Cinderella have lost their guitar player – We remember Jeff LaBar (1963-2021)

The first time I heard Cinderella they had released their debut album “Night Songs” and the song “Push Push” were played on Rockbox which was the one and only radio show worth mention for us who liked hard rock and heavy metal music. The song “Hell On Wheels” was also played on Rockbox but for me it was when they released the second album “Long Cold Winter” things started to get interested. Songs like “Gypsy Road” and “The Last Mile” was just brilliant and Cinderella took part in my life.

Jeff LaBar was born on the 18th of March 1963 and he joined Cinderella when their original guitarist Michael Schermick and drummer Tony Destra decided to start the band Britny Fox. The band was formed by Tom Keifer (song and guitar) and Eric Brittingham (bass) back in 1982 in the suburbs of Philadelphia and when Michael and Tony left in 1985 Jeff joined along with drummer Jim Drnec. On the 2nd of August 1986 Cinderella released their debut album “Night Songs” and success hit Jeff and the band almost directly. At one point the album sold 50.000 copies every week in the states alone and it eventually achieved triple platinum, which is three million copies sold. “Night Songs” reached number 3 on the Billboard chart.

In 1988 it was time for the follow up album “Long Cold Winter” and to support the album Jeff and the rest of the band made a 254-show tour to support the album and in august 1989 they played the Moscow Music Peace Festival along with bands like Bon Jovi, Scorpions, Ozzy Osbourne, Mötley Crüe and Skid Row.

In 1990 Cinderella released the album “Heartbreak Station” and four years later the album “Still Climbing” was released. No more studio albums have been released but the band were signed around 1999 to Sony Music but they were dropped by the record company.

When Cinderella had a temporary break-up in the mid 90’s Jeff was running a pizza shop with his brother and he also doing construction jobs. Jeff and Eric Brittingham had a band called Naked Beggars but Jeff left the band in april 2007. In August 2014 Jeff released his solo album “One For The Road” and the tour that supported the album he did along with his son Sebastian and Jasmine Cain.

Jeff LaBar was born in Darby, Pennsylvania and he grew up in Upper Darby just outside Philadelphia. On July 14th Jeff LaBar died in Nashville, Tennessee at the age 58. Rest In Peace Jeff.