Dee might refer to:

Sport[link]

• Abbreviation for "Defence (sport)"

People[link]

Surname[link]

• Dee, a romanization of several Chinese surnames, including:
  • Those listed at Di (surname)
  • Some Minnan pronunciations of the name Li (李)
• Di Renjie, Duke Wenhui of Liang, better known as Judge Dee, Tang-dynasty official
• Arthur Dee, son of John Dee
• Billy Dee
• Bob Dee
• Daisy Dee
• Dave Dee
• Ed Dee
• Frances Dee, actress
• Gandra Dee
• Gerry Dee, Canadian comedian
• Jack Dee, British comedian
• Jeff Dee
• John Dee, English mathematician and alchemist
• John Dee (disambiguation) for other people with the name
• Kiki Dee
• Kool Moe Dee
• Mikkey Dee, heavy-metal drummer
• Papa Dee
• Roger Dee
• Ruby Dee, African-American actress and activist
• Sandra Dee, American actress
• Simon Dee
• Waddle Dee

Given name[link]

• Diminutive for the name David, common in the UK and Ireland
• Dee Brown (novelist)
• Dee Dee Myers, first female White House press secretary
• Dee Dee Ramone, punk musician
• Dee Bradley Baker, American voice actor
• Dee Snider, singer
• Dee Roscioli, American actress

Stage name or nickname[link]

• Dee (pornographic actress), Puerto Rican pornographic actress
• Dee (singer), Canadian electro-pop singer, songwriter and DJ
• Dee (artist), Swedish dancer and singer
• Detlef Soost or Dee!, German dancer and choreographer
• Dia Mirza or Dee, Indian actress
• Walter Huddleston or Dee

Fictional characters[link]

• Judge Dee, Robert van Gulik's fictionalized interpretation of the Tang-dynasty official Di Renjie, Duke Wenhui of Liang
• Anastasia Dualla or Dee, character from the television series Battlestar Galactica
• Dee, a character from The Tribe
• Deandra Reynolds, "Sweet Dee" of the television series It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

Other uses[link]

• River Dee (disambiguation)
• "Dee" (song), a song by Randy Rhoads
• Dead-end elimination
• D-electrodes, components of cyclotrons

See also[link]

• Cordelia (disambiguation)
• Dawn
• Deanna
• Deidre
• Denise (given name)
• Deane (disambiguation)
• Deanne
• Dolores (disambiguation)
• Douglas (given name)
• Jody (disambiguation)
• Mandy (disambiguation)

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

Randy Rhoads
Randy Rhoads performing in 1980
Background information
Birth name	Randall William Rhoads
Born	(1956-12-06)December 6, 1956 Santa Monica, California
Died	March 19, 1982(1982-03-19) (aged 25) Leesburg, Florida
Genres	Heavy metal, hard rock, neo-classical metal
Occupations	Musician, songwriter, producer, music teacher
Instruments	Guitar
Years active	1975–1982
Labels	Epic, Sony
Associated acts	Ozzy Osbourne, Quiet Riot
Website	http://www.randyrhoads.us/
Notable instruments
Jackson RR Signature Model Karl Sandoval "Polka Dot" Flying V Gibson Les Paul Custom

Randall William Rhoads (December 6, 1956 – March 19, 1982) was an American heavy metal guitarist who played with Ozzy Osbourne and Quiet Riot. A devoted student of classical guitar, Rhoads combined his classical music influences with his own heavy metal style. Despite his short career, Rhoads is a major influence on neo-classical metal, and is cited as an influence by many guitarists and is included in several "Greatest Guitarist" lists.^[1][2]

Biography[link]

Quiet Riot[link]

At age 14, Rhoads formed a cover band called Violet Fox (after his mother's middle name, Violet), with his older brother Kelle on drums. Violet Fox staged several performances in the "Grand Salon" at Musonia, Delores Rhoads' music school. Among their setlist was "Mississippi Queen" by Mountain, and songs from The Rolling Stones, Alice Cooper and David Bowie. After the dissolution of Violet Fox, Rhoads taught his best friend Kelly Garni how to play bass, and together they formed a band called The Whore (rehearsing during the day at Rodney Bingenheimer's English Disco, a 1970s Hollywood nightspot), spending several months playing at backyard parties around Los Angeles.

Together the pair went on to form Quiet Riot when Rhoads was 16. Kevin DuBrow auditioned for vocalist in Rhoads' kitchen after he convinced Rhoads and Garni to give him a chance. Although DuBrow once said he 'auditioned once and got the gig'. The drummer Drew Forsyth, had periodically played with Rhoads and Garni in the past. Quiet Riot initially played in small bars in Hollywood and local parties in Burbank, eventually playing at the two main L.A. music clubs of the day — the Whisky a Go Go and The Starwood. While the band had a strong following in the L.A. club scene, they were unable to secure a major recording contract in the United States. The band was able to land a record deal with Japanese label CBS/Sony Records and Quiet Riot and Quiet Riot II were released in Japan.

