Paul Black (musician)

Paul Mars Black[1] (born Paul Marmorstein; March 17, 1959) is an American singer and drummer. He is most notable for his time as lead vocalist in L.A. Guns, with whom he wrote most of their self-titled debut album.

Paul Black
Birth namePaul Martin Marmorstein
Also known asPaul Mars
Born (1959-03-17) March 17, 1959
San Francisco, California, U.S.
GenresGlam metal
InstrumentsVocals, drums
Associated actsL.A. Guns
The Joneses
Jo & Paul's Sonic Boom

Early Life and Career

Born in San Francisco, California, Black's roots were in bluegrass. In the 1970s, his high school rock band was called Your Mother. He also played in several jazz cover bands. In 1978 he was a percussion major at San Jose State University.

Black moved to Los Angeles in May 1980 still using his given name Paul Martin Marmorstein. His first L.A. band was Mad Captions who played CBGB in New York and The Hot Club in Philadelphia with The Dead Boys. In 1981 Paul joined The Mau-Mau's, a Los Angeles-based punk band which was fronted by Rick Wilder of The Berlin Brats. During Paul's time with The Mau-Mau's he shortened his name to Paul Mars. Paul played drums for a Mau-Mau's record produced by Robbie Krieger of The Doors which was never released. In 1984 Paul Mars Joined The Joneses and recorded the drums for Keeping Up With The Joneses.

L.A. Guns

Black began putting together a side project for his songs to be called Faster Pussycat with guitarist Mick Cripps. Black switched to lead vocals, Cripps switched to bass, and the two joined guitarist Tracii Guns and drummer Nickey "Beat" Alexander and later on guitarist Robert Stoddard to complete this line up.

The name was switched to L.A. Guns because the owner of the name, Raz Cue, offered to back the band if this line up would re-use L.A. Guns, a name which had been abandoned over a year prior by a former band of Guns's (Guns N' Roses). Black changed his name again to Paul Black. From 1985 to March 1987 Paul Black wrote and co-wrote a number of songs, which led L.A. Guns to a record deal with Polygram Records. However, Black left before the record was finished and before the deal was signed. Black was replaced by Phil Lewis.

After leaving L.A. Guns, Black formed Black Cherry, which quickly became one of the most popular and sought after bands in L.A. But, a lawsuit filed by Black against his former band L.A. Guns and Polygram Records kept Black Cherry from signing a deal. Black retired in 1993 and seldom played shows. In 2000 Black wrote and recorded an album with Jo Almeida of Dogs D'Amour called Jo & Paul's Sonic Boom, Sun Down And Yellow Moon.[2]

Two compilation albums of featuring unreleased archive material of Black singing with L.A. Guns, Black City Breakdown (1985-1986) and Black List, as well as Sun Down And Yellow Moon from Jo & Paul's Sonic Boom, were released on his own label Black City Records.[3]

From 2006 to 2008, he was the lead singer of Tracii Guns's L.A. Guns, a spinoff band that existed at the same time as Phil Lewis' L.A. Guns.[4][5][6]

Discography

With Jo & Paul's Sonic Boom

  • Sun Down And Yellow Moon (2000)

With L.A. Guns

The Joneses

  • Keeping Up With... (1986)

References

  1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on June 12, 2011. Retrieved March 19, 2012.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. bravewords.com. "LA GUNS Singer Paul Black: "I Was Very Disillusioned By The Music Business"". bravewords.com. Retrieved May 20, 2018.
  3. Rao, Debby (December 4, 2006). "20 Years Later: Original LA Guns Singer Paul Black Set's the Record Straight". KNAC.
  4. "Tracii Guns Band Prepare To Hit The Road". Blabbermouth.net. April 9, 2006. Archived from the original on June 20, 2006.
  5. "Paul Black Interview". October 9, 2008.
  6. "Tracii Guns Version Of L.A. Guns Parts Ways With Singer Paul Black". Blabbermouth.net. May 29, 2008.
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