imported>ChristianJosephAllbee: Three stints

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Three stints

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{{short description|American drummer (born 1958)}}
{{about|the drummer|the artist and roboticist|Eric Singer (artist)|the graphologist|Eric Singer (graphologist)|the screenwriter|Eric Warren Singer}}
{{BLP sources|date=May 2014}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2015}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Eric Singer
| image = Esinger.jpg
| caption = Singer in 2008
| alias =
| birth_name = Eric Doyle Mensinger
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1958|05|12}}
| birth_place = [[Cleveland, Ohio]], U.S.
| genre = {{flatlist|
* [[Hard rock]]
* [[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]]
* [[glam metal]]
}}
| occupation = Musician
| instrument = {{flatlist|
* Drums
* vocals
}}
| years_active = 1984–present
| current_member_of = [[Eric Singer Project|ESP]], Paul Stanley's Soul Station
| past_member_of = {{flatlist| 
* [[Black Sabbath]]
* [[Badlands (American band)|Badlands]]
* [[The Brian May Band]]
* [[Kiss (band)|Kiss]]
}}
| website =
}}

'''Eric Singer''' (born '''Eric Doyle Mensinger'''; May 12, 1958) is an American drummer. Known as a drummer and vocalist in the hard rock band [[Kiss (band)|Kiss]] across three stints (1991–1996, 2001–2002, 2004–2023), he has also performed with artists such as [[Black Sabbath]], [[Alice Cooper]], [[Lita Ford]], [[Badlands (American band)|Badlands]], [[Brian May]] and [[Gary Moore]] as well as his own band [[Eric Singer Project|ESP]]. In his career, Singer has appeared on over 75 albums and 11 EPs.

==Early life==
[[File:Black Sabbath (1986).jpg|thumb|left|Singer (second from the right) with Black Sabbath, 1986]]
Singer was born May 12, 1958, Eric Doyle Mensinger in [[Cleveland, Ohio]]. He grew up in [[Euclid, Ohio]]. He graduated from [[Euclid High School]] in 1976. His father, Johnny Mensinger, was of Jewish German descent and was a local big band leader who played around the area as well as on cruise ships from the United States to Europe and back.<ref>[http://www.ultimateclassicrock.com/top-10-jewish-ock-stars/] {{dead link|date=May 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://aish.com/these-jews-rock/|title=These Jews Rock|website=Aish.com|date=June 12, 2014|access-date=May 20, 2023}}</ref><ref>[http://www.jewishjournal.com/.../gene_simmons_talks_family_jewels_and_why_blood_is_t] {{Dead link|date=September 2018|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Obituary for John P. Mensinger at Tomon and Sons Funeral Homes - Middleburg Heights |url=https://www.tomonfh.com/obituary/52782?lud=E1A3BF2C4B6CB74B6AC6FA85FC0B4477 |access-date=2022-09-14 |website=Tomonfh.com |language=en}}</ref> Eric's brother Jon Mensinger was a principal dancer for the [[Mark Morris (choreographer)|Mark Morris Dance Group]] in [[New York City|New York]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=1994-09-19 |title=Jon Mensinger; Dancer, 37 |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/09/19/obituaries/jon-mensinger-dancer-37.html |access-date=2022-09-14 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Young Eric began playing drums from an early age, and was inspired by bands such as [[Humble Pie (band)|Humble Pie]], [[the Who]], [[Led Zeppelin]], [[Black Sabbath]], [[the Beatles]] and [[Queen (band)|Queen]] and drummers such as [[John Bonham]], [[Keith Moon]], [[Cozy Powell]], [[Roger Taylor (Queen drummer)|Roger Taylor]], [[Bill Ward (musician)|Bill Ward]], and [[Buddy Rich]].

Singer worked at King Musical instruments before becoming a professional drummer.