Ozzy Osbourne[link]

In 1979, ex-Black Sabbath singer Ozzy Osbourne was forming a new band. During an interview with Raw Power Magazine editors Robert Olshever, Murray Schwartz and Scott Stephens (future singer of Liquid Blue), Ozzy mentioned he was looking for a new guitar player. Randy's name was suggested during the interview and the next day Robert asked friend and future Slaughter bassist Dana Strum to try to reach Randy to see if he was interested. Rhoads got the call for the audition just before his final show with Quiet Riot. He walked in with his Les Paul guitar and a practice amp and started warming up. Osbourne immediately gave him the job. Rhoads recalled later, "I just tuned up and did some riffs, and he said, 'You've got the gig'; I had the weirdest feeling, because I thought, 'You didn't even hear me yet'". Osbourne was drunk and passed out during the audition, but described Rhoads' playing as "God entering my life". Rhoads subsequently recommended his friend Greg Leon, who also taught guitar at Musonia for Rhoads' mother, to replace him in Quiet Riot, and then departed for the UK to write and record with Osbourne in November 1979.

The band, then known as The Blizzard of Ozz headed into the studio to record the band's debut album, titled Blizzard of Ozz. Rhoads' guitar playing had changed due to the level of freedom allowed by Ozzy and Bob Daisley and he was encouraged to play what he wanted. His work with Quiet Riot has been criticized as being "dull" and did not rely on classical scales or arrangements.^[3] Propelled by Rhoads' neo-classical guitar work, the album proved an instant hit with rock fans, particularly in the USA. They released two singles from the album: "Mr Crowley" and the hit "Crazy Train". The British tour of 1980-81 for Blizzard of Ozz was with Bob Daisley and Lee Kerslake.

After the UK tour the band recorded another LP, but before the US Blizzard tour both Lee Kerslake and Bob Daisley were fired by Sharon Arden, Ozzy's future wife. For the US Blizzard tour, Tommy Aldridge and Rudy Sarzo were hired. Diary of a Madman was released soon after in October 1981, and since Kerslake and Daisley were already out of the band, Aldridge and Sarzo's photos appear on the album sleeve. Disputes over royalties performance, and other intellectual property rights became a source of future court battles.^[4] "You Said it All" and "You Looking at Me, Looking at You" became rare collector's items, only released on the B-Sides of singles. A live album, Tribute, mainly drawn from a performance in Cleveland, Ohio, was released in 1987 and included live versions of "Goodbye to Romance" and "No Bone Movies", recorded in the UK with Daisley and Kerslake in 1980.

Around this time, Rhoads remarked to Osbourne, fellow Ozz bandmates Tommy Aldridge and Rudy Sarzo, and friend Kelly Garni that he was considering leaving rock for a few years to earn a degree in classical guitar at UCLA. In the documentary Don't Blame Me, Osbourne confirmed Randy's desire to earn the degree and stated that had he lived, he did not believe Randy would have stayed in his band. Friend and ex-Quiet Riot bassist Kelly Garni has stated in interviews that if Randy had continued to play rock, he might have gone the route of more keyboard-driven rock, which had become very popular through the 1980s. It was at this time that Rhoads was beginning to receive recognition for his playing. Just before his death Jackson Guitars created a signature model, the Jackson Randy Rhoads (though Randy had originally called his white pinstriped V "the Concorde"). Randy received one prototype — a black offset V hardtail which is the base for today's RR line of Jackson guitars — but died before the guitar went into production. Rhoads also received the Best New Talent award from Guitar Player magazine. While on tour with Ozzy Osbourne, Rhoads would seek out classical guitar tutors for lessons.

Death[link]

Rhoads' tomb, San Bernardino, California

Randy Rhoads played his last show on Thursday, March 18, 1982 at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum in Knoxville, Tennessee. The next day, the band was headed to a festival in Orlando, Florida. After driving much of the night, they stopped on the property belonging to Jerry Calhoun, owner of "Florida Coach", in Leesburg, Florida. On it, there was a small airstrip lined with small helicopters and planes, and two houses. One belonged to the tour bus driver Andrew Aycock, and the other was owned by Calhoun. Aycock, a licensed pilot, talked the band's keyboardist Don Airey, into taking a test flight with him in a '55 Beechcraft Bonanza. By some accounts the manager Jake Duncan, was also on this first flight. The joyride ended and the plane landed safely. Then Aycock took Rhoads and hairdresser/seamstress Rachel Youngblood on another flight. Rhoads was persuaded to go on the second flight, despite his fear of flying.

