I am the onetime frontman for the hair-metal hitmakers Skid Row. I was born Sebastian Bierk in the Bahamas on April 3, 1968. A veteran of short-lived, little-known bands including Herrenvolk, Madame X, V05 and Kid Wikkid, I was living in Canada when in 1987 I received a demo tape from an unknown New Jersey band in search of a lead singer; the group was Skid Row. We were formed a year earlier by ex-Bon Jovi guitarist Dave "Snake" Sabo. Signing to Atlantic, we issued our self-titled debut album in 1989; an opening slot on Bon Jovi's U.S. tour, combined with heavy MTV airplay of the video "Youth Gone Wild," launched us to stardom, and the singles "18 and Life" and "I Remember You" both reached the Top Ten. I, with my wildman persona and photogenic looks, quickly emerged as the focus of fan and media attention, a situation compounded in late 1989 when, during a concert in Springfield, MA, I was hit in the head by a bottle thrown onstage; I proceeded to hurl the bottle back into the crowd, where it hit the face of an innocent girl, before physically assaulting another audience member as well. Sentenced to three years probation, I then appeared on MTV wearing a so-called 'offensive' T-shirt emblazoned with the slogan "AIDS Kills Fags Dead," prompting outcries from the gay community. Despite the bad publicity, Our second album, 1991's Slave to the Grind, debuted at number one, although it quickly fell off the charts; in the wake of 1995's disappointing Subhuman Race, I was fired from the group (Now they suck, They're nothing without me!!!!), briefly forming a band with ex-Breeder Kelley Deal before going solo in 1997. My album Bring 'Em Bach Alive arrived two years later, followed by my live DVD (Forever Wild) in 2004 and Angel Down in 2007.