Rob Zombie

Rob Zombie (born Robert Bartleh Cummings; January 12, 1965) is an American musician, film director, screenwriter and film producer. He rose to prominence as a founding member of the band White Zombie which formed in the mid-1980s and rose to fame in the early 1990s. As a solo artist, he has released four studio albums, five compilation albums, and a live album. He has expanded his career and become a director, and has directed a total of six films, the majority of which he also wrote or co-wrote. He has also released numerous brands of comic books, and appeared as an actor on numerous occasions.

White Zombie's debut album, Soul-Crusher, was released in 1987 and was followed by their second album Make Them Die Slowly in 1989. They rose to prominence after the success of their third album, La Sexorcisto: Devil Music, Vol. 1, and its lead single "Thunder Kiss '65" in 1993. The album went on to be certified multi-platinum by the RIAA, for sales exceeding two million copies in the US. Their fourth and final studio album, Astro Creep: 2000, became their first top-10 entry on the Billboard 200, and their second album to reach multi-platinum status. Zombie began his solo career with the release of his 1998 debut album Hellbilly Deluxe. The album was both a critical and commercial success, spawning three hit singles, reaching the Top 5 of the Billboard 200, and selling over three million copies worldwide. Hellbilly is Zombie's highest selling album to date. He followed the success of the album with The Sinister Urge in 2001, which had similar success to that of its predecessor. Zombie's first greatest hits album, Past, Present & Future, was released in 2003, and reached Platinum status by the RIAA. His third studio album, Educated Horses, was released in 2006, and was his third Top 10 entry on the Billboard 200. In 2010, he released Hellbilly Deluxe 2, calling it a companion to his debut album. His fifth album is currently in production, and is slated for a 2013 release date.

Following his success as a musician, Zombie began directing, writing and producing films. His first film, House of 1000 Corpses, was completed in 2000, but numerous struggles with the distributor over the film's violence and gore ultimately led to the film not being released until 2003. Its sequel, The Devil's Rejects, was released in 2005. The two films have gained a cult following since their release, and helped boost Zombie's career. In 2007, he released his third film, a remake of the 1978 classic film Halloween. The film went on to gross over $80 million, the highest grossing film in the Halloween franchise. In 2009, Zombie released a sequel for the film, titled Halloween II. In 2009, Zombie released his first animated film, The Haunted World of El Superbeasto, based on his comic book series of the same name. His film The Lords of Salem is slated for a 2013 release date, while another film, Tyrannosaurus Rex, is set to be released sometime after Lords. Zombie has also bought the rights to a film about the Philadelphia Flyers, titled The Broad Street Bullies, though no release date for the film has been announced yet.

Zombie directed the majority of his band White Zombie's music videos, as well as numerous videos of his own. Zombie's lyrics are noted for their horror and sci-fi themes, and his live shows for their elaborate shock rock theatricality. He has sold over 15 million albums worldwide, and had six Top 20 hits on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in the United States.