Rhoads apparently agreed to go for two reasons: the seamstress had a heart condition so Aycock agreed to do nothing risky, and Rhoads wanted to take an aerial photo as one of his hobbies was photography. During the second flight, attempts were made to "buzz" the tour bus where the other band members were sleeping.^[5] They succeeded twice, but the third attempt was botched. The left wing clipped the back side of the tour bus, tore the fiberglass roof then sent the plane spiraling. The plane severed the top of a pine tree and crashed into the garage of a nearby mansion, bursting into flames. Rhoads was killed instantly, as were Aycock (36) and Youngblood (58). All three bodies were burned beyond recognition, and were identified by dental records and Rhoads' jewelry.

It was later revealed in an autopsy that Aycock's system showed traces of cocaine at the time. Rhoads' toxicology test revealed only nicotine. The NTSB investigation determined that Aycock's medical certificate had expired and that his biennial flight review, required for all pilots, was overdue.^[6] In Ozzy Osbourne's autobiography, I Am Ozzy, he writes that the night of Rhoads' death, he told his wife, Sharon: "I don't think I want to be a rock 'n' roller anymore". Rhoads' funeral was held at the First Lutheran Church in Burbank, California. He is interred at Mountain View Cemetery^[7] in San Bernardino, California, where his grandparents are also buried.

Posthumous achievements[link]

In 1987, five years after Rhoads' death, Osbourne released Tribute, the only official album featuring Osbourne and Rhoads playing together in concert. Most of the album is a live performance from Cleveland, Ohio. The songs "Goodbye to Romance" and "No Bone Movies" from the Tribute album were recorded on the UK Blizzard of Ozz tour at Southampton, the same date as the Mr. Crowley EP. Randy was inducted into the Guitar Center Rock Walk on March 18, 2004. In a 2006 Guitar World article, it was mentioned that Rhoads' last name was mistakenly spelled "Rhodes" on his plaque, and by the time it was discovered, there was not enough time to correct the mistake.^[8] It has since been fixed.

As a tribute to Rhoads, Marshall Amplification released the 1959RR at NAMM 2008. The amp is a limited-edition all-white Marshall Super Lead 100 watt head modeled after Randy's own Super Lead amp. Marshall engineers looked extensively at Rhoads' actual amplifier and made the 1959RR to those exact specifications, right down to the special high-gain modification Randy specifically requested when he visited the Marshall factory in 1980.^[9]

Jackson Guitars released an exact replica of Randy's original white "shortwing" V. Randy's original guitar was handled, photographed, and measured extensively by Jackson's luthiers to produce the most precise replica possible. The guitar comes with black gaffer's tape covering the top wing and the back of the guitar, just like Randy's. Only 60 of the guitars were manufactured, each with the symbolic price tag of $12,619.56 which is Rhoads' birthday.^[10] In 2010, Gibson Guitars announced a new custom shop signature guitar modeled after Rhoads' 1974 Les Paul Custom.^[11] In April 2011, author Joel McIver announced the publication of the first fully comprehensive Rhoads biography, "Crazy Train: The High Life and Tragic Death of Randy Rhoads"^[12], with a foreword written by Zakk Wylde and an afterword by Yngwie Malmsteen.

May 31, 2011 marked the 30 year anniversary and re-master/release of Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman. Both albums have been remastered and restored to their original state with Bob Daisley's bass and Lee Kerslake's drums intact. Blizzard has 3 bonus tracks - "You, Looking at Me, Looking at You", "Goodbye to Romance" (2010 Vocal & Guitar Mix), and "RR" (Randy Rhoads in studio guitar solo). Diary originally was to include long fade out versions of "You Can't Kill Rock and Roll", "Tonight", and "Diary of a Madman" (2010 Re-mix version), but were not been included in the re-issue. The Legacy version of Diary of a Madman includes a second CD called Ozzy Live which includes the unreleased Blizzard of Ozz tour '81 recorded from many performances with at least one song (Flying High Again) taken from Montreal, Canada(July 1981 and originally broadcast on the King Biscuit Flower Hour radio show)^[13]. The live show features the same line up as the tribute album - Rudy Sarzo on bass, Tommy Aldridge on drums and Lindsey Bridgewater on keyboards. Also included exclusively in the special box set are the 180 gram vinyl versions of the original albums, an expansive 100 page coffee table book and the DVD - Thirty Years After the Blizzard, which includes lots of unreleased Randy Rhoads footage.

