On May 8th, 2021, former Skid Row vocalist Johnny Sollinger posted on this Facebook page regarding his health:
“It is with a heavy heart I must let everyone know what’s going on with me and my health. I have been hospitalized for over the last month. I have been diagnosed with liver failure. And the prognosis is not so good.”
On Saturday, June 26th, former Skid Row vocalist Johnny Sollinger passed away from complications due to liver failure. He was 56 years old.
Sollinger’s wife Paula Marcenary posted on Instagram:
“The reality is, you will grieve forever. You will not ‘get over’ the loss of a loved one; you will learn to live with it. You will heal and you will rebuild yourself around the loss you have suffered.”
Skid Row reformed after a three-year hiatus enlisting Sollinger to replace Skid Row’s second vocalist Sebastian Bach to record the album Thickskin and support KISS on their first of many farewell tours. Sollinger had a damn near impossible job being met with mixed opinions from long-time fans of Skid Row. However, regardless of the shit hand some Skid Row fans dealt him, Sollinger took it all like a champ and never let him get him down.
Johnny was a great vocalist. I saw him with Skid Row five times, and that boy could rip shit up. He had a confident and powerful stage presence, and he connected with the crowd. Sebastian Bach was very much a “look at me I’m a star” kind of singer while Johnny was one with the crowd and gave everyone a show that fans could feel included. Johnny played for the fans, not at the fans. So again, while he received a lot of harsh criticism for not being Sebastian Bach, Johnny just brushed it off like dust on his sleeve, and the band stood firm behind him, never backing down or caving into the social and industry pressure to go back to working with Sebastian Bach.
A Skid Row with Johnny Sollinger on the mic was a fucking awesome thing to see. In my opinion, the fans that went expecting to hear him replicate or try and top Sebastian Bach were the ones that talked shit. As a long-time Skid Row fan, I was and still am a fan of the songs and the music. Johnny sang those classic Skid Row songs like he had been singing them from day one, and he sang them with his own voice. It was a powerful voice that was easy to love. I would get goosebumps and even moved to tears every time he performed the songs “Quicksand Jesus” and “In a Darkened Room” because of his passion and connection to those songs.
Johnny and Skid Row parted ways amicably in 2015, just after releasing the band’s EP United World Rebellion Chapter II: The Rise of the Damnation Army. Chapters I and II showed a return to form for Skid Row as the band displayed a more aggressive, rage-fueled kind of writing that is very reminiscent of the band’s 2nd release, Slave to the Grind. I absolutely loved these albums, and I was looking forward to seeing where the band would go with Johnny as it sounded like they had so much more to give with no signs of tapping out.
I had the pleasure of meeting and conversing with Johnny many times, and every time he was such a kind and hilarious person. He even referred to me as “the great farthead” whenever we would cross paths after a show. He would thank me for the reviews I wrote, ask about my life, and show an interest in what I did as a writer. In addition, he was a great singer, a great performer, and a genuinely kind guy.
Skid Row, who now features former Dragonforce vocalist ZP Theart, released a statement via the official Skid Row Facebook page:
“We are saddened to hear the news of our brother Johnny Solinger. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and fans. Godspeed Singo. Say hello to Scrappy for us.”
Skid Row’s five current band members – Rachel Bolan, ZP Theart, Snake Sabo, Rob Hammersmith and Scotti Hill – signed off the message, adding: “Much love.”
Rest heavy, Johnny, and thank you for helping to keep one of my all-time favorite bands alive and kicking all those years.
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