London Biography & Awards

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Artist Info

Formed

1979

Disbanded

1988

Biography

When Blackie Lawless kicked glam rock hellions Nikki Sixx and Lizzie Grey out of his band Sister, the duo started London in an effort to annoy Rush fans, emulate the debauched spectacle of New York Dolls, and build upon the music of Cheap Trick, Slade, and Love It to Death. The pair were thrilled when Nigel Benjamin, vocalist with last-legs Mott the Hoople, answered a Recycler ad to be London's singer. According to the M�tley autobiography, Dirt, Sixx sent the London demo to hero Brian Connolly of Sweet who told the young deviant to keep his day job: "This kind of music is never going to make it." Sixx immediately departed to form the monstrous M�tley Cr�e and prove Connolly wrong. Grey powered through the '80s with London, ruling the Sunset Strip as (reputedly) legends like Izzy Stradlin and Fred Coury (Cinderella) passed through the ranks. London's inclusion in the notorious Decline of Western Civilization Part II: the Metal Years signaled the end of the band. Now an underground legend, Grey went on to form Spiders & Snakes. ~ Doug Stone, All Music Guide