W.A.S.P. is the synonymous of a single name: Blackie Lawless (its true name is Steven Duren), born September 4  1956, in Staten Island in the state of New York (USA), Blackie comes from Indian-Americans ancestors, and an extremely religious family.

Blackie had his first "official" band at the age of 16 years, BLACK RABBIT, band of the west coast that makes its presentations in local bars, in this band Blackie sing and plays the guitar, also for this time was in the band ORFAX RAINBOW. Blackie was known as "Blackie Goozeman".

At the end of 1974 he participates in the band NEW YORK DOLLS by a short period of time replacing to Johnny Thunders in the guitar, (there were rumors that only plays 4 dates in a tour in Florida, that he plays 10 minutes as guitarist in a concert, and that only plays with the band around of 6 months, in last years Blackie made the explanation that he only play with the band during 2 shows) NEW YORK DOLLS was a band of punk/rock glam, and was one of the bands with more influences in the scene punk of the  70's years, they were known to use make up and labial also to dress in leather, this would revolutionize the scene of glam, although Blackie only would share a short  time with they, he learned the importance that have the image for a band and years later he take benefit from this.

Being in the last days of the band before the separation of NEW YORK DOLLS during the brief participation that he had with them, Blackie establishes friendship with the bassist Artur "Killer" Kane, the band separates and is when Blackie and Arthur "Killer" Kane decide to travel to Los Angeles CA, and to form a new band in 1975, the band was called "KILLER KANE BAND" where Blackie would sing and play the guitar.

Blackie learned to play the guitar to early age, mentions: "my brother had a electric guitar and I climbed  to his bed to play  the guitar when he wasn't in the house" , he got his first guitar at the age of 10 years and got its electrical guitar until the 13 years, for this time Blackie participates in his first band, called: THE UNDERSIDE.

KILLER KANE BAND then was conformed by:

The first presentation of the band was in Los Angeles the same year of the presentation of the disc (1976), did it in the Ambassador Hotel (the ambassador hotel was where Bobby Kennedy was assassinated, years before), they appeared all dresses of leather and with belts of plastic of colors shining and high shoes of 8 inches, in this presentation the KILLER KANE BAND appeared to if same like "The Most Outrageous Band In The World".

The song "Mr. Cool" is also made being in W.A.S.P. under the name of "Cries In The Night" in the disc "The Last Command" 1985, (the letter is almost equal only changes in the chorus, the music also is almost equal).

In the song "Don´t Need You" , the introduction of this song is almost equal to "Blind In Texas" that they made in the disc "The Last Command" in 1985.

This EP were issued in 1982 by the seal Fan Club 002 in a LP called: SONS OF THE DOLLS this LP contains bands like CORPSE GRINDERS, KILLER KANE BAND, CRIMINALS and THE IDOLS, of which at least one of its members was part of band NEW YORK DOLLS, this LP apparently at the moment is the only where it is possible to be found material of KILLER KANE BAND.

Side 1

Side 2

Side A

Side B

After a year in the band, this is disintegrated, Arthur "Killer" Kane returns to New York and Blackie decides stay in Los Angeles.

After of awhile with this line up, Blackie decides to replace the guitarist Randy Shaltz, and begins the search of a new member, around 1977 Blackie lives in Hollywood in a place that was next to where the members of band THE MOTELS live, the guitarist of band THE MOTELS saw a peculiar announcement magazine porno HUSTLER , was on a called guitarist Chris Holmes, the guitarist of THE MOTELS show him a unit of magazine HUSTLER to Blackie, where Chris appeared naked putting in a called section "BEAVER HUNT", this section contained in its majority announcements with photos of women naked, being the only man announced in this section Chris put as title: "One For The Ladies" along with the mention "Rock ' N' Roll Animal" in the announcement mentioned that he play the guitar, Blackie decides to contact it because the guitarist of the THE MOTELS had commented to him that he recognized to Chris because he was a friend of a friend of him, reason why it contacts Chris, it does an audition and it decides to unite it to the project.

