hanoi Rocks out of Helsinki, Finland. Monroe stated in his autobiography All Those Wasted Years that he was first exposed to rock and roll when he witnessed Black Sabbath’s 1970 Paris concert on television. Some of the band’s influences included Alice Cooper, Led Zeppelin, The New York Dolls, and CCR. Hanoi Rocks were on the way to stardom, but that was cut short when a car accident took the life of drummer Razzle in 1984. The band broke up a year later. Andy McCoy and Michael Monroe reunited and formed a new version of Hanoi Rocks that was active from 2001-2009.

The band developed a big cult following for their musical style and great live performances, despite ever achieving huge commercial success. Cheers to Andy McCoy on his birthday today!

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