Cinderella

Cinderella Artistfacts

  • 1983-2017
    Tom KeiferLead vocals, guitar, keyboards, harmonica1982-2017
    Eric BrittinghamBass, backing vocals1982-2017
    Jeff LeBarGuitar, backing vocals1985-2017
    Fred CouryDrums, backing vocals1986–1991, 1996–2017
  • Cinderella was formed in 1983 and signed to a recording contract with Mercury/Polygram Records in 1985. The band received a big break when Jon Bon Jovi saw them perform at The Empire Rock Club in Philadelphia, and, recommended to his A&R representative, Derek Shulman, that he see them as well. During the video for "Somebody Save Me," from Cinderella's debut album, Night Songs, Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora make an appearance near the end while standing outside the recording studio. The band spent seven months in 1987 as the opener on Bon Jovi's Slippery When Wet tour.
  • From 1986-1994 Cinderella recorded four albums for Mercury Records with sales approaching 15 million. The band recorded a live album in 1999, Live At The Key Club, which was released through Cleopatra Records. They signed a brief contract with Sony Records, but, never recorded an album for the label.
  • Inspired by his heroes The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin, Tom Keifer started writing songs. Keifer stated, "Why do they get to make records? It's because they have their own songs. And, you're gonna need that before you get an opportunity to make a record."
  • Tom Keifer moved the band in a blues rock direction with the band's last three albums, Long Cold Winter, Heartbreak Station, and Still Climbing. Keifer wanted to get away from the slick production sound of multiple layers. In his Songfacts interview, he explained: "We started to have more organic instruments - pianos and acoustics." This is evidenced with the band's use of acoustic slide guitar and a thick Blues beat from the bass guitar and drums. On the recording of the album Heartbreak Station the band used the famed Memphis Horns brass section.
  • MTV helped bring Cinderella to fame by putting music videos from the band's first three albums in heavy rotation. But, with MTV's desire to test new markets of grunge and alternative music, the network ignored Cinderella's 1994 album Still Climbing. There was little marketing support from Mercury Records for the same reason. Cinderella never recorded a studio album again.
  • Cinderella has continued to tour though the years even though not being signed to a record deal. Illness hit the band in 2008 when singer Tom Keifer hemorrhaged his left vocal chord, leaving it partially paralyzed. He was told by doctors that he would never sing again. Keifer recovered and Cinderella was scheduled to return to the stage in 2009 at the Rock Gone Wild Festival in Iowa, but, the festival was eventually canceled. The band resumed touring in 2010 and performed a 25th anniversary tour of 20 shows in the spring and summer of 2011. In March 2013, Cinderella was a main attraction as part of the 2013 Monsters of Rock Cruise that sailed off the coast of Florida.

Comments: 1

  • Brian Cross from Southern New Jersey Cinderella is my favorite band of all time.
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