Having just announced his new record deal with Frontiers, seasoned hard rock singer John Corabi is returning Ireland to play The Belfast Empire, for his first time ever, on Thursday 12 February 2025 and he's bringing his live band which includes his son Ian on drums. Tickets go on sale, from usual outlets, tomorrow at 9am!
John Corabi (born April 26, 1959 in Philadelphia) is a hard rock singer and guitarist who has worked with such bands as Angora, The Scream, Mötley Crüe, Union and ESP (both with former Kiss lead guitarist Bruce Kulick), Ratt (as a guitarist), Twenty 4 Seven (with his then Ratt bandmate Bobby Blotzer), Zen Lunatic, Brides of Destruction, and Angel City Outlaws (with his then Ratt bandmates Robbie Crane and Bobby Blotzer, and former Ratt guitarist Keri Kelli, who he replaced in Ratt).
He is the current lead singer for The Dead Daisies. After graduating high school, Corabi worked doing various odd jobs while singing lead for his band Angora. A visit to Los Angeles during the height of the ‘80s metal scene convinced him to relocate there in 1986 and soon Angora had joined him. The band managed to attract a following and they recorded a demo tape featuring 6 tracks, but, aside from some interest from Gene Simmons, internal tensions wrecked the group before they could land a recording deal. Their members went on to other bands and Corabi went on to form Saints Or Sinners which later changed their name to The Scream in 1989, with former Racer X members guitarist Bruce Bouillet, bassist John Alderete and drummer Scott Travis. The Scream released only one record which included the single “I Believe In Me” and the beautiful ballad “Father, Mother, Son” which Corabi would perform regularly years later on his solo projects and other bands.
After Mötley Crüe parted ways with lead singer Vince Neil in February 1992, Corabi was hired as his replacement. Bassist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee stated that the band would benefit from the addition of Corabi's voice and having another musician contribute to the songwriting. Corabi recorded the self-titled Mötley Crüe album in 1994 and the EP Quaternary. Though the music was heavier and more elaborate than the rest of the Mötley Crüe catalog, it did not sell as well as previous releases from the band. During the early stages of the writing of a new album which would become Generation Swine, Mötley Crüe's record label refused to provide funds to record the album unless Vince Neil was let back in the band. Rather than hiring another label, Mötley Crüe acceded to the demand and by 1997 Corabi was replaced by the returning Vince Neil. Many of the songs from the early writing session were used on the album and Corabi is credited on the liner notes for co-writing some of the songs. Corabi & the rest of Mötley Crüe made personal appearances at London's Hard Rock Cafe at a private party in February 1994 promoting their self-titled Mötley Crüe album. The evening was also attended by many Mötley Crüe competition winners who were invited into the VIP area to chat to Corabi, as well as the other 3 band members.
In July 2015, Corabi and his band performed at a bar and played all of the songs of the Mötley Crüe album. Weeks after the performance, Corabi stated "The album would have made it if this was under a different band name". Union was formed in 1997 from recently released musician Bruce Kulick of Kiss, John Corabi, Brent Fitz, and Jamie Hunting. John and Bruce wrote what would become the first Union album (self titled) and proceeded with a nationwide acoustic tour, to promote the album, featuring just Corabi and Kulick (both on guitar). Soon the full band went on a world tour headlining small venues in support of the Union album. The second album "Live in the Galaxy" was a live recording with 2 acoustic tracks recorded in a mobile studio. The third and final Union album, The Blue Room, was a more polished sound than the first studio CD. Union never officially called it quits (playing live shows every so often with guest drummers and bass players), but with Kulick playing along with Grand Funk Railroad, Corabi playing with many bands, most notably Ratt, and both members being tied up in solo projects, Union will probably never return to write new studio material.
With Union, Corabi toured America and Europe for a few years. In 2012 Corabi released a solo album named John Corabi Unplugged followed by a long promotional European tour where Corabi played more than 30 shows all over Europe.
On April 16th, 2015 John Corabi is offi cially announced as the new lead singer of the band The Dead Daisies, shaping a deluxe line-up along with Marco Mendoza, Richard Fortus (later replaced by Doug Aldrich), Brian Tichy and David Lowy. Corabi has recorded with the band the studio LPs “Revolución” (2015) and “Make Some Noise” (2016) the live record “Live & Louder” (2017) Burn it Down (2018) Locked and Loaded (2019) Light'em Up (2024) and Ressurected Vol. I (2024) and he has played on those tours.
John Corabi is currently recording a new solo studio album for Frontiers Records and will be hittin the road by beginning of 2026 in Europe.