== Career ==
Singer's first professional drumming job was in the Cleveland band Beau Coup. He then became [[Lita Ford]]'s touring drummer in 1984. In 1985 he joined [[Black Sabbath]] and recorded and toured to support the ''[[Seventh Star]]'' album. In 1987, during the recordings of ''[[The Eternal Idol]]'' he left the band to tour with [[Gary Moore]] band in support of his album ''[[Wild Frontier]]''. After the tour, he was invited by his Black Sabbath colleague [[Ray Gillen]] to join [[Badlands (American band)|Badlands]]. Singer accepted and played on the band's self-titled debut album. Singer left the group in 1989 as he would join [[Paul Stanley]] as his touring drummer on his solo tour of the United States and Canada. Singer played with [[Olivia Newton-John]] in the music video for "Culture Shock". He later revealed in an interview that he obtained that gig because he was working for [[Lita Ford]] at the time.<ref>[http://kissfaq.com/forum09/viewtopic.php?t=43402] {{dead link|date=October 2011}}</ref>

=== Kiss ===
[[File:Eric Singer au Hellfest 2019.jpg|thumb|Singer performing with [[Kiss (band)|Kiss]] in 2019.]]
In December 1991, Singer officially became the drummer for [[Kiss (band)|Kiss]] after the death of [[Eric Carr]]. Singer, who had performed with Paul Stanley on his club tour along with [[Bob Kulick]] two years earlier, was hired and debuted with the band on the album ''[[Revenge (Kiss album)|Revenge]]'', on which he was originally slated to fill in on some tracks while Eric Carr recuperated from [[heart cancer]].<ref>Leaf and Sharp, ''Kiss: Behind The Mask – The Official Authorized Biography'', pp. 387, 390.</ref> Singer played on ''[[Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions]]'' and toured with Kiss until 1996, when the band reunited with original drummer [[Peter Criss]] and guitarist [[Ace Frehley]] for the [[Alive/Worldwide Tour]].

After five relatively quiet years, during which Singer toured with [[Queen (band)|Queen]] guitarist [[Brian May]], Singer was asked to rejoin Kiss in 2001 after Criss' departure shortly before the Australian and Japanese leg of Kiss' Farewell tour. Singer debuted in full "Catman" makeup and costume for the first time on the tour, which caused some controversy as the persona had previously been used only by Criss.<ref>Sherman, ''Black Diamond'', p. 161</ref> Singer was replaced again by Criss in late 2002 but returned to the band in early 2004 after [[Gene Simmons]] and [[Paul Stanley]] opted not to renew Criss' contract. Since then, Singer has been playing drums in Kiss as their permanent drummer.
[[File:Eric Singer Tommy Thayer DLX-music helsinki.jpg|thumb|Eric Singer (right) with Tommy Thayer in 2008.]]
In 2009, Singer, along with lead guitarist [[Tommy Thayer]], played and sang on the Kiss album ''[[Sonic Boom (Kiss album)|Sonic Boom]]'', the first studio album to feature the new line-up. It included the track "All for the Glory" (written by Stanley and Simmons) with vocals by Singer. In October 2012, Kiss released their 20th studio album ''[[Monster (Kiss album)|Monster]]'' which includes a track called "All for the Love of Rock & Roll" sung by Singer (written by Stanley).

In a 2008 interview, Peter Criss stated that he thought Singer was a great drummer, despite being upset about Singer using his image.

=== Eric Singer Project, Alice Cooper and other projects ===
When not touring with Kiss, Singer performed with [[Alice Cooper]]. Singer had been a member of Cooper's band since the release of the album ''[[Brutal Planet]]'' in 2000. Singer had already performed with Cooper years earlier, during the tours for the album ''[[Trash (Alice Cooper album)|Trash]] and [[Hey Stoopid]].'' Singer has been featured on three Alice Cooper albums to date, namely, ''[[Brutal Planet]]'', ''[[The Eyes of Alice Cooper]]'', and ''[[Along Came a Spider (Alice Cooper album)|Along Came a Spider]]''. In 2008, Eric Singer left Cooper's band on Cooper's suggestion that he (Eric) instead focus on his growing commitments with Kiss as well as with the [[Eric Singer Project]] (ESP).

