Lizzie Grey | |
|---|---|
| Born | Stephen Perry (1958-08-13)August 13, 1958 |
| Died | August 5, 2019(2019-08-05) (aged 60) Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. |
| Genres | Glam rock,glam metal,heavy metal,hard rock |
| Occupation | Guitarist |
| Years active | 1978–2019 |
Stephen M. Perry (August 13, 1958[1] – August 5, 2019), who used the stage nameLizzie Grey, was an American musician. He is perhaps best known for his membership as a guitarist in theheavy metal bandLondon and for co-writing theMötley Crüe song "Public Enemy #1". From 1990 until his death in 2019, he performed with theglam rock bandSpiders & Snakes.
Perry was the guitarist for the bandSister withBlackie Lawless andNikki Sixx in the mid-to-late 1970s. Thereafter he formed the bandLondon with Nikki Sixx, drummer Dane Rage, keyboardist John St. John and lead vocalist Michael White. Followed shortly thereafter by lead vocalist Henri Valentine, who was later replaced by Nigel Benjamin, formerly ofMott. The band garnered a following of glam rock fans from the late 1970s, spearheaded byRodney Bingenheimer andKim Fowley. Differences arose between Nikki Sixx and Nigel Benjamin, and the band finally broke up. Grey and fellow London member Dane Rage went on to form the band Roxy Roller[2] with femaleCanadian vocalist Leslie Knauer, also known from the bandsPromises andPrecious Metal, and Randy St. Clair. Roxy Roller, a "glitter pop" band released one single,[3] a cover of Cole Porter's song "Anything Goes".[4]
Shortly afterward there was a revision of the band London featuring vocalist Nadir D'Priest, which recorded internationally recognized albums and was featured in the movieThe Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years. This version of London continued until the late 1980s, when Lizzie decided to take over his own lead vocals, forming the bandUltra Pop which was heavily influenced by the bandT-Rex, with Vince Votel, Ernie Machado and Chris Solberg.[5] Ultra Pop changed its name toSpiders & Snakes in 1990 with the addition of drummer Timothy Jay.
Spiders & Snakes made several recordings beginning in the 1990s. In 2000, just after the release of the albumLondon Daze, bassist Leigh Lawson died.[6] During this brief split in the band membership, Lizzie explored musical endeavors with various bands in Arizona before returning to Los Angeles to carry on the legacy of Spiders & Snakes, until his retirement in 2017, where the band remains to this day with current members Chris Sheridan, Phil St. Vincent and Timothy Jay.
Grey's maternal uncle was radio commentatorWally George, and he was the cousin of actressRebecca De Mornay.[7]
On the morning of August 5, 2019, Grey died fromLewy Body disease after being diagnosed with it 11 years prior.[8]
