 blackie lawless (born steven edward duren on september 4, 1956) is an american songwriter and musician best known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist (formerly bassist) for the heavy metal band w.a.s.p. ==early life== duren was raised in staten island, new york city, new york. he had a fundamentalist baptist upbringing, but has also claimed jewish ancestry."w.a.s.p.: blackie lawless". usa today. gannett company. 2005-01-21. retrieved 2014-06-10. he has said that he was "very active" in church as a youth and was born again at age eleven but in his late teens strayed from the church and became interested in the occult, but has returned to his christian faith in recent years. he has irish, french and native american ancestry. he is the nephew of the late major league baseball pitcher, ryne duren. ==career==  he began his career in music playing with bands such as black rabbit and orfax rainbow. in 1975, after johnny thunders left glam rock band new york dolls in the middle of a tour of florida, the band started auditioning for guitarists. lawless was hired but only stayed for the remainder of the tour.{{citation needed|date=july 2012}
1956_births American_Christians American_heavy_metal_guitarists American_heavy_metal_singers American_multi-instrumentalists American_people_of_French_descent American_people_of_Irish_descent American_people_of_Jewish_descent American_people_of_Native_American_descent Glam_metal_musicians Living_people People_from_Staten_Island W.A.S.P._members