He performed and recorded with his band ESP, featuring, among others, his former Kiss bandmate [[Bruce Kulick]] and former [[Mötley Crüe]] lead singer [[John Corabi]]. Three releases have resulted from this collaboration: the studio album ''Lost and Spaced'' (1998), consisting completely of covers from classic rock songs; the live album ''Live in Japan'' (2006); and the DVD ''Live at the Marquee'' (2006).

Singer has also played in the band [[Avantasia]], replacing drummer [[Alex Holzwarth]] after a guest performance in the song "Into the Unknown" from the album ''[[The Metal Opera Part II]]''. Two [[EPs]] and one full album have been released with Singer's performance on the drums: ''[[Lost in Space Part I]]'', ''[[Lost in Space Part II]]'', and ''[[The Scarecrow (album)|The Scarecrow]]'', and on several songs from ''[[The Wicked Symphony]]'' and ''[[Angel of Babylon]]''.

In 1989, he made a brief appearance in the [[Wes Craven]] film ''[[Shocker (film)|Shocker]]'', as a member of a fictional rock band.

In 1998, he toured with Queen guitarist, Brian May, in a solo tour as part of The Brian May Band.<ref>{{Cite web |title=KISS Drummer ERIC SINGER Says Playing With BRIAN MAY Is His Proudest Moment - "QUEEN Is My Favourite Band... They Were Like THE BEATLES On Steroids" |url=https://bravewords.com/news/kiss-drummer-eric-singer-says-playing-with-brian-may-is-his-proudest-moment-queen-is-my-favourite-band-they-were-like-the-beatles-on-steroids |access-date=2022-08-08 |website=Bravewords.com |language=en}}</ref> He was brought in as a replacement for Cozy Powell who had died earlier that year.<ref>{{Cite web |title=MayBe? |url=https://brianmay.com/brian/mags&press/tgdec98/tgdec98a/tgdec98a.html |access-date=2022-08-08 |website=Brianmay.com}}</ref>

In 2004 Singer was featured on Italian rock singer Chris Catena's debut album, ''Freak Out''. He recorded drums for two tracks, "Sweet Talker" (a Whitesnake cover) and "The Stronger You Are, The Harder You Fall".

Singer is the drummer for Paul Stanley's side project Soul Station, which performs [[Soul music|soul]] cover songs.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Soul Station {{!}} Paul Stanley|url=https://www.paulstanley.com/soulstation/|access-date=2021-08-04|website=Paulstanley.com}}</ref>

==Equipment==
[[Image:EricSinger-AC.jpg|thumb|right|Eric Singer performing with Alice Cooper]]Throughout his career, Singer has used [[Pearl Drums|Pearl drums]], hardware and pedals; [[Remo]] and Terry Bozzio Attack signature drumheads; [[Zildjian]] cymbals and drumsticks; and [[ddrum]] acoustic drum triggers. Singer has his own signature series snare drum and artist series drumsticks by Pearl, and Zildjian also makes its own "Eric Singer Artist Series" drumsticks. Singer also uses Zildjian wax for his drumsticks.

==Discography==
===Black Sabbath===
* ''[[Seventh Star]]'' (1986)
* ''[[The Eternal Idol]]'' (1987)

===Gary Moore===
* ''Wild Frontier Tour - Live at Isstadion Stockholm'' (VHS) (1987)

===Drive===
* ''Characters In Time'' (1988)

===Badlands===
* ''[[Badlands (Badlands album)|Badlands]]'' (1989)

===Kiss===
* ''[[Revenge (Kiss album)|Revenge]]'' (1992)
* ''[[Alive III]]'' (1993)
* ''[[Kiss Unplugged|KISS Unplugged]]'' (1996)
* ''[[Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions]]'' (1997)
* ''[[Kiss Instant Live]]'' (2004)
* ''[[Kiss Alive 35]]'' (2008)
* ''[[Sonic Boom (Kiss album)|Sonic Boom]]'' (2009)
* ''[[Kiss Sonic Boom Over Europe]]'' (2010)
* ''[[Monster (Kiss album)|Monster]]'' (2012)
* ''[[Kiss Rocks Vegas|KISS Rocks Vegas]]'' (2016)
* ''Off The Soundboard Tokyo 2001'' (2021)
* ''Off The Soundboard Virginia Beach 2004'' (2022)

