In a recent interview with Loudersound, Fozzy frontman Chris Jericho talked about his journey to forming a band and being taken seriously as a singer years later.
Chris Jericho has a successful career as a heavy metal singer and wrestler. Although he gained recognition in the ring, he wanted to go after music. He initially formed the band Fozzy to cover songs, but later they decided to produce original materials that made them an international success.
According to many, Fozzy developed a sound somewhere between Metallica and Journey. They released their self-titled debut album in 2000, gaining an international fan base and making Jericho a well-known frontman. They have been in the industry since 1999 and have released seven studio albums and a live album.
When recently asked about his fans’ reactions to starting Fozzy, Jericho stated that they were initially suspicious because he was known as a wrestler, which caused them to question the band. He also said that at first, it was a kind of gimmick as he was unsure of his singing abilities, but eventually, they signed with Megaforce Records, and they began to be taken more seriously as a band.
Jericho’s thoughts on the start of his music career with his band Fozzy:
“Oh, for sure. Because it was Chris Jericho, the wrestler, people thought it was just a gimmick band at the start, and, to be fair, back then, it was. It all started because I met Rich Ward from Stuck Mojo backstage at a WCW show, and we just hit it off. So, there was a little suspicion, but that’s how Fozzy started.
We were doing covers, but we wanted to do more. Not many people know this, but our first record deal was signed by Johnny Zazula, who recently passed away but signed Metallica and Anthrax to Megaforce Records. Fozzy was the last band he ever signed.”
Another venture he wanted to pursue was podcasting, so he launched ‘Talk is Jericho’ in 2013. The superstar now has multiple incomes, from wrestling to singing to podcasting, which helps him fulfill and satisfy himself creatively and support his family.
