Biography
The Four Horsemen surfaced among the late-'80s acts that deliberately turned to earlier eras for creative fuel instead of chasing current sounds. Delivering unadorned hard rock modeled on Lynyrd Skynyrd and AC/DC, their rowdy boogie numbers briefly won over both critics and listeners before internal struggles and outside pressures abruptly halted the group's momentum.
Englishman Haggis, born Stephen Harris, first reached public notice in the mid-'80s under the stage name Kid Chaos as bassist for the fleeting glam act Zodiac Mindwarp and the Love Reaction. After a short run on rhythm guitar with the Cult, he relocated to L.A. in 1988 and joined forces with singer Frank Starr, lead guitarist Dave Lizmi, bassist Ben Pape, and drummer Ken "Dimwit" Montgomery, who had previously played in Canadian hardcore band D.O.A., to launch the Four Horsemen.
Arithmetic may have eluded the five-piece, yet their command of rock was evident on the self-titled debut EP, which mixed a raw, straightforward AC/DC vibe with Southern-rock accents. Steady live work sharpened their stage abilities and paved the way for the full-length Nobody Said It Was Easy, produced by Rick Rubin and issued on his Def American label. The album drew largely favorable notices and earned opening slots with Lynyrd Skynyrd and labelmates the Black Crowes, though it moved few copies. Apart from occasional MTV spins of the "Tired Wings" video, the band's main visibility came from eager British writers who devoted equal space to inflating vocalist Frank Starr's outlaw image and praising the music. Members later labeled these accounts exaggerated rock mythology, noting that fabricated reports of Starr's legal issues, drug arrests, parole violations, and prison time masked the simpler truth of weak sales.
After Def American dropped them without ceremony, drummer Dimwit died of a heroin overdose on September 27, 1994. Haggis left the group in the aftermath and was soon followed by bassist Pape, yet the Four Horsemen re-formed—this time literally numbering four—with Starr, Lizmi, new bassist Pharoah, and Dimwit's brother, ex-Black Flag and Danzig drummer Chuck Biscuits (listed as Randy Cooke on the sleeve for contractual reasons) completing Gettin' Pretty Good at Barely Gettin' By in 1996. Before the album appeared, Starr was struck by a drunk driver, fell into a coma, and died on June 18, 1999. Former Little Caesar singer Ron Young had briefly joined for touring dates while awaiting Starr's recovery, but the band dissolved before that passing occurred.
Englishman Haggis, born Stephen Harris, first reached public notice in the mid-'80s under the stage name Kid Chaos as bassist for the fleeting glam act Zodiac Mindwarp and the Love Reaction. After a short run on rhythm guitar with the Cult, he relocated to L.A. in 1988 and joined forces with singer Frank Starr, lead guitarist Dave Lizmi, bassist Ben Pape, and drummer Ken "Dimwit" Montgomery, who had previously played in Canadian hardcore band D.O.A., to launch the Four Horsemen.
Arithmetic may have eluded the five-piece, yet their command of rock was evident on the self-titled debut EP, which mixed a raw, straightforward AC/DC vibe with Southern-rock accents. Steady live work sharpened their stage abilities and paved the way for the full-length Nobody Said It Was Easy, produced by Rick Rubin and issued on his Def American label. The album drew largely favorable notices and earned opening slots with Lynyrd Skynyrd and labelmates the Black Crowes, though it moved few copies. Apart from occasional MTV spins of the "Tired Wings" video, the band's main visibility came from eager British writers who devoted equal space to inflating vocalist Frank Starr's outlaw image and praising the music. Members later labeled these accounts exaggerated rock mythology, noting that fabricated reports of Starr's legal issues, drug arrests, parole violations, and prison time masked the simpler truth of weak sales.
After Def American dropped them without ceremony, drummer Dimwit died of a heroin overdose on September 27, 1994. Haggis left the group in the aftermath and was soon followed by bassist Pape, yet the Four Horsemen re-formed—this time literally numbering four—with Starr, Lizmi, new bassist Pharoah, and Dimwit's brother, ex-Black Flag and Danzig drummer Chuck Biscuits (listed as Randy Cooke on the sleeve for contractual reasons) completing Gettin' Pretty Good at Barely Gettin' By in 1996. Before the album appeared, Starr was struck by a drunk driver, fell into a coma, and died on June 18, 1999. Former Little Caesar singer Ron Young had briefly joined for touring dates while awaiting Starr's recovery, but the band dissolved before that passing occurred.
Albums