Rachel Bolan[1] (born February 9, 1964),[2] born James Richard Southworth, is an American musician, best known as the bassist and main songwriter of the metal band Skid Row.
Career
Bolan was born in 1964 to Aida and Hubert Southworth.[3] He grew up in Toms River, New Jersey. The youngest of four children, Bolan is half Portuguese.[4][2] When he was in junior high school he began considering a career in music after drummer Damian Cordisco asked him to play bass in his band. Bolan's first gig was in 1978 at Manasquan High School. Bolan credits Cordisco with opening his ears to music he had not heard, by artists such as Ramones, AC/DC, Joe Jackson, Sex Pistols, the Cars and Elvis Costello.[5] Bolan graduated from Toms River High School East in 1982.[6][7]
His stage name 'Rachel' is a hybrid of his brother's name, Richard, and his grandfather's name, Manuel.[8] 'Bolan' is a tribute to one of his childhood idols, T. Rex frontman Marc Bolan.[9] In 1990, Bolan legally changed his name to Rachel Bolan Southworth.[3]
After high school, Bolan joined with Scotti Hill and other musicians to form a band named Godsend. In 1986, guitarist Dave "The Snake" Sabo was forming the band Darkness, and he brought Hill and Bolan into the band. They changed the band name to Skid Row in late 1986.[10]
Bolan has another side project called the Quazimotors. He did this project with Skid Row drummer Rob Affuso, Jonathan Callicutt and Evil Jim Wright (guitarist for Spectremen, BigFoot, Road Hawgs).
Personal life
Bolan married longtime girlfriend Donna "Roxxi" Feldman on June 10, 1994, but later divorced.[11] He has no children.[12]
He drives racecars in his free time. He competes in high performance go-karts, Legends Cars, Thunder Roadster, and Pro-Challenge series cars.[13]
^Makin, Bob. "Skid Row guitarist Dave 'Snake' Sabo returns home to Sayreville to rock Starland Ballroom", Courier News, November 3, 2017. Accessed November 22, 2017. "After over 3 decades of making music together, Skid Row’s 3 original members — guitarists Dave 'Snake' Sabo and Scotti Hill and bassist Rachel Bolan — never take their success for granted, Sayreville-raised Sabo said.... But when that opportunity went to Richie Sambora, the childhood friends from Robin Place and Robin Hood Drive in Sayreville became management mates at McGhee Entertainment soon after Sabo formed Skid Row with Toms River-raised Bolan in 1986."
