Metal Caravans

It only took Johnny Crash a mere couple of months gigging on the L.A. circuit before landing the deal with WTG/CBS Records. The first single off Neighbourhood Threat – ‘Hey Kid’ saw the band shoot their first music video and in turn, earned regular playback on MTV. On the back of regular play of the ‘Hey Kid’ video, Johnny Crash managed to pick up some major tours with the likes of Pretty Maids, Bonham and rock giants Motley Crue.
The Johnny Crash story begins all the way back in 1978 when Christopher Stewart (Rhythm Guitar) met August Worchell (Lead Guitar) at reform school in North California. A drummer back then, Chris, August and Faster Pussycat’s Eric Stacy played blues covers in a band called Champagne. Champagne included their school principal on vocals which they claim was the only way they’d get out to play is if he was with them. Chris later played with August in Mandy Lion’s World War III and in Neighbourhood Threat with Danny Stag and Johnny B Frank (subsequently in Kingdom Come). August brought in an old buddy Andy Rodgers (Bass) and Chris met Vicki James Wright (Vocals) through Tracii Guns after Vicki auditioned for LA Guns.
From a large family in Bradford, Yorkshire in North England, Vicki got into rock ‘n’ roll to “to piss people off”, to get back at the people who said he couldn’t do it. He did it and found out he liked it. After recording 2 albums with British rockers Tokyo Blade, he moved to L.A. in December of ‘85. Leaving England for the bright lights of Los Angeles. After finding his feet in the city of angels, two and a half years on, Vicki finally met Chris and the rest is history.
Stephen ‘Punkee’ Adamo (Drums) was born in Brooklyn and raised in Long Island and Poughside, NY. Moving to L.A. via Miami, FL in 1987 Steve met Chris and joined up with Johnny Crash after previously playing with another under-rated glam band Rock City Angels.
That’s where Suncity Records steps in. Like most Hard Rock bands in the transition period, Johnny Crash recorded a second unreleased album, this time without lead guitarist August. Instead featuring future Guns ‘N’ Roses members Matt Sorum (Drums) and Dizzy Reed (Guitar). It was heavily rumored after the recording of the second album that the real reason that it was never released was due to threats from Axel Rose. Apparently Axel told the guys that he would take legal action if Dizzy and Matt were used on anything other then the upcoming Guns ‘N’ Roses album. That very album had remained stored away collecting dust until now. Suncity Records will be releasing the 2nd unreleased album in its entirety that will be fittingly called ‘Unfinished Business’. I would expect Unfinished Business to be released before the year is out.
Johnny Crash simply disappeared after being dropped from WTG/CBS Records. In 1992, the band’s name was in the news again when Andy Rodgers tragically died of a heroin overdose. Post Johnny Crash saw August resurfaced shortly in American Heartbreak and go on to created a very successful tattoo ink company called Skin Candy.