Ralph Michael Saenz (born May 17, 1965), better known as Michael Starr, is an American musician who is best known as the lead vocalist and occasional guitarist of the comedic

glam metal Glam metal (also known as hair metal or pop metal) is a subgenre of heavy metal that features pop-influenced hooks and guitar riffs, upbeat rock anthems, and slow power ballads. It borrows heavily from the fashion and image of 1970s glam ...

band

Steel Panther Steel Panther is an American comedic glam metal band from Los Angeles, California. They are known for their profane and humorous lyrics as well as their exaggerated onstage pastiche of the stereotypical glam metal lifestyle. History Metal Sho ...

Early life

Ralph Michael Saenz was born in Chicago on May 17, 1965. He is of Spanish and Swedish descent. He was raised primarily in the

Van Nuys Van Nuys () is a neighborhood in the central San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. Home to Van Nuys Airport and the Valley Municipal Building, it is the most populous neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley. History In 1909, ...

neighborhood of Los Angeles, where his father was a college professor. He is often cited as having a Ph.D. in English from

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...

, however, this is a common misconception, as Saenz had lied about his education to get an apartment when his credit was being checked.

Career

Saenz was the lead singer for the David Lee Roth-era

Van Halen Van Halen ( ) was an American rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. Credited with "restoring hard rock to the forefront of the music scene", Van Halen was known for its energetic live shows and for the virtuosity of its lead gu ...

tribute band Atomic Punks from May 1994 to December 2008, where he used the stage name David Lee Ralph. He formed the band with future bandmate, Steel Panther guitarist

Russ Parrish Russell John Parrish (born November 24, 1970), better known as Satchel, is an American musician. He is the lead guitarist for the comedic glam metal band Steel Panther. Early life Russell John Parrish was born in Redwood City, California. ...

. Saenz was briefly the lead singer for L.A. Guns, singing on the ''

Wasted Wasted may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature *'' Wasted: Tales of a GenX Drunk'', a 1997 memoir by Mark Judge *'' Wasted: A Memoir of Anorexia and Bulimia'', a 1998 autobiography by Marya Hornbacher *'' Wasted: A Childhood Sto ...

'' EP. He also has sung for the band 7% Solution. Saenz formed

, a satirical metal band, in 2000 with Parrish under the name Metal Shop (soon changed into Metal Skool, Danger Kitty

or a commercial Or or OR may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * "O.R.", a 1974 episode of List of M*A*S*H episodes (Season 3), M*A*S*H * Or (My Treasure), a 2004 movie from Israel (''Or'' means "light" in Hebrew) Music * Or (album), ''Or ...

then into Steel Panther). The band has become successful worldwide, and has many celebrity fans who have performed onstage with them. He provided background vocals for AFI on the albums ''

Sing the Sorrow ''Sing the Sorrow'' is the sixth studio album by American rock band AFI. Recorded at Cello Studios in Los Angeles, California between 2002 and 2003, the album was produced by Jerry Finn and Butch Vig. ''Sing the Sorrow'' received positive revi ...

'' and '' Decemberunderground''

Discography

With Steel Panther

* ''Hole Patrol'' (2003) * ''

Feel the Steel ''Feel the Steel'' is the debut studio album by American glam metal band Steel Panther. It was released first in Europe on June 8, 2009, on Universal Records. The tracks "Fat Girl", "Stripper Girl" and "Hell's on Fire" are re-recordings from the ...

'' (2009) * '' Balls Out'' (2011) * '' All You Can Eat'' (2014) * ''

Lower the Bar ''Lower the Bar'' is the fourth studio album by American glam metal band Steel Panther. It was originally scheduled for release on February 24, 2017, but was delayed to the following month. Robin Zander and Bobbie Brown made cameo appearances i ...

'' (2017) * '' Heavy Metal Rules'' (2019)

With Metal Sludge

* ''Hey That's What I Call Sludge – Vol 1'' (2003)

With L.A. Guns

* ''

'' (1998)

Guest appearances

* Fozzy – '' Do You Wanna Start a War'' (vocals on "Tonight") * Gus G. – ''I Am the Fire'' (vocals on "Redemption") *

Ninja Sex Party Ninja Sex Party (often abbreviated as NSP) is an American musical comedy duo consisting of singer Dan Avidan and keyboardist Brian Wecht. They formed in 2009 in New York City and are currently based in Los Angeles. They are also known as two t ...

– '' Attitude City'' and ''Level Up'' (vocals on " 6969") * Nanowar of Steel – ''Uranus'' * Various artists – '' Peacemaker'' (featured artist in "

Pumped Up Kicks "Pumped Up Kicks" is a song by American indie pop band Foster the People. It was released as the band's debut single in September 2010, and the following year was included on their EP ''Foster the People'' and their debut album, ''Torches''. "Pu ...

") *

Crashdïet Crashdïet (often stylised as CRASHDÏET) are a Swedish glam metal band formed in Stockholm in 2000. The group consists of Martin Sweet, Peter London, Eric Young and Gabriel Keyes. They have released six albums: 2005's ''Rest in Sleaze'', 20 ...

- ''Automaton'' (Vocals on
Powerline
)

References

External links

Rock Pit Interview
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Starr, Michael 1965 births American male comedians 21st-century American comedians American rock singers Glam metal musicians L.A. Guns members Living people Steel Panther University of California, Berkeley alumni