Guitar virtuosity[link]

Despite his youth and limited recorded work, Randy Rhoads is considered to be one of the greatest guitarists of all time.^[14] Rhoads has been on the covers of many guitar magazines and has influenced many guitar players, including David Philastre, Yngwie Malmsteen, Dimebag Darrell, Frank Hannon, Doug Aldrich, Jake E. Lee, Zakk Wylde, Kirk Hammett, Michael Romeo, John Petrucci, Tom Morello, Joe Holmes,^[15] Neal Grusky (Takara), Michael Angelo Batio, Brad Gillis,^[16] George Lynch,^[17] Alexi Laiho,^[18] Mick Thomson,^[19] Paul Gilbert^[20] and Buckethead.^[21][22]

Equipment[link]

Rhoads used a simple setup, with a small set of guitars, effects and amplifiers. He preferred GHS .011 gauge strings.^[23]

Guitars[link]

• Gibson Off White 1974 Les Paul Custom
• Karl Sandoval Polka Dot Flying V
• Jackson Black Rhoads w/ Fixed Bridge
• Jackson White Concorde

Effects[link]

• Dunlop Crybaby Wah ^[24]
• Roland RE-201 'Space Echo' ^[23]
• Korg echo ^[24]
• MXR:
  • Distortion + ^[24][25]
  • EQ ^[24]
  • Flanger ^[24]
  • Chorus ^[24]

Amplifiers[link]

• Marshall Three 100W 1959SLP heads in white - two with a gain modification added by Marshall, one without.
• Marshall Model 1960A cabs in white, all loaded with Altec 417-8H speakers (open back)
• Peavey Standard head (in his Quiet Riot days)

For Blizzard Of Ozz, Randy used the 1959SLP without the modification, and used his MXR Distortion+ for the extra gain.

Awards and honors[link]

• Voted "Best New Talent" by the readers of Guitar Player magazine in December 1981
• Voted "Best Heavy Metal Guitarist" by the readers of UK-based Sounds magazine in December 1981
• Placed 85th on Rolling Stone Magazine's 100 Greatest Guitarists.^[26]
• Placed 4th on Guitar World Magazine's 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Guitarists.^[27]
• "Crazy Train" and "Mr. Crowley" placed 9th and 28th respectively on Guitar World's 100 Greatest Guitar Solos readers poll.^[28]
• Named one of the fastest guitar players in Guitar World's 50 Fastest Guitarists list.^[29]
• "Crazy Train" placed 51 in Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time" list.^[30]
• In 2008 - 2010 applications for a Posthumous Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame were submitted in the name of Randy Rhoads. Randy Rhoads' Posthumous Star has not yet been approved and the HWOF Star application will be resubmitted in 2011. If approved by the Hollywood Walk Of Fame Committee in June 2011, Randy Rhoads' Posthumous Star would be placed on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2012.^[31]

Discography[link]

With Quiet Riot[link]

• Quiet Riot (1977)
• Quiet Riot II (1978)
• The Randy Rhoads Years (1993)

With Ozzy Osbourne[link]

• Blizzard of Ozz (1980)
• Mr Crowley Live EP (1980)
• Diary of a Madman (1981)
• Tribute (1987)

References[link]

28. Campaign For Randy Rhoads Hollywood Walk Of Fame Star Announced http://www.bravewords.com/news/147962 Bravewords.com

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Randy Rhoads

• Guitar World 2007 article on the discovery of the third Randy Rhoads guitar (p. 64)
• Randy Rhoads at Find a Grave
• www.randyrhoads.tk
• www.ultimaterhoads.com
• randy rhoads society
• Diary of an Axeman

Dee Snider
Snider performing at The Roxy, West Hollywood, CA, on October 11, 2009
Background information
Birth name	Daniel Dee Snider
Born	(1955-03-15) March 15, 1955 (age 57) Astoria, New York, U.S.
Genres	Heavy metal, glam metal, hard rock
Occupations	Musician, songwriter, actor, radio personality, television personality, voice over artist, screenplay writer, spokesperson
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1974–present
Associated acts	Twisted Sister Bent Brother Desperado Widowmaker S.M.F.'s (Sick Mother Fuckers) Van Helsing's Curse
Website	http://www.deesnider.com http://www.twistedsister.com

Daniel "Dee" Snider (born March 15, 1955) is an American singer-songwriter, screenwriter, radio personality, and actor. Snider is most famous for his role as the frontman of the heavy metal band Twisted Sister. He was ranked 83 in the Hit Parader's Top 100 Metal Vocalist of All Time.^[1]

Early life[link]

Born in Astoria, Queens New York, Snider grew up in nearby Baldwin and graduated from Baldwin Senior High School in 1973.^[2] His father, Bob, is a retired New York State Trooper and Nassau County court clerk while his mother, Marguerite, is a retired art teacher.^[3] As a child he sang in a church choir, several school choruses, and Baldwin HS Concert Choir. He also was selected for the All-State Chorus by singing.^[4] While in eighth grade, Snider was in a Black Sabbath cover band.^[5]

Career[link]

1970s–1980s[link]

In early 1976, Snider joined Twisted Sister and became the sole songwriter of the band thereafter. The group released their first studio album, Under the Blade, in September 1982 and developed a following in the UK. Less than a year later, Twisted Sister released their sophomore effort, You Can't Stop Rock 'n' Roll. Their third album, Stay Hungry, hit shelves on May 10, 1984. This would become the band's most successful record with the hits "We're Not Gonna Take It" and "I Wanna Rock." To emphasize the "twisted sister" image, Snider adopted a trademark persona of metal-inspired drag with long blond hair, an excessive amount of eye shadow and rouge, and bright red lipstick.

Dee Snider testifies before the US Senate, 1985

Testimony continued

During the mid 1980s, before the premiere of Headbangers Ball, the first MTV program to consist entirely of heavy metal videos was Heavy Metal Mania. The first episode aired in June 1985 and was hosted by Dee Snider. It featured metal news, interviews with metal artists, and in-studio co-hosts. That same year in November, Twisted Sister released Come Out and Play which sold over 500,000 copies but was marred by a poor concert tour.

In 1985, a Senate hearing was instigated by the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC), who wanted to introduce a parental warning system that would label all albums containing offensive material. The system was to include letters identifying the type of objectionable content to be found in each album (e.g. O for occult themes, S for sex, D for drugs, V for violence, etc.). Dee Snider, John Denver, and Frank Zappa all testified against censorship and the proposed warning system. Such a system was never implemented, but the result of the hearing brought about what is now the generic "Parental Advisory: Explicit Content" label.

The PMRC was initially formed by the wives of Washington, D.C. power brokers Senator Al Gore (D-TN), and Secretary of State James Baker. Tipper Gore in particular became the face of the PMRC and a public foil for Snider in the hearings. Ironically, in the 2000 US Presidential Election cycle, Snider endorsed Vice President Gore for office.

A fifth Twisted Sister album would be made in 1987's Love Is for Suckers. The record was originally planned to be a Dee Snider solo effort, but Atlantic Records encouraged a release under the Twisted Sister name. Touring lasted only into October that year and on the 12th of that month, Snider announced his departure from the band. It was during this time that Snider formed Desperado, a band featuring ex-Iron Maiden drummer Clive Burr, ex-Gillan guitarist Bernie Torme, and bassist Marc Russel.^[6] The group's only album, Ace, has never been officially released but was heavily bootlegged on CD under the title Bloodied But Unbowed.

1990s[link]

Snider performing in Manchester, England

In the 1990s, Snider formed Widowmaker with Joe Franco, a good friend to Twisted Sister and drummer on the Love Is for Suckers, as well as Al Pitrelli and Marc Russel. The quartet recorded two albums with limited underground success, titled Blood and Bullets and Stand By For Pain. In the late 1990s, Snider toured with a "self-tribute" band called Dee Snider's SMFs (Sick Mother Fuckers), sometimes featuring ex-Twisted Sister drummer A.J. Pero. The usual line up included Dee Snider, Derek Tailer, Charlie Mills, Keith Alexander, and Spike.

In 1993, he composed the theme song for The Terrible Thunderlizards.

In 1997, Dee Snider began hosting the House of Hair, a syndicated 1980s hard rock/heavy metal radio show that airs on over 200 radio stations across North America. It is syndicated by the United Stations Radio Networks. The show's format runs two hours and features Snider's closing catchphrase, "If it ain't metal, it's crap!"

In 1998, Snider had penned a song entitled "The Magic of Christmas Day (God Bless Us Everyone)" which would be recorded in 1998 by Celine Dion for her album These Are Special Times. According to Snider, Dion at the time was not aware of who wrote the song. Later that year, he also wrote and starred in the horror film Strangeland. Snider has also penned the script to a sequel which has the working title of Strangeland: Disciple. As of January 2008, however, Snider was less than optimistic that it would ever see the light of day, saying in an interview with Bullz-Eye.com that he had reached a point where he should "put a sign on my website that says, 'Y’got ten million dollars? Give me a call. I’ve got the script ready to go, Robert Englund’s attached, I’m attached. If somebody’s serious and wants to make it, call me. But don’t call me ‘til you’re ready to hand the check over.'” In May 2009, Dee Snider revealed on his radio show,"The House Of Hair," that Strangeland: Rising Sons will go ahead and is set to begin shooting in the fall of 2009 and is slated for a 2010 release.

Radio 104 Dee Snider Euro Sticker

2000s–Present[link]

From June 1999 to August 2003, Snider hosted a morning radio show on a Hartford, Connecticut Clear Channel station, Radio 104 (104.1 FM WMRQ), called Dee Snider Radio. His show returned to the air at night in August 2004 on 93.3 WMMR in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania until June 2005. He fondly referred to his listeners as his "Peeps," and "DEE" euro stickers, printed by the station, could be seen on the bumpers of his fans' cars throughout Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. Other members of the morning show included Nick Lentino, Beth Lockwood, "Psycho Dan" Williams, Sean Robbins, and "Darkside Dave" Wallace. He frequently featured high-profile guests, including Ozzy Osbourne, pro wrestler Mick Foley, and KISS singer/bassist Gene Simmons.

In 2001, Snider was the voice of Gol Acheron, the main villain for the PlayStation 2 video game Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy. The following year, he rejoined with the reunited Twisted Sister. Snider also played himself in the 2002 TV-movie Warning: Parental Advisory. In 2003, he appeared with actor Arnold Schwarzenegger during his drive to recall incumbent California Governor Gray Davis. Snider sang the Twisted Sister hit, "We're Not Gonna Take It," which was adopted by the Schwarzenegger campaign.

Snider also voiced Angry Jack in the episode "Shell Shocked" for the Nickelodeon cartoon SpongeBob SquarePants. He admitted to being a huge fan of the show during an hour-long 10th anniversary documentary of the show in 2009, and to be asked to voice a character on the show was a real honor. He changed the lyrics of his famous "I Wanna Rock" to "Goofy Goober Rock" for the 2004 The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie.

Snider narrates and hosts many shows and specials on VH1, movie trailers, behind the scenes segments, and DVD special features. He was featured as the 'voice' in the bumpers for MSNBC's 2001/2002 "Fiercely Independent" branding campaign. Every year since 2004, Snider has narrated a live show known as Van Helsing's Curse which tours the US around Halloween giving a mix of famous music with dark overtones and an occasional part of a storytelling to accompany the music. The concert has also been released on CD. Snider hosted VH1's 2008 "Aftermath" concert in remembrance of the victims and survivors of the 2003 Station nightclub fire.

Snider returned to radio in June 2006 with Fangoria Radio on Sirius Satellite Radio channel 102 from 9-12 Eastern.

During winter of 2008, Snider was featured as a contestant on CMT's Gone Country. The show recruited famous musical celebrities who competed against each other to win a chance to release a country song. Also in 2008, Snider appeared on the first episode of season two's Kitchen Nightmares who Gordon Ramsay had recruited as part of the marketing for the re-launch of the Handlebar restaurant. On the show, Snider donated a motorcycle for auction in which customers of the Handlebar were able to bid on through the Handlebar restaurants website.

Dee hosts DEAD ART on Gallery HD, a show about the beauty and art of cemeteries. He also hosts House of Hair, a radio show that plays heavy metal music. Snider has made appearances on the IFC Channel's original series Z Rock as himself playing the character of a "rock guru."

On July 27, 2010.,^[7] Dee Snider and his family began appearing in the reality television show "Growing Up Twisted," airing on the Arts and Entertainment Network.

On October 8, 2010 started an 11 week run in the cast of Rock of Ages as Dennis, the owner of The Bourbon Room, with his official start date being October 11.

In 2011, Snider performed with Ohio-based metalcore band Attack Attack! on stage at the Bamboozle Festival playing their song "Turbo Swag". On the May 15, 2011 episode of The Apprentice (U.S. season 11), Snider appeared to assist John Rich with his final challenge. He starred in a commercial featuring a mock audition where he came on as himself, and after drinking a soda turns into the lead singer from Twisted Sister (himself). Snider agreed to come because he is personal friends with John Rich and wanted to support the charity effort for St. Jude Medical Center.

Snider guest starred in the video for "Immaculate Misconception" by the metalcore band, Motionless in White.^[8] Snider's son, Cody Blue Snider directed the video.^[9]

Snider and his family appeared on Celebrity Wife Swap January 10, 2012. Dee's wife Suzette traded places with Flavor Flav's long-time fiancée Liz.^[10]

On the Valentine's Day 2012 taping of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Snider partnered with Donald Trump in a skit based upon the format of the TV game show, Password. On February 19, 2012, Snider began appearing as one of 18 contestants vying to become Trump's next Celebrity Apprentice and was fired after the eighth task during the seventh episode.

Personal life[link]

Snider has been married to his wife Suzette, a costume designer, since October 21, 1981.^[11] They have four children, Jesse Blaze Snider (September 19, 1982), Shane Royal Snider (February 29, 1988), Cody Blue Snider (December 7, 1989), and Cheyenne Jean Snider (October 31, 1996) who is currently in the band They All Float (Facebook.com/They.All.Float.LI). His eldest son Jesse hosted MTV2 Rock, a music video countdown program in 2003, and was the runner-up in MTV's 2008 show Rock the Cradle. Dee appeared on the show as Jesse's mentor. Jesse is also the lead singer of the punk metal band Baptized By Fire. Cody directed a music video for the band, Motionless in White (for the song "Immaculate Misconception) to where Dee guest-starred in its filming.^[9]

In 2003, Snider's brother-in-law, Vincent Gargiulo, was murdered.^[12] The murderer was apprehended in 2009.

Snider currently lives part-time in East Setauket, New York.^[13] He appeared on MTV Cribs in 2005 to show his Long Island home, along with two of his four children, Shane and Cheyenne.

Snider is a personal friend of professional wrestlers Mick Foley and Chris Jericho.^{[citation needed]}

In 2008, he stated in a TMZ interview that he would be voting for Barack Obama because John McCain (whom he liked and supported for many years) would not acknowledge George W. Bush's mistakes that he made while in office.^[14]

At the PMRC hearings, Dee Snider stated: "I was born and raised a Christian and I still adhere to those principles."^[15]

Projects[link]

Bands[link]

• Twisted Sister
• Desperado
• Widowmaker
• Bent Brother (heavy metal group)

Books[link]

• Dee Snider's Teenage Survival Guide, Doubleday, 1987 - available in hardcover & softcover
• Rock & Roll War Stories, Pitbull Publishing LLC, a chapter is dedicated to a hilarious anecdote Dee Snider told musician/author Gordon G.G. Gebert on Dee's House of Hair Radio show. The story inspired Gebert to write his third book.

Solo albums[link]

• Never Let the Bastards Wear You Down, 2000
• Dee Does Broadway, 2012 ^[16]

Guest appearances[link]

• "Crazy Train" on Bat Head Soup: A Tribute to Ozzy, 2000
• "Go to Hell" on Humanary Stew: A Tribute To Alice Cooper, 1999
• "Go to Hell" on Welcome to My Nightmare: An All Star Salute To Alice Cooper, 1999
• "Eleanor Rigby" on Eddie Ojeda's Axes 2 Axes, 2005
• "Wasted Years" on Numbers From The Beast: An All Star Tribute to Iron Maiden, 2005
• "SCG3 Special Report" on Lordi: The Arockalypse, 2006
• "Detroit Rock City" on Spin The Bottle: An All-Star Tribute To KISS, 2004
• "Howard Stern" on Sirius, Feb 8, 2006; 2007
• "Saigon Suicide Show"; an episode of the television show "The Upright Citizens Brigade", 1998
• "Handlebar"; an episode of the television show "Kitchen Nightmares", 2008
• "Episode#1.7"; an episode of the television show "Z Rock (ZO2)", 2008
• Monster Circus live at the Las Vegas Hilton March 19–21 & 26-28, 2009
• "Paint it Black" on "Harder & Heavier-60's British Invasion Goes Metal," 2010
• "I Wanna Rock" on America's Got Talent, 2010
• Celebrity Apprentice May 15, 2011
• "It Was a Very Good Year" on Sin-Atra, 2011
• VH1's I love the... series, 2002-2004

Filmography[link]

• Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985) - cameo appearance on top of a car hood singing "Burn in Hell"
• Private Parts (1997) - cameo appearance in the opening scene
• Strangeland (1998)
• Warning: Parental Advisory (2002)
• Van Helsing's Curse (2004)
• Kiss Loves You (2004)
• Metal: A Headbangers Journey (2005)

Other appearances in media[link]

• "Street Monkeys", SNI/SI Networks L.L.C (2011) - narrator
• SpongeBob SquarePants (2009) - played the character Angry Jack on the episode "Shell Shocked" (coincidentally, Twisted Sister's song "I Wanna Rock" was spoofed in The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie)
• Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy (2001) - did the voice of Gol the Sage
• Bluetooth= D-bag (2009)- Partook in the JOHNisFUNNY.com [1] YouTube sketch about Bluetooth headsets, created by Long Island filmmaker John Mingione
• "Penn Radio" (October 19, 2006) - Interviewed by Penn Jillette [2]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Dee Snider.com - Official website
• HouseOfHairOnline.com - Official House of Hair website
• Dee Snider at the Internet Movie Database
• Dee Snider with Von Dutch Kustom Cycles — Dee Snider hanging out with Von Dutch.
• Meet the Snider Family on VH1- Official VH1 Site
• MTV Cribs with Dee Snider and his home- Official MTV Site
• HardRadio.com interview with Dee Snider
• Dee Snider radio talk show
• http://www.ntunega.com/Dark-Times.html

Cody Simpson
Simpson on Radio Disney in August 2011.
Background information
Birth name	Cody Robert Simpson
Born	(1997-01-11) 11 January 1997 (age 15) Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Origin	Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Genres	Pop, R&B[1]
Occupations	Singer, songwriter, musician and dancer
Instruments	Vocals, guitar and piano
Years active	2009–present
Labels	Warner Bros. Records/Atlantic (2010–present)
Website	codysimpson.com

Cody Robert Simpson (born 11 January 1997) is an Australian pop singer from Gold Coast, Queensland, who is currently signed to US record label Atlantic Records.^[2]

Early life[link]

Simpson was born to Brad and Angie Simpson. He has two younger siblings, Tom and Alli.^[3] He is also a talented swimmer, winning two gold medals at the Queensland Swimming Championships.^[4] Simpson trained at the Miami Swimming Club under coach Ken Nixon.^[5] Simpson's mother Angie works as a volunteer at the club.^[6]

Simpson began to record songs in his bedroom during the summer of 2009 on YouTube, performing "I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz,^[7] "Cry Me a River"^[8] and "Señorita"^[9] by Justin Timberlake, "I Want You Back" by the Jackson 5,^[10] and his own songs, "One"^[11] and "Perfect".^[12] He was subsequently discovered on YouTube by Shawn Campbell,^[13] a Grammy-nominated record producer who has produced for Jay-Z and other artists.

Career[link]

Simpson's rise to recognition was featured on The 7.30 Report in December 2009.^[14] He released his debut single, "iYiYi" (which features American rapper Flo Rida), on 15 May 2010. It was digitally released on 30 May 2010.^[15] The music video for "iYiYi" was released on 30 June 2010.

^[16] The music video for Simpson's second single, "Summertime", was released on 20 September 2010.^[17]

Simpson relocated to Los Angeles in June 2010 with his family to record his songs with Atlantic Records and his producer Shawn Campbell.^[18] His manager is Michael 'Blue' Williams. ^[19] That same month, Simpson appeared on Sunrise.^[20] On 22 June 2010, it was announced that Simpson would participate in the Camplified 2010 Tour, along with other artists, touring across the United States. The tour began on 5 July 2010 and ended on 14 August 2010. It was also Simpson's first public tour.^[21] While on tour, Simpson performed a song called "Love So Strong". In an interview with Popstar Magazine, Simpson stated that his inspiration for the song was "A girl, back home. That's all I can say."^[22]

On 4 December 2010, it was announced on Simpson's official website that an EP entitled 4 U would be released through iTunes on 21 December 2010. The EP includes five tracks in total, four of them being previously unreleased.^[23]

Simpson recorded a remake of the song "I Want Candy" by The Strangeloves as the main theme song for the Easter-themed live-action/CGI-animated film Hop.

On 23 April 2011, Simpson released the single "On My Mind" through his website. It was released on iTunes on 23 May 2011 and the music video was released on 17 June 2011.

Simpson is currently working on tracks for an upcoming EP on Atlantic Records. It will be released on 20 September 2011. Simpson's best friend, Campbell Carsley announced the release date on twitter on 18 July 2011. It will be called Coast To Coast, the same name as his current mall tour. On 22 September, it was announced that Cody Simpson hired Justin Bieber's manager, Scooter Braun as his manager.^[24][25]

In December 2011 The Wish Factory released a Cody Simpson doll in two formats.^[26]

Touring[link]

Simpson in concert at the Crowne Plaza in Cromwell, Connecticut on 5 June 2011

Simpson has been on tour recently promoting his new EP, making stops at various locations in the United States. Most notably, Simpson participated in the "Camplified 2010" tour in June.^[27] Other tours include a middle school tour that took place from October–November 2010 and covered 9 U.S states.^[28]

In May 2011, Simpson was "egged" during a live performance at Miranda Fair in Sydney. Simpson told Australian radio show The Kyle & Jackie O Show that he wasn't in fact hit by the eggs and that he was upset on behalf of his fans because the remainder of his show was cancelled because of security concerns.^[29][30]

Filmography[link]

Television[link]

Discography[link]

Studio albums

• Paradise (2012)

Extended plays

• 4 U (2010)
• Coast to Coast (2011)

Tours[link]

• Waiting 4U Tour
• Coast to Coast Mall Tour
• Welcome to Paradise

Awards and nominations[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Cody Simpson

• Official website
• Cody Simpson at the Internet Movie Database
• Cody Simpson on Twitter
• Cody Simpson's's channel on YouTube