Blackie Lawless

Blackie Lawless
Lawless performing with W.A.S.P., 2006
Background information
Birth name	Steven Edward Duren
Also known as	Blackie Lawless
Born	(1956-09-04) September 4, 1956 (age 60) Staten Island, New York City, New York, U.S.
Genres	Heavy metal, Christian metal, shock rock, glam metal,hard rock
Occupation(s)	Musician Songwriter Actor
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, bass guitar
Years active	1975–present
Associated acts	W.A.S.P., London, Circus Circus, Sister, New York Dolls
Notable instruments
B. C. Rich Widow B. C. Rich Warlock Jackson Soloist

Blackie Lawless (born Steven Edward Duren; September 4, 1956) is an American songwriter and musician best known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist (formerly bassist) for the heavy metal band W.A.S.P.

Duren was raised in Staten Island, New York City, New York. He had a fundamentalist Baptist upbringing, but has also claimed Jewish ancestry. He has said that he was "very active" in church as a youth and was born again at age eleven but in his late teens strayed from the church and became interested in the occult, but has returned to his Christian faith in recent years. He has Irish, French and Native American ancestry (his mother is reportedly one-quarter Blackfoot). He is the nephew of the late Major League Baseball pitcher, Ryne Duren. He credits his older brother with introducing him to the guitar.

He began his career in music playing with bands such as Black Rabbit and Orfax Rainbow. In 1975, after Johnny Thunders left glam rock band New York Dolls in the middle of a tour of Florida, the band started auditioning for guitarists. Lawless was hired but only stayed for the remainder of the tour.

After the tour, he went to California with bassist Arthur Kane and helped found Killer Kane. At that time, Lawless' stage name was "Naughty Blackie Nogood". About a year later Kane returned to New York City but Lawless decided to stay in West Los Angeles. In 1976, he formed Sister, which also featured future W.A.S.P. guitarist Randy Piper. Lawless' stage antics at the time included lighting his boots on fire (a gimmick he later gave to Nikki Sixx) and eating live worms. Around 1978, a new lineup was assembled which included Sixx as bassist and Lizzie Grey on guitar. Later, Chris Holmes joined.