Editing Rachel Bolan

{{Short description|American bassist}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2022}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name              = Rachel Bolan
| image             = Rachel Bolan – Wacken Open Air 2014 01.jpg
| caption           = Bolan at [[Wacken Open Air]] in 2014
| birth_name        = James Richard Southworth
| birth_date        = {{Birth date and age|1964|2|9}}
| birth_place       = [[Point Pleasant, New Jersey]], U.S.
| instrument        = Bass
| genre             = [[Hard rock]], [[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]]
| occupation        = {{flatlist|
* Musician
* songwriter
* producer
}}
| years_active      = 1981–present
| label             = 
| current_member_of = {{flatlist|
*[[Skid Row (American band)|Skid Row]]
*{{ill|Prunella Scales (band)|lt=Prunella Scales|es|Prunella Scales}}
}}
| past_member_of    = 
| website           = {{URL|skidrow.com}}
}}
'''Rachel Bolan'''<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.dallasobserver.com/music/rachel-bolan-of-skid-row-talks-eps-having-a-girls-name-and-refusing-to-bury-the-hatchet-with-sebastian-bach-7077240 | title = Rachel Bolan of Skid Row Talks EPs, Having a Girl's Name and Refusing to Bury the Hatchet with Sebastian Bach | author = Darryl Smyers | date = May 23, 2014}}</ref> (born February 9, 1964),<ref name="merged1">{{cite AV media |date=July 13, 2020 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WN9ktiNYUU |title=Skid Row Bassist Rachel Bolan Live 2020! |publisher=ADIKA LIVE! |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=February 18, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200913122711/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WN9ktiNYUU |archive-date=September 13, 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref> born '''James Richard Southworth''', is an American musician, best known as the bassist and main songwriter of the [[Heavy metal music|metal]] band [[Skid Row (American band)|Skid Row]].

==Career==
Bolan was born in 1964 to Aida and Hubert Southworth.<ref name="name change"/> He grew up in [[Toms River, New Jersey]]. The youngest of four children, Bolan is half Portuguese.<ref>{{cite AV media | people = Lebofilms | title = Rachel Bolan Skid Row Spooky Empire 2017 Interview | url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSkLAJ0tH78 | medium = Video | publisher = Lebofilms | location = Orlando, Florida | date = October 29, 2017 }}</ref><ref name="merged1"/> 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 (musician)|Joe Jackson]], [[Sex Pistols]], [[the Cars]] and [[Elvis Costello]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theaquarian.com/2013/10/23/shoreworld-damian-a-cordisco-1963-2013/|title=Shoreworld: Damian A. Cordisco – 1963 – 2013 &#124; the Aquarian|date=December 8, 2023 }}</ref> Bolan graduated from [[Toms River High School East]] in 1982.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/75595323/graduates-of-toms-river-east-remember-at/ |title=Graduates of Toms River East remember athlete |date=June 18, 1982 |newspaper=[[Asbury Park Press]] |page=7 }}</ref><ref>Voger, Mark. [https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/145262756/ "Greetings From Sayreville And Toms River"], ''[[Asbury Park Press]]'', November 1, 2002. Accessed June 8, 2021, via [[Newspapers.com]]. "Meanwhile, down the road a piece, Bolan graduated class of '82 from Toms River High School East. 'Barely,' he notes. 'I was never big on school."</ref>

His stage name 'Rachel' is a hybrid of his brother's name, Richard, and his grandfather's name, Manuel.<ref>{{cite AV media | people = GigSnapper | title = Rachel Bolan Skid Row Interview | url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtvliuZKPTM | medium = Video | publisher = GigSnapper | location = Bristol Bierkeller, Bristol, United Kingdom | date = October 17, 2014 }}</ref> 'Bolan' is a tribute to one of his childhood idols, [[T. Rex (band)|T. Rex]] frontman [[Marc Bolan]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.metallian.com/skidrow.php|title=METALLIAN - Skid Row}}</ref> In 1990, Bolan legally changed his name to Rachel Bolan Southworth.<ref name="name change">{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/75595869/skid-row-guitarist-wants-a-name-change/ |title=Skid Row guitarist wants a name change |date=May 26, 1990 |newspaper=[[Asbury Park Press]] |page=35 }}</ref> 

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.<ref>Makin, Bob. [http://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/things-to-do/2017/11/03/skid-row-guitarist-dave-snake-sabo-starland-ballroom/818533001/ "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."</ref> 

Bolan has appeared as a vocalist on two of [[Kiss (band)|Kiss]] guitarist [[Ace Frehley]]'s solo albums and back-up vocals on [[Mötley Crüe]]'s ''Dr. Feelgood'' album. He has produced numerous bands including Rockets to Ruin, [[the Luchagors]] in 2007 with former wrestler [[Amy Dumas|Amy "Lita" Dumas]] and [[Atlantic Records]] [[Stoner rock|stoner metal]] band Godspeed. He formed the band {{ill|Prunella Scales (band)|lt=Prunella Scales|es|Prunella Scales}} with [[Solace (band)|Solace]] guitarist Tommy Southard and L. Wood.{{fact|date=January 2022}} Prunella Scales released "{{ill|Dressing Up the Idiot|es|Dressing up the idiot}}" on Mutiny Records in 1997.{{fact|date=January 2022}} Jack Roberts (guitar) and Ray Kubian (drums), both from the New Jersey–based band Mars Needs Women, joined Prunella Scales for touring. He played the bass guitar for [[Stone Sour]] on the band's records ''[[House of Gold & Bones - Part 1]]'' and ''[[House of Gold & Bones – Part 2]]'' as a replacement for the departed bassist Shawn Economaki. He can also be seen playing bass in [[TRUSTcompany]] music video for the single "Heart in My Hands".
 
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.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.myheritage.com/research/record-10182-2227738/donna-feldman-in-biographical-summaries-of-notable-people | title = Biographical Summaries of Notable People | author = My Heritage (USA) Inc. | accessdate=February 2, 2018}}</ref> He has no children.<ref>{{cite AV media | people = GigSnapper | title = Rachel Bolan Skid Row Interview | url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtvliuZKPTM | medium = Video | publisher = GigSnapper | location = Bristol Bierkeller, Bristol, United Kingdom | date = October 17, 2014 }}</ref>

He drives racecars in his free time. He competes in high performance go-karts, Legends Cars, Thunder Roadster, and Pro-Challenge series cars.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/bal-li.mixqa22feb22,0,6598572.story | title = Q&A with Amy Dumas | author = Kevin Eck | accessdate = May 28, 2007 | date = February 22, 2007 | url-status = dead | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20070403225835/http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/bal-li.mixqa22feb22,0,6598572.story | archivedate = April 3, 2007 | df = mdy-all }}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb name|1309457}}

{{Skid Row}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bolan, Rachel}}
[[Category:1964 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American heavy metal bass guitarists]]
[[Category:People from Point Pleasant, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Entertainers from Toms River, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Skid Row (American band) members]]
[[Category:Toms River High School East alumni]]
[[Category:American male bass guitarists]]
[[Category:20th-century American bass guitarists]]
[[Category:20th-century American women guitarists]]
[[Category:21st-century American bass guitarists]]