Almost 50 years ago, musical icon Arthur Brown stepped out on stage, five-foot tall flames leaping from his head, and uttered one of rock music’s most stirring lines: “I am the God of Hellfire.” At that point, the British theatrical rocker who brought us The Crazy World of Arthur Brown in '68 had no way of knowing that he would come to be seen as a major pioneer in not only progressive rock and heavy metal, but the entire concept of what makes a stage show. He’s influenced generations of musicians who searched for an edge, from King Diamond, KISS, and Peter Gabriel to Marilyn Manson, Rob Halford, and Alice Cooper.
That's not to say that he doesn’t have a legendary brand himself. As the lead singer of The Crazy World of Arthur Brown and Kingdom Come—the latter of which is credited with being the first rock album to incorporate a drum machine—he’s also collaborated with Hawkwind, The Who, Jimi Hendrix and Frank Zappa. His operatic vocal styles, impressive range of tonality, and wild stage persona—with his trademark flaming headdress, uninhibited dance moves, and extreme makeup—are still revered today.
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