===Greg Chaisson===
* ''It's About Time'' (1994)

===Stream===
* ''Nothing Is Sacred'' (1998)

===Gilby Clarke===
* ''[[99 Live]]'' (1999)

===28IF===
* ''28IF'' (1999)

===Solo – Eric Singer Project===
{{Main|Eric Singer Project}}
* ''Lost and Spaced'' (1998)
* ''ESP'' (1999)
* ''Live in Japan'' (2006)
* ''Live at the Marquee'' (DVD) (2006)

===Alice Cooper===
* ''[[Brutal Planet]]'' (2000)
* ''[[Brutally Live]]'' (DVD) (2001)
* ''[[The Eyes of Alice Cooper]]'' (2003)
* ''[[Live at Montreux (Alice Cooper album)|Live at Montreux]]'' (DVD) (2006)
* ''[[Along Came a Spider (album)|Along Came a Spider]]'' (2008)

===Avantasia===
* ''Lost in Space (Part 1)'' (2007)
* ''Lost in Space (Part 2)'' (2007)
* ''[[The Scarecrow (album)|The Scarecrow]]'' (2008)
* ''[[The Wicked Symphony]]'' (2010) (Only 3 tracks)
* ''[[Angel of Babylon]]'' (2010) (Only 4 tracks)

===Chris Catena===
* ''Freak Out!'' (2003)

===Ronnie Montrose===
* ''[[10x10 (Ronnie Montrose album)|10x10]]'' (2017)

===Paul Stanley's Soul Station===
* ''Now & Then'' (2021)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

;General sources
* {{cite book
| last1 = Leaf
| first1 = David
| author2= Ken Sharp
| title = Kiss: Behind The Mask – The Official Authorized Biography
| publisher=Warner Books, Inc.
| year = 2003
| location = New York, NY
| isbn= 0-446-53073-5}}

* {{cite book
| last = Sherman
| first = Dale
| title = Black Diamond: The Unauthorized Biography of KISS
| publisher=CG Publishing, Ltd.
| year = 2009
| location = Burlington ON, Canada
| isbn= 978-1-894959-92-6| edition = 10th Anniversary
}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
{{Portal|Biography}}
*{{IMDb name|0801928}}
*{{Discogs artist}}

{{s-start}}
{{succession box | title=[[Kiss (band)|Drummer for Kiss]]| before=[[Eric Carr]]| after=[[Peter Criss]]| years=1991–1996}}
{{succession box | title=[[Kiss (band)|Drummer for Kiss]]| before=[[Peter Criss]]| after=[[Peter Criss]]| years=2001–2002}}
{{succession box | title=[[Kiss (band)|Drummer for Kiss]]| before=[[Peter Criss]]| after=''Incumbent''|years=2004–current}}
{{s-end}}

{{Navboxes
|title = Eric Singer's bands & collaborations
|list =
{{Kiss}}
{{Badlands}}
{{Avantasia}}
{{Black Sabbath}}
{{The Cult}}
{{Alice Cooper}}
}}

{{Portal bar|Biography}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Singer, Eric}}
[[Category:1958 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Alice Cooper (band) members]]
[[Category:Kiss (band) members]]
[[Category:Black Sabbath members]]
[[Category:The Gary Moore Band members]]
[[Category:American heavy metal drummers]]
[[Category:American rock drummers]]
[[Category:American people of German descent]]
[[Category:Badlands (American band) members]]
[[Category:Eric Singer Project members]]
[[Category:The Cult members]]
[[Category:Union (band) members]]
[[Category:Drummers from Cleveland]]
[[Category:American people of German-Jewish descent]]
[[Category:20th-century American drummers]]
[[Category:American male drummers]]
[[Category:Jewish heavy metal musicians]]

Eric Singer - Revision history

imported>ChristianJosephAllbee: Three stints