Arriving during the waning days of pub rock, Eddie & the Hot Rods helped usher in punk rock in the United Kingdom. Working from the same bluesy, Stonesy three-chord foundation as contemporaries like Dr. Feelgood, the Hot Rods were faster, tougher, wilder and louder than any other pub-rock band. They also celebrated adolescent abandon, unlike... [+] Read More

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The gals dug Axl and the musicians dug Slash, but the man in the back, guitarist Izzy Stradlin, was just as much an integral part of Guns N' Roses. Stradlin's exit from the group in 1991 also signaled the beginning of the end for G N' R, as they became more of the "Axl Rose Show" and less of a full-fledged band. Born in Lafayette, Indiana on... [+] Read More

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Singer/songwriter/guitarist Marc Bolan was one of the major glam rock figures of the early '70s, especially in England. After releasing his debut solo single, "The Wizard," and its follow-ups, "The Third Degree" and "Hippy Gumbo," on Decca Records in the U.K. in 1965-1966, he joined the band John's Children in 1967. The same year, he and... [+] Read More

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Guitarist, arranger, songwriter, producer and perennial sideman, Mick Ronson made his mark during glam-rock's early '70s heyday but worked consistently with frequent collaborators David Bowie and Ian Hunter till his death in 1993. From 1967-68 he played with a hometown garage rock group, The Rats, in Hull. In 1969, he was discovered by fledgling... [+] Read More

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Before discovering punk rock, guitarist Pat Smear found God. Born Georg Ruthenberg in Los Angeles, CA, on August 5, 1959, Smear ran away from home at the age of 13 to join a Jesus commune. Smear then attended an academic program for youths who were ostracized by public education. One of his classmates was vocalist Darby Crash, with whom he... [+] Read More

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Ask the proverbial American on the street to name a member of the Sex Pistols -- or, for that matter, to name the first British punk figure who comes to mind -- and chances are that the answer will be "Sid Vicious." That's because for many listeners, the myth surrounding Sid Vicious became the essence of what punk rock was all about -- anarchy,... [+] Read More

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The frontman for British hitmakers the Small Faces and Humble Pie, singer/guitarist Steve Marriott was born January 30, 1947 in London; a successful child actor, he played the role of the Artful Dodger in the musical Oliver! as a teen, but by the mid-'60s was working in a local music shop. There he met bassist Ronnie Lane, agreeing to jam with... [+] Read More

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It's pretty far-fetched, as some revisionists are now claiming, to view Suzi Quatro as a precursor to the "riot grrrls" of the '90s. Her brand of mid-'70s glam pop was far more innocuous and, in any case, often supplied by professional songwriters. What she did prove was that it was possible for a petite woman to play bass, sing, and wear... [+] Read More

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Following the breakup of the New York Dolls, guitarist Sylvain Sylvain continued to work with David Johansen for a time, but also began directing his efforts to a solo career. Prior to joining the Dolls, Sylvain had been in a band called Actress with future Dolls Johnny Thunders and Billy Murcia; when a replacement was needed for guitarist Rick... [+] Read More

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The Sex Pistols may have been the first British punk rock band, but the Clash were the definitive British punk rockers. Where the Pistols were nihilistic, the Clash were fiery and idealistic, charged with righteousness and a leftist political ideology. From the outset, the band was more musically adventurous, expanding its hard rock & roll with... [+] Read More

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Southern California’s quartet,The Johns are the gritty side of rock and roll. Featuring members of Die Hunns, The Pushers, The Grabbers, The Bleeders, The Crowd and the Adz, it is no surprise these guys have been called “one the most refreshingly new sounds to come out of Southern California in years, bringing a blend of punk rock & roll to your... [+] Read More

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