Skid Row Tap Broadway Star of ‘Rock of Ages’ and ‘Spider Man: Turn Off the Dark’ As New Lead Singer

Skid Row have a new lead singe, who they announced on Thursday (Oct. 29) via a scorching cover of The Who’s “Won’t Get Fooled Again.” The announcement came in an Instagram video in which the veteran New Jersey hair metal band crowed, “NEW BLOOD. SAME ATTITUDE. After more than two years off searching the globe for their next frontman, Skid Row found him in the very state the band was born… NEW JERSEY! WELCOME @justinmsargent TO SKID ROW!”

The latest singer to lead the band that ex-vocalist Sebastian Bach fronted for more than a decade is Broadway veteran Justin Sargent, who made his stage debut in 2011 in the hard rock jukebox musical Rock of Ages, as well as appearing in Bonnie & Clyde and as the lead in the famously troubled superhero musical Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark.

“Well, HERE WE GO! I’ve been holding onto this for a while, but I’m beyond excited to finally announce that I’m officially the new lead singer of the legendary SKID ROW!,” Sargent wrote on Instagram. “I’ve spent my life chasing loud guitars, big stages, and the kind of music that makes you feel like you can take on the world. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that road would lead me here!”

The singer who has also appeared on TV in small parts on Royal Pains, Mr. Robot and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, thanked his family and friends for their support, as well as Skid Row co-founders guitarist Dave “The Snake” Sabo and bassist Rachel Bolan, longtime guitarist Scotti Hill and current drummer Rob Hammersmith for welcoming him into the SR family and trusting him with their legacy.

“The last few months have been surreal and I can’t wait to share what we’ve been cooking up. And to the Skid Row fans, I know what these songs mean to you…they mean a hell of a lot to me, and I’ll give ‘em every damn thing I’ve got!!” promised the 41-year-old vocalist whose theatrical performance style and vocal flair are on full display in the video for the Who cover (see below). “I can’t wait to get out there and raise some hell together.. The next chapter starts now!”

In their post, the band said they’ve been in the studio with Sargent “making noise, and getting ready to begin the next chapter.”

Bach toured this year as the lead singer of Twisted Sister, replacing frontman Dee Snider, who had to withdraw from the band’s 50th anniversary tour due to health issues. He fronted Skid Row from 1987-1996, replacing original singer Matt Fallon. The former frontman was the voice of the band’s biggest radio hits, including their self-titled debut album’s Billboard Hot 100 No. 4 charting “18 to Life,” as well as “I Remember You” (No. 6) and “Youth Gone Wild” (No. 99). He also sang on the group’s 1991 Slave to the Grind and 1995’s Subhuman Race before getting booted in 1996 as Skid Row’s fortunes began to fade amid the rise of the grittier grunge rock sound.

Interestingly, Bach has also tried his hand at Broadway, making his debut in the title roles in Jeckyll & Hyde in 2000, as well as appearing as Riff Raff in a 2001 production of The Rocky Horror Show.

Skid Row reformed in 1999 with a new singer, Johnny Solinger, and has cycled through a series of lead singers over the years, including, on a temporary basis, Halestorm’s Lzzy Hale in 2024; for a brief period in 1992, Judas Priest’s Rob Halford stepped in for some live shows when Bach was unavailable.

Watch Skid Row’s video for their cover of “Won’t Get Fooled Again” and check out their 2027 tour dates below.

Skid Row 2027 tour dates