For 1978  the SISTER line up was Blackie that adopts the name that uses until the present time "Blackie Lawless", Joey, Jimi Image and Chris Holmes, but this line up returns to change then Blackie Lawless decides to replace to Chris Holmes by Randy Piper, by the band they would also pass Lizzie Grey & Nikki Sixx who still did not have changed his name and at that time was called only by his name: Frank Ferrana.

SISTER for that time not make much noise because were a bad time for heavy metal bands, because they were not attractive for the record companies at the end of 70's, the band record a 8 tracks demo in South Bay, they spend 3 days to make the recordings, and Blackie wasn't happy with the results, Nikki Sixx who had taken part in these recordings is fired, after a time Lizzie Grey also leaves the band.

After of the exit of Nikki and Lizzie of SISTER and together with the fact that already there was a band called TWISTED SISTER and a local band in L.A. called WHITE SISTER, the fact that the band was called sister wasn't going to go anywhere, Blackie decides to change the name to CIRCUS CIRCUS under this name made noise in the local scene, as CIRCUS CIRCUS would be around 6 months.

When Lizzie Grey leave SISTER decides to look for Nikki Sixx and form the band LONDON in 1978, also participate Blackie briefly in 1978 and 1980 with LONDON after the exit of Nikki Sixx and the singer Nigel Benjamin, but Blackie could not adapt to the songs pop glitter of LONDON, because their influences Shock Rock type Alice Cooper excelled too much, Lizzie said to Blackie of that its better side was the Shock Rock and that he was to exploit it, as the result Blackie lets participate with LONDON, in the band he record some songs as: Harley Heart and Dream Girl.

Here a peculiar fact from the band, during the time that Blackie had project CIRCUS CIRCUS under this name would only be around 6 months, because comes the band began to made noise in the local scene, but the Hotel Circus Circus Las Vegas contacted directly to Blackie and forced them to stop using the name CIRCUS CIRCUS, although they begins to make enough noise in the local scene had to leave the name and to call SISTER again.

Between the songs that record SISTER as demos in 1979 are:

Sex Drive

What I am

Sweet Dreams

Mr. Cool

Blackie stays in contact with Jimi Image and creates SISTER around 1977, along with the bassist Joey and as first guitarist of SISTER was Randy Shaltz.

After of the entrance and exit of members of SISTER = CIRCUS CIRCUS, Blackie Lawless wanted to take the band in another direction, he wanted make a new project after that with the name: CIRCUS CIRCUS already they had a good reputation in scene, Blackie decides that it is time of new air and he begins to conceive the idea of which W.A.S.P. would become.

In 1982 Blackie Lawless and Randy Piper began this project, they had decided unite to the drummer Tony Richards and as her bassist Rik Fox, this line up as the first pre-WASP.

For the new project a new name was looking for, that caused a big impact, the name W.A.S.P. there that would create a great controversy throughout its history and would generate all a myth wave and suppositions on the meaning of its abbreviation, who attributes all the idea of its invention is Rik Fox, this is something that Blackie never to confirmed and in fact Blackie denies the fact that Rik was sometimes in the band and alleges that name W.A.S.P. was created to create controversy in the same way that groups with names like KISS, suggesting the name was the abbreviation of Sexual We Are Perverts, but to last dates Randy Piper also to confirmed that Rik Fox was who invents the name of the band and has confirmed the history of its creation.

Originally the concept of the name as Rik Fox creates was WASP (wasp) without points, because in 1982 being in house of Blackie in Fountain Ave. in Hollywood, was Rik in the courtyard and a hornet tried to prick it and Rik the strip to the floor and stepped in her, the name WASP came to him, so that was the name of the band, because he remember the old tv show "Green Hornet", he remembered the program of television when he stepped on a hornet in Blackie's courtyard.

