Mark Slaughter

An American singer and multi-instrumentalist, Mark Slaughter gained widest recognition as the lead vocalist and namesake of the early-’90s glam-metal band Slaughter. Raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, he first fronted the hard-rock group Xcursion before stepping in as singer for Vinnie Vincent Invasion, the project led by the former Kiss guitarist. That association produced the single “Love Kills,” featured on the soundtrack of the 1988 horror film A Nightmare on Elm Street 4. Later the same year he formed Slaughter with Dana Strum, Vinnie Vincent Invasion’s bassist. After signing with Chrysalis Records, the lineup expanded in 1989 to a quartet that included drummer Blas Elias and guitarist Tim Kelly. The band’s 1990 debut, Stick It to Ya, moved more than two million copies behind the singles “Up All Night” and “Fly to the Angels.” Its 1992 follow-up, The Wild Life, earned gold certification, yet the rise of alternative rock and grunge eroded the group’s mainstream traction. When Chrysalis was absorbed by EMI, the band lost its deal and faced multiple setbacks before issuing Fear No Evil on CMC International in 1995. After 1997’s Revolution, guitarist Tim Kelly died from injuries sustained in an Arizona desert car crash. The remaining members regrouped in 1999 with guitarist Jeff Blando to record Back to Reality. Slaughter continued touring while Mark established himself as a voice actor and composer for television, film, and sports broadcasts. In 2014 he issued the solo single “Never Givin Up,” directing part of its proceeds to the Red Circle Foundation, an organization supporting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, where he has also volunteered. His first solo album, Reflections in a Rear View Mirror, appeared in 2015, followed in 2017 by Halfway There on EMP Label Group, the imprint founded by Megadeth bassist Dave Ellefson.