Background and career
Joseph Belladonna (born October 13, 1960) is an American metal singer, best known as the lead vocalist and frontman for thrash metal band Anthrax during its most commercially successful period (mid-1980s to early 1990s). Appearing on albums such as Spreading the Disease, Among the Living, State of Euphoria, and Persistence of Time, his high, melodic tenor and energetic stage presence helped define the band's sound. After initially being fired from the band in 1992, he briefly reunited with the classic lineup in 2005 and has been on every Anthrax tour since 2010. Belladonna recorded further albums with the band, including Worship Music, For All Kings, and Cursum Perficio. Outside of Anthrax, he has released solo material under the name Belladonna and performs with cover projects (including a Journey tribute band). He is a six-time Grammy nominee and was voted No. 1 metal singer two years running by Metal Forces magazine.
Belladonna was born Joseph Bellardini in Oswego, New York. Belladonna began singing as a teenager in Oswego, performing at his 7th and 8th grade graduations, and later in his high school choir, which he has described as his only formal vocal experience.
Throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s, Belladonna fronted local and regional cover bands in upstate New York, focusing on classic rock and hard rock material by artists such as Rush, Van Halen, Triumph, Journey, and Rainbow. One of these early groups was called Blitzkrieg. These club and local gigs helped him develop the strong, melodic tenor style that later defined his work.
In 1983, Belladonna, still using his birth name, became the vocalist for the band Bible Black, founded by Craig Gruber and Gary Driscoll (former members of Elf and Rainbow) and Andrew "Duck" MacDonald (who later joined Blue Cheer). Belladonna's predecessors in the band were Jeff Fenholt, who later had brief stints with Black Sabbath and Joshua, and Louis Marullo, aka Eric Adams, who left to join Manowar. Belladonna recorded the songs "Deceiver" and "Midnight Dance" with Bible Black. The band never officially released an album.
In early 1984, Belladonna auditioned for Anthrax after the band fired original vocalist Neil Turbin shortly after the recording of their debut album Fistful of Metal. Belladonna had never heard of the band prior to auditioning and didn’t even know what style of music the band played. Despite this he still managed to impress the band during his audition and got the job. The Armed and Dangerous EP marked Belladonna's recording debut with Anthrax in 1985. Anthrax's second album Spreading the Disease was released in October 1985. It became the band's first album to reach the Billboard 200 peaking at number 113 and was well-received as both a technical leap forward from Fistful of Metal and as a more original effort, and remains one of the band's most highly regarded albums. With leftover studio time from these sessions, Ian, Benante and former bandmate Dan Lilker collaborated with vocalist Billy Milano to form the side project Stormtroopers of Death, and recorded the album Speak English or Die in three days. It was released in August 1985 and is now considered a pioneering crossover thrash release, featuring one of the earliest examples of a blast beat on record. Afterwards, the project was put on hold as Ian and Benante turned their focus back on Anthrax. The US tour to support Spreading the Disease opening for Black Sabbath was canceled after four dates due to Sabbath singer Glenn Hughes' voice problems. In April 1986, Anthrax attempted its first tour of Europe beginning in Bochum, Germany, supported by Overkill and Agent Steel. The tour included a show near Chernobyl, Ukraine, immediately after the Chernobyl disaster. Later that year, Anthrax toured Europe with Metallica. The tour began on September 10 at St David's Hall and ended on September 26 in Solnahallen, Sweden. The Swedish show was Anthrax's last performance before the bus accident the following day, which killed Metallica bassist Cliff Burton.
The band's third studio album Among the Living was released in March 1987, and is often considered by both the band and critics to be a major breakthrough for Anthrax. Produced by Eddie Kramer, it showcased the band's humorous, experimental side and began a lyrical trend focusing on movies, politics, comic books and Stephen King novels. The album was dedicated to Cliff Burton's memory. Propelled by the singles "Indians" and "I Am the Law", the success of Among the Living not only turned Anthrax into a household name (along with the remaining "Big Four" of thrash metal–Metallica, Megadeth and Slayer), but eventually earned them one of their first certified-gold records by the RIAA. "I Am the Law", which was released as the album's second single, was backed with a rap-metal hybrid "I'm the Man" as its B-side. Anthrax further indulged its appreciation for rap by appearing on the title track of U.T.F.O.'s album, Lethal, and their worship for the genre was also attributed to Ian wearing a t-shirt of Public Enemy both on stage and for publicity photo shoots; in response, Public Enemy name-checked Anthrax in the lyrics to their 1988 single "Bring the Noise". Anthrax toured for over a year to promote Among the Living, touring Europe again with Metallica, the United States with Metal Church, Testament, D.R.I., Exodus and Celtic Frost, and supporting Kiss on their Crazy Nights tour. Anthrax released their fourth album State of Euphoria in September 1988, and it was produced by Mark Dodson, who had previously worked with Judas Priest, U.D.O. and Metal Church. While the album was not quite as well-received as Among the Living, owing to its "rushed" finish, State of Euphoria was certified gold about five months after its release, and one of the singles "Antisocial", originally by French heavy metal band Trust, became an MTV staple as part of the rotation on Headbangers Ball. By 1989, Anthrax was starting to play at arenas as a headlining or opening act, first supporting Ozzy Osbourne on his No Rest for the Wicked tour in North America, and then headlining European tours with Living Colour, Suicidal Tendencies and King's X, and the U.S. Headbangers Ball Tour with Exodus and Helloween. Also in 1989, MTV sponsored a contest in which the winner had her home trashed by the band. This would later inspire Anthrax's 1992 appearance on the television series Married... with Children, in which the Bundys win a similar TV contest.