On Your Kness

Master Of Disaster

School Daze

B.A.D.

Hellion

Sleeping (in the fire)

The band already as WASP records the songs:

Sex Drive

What I Am

Star Dancer

Sweet Dreams

MR. Cool

After certain disputes between Rik and Blackie, Rix Fox is fired of the band and enter in his place the bassist Don Costa, after of the exit of Rik, the name of the band is changed of WASP to W.A.S.P.  and Blackie attributes its creation.

Time later Randy Piper decide leaves the band and Chris Holmes enters in its place, but after one fight that Don Costa has with Chris Holmes, Blackie decides to dismiss Don Costa and it assumes the bass role, then it decides to invite again to Randy Piper as guitarist and thus would remain the line up, all this at the end of 1983.

In March of 1984 W.A.S.P. it obtains his first contract and signs with Capitol Record, this same year the single:  ANIMAL (F**k Like Like A Beast) was issued, but the protests began quickly and Capitol retires the disc of the sales, but one week later is distributed by the companies:  Restless and Music For Nations.

In August of 1984, the first album W.A.S.P. is issued, titled originally as "Winged Assasins", but it out on sale under the name "W.A.S.P.", in September the single "I Wanna Be Somebody" is issued, W.A.S.P. leaves in his first British tour, starts in September of 1984, Tony Richards decides to leave the band (it says that by his drug abuse) and quickly is replaced by Stephen (Steve) Riley.  During the tour the single "School Daze" is issued, making a total sale of 500.000 copies, thus they obtain to golden disc and good positions in charts of heavy of the time.

With the disc "W.A.S.P.", they obtained a position in the billboard chart, gets to number 74 of top 200 in 1984.

For the time of the W.A.S.P.'s live performances caused impact with scenes filled with raw meat,live worms and others that sent to the public, and with machines like "The Rack" that is seen in the cover of disc "W.A.S.P."  where this a hung skeleton, and around has metal tips, in scene "The Rack" had instead of the skeleton a naked girl (Cristina), moored to the Rack of feet and hands, the tips of the Rack had crude meat and in certain part of the concert, Blackie approaches to her and it cuts his neck with a knife, almost always during the song "Tormentor".  also used a drawer called "raw meat" or raw meat that threw to the public during the concert, the "Meat Grinder" where Blackie put alive rats and towards worn out meat and sent to the public, besides the skull full of blood that drank Blackie.

This same year the band appears in the sci-fi film "The Dungeonmaster" a.k.a. "Rage War", In the film they interpret the song "Tormentor" during a concert of heavy metal, Blackie when trying to make a human sacrifice in scene with Gwen, the Paul's girlfriend, paul is the protagonist in the movie, they starts a fight with rays that leave their special bracelets and Paul destroys them with his ultrasonic rays.

In October of 1985 the album "The Last Command" is issued, produced by Spencer Proffer, this album followed by the singles  "Wild Child" and "Blind In Texas", W.A.S.P. starts a world-wide tour, call: "The Last Tour Command" accompanying bands like KISS and KROKUS.

All these rudeness of scene called the attention of the P.M.R.C. ("Parents Music Resource Center "the association was created by Tipper Gore, wife of Al Gore, along with other wives of important congressmen and senators like Peatsy Hollings or Ethelann Stuckey, constituting the committee of the" 17 wives of Washington "with the purpose of educating to the parents on" the tendency, every greater time, in music towards the letters that are sexually explicit, excessively violent, or that glorifies the alcohol and drug use ").  it censures, legal battles that the band would win shielding itself under the law of freedom of expression, all this brought the cancellation of concerts, he was something with which would have that to fight during years to be under the sight of the P.M.R.C. in its hunting of witches.

In October of 1986 the third album "Inside The Electric Circus" is issued, without Randy Piper that leaves the band, the new member is Johnny Rod that enters in bassist role,and Blackie takes the rhythm guitar.

