Cinderella

Cinderella was an American Glam Metal band formed in 1982 in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The band emerged in the mid-1980s with a series of multi-platinum studio albums and hit singles whose music videos received heavy rotation and popularity on MTV. Cinderella initially had a heavy, Glam Metal musical style before switching to a more Blues Rock-based sound in the early to mid-1990s.

In the mid-1990s, the band’s notoriety severely declined due to personal setbacks, breakups, and changes in the American music industry. After a brief hiatus, Cinderella reunited in 1996 and continued to perform live, but never released any studio material after their 1994 album Still Climbing. The band has sold 15 million records worldwide, according to band member Tom Keifer’s official website. After participating in the 2014 “Monsters of Rock Cruise,” Cinderella became inactive again. In November 2017, Keifer stated that the band had no plans to reform in the future.

Cinderella was formed in 1983 by singer-songwriter, keyboardist and guitarist Tom Keifer and bassist Eric Brittingham. The initial lineup included guitarist Michael Smerick and drummer Tony Destra.
In 1985, Smerick and Destra left the Band to form Britny Fox, another Glam Metal band from Philadelphia.
In a 2014 interview, Tom Keifer stated that Kiss bassist Gene Simmons was interested in the band and tried to get a deal with Polygram, but they were not interested.
Jon Bon Jovi saw them play at the Empire Rock Club in Philadelphia and talked to A&R man Derek Shulman about seeing the band. At first, Shulman was also unconvinced if he wanted to sign a six-month development deal. After extensive negotiations, he finally signed the band.

In 1985, with a recording contract with Mercury/Polygram Records in the works, guitarist Jeff LaBar and drummer Jim Drnec joined the band on the album.

While recording the band’s debut album, Night Songs, studio session drummer Jody Cortez was brought in to help with the recording.
Upon completion of recording, Drnec was replaced by Gloucester City, NJ, drummer Albie “Al” Barker, who was not part of the album cover and band lineup on the album. Fred Coury joined the band, was in all the MTV music videos, and played on the next tours. Night Songs was released on August 2, 1986 and eventually achieved triple platinum status, selling 50,000 copies a week at one point. The Heavy Metal album reached number 3 on the Billboard charts in February 1987. In late 1987, the band released a video compilation called “Night Songs” to accompany the album, featuring its promotional videos and three recorded live songs from their 1986 tour.

Cinderella’s first tour was in 1986, with Glam Metal Band Poison, who opened for Japanese heavy metal band Loudness. Other tours in 1987 were used for large-attendance arenas: five months for former Van Halen lead singer David Lee Roth and seven months with Bon Jovi, opening for the Slippery When Wet tour. Later that year, the band went abroad, appearing in Japan, Scandinavia and the Monsters of Rock festivals in the UK and Germany.

Cinderella’s second album, “Long Cold Winter”, was released in 1988. The new album signified a shift to a more Blues-Rock sound, although it could still be described as Glam Metal. A 254-show tour to support the album lasted over 14 months and included dates at the Moscow Music Festival alongside other metal bands such as Ozzy Osbourne, Scorpions, Mötley Crüe, Bon Jovi and Skid Row. The tour’s stage show included Tom Keifer being lowered onto the stage while playing on a white piano during his radio hit “Don’t Know What You Got (Till It’s Gone)”.
On April 17, 1990, the band released a video compilation called Tales from the Gypsy Road featuring four promotional videos for Long Cold Winter, plus two live badges, the second containing a cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s famous “Sweet Home Alabama”.

Cinderella confirmed on their message board that they would be travelling in 2010 with two warm-up dates already confirmed. It was announced on February 22 that Cinderella would be a part of Rocklahoma 2010 in Pryor, Oklahoma and the Sweden Rock Festival 2010.
On February 26, 2010, it was announced that Cinderella would headline the MSC Poesia departing Fort Lauderdale on 11 November 2010. July 2010, Cinderella took the stage to open for Bret Michaels during the Common Ground Music Festival in Lansing, MI, with an original lineup of stars including Tom Keifer, Eric Brittingham, Jeff LaBar and Fred Coury. They will then follow with 14 dates in the USA that helped Scorpions on the Get It Sting and Blackout tour.

Cinderella played the Download Festival in the United Kingdom in June 2010, the Rock Jam near Grand Junction, Colorado, on Friday, August 27, and the Oregon State Fair on September 4, 2010. In November 2010, Cinderella joined various other hard rock bands performing on the cruise titled “ShipRocked.”

In 2011, Cinderella went on a 25th-anniversary world tour. 20 shows were confirmed from April to July. During the tour, they played at the first edition of the “Shout It Out Loud” Festival in Germany.

In the summer of 2012, Cinderella toured the US with former Skid Row singer Sebastian Bach.

In March 2013, Cinderella played the 2013 Monsters of Rock Cruise along with bands such as Tesla, Kix, Queensrÿche and many others.

On March 14, 2021, guitarist Jeff LaBar was found dead at 58 at his home in Nashville, Tennessee. The cause of death was not revealed.

Members

Tom Keifer – Vocals/Guitar
Jeff LaBar – Guitar
Eric Brittingham – Bass
Fred Coury – Drums
Discography

Studio Albums
1986 – Night Songs
1988 – Long Cold Winter
1990 – Heartbreak Station
1994 – Still Climbing