In the world of heavy rock, there seems to be a trend for having a frontman who also has another talent: Bruce Dickinson from Iron Maiden is a qualified commercial airline pilot, while Chris Irvine—aka Chris Jericho, the lead singer in Fozzy— is also an American-Canadian professional wrestler.

The American band combines the rawness of Metallica, the melody of Journey, and the guitar riffs of AC/DC into a unique sound that has led to the release of eight albums since their formation.

“The band first started off as a covers band, playing mostly songs from eighties rock acts, paying homage to the greats that came before us,” explained guitarist Rich Ward to me from his home in Atlanta, Georgia.

Not surprisingly, the name Fozzy has a link to the legendary Ozzy Osbourne, with the band being originally called Fozzy Osbourne in tribute to the former Black Sabbath frontman. “I never saw Ozzy in Black Sabbath but saw him on the Bark at the Moon tour as well as the Ultimate Sin tour too and several times post-2000,” said Rich.

While the band now writes the majority of their own songs, they still slip in a few cover versions on their records— their last album even had a version of the Frankie Goes to Hollywood smash Relax, a track that would not normally be associated with a heavy rock group. Rich remains a big fan of the track. “Any kid who grew up in North America in the eighties loved that song because the video was on MTV constantly and on the radio too – we felt it was a prime candidate to make a rock version of the song: it has some heavy overtones and is quite dark, but what was missing, we thought, was some guitars on the track, hence another reason to do our version.”

It is unusual for a lead singer to also be a professional wrestler, in heavy metal or music in general. Both careers can be challenging, with both requiring stamina, fitness and dedication, points which Rich agreed with. “Chris is a one of one; it is hard enough to become a professional musician, but to be a successful wrestler as well and to do well at both is an incredible accomplishment which comes down to a hard work ethic and being committed as well as being talented. On top of that, Chris has one of the most popular radio shows in America and has been on the New York Times bestseller list four times for his books. He’s the terminator who can’t be stopped!”

From the formation of Fozzy, they never wanted the group to be seen as a vanity project or not taken seriously because Chris was a professional wrestler. “We have always written songs from the heart; we still feel like we did when we were sixteen listening to our Judas Priest and Iron Maiden albums and live up to the high standards of our rock heroes. The eighties were such a good time for British rock bands with Def Leppard, Saxon and Motörhead, acts that influenced so many American rock bands. I loved Motley Crue and Van Halen, though there was never any question that Britain was the birthplace of heavy metal and always did it better.”

Fozzy returns to the north for a few dates, something Rich is excited about, having played here many times. “The first time we came over there, we were getting bigger audiences than back home, maybe because we came from a working-class background – much like the British bands I’ve mentioned, it resonated with the audience – and also because the culture of wrestling is popular in the UK. Ticket sales for the tour are doing very well – we have two support bands, Tailgunner and Marisa and the Moths. The night will not be just about Fozzy but celebrating heavy metal and giving fans an incredible night out.”

The north in particular remains a special place for Fozzy to perform in. ‘I love coming back to Bradford – the first time I played a gig there was in 1996 at Bradford Rio’s; Fozzy played there too in 2006,’ remembered Rich. ‘It is great that you have a new venue, Nightrain, that supports new and older bands – we are looking forward to playing there; it will be a night to remember.’ ”.

Fozzy plays the following dates in the north:

8th February - The Ritz, Manchester 

11th February- Nightrain, Bradford 

15th February - Boilershop, Newcastle 

https://fozzyrock.com/tour/