The original idea of the title page of this album was that Blackie only appeared naked covering itself with a guitar, but due to the refusal of the record company, it appeared with its body made up like an animal.

W.A.S.P. goes on tour again and during this the video "I Don't Need No Doctor" is recorded , and the singles "I Don't Need No Doctor" and "9-5 N.A.S.T.Y." is issued, during one of the concerts Blackie and Juan is hurt by a gunshot, Steve Riley leaves the band and is replaced by Glenn Soderling for the festival Monsters Of Rock in Donnington in 1987.

In September of 1987 they out its fourth album "Live...  In The Raw ", with live tracks recorded during the tour "Welcome To The Electric Circus" most of the songs they were most popular of the band, and 2 new songs:  "The Manimal" and "Harder Faster", and the song "Scream Until You Like It" which it was part of the soundtrack of the film "Ghoulies II", a video for this song is recorded, at the same the VHS:  "Videos...  In The Raw" is issued.

In 1988 the single "Live Animal (I F**k Like To Beast)" is issued, and contains live versions of his first single, this disc was distributed originally under the seal "Music For The Nations", the tracks included:  "Animal (I F**k Like To Beast)", "Hellion" and "Mississippi Queen".

Also with the disc "The Last Command" they would reach a good position in the Billboard chart, gets to number 49 in top 200 in 1985.

Again W.A.S.P. enters in the Billboard chart, with the disc "Inside The Electric Circus" gets the position 60 in top 200 from year 1987.

Also in 1987 they gets to number 77 in the Billboard top 200 with the disc "Live...  In The Raw".

"The Headless Children" being the sold disc more of W.A.S.P., also take a place in the Billboard top 200, gets to number 48 in 1989.

Also in this year they issued the VHS "Live AT The Lyceum, London".

At the end of 1988 there were changes in the line up of the band again, Frankie Banali enters as drummer and the disc "The Headless Children" is issued, besides Ken Hensley participated in the keyboards for the recording of this disc, doing of this disc the best work of the band compared with previous discs.  The singles "Mean Man", "The Real Me" and "Forever Free" are issued, they also make the videos:  "Real The Me" and "Forever Free", they make a promotional tour in 1989, and the 26 of June of 1990 Chris Holmes house with Lita Ford.  Also now, Blackie built his own recording studio, call:  "Fort Studios Apache" in Burbank California.

In 1992 "The Crimson Idol" is issued, its masterpiece according to Blackie Lawless, with Bob Kulick replacing to Chris Holmes and Stet Howland replacing to Frankie Banali, the singles "Chainsaw Charlie", "The Idol", "I a.m. One", "Hold On To My Heart" is issued, a film of 35 mins. titled "The Story Of Jonathan" is issued, in this film the history of the Crimson Idol is narrated. The band goes on promotional short tour.

In 1993 they issued "First Blood Last Cuts", a compilation of tracks in remix version and some tracks that were part of previous singles, in addition to this they also puts on sale the single: "Sunset & Babilon".  Stet Howland leaves the band, Doug Blair takes a place in guitarist role, time later Jhonny Rod also leaves the band.

In 1995 the solo project of Blackie: "Still Not Black Enough" is released,  but although it was a solo project of Blackie, is issued still under the name of W.A.S.P., for this disc unites again like additional musicians to Bob Kulick, Frankie Banali, besides for this disc counting with the special participations of Mark Joesphson in the violin, Tracey Whitney & K.C. Calloway in choirs.  The singles, "Black Forever" and "Goodbye America" are issued too.

Shortly after of the issue of the disc, Blackie fractures a finger in one practices of boxing, this can be noticed in the video of "Black Forever", Blackie has a black plaster in his left hand.

In 1997 the album "Kill Fuck Die" is issued, that until now is considered but the most dark, violent and sexually explicit of the band, this disc they was considered as the best Shock Rock band, for this disc  Blackie and Chris Holmes join forces again, with Stet Howland and as a new member: Mike Duda, and a single call "Kill Fuck Die" with only 1 song, also was issued.

