Tom Cruise is about to become a rock god in "Rock of Ages." The Broadway musical adaptation, directed by Adam Shankman ("Hairspray"), casts Cruise as Stacee Jaxx, a near past his prime glam icon in his last moments at the top of the charts.
There are a number of 1980s rockers who could have inspired Cruise's portrayal of a narcissistic rocker over-indulging the trappings of his fame. Here's a closer look at a few of Stacee Jaxx's likely influences.
Bret Michaels, Poison
The Poison anthem "Nothing But a Good Time" gets a workout in "Rock of Ages." Poison lead singer Bret Michaels knows all about being a glam frontman approaching the precipice of his fame.
Michaels and his Poison bandmates are remembered for remarkable debauchery on the road with a legendary trail of groupies, depicted repeatedly in the band's music videos, and underlined by repeated trips to rehab for lead guitarist C.C Deville.
Axl Rose, Guns N' Roses
Of all the legendary lead singers/bad boys of the late 1980s, none is more iconic than Axl Rose. The GN'R lead singer is brash, flamboyant, and, at times, nearly talented enough to justify his bad behavior.
The Guns N' Roses classic "Paradise City" is featured in "Rock of Ages," which lends to the notion of Axl's influence, but the Rose impact really comes when you see Stacee doing an interview while drinking directly from a bottle of Jack Daniels, a move pioneered by Axl in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Jim Morrison, The Doors
The legendary lead singer of The Doors has nothing to do with the hair band era of "Rock of Ages," passing away in 1971. However, Morrison's legendary excess and rock star swagger were the guiding influence of most rock 'n' roll lead singers who followed him.
Morrison's outsized antics live on in rock history as much or even more than his amazing talent. The rockers of the '80s were Morrison's children, each trying to match his onstage bravado and offstage excess.
Keith Richards, The Rolling Stones
The influence of Keith Richards is different than the other rockers on this list. The mythic stories of Richards's drug use are so wonderfully colorful and outlandish that it's hard to imagine an actor, especially one as diligent as Cruise, or screenwriter wouldn't want to incorporate a little Keith into a fictional rock star.
Legendary tales like Richards having his blood "replaced" or snorting his late father's ashes are too unique and priceless not to be influences on a comic creation like Stacee Jaxx.
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