Graham Bonnet

During the 1980s, visual presentation defined hard rock and heavy metal, so that performers lacking long hair or outfits built around studs, spikes, leather, and spandex stood out sharply. Singer Graham Bonnet, whose style merged the cool of James Dean with the pastel-suited aesthetic of Miami Vice-era Don Johnson, illustrated this mismatch even though he briefly fronted such established acts as Rainbow, the Michael Schenker Group, and Alcatrazz. Born December 23, 1947 in Skegness, Lincolnshire, England, Bonnet first registered commercially in the late ’60s when the Marbles scored a hit with “Only One Woman.” He reportedly devoted much of the following decade to advertising jingles before releasing a self-titled solo debut in 1977 that succeeded in Australia thanks to his reading of Bob Dylan’s “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue,” then notched another cover success the next year with the Bee Gees’ “Warm Ride.” Near the decade’s end he was selected to succeed Ronnie James Dio in Rainbow, steering the band toward a more melodic, radio-oriented sound on 1980’s Down to Earth.

Bonnet’s stint with Rainbow proved brief, after which he resumed solo work and registered a U.K. hit single with “Night Games” from 1981’s Line Up. He next joined the Michael Schenker Group for one album, 1982’s Assault Attack. In 1983 Bonnet helped launch Alcatrazz, whose early lineups included two leading guitar figures of the decade—Yngwie Malmsteen on 1984’s No Parole from Rock ’n’ Roll and Live Sentence, and Steve Vai on 1985’s Disturbing the Peace. After a third studio release, 1986’s Dangerous Games, Alcatrazz disbanded. Bonnet has since contributed to albums by Pretty Maids, Impellitteri, Blackthorne, Anthem, Stardust Reverie, and Eddie Hardin, while issuing occasional solo projects such as 1991’s Here Comes the Night, 1997’s Underground, and 1999’s The Day I Went Mad. He has since settled into a routine of touring and recording both independently and alongside his recurring musical partners.