The Chamber of Gadsden & Etowah County recently announced that Skid Row will open the Friday portion of the 2012 RiverFest scheduled for June 8-9 in Gadsden.
“Skid Row was a power band of the 80s and we’re proud to have them opening the show,” said Chamber marketing and public relations director Kerri Griffin. “This is the music of my generation.”
Many thirty to forty-somethings will recall fond memories of high school dances and cruising Broad Street and the Gadsden Mall to the tunes of “I Remember You” and “18 and Life.”
Friday’s line-up includes also headliner Fuel preceded by Lou Gramm, former lead singer of Foreigner.
The event’s Saturday night country headliner will be Jamey Johnson. Opening for Johnson will be the Oak Ridge Boys.
Skid Row was born in a garage in Toms River, N.J. in 1987. The band relentlessly pounded the New Jersey club circuit until it found success in 1989 with the self-titled debut album. The record sold more than 5 million copies in the US and the band toured around the world.
In 1992 Skid Row released its second album, “Slave to the Grind,” which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard charts.
Soon after the release of “Subhuman Race” in 1995, band members parted ways to pursue individual endeavors. In 1999, original members Rachel Bolan, Scotti Hill and Snake Sabo decided that Skid Row meant far too much to them to let the music fade into rock obscurity.
Faced with replacing popular front man Sebastian Bach, the remaining members sought a talented singer from Texas named Johnny Solinger to take the band into a new chapter of making music.
The band landed a coveted opening spot on the KISS Farewell Tour in 2000, bringing Skid Row back to perform for loyal fans. The spot eventually led to the release of “Thickskick” in 2003. Skid Row released “Revolutions Per Minute” in 2006 and have continued to tour around the world.