The lyrics of the "Kill Fuck Die" album are loaded of an enormous rage, Blackie Lawless finished a relationship of 3 years, to which he call stormy, like Chris Holmes that already had divorced of Lita Ford, apparently this also had much influence for the final result of the disc.

For the disc "Kill Fuck Die" they made a world-wide tour in which also the scenes would have a crudity never sight before for the group, this included the violation of a nun with a knife in his protector, Blackie in scene also uses an electrical chain saw to cut a pig, tied in his extremities.

In 1998 "Double Live Assassins" is issued, this double disc was recorded in live during the tour "Kill Fuck Die" in 1997.

In May of 1999 "Helldorado" is issued, with this disc W.A.S.P. goes back to the sounds of the W.A.S.P. demos of the '82, an aggressive and hard sound simply Rock & Roll.  For the promotion of disc W.A.S.P. goes on tour in all Europe.

In March 2000, the album "Best Of The Best Volume One 1984-1999" is issued, with the classic songs of W.A.S.P. and 2 additional tracks, "Unreal" and "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting" (Elton John cover), in the album was showed the legend "Volume One", this made us think that there would be another disc (Volume Two), but this never happened.

In October of the 2000 is on sale the cd/dvd "The Sting" recorded in the Key Los Angeles Club the 22 April of the 2000, when W.A.S.P. gave a concert transmitted via Internet in real time to all the world.

The 9 of April of the 2001, the album "Unholy Terror" is issued, also with the same line up and special collaborations of Frankie Banali for the drums in 5 songs, Roy Z in guitar in 2 songs and Valentina in choirs in the song "Who Slayed Baby Jane", the lyrics treat from the point of view of Blackie about the present world in decay.  In order to promote this disc the band goes on tour by America and plays in some European festivals.

The 11 of June of the 2002, the album "Dying For The World" is issued, this disc also returns to their roots in the sound and it becomes one of the most focused works of W.A.S.P., the songs were inspired by letters sent by troops who were in the Gulf War and after of the 9/11, this album was a method for emphasizing the rage and anger, according to own words of Blackie, Darrell Roberts is united to the band in guitarist role, the tour of promotion of the disc is cancelled.

The 6 of April, 2004 "The Neon God Part I:  The Rise" is issued, the first of 2 albums of a conceptual opera rock that narrates to us the history of Jesse Slane, a boy with a very tragic history about the search of the purpose of his existence.

In May of the same year the band goes on a world-wide tour by Europe, America and the United States.

The 28 of September, 2004 "The Neon God Part II: The Demise" is issued, the album that completes the saga concluding the history of Jesse Slane of the quest of the Holy Trail, the need to belong, love, vanity, control and his fatal consequences, considered by many as a masterpiece in the history of the band.

The band goes on tour to promote the second part of "The Neon God" in October.

In the 2005 W.A.S.P. continues  with the same line up (Blackie Lawless, Frankie Banali, Mike Duda and Darrell Roberts) and they begin the tour: "American Metal Blast 2005" that begins the 21 of May and finishing 25 of August of the 2005 passing by all United States, Europe and adding dates in Mexico, Argentina, Peru, Brazil and Chile.

The presentation in Peru is cancelled time later.

12 of February of the 2006, Stet Howland announce their departure of the band, in a message in the forum in the official page, where he explains that after of a conversation between him and Blackie Lawless finishes in his departure. 

27 of February of 2006, is announced in the official page of W.A.S.P. that Patrick Johansson is the new drummer, temporary only, that will be playing with the band in the live presentations of February and March of this year, as soon as it finishes with the North American Tour with W.A.S.P., Patrick will return with his band Yngwie Malmsteen.

Shortly after this, Blackie announces that W.A.S.P. separates and he start a solo career.