Rob Zombie
He was the charismatic frontman of a heavy metal band that recorded two multi-platinum albums. After that, he had an equally successful solo career, cutting two more. And he’s collaborated with a slew of household names, including Ozzy Osbourne.
Following his dream of “wanting to be Alice Cooper, Steven Spielberg, Bela Lugosi and Stan Lee,” he became renowned horror-film director in Hollywood, making nine feature films between 2003 to 2019. How successful? His 2007 re-make of a horror classic film set the box-office record for a Labor Day weekend film release.
And all of this from a young man from Haverhill, Massachusetts, a musician with a lifelong fascination for film and horror. A man named Robert Bartleh Cummings. “Who?” you may ask. In the music and film worlds, he’s known as Rob Zombie.
Parsons School Of Design, White Zombie, Going solo
Born January 12, 1965, in Haverhill – about 20 miles from Salem, which has its own brand of historical horror – Zombie was raised in a blue-collar family and he moved to New York City after graduating from high school to attend Parsons School of Design. In his junior year, he formed noise-rock quartet White Zombie. and, following their breakthrough album La Sexorcisto: Devil Music Volume One (Geffen, 1991), the group became a favorite among heavy metal fans, soon establishing an intensely loyal fan base that spanned the globe. During their 13 years together, White Zombie recorded hits such as “Thunder Kiss 65,” “Black Sunshine” and “More Human Than Human.” The band disbanded in 1998.
Zombie’s ascension to solo stardom seemed preordained. He admired Alice Cooper, who is easily the king of mixing music and the macabre, so it was fitting that his first 1996 solo song, “Hand of Death (Burn Baby Burn),” was written and performed with, who else, Alice Cooper. Zombie’s first solo album, Hellbilly Deluxe (Geffen 1998), sold three million copies. His second LP, The Sinister Urge (Geffen, 2001), sold two million and on it he collaborated with another musical hero of his – another artist known for exploring the dark side – Ozzy Osbourne.
House Of 1000 Corpses, Other films
Now firmly established as a heavy metal giant, Zombie turