Sebastian Philip Bierk (born April 3, 1968), known professionally as Sebastian Bach, is a Canadian-American singer who achieved mainstream success as the frontman of the hard rock band Skid Row from 1987 to 1996. He has acted on Broadway and has made appearances in film and television such as Trailer Park Boys and Gilmore Girls. He continues his music career as a solo artist.
Early years
Bach was born in the Bahamas and was raised in Peterborough, Ontario. He is one of eight children. His brother Zac Bierk is a retired ice hockey player.
His father, David Bierk (d. 2002), was a noted painter. He painted the cover of Skid Row's album Slave to the Grind and inside cover art of Subhuman Race, as well as the album cover of Bach's solo effort Angel Down and inside art for its follow-up, Give 'Em Hell.
Bach became confident of his ability to sing partly from listening to his mother and aunt sing informally at home and feeling joyful when he heard them.
He also joined a church choir when he was eight years old, and found much joy in singing "Gloria in Excelsis Deo" with them. He knew while singing the hymn that he would sing for the rest of his life.
Career
Kid Wikkid (1983–1985) The members of Kid Wikkid were based in Peterborough, Ontario. Upon hearing of the band and unaware of their ages, 14-year-old Bach auditioned for the group, and was hired by guitar player and band leader Jason Delorme. Kid Wikkid moved back to Toronto, and Bach's dad eventually allowed Bach to move in with an aunt.
Skid Row (1987–1996)
Skid Row initially formed in the mid-1980s with lead vocalist Matt Fallon fronting the group, and they began playing at various clubs around the New Jersey area. Fallon left the band in 1987, leaving Skid Row in search of a lead vocalist. Bach was spotted singing at rock photographer Mark Weiss's wedding by Jon Bon Jovi's parents, who subsequently approached him and suggested he get in touch with their son's friend, Dave Sabo, who was looking for a lead vocalist for his band. Bach was wary of joining another US-based band after briefly being a member of Detroit's Madam X. Upon hearing Skid Row's demo tapes, however, Bach flew to New Jersey to audition and became the up-and-coming band's lead vocalist in early 1987.
Skid Row achieved commercial success in the late 1980s and early 1990s, with its first two albums Skid Row (1989) and Slave to the Grind (1991) certified multi-platinum, the latter of which reached number one on the Billboard 200. The band's third album Subhuman Race (1995) was also critically acclaimed.
Bach has received criticism for a photo, taken in 1989, in which he is wearing a T-shirt reading "AIDS Kills Fags Dead", a play on the tagline at the time for the insecticide Raid, "Raid Kills Bugs Dead". In a 2003 interview, he stated about the controversy, "That was really stupid and wrong for me to wear that for one-half hour in my life. What nobody brings up is in 2000, when I was in 'Jekyll & Hyde,' and at an auction for Broadway Cares, I donated $12,000 of my own money to fight AIDS."
Following disagreements over musical material and infuriating Bolan, Bach was fired from the band in 1996. However, rumors circulated that he had left the band due to his other band-mates believing they should not play as an opening act for Kiss. Band-mate Rachel Bolan also had a side project, a punk band Prunella Scales who were playing at the same time as the planned Kiss show. The rift between Bach and the other band members subsequently led to his leaving Skid Row. Four years later, Skid Row was one of the opening acts for the 2000 Kiss Farewell Tour, without Bach.
Broadway and other projects (1996–2006) In 1993, Bach shortly toured with Triumph after the release of their album Edge of Excess, providing lead vocals up until the band broke up later the same year.
In 1996, Bach joined The Last Hard Men, an alternative rock supergroup formed by Breeders lead guitarist Kelley Deal, which also included Frogs guitarist Jimmy Flemion and Smashing Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlin. The group recorded a full-length self-titled album for Atlantic Records, who then opted not to release it. In 1998 it was released on Kelley Deal's label, Nice Records, with no fanfare and a very limited pressing of 1,000 CDs. The band also recorded a cover of the Alice Cooper song "School's Out" for the soundtrack album of the 1996 film Scream.
In 1999, Bach released his debut solo album Bring 'Em Bach Alive!, his first release after his departure from Skid Row. Mainly a live album of Bach's Skid Row songs, it also presented five new studio recordings, including the single "Superjerk, Superstar, Supertears".