Steven Edward Duren, better known by his stage name Blackie Lawless, is an American musician and songwriter, renowned as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for the iconic heavy metal band W.A.S.P.
Lawless' music career began in the mid-1970s, playing with various bands such as Black Rabbit and Orfax Rainbow. In 1975, he briefly joined the glam rock band New York Dolls, replacing Johnny Thunders, but only stayed for the remainder of the tour.
Following the tour, Lawless traveled to California with bassist Arthur Kane, where they co-founded the band Killer Kane. At this time, he adopted the stage name "Blackie Goozeman," as noted on the back of Killer Kane's only EP. However, Kane returned to New York City, and Lawless decided to remain in West Los Angeles.
In 1976, Lawless formed Sister, which featured future W.A.S.P. guitarist Randy Piper. Around 1978, the band underwent a lineup change, with Nikki Sixx joining as the bassist and Lizzie Grey on guitar. Later, Chris Holmes also joined the group.
Sister eventually evolved into Circus Circus in 1979, with Piper again appearing in the lineup. After Circus Circus' failure in 1981, Lawless joined Lizzie Grey and Nikki Sixx's band London, with whom he played a few gigs and recorded two demo songs. However, by this time, Sixx had already departed to form Mötley Crüe.
In 1982, Lawless switched to bass after firing original member Rik Fox, later of Steeler fame, who had joined the band only four months prior, citing personal issues. The lineup also included Randy Piper and was soon completed with Chris Holmes on lead guitar and Tony Richards on drums.
Throughout his career, Lawless has been the last remaining original member and chief songwriter of W.A.S.P., with many of his songs exploring religious or apocalyptic themes, stemming from his Christian upbringing. The band achieved significant success from 1985 to 1988, with hit singles including "L.O.V.E. Machine," "I Wanna Be Somebody," and "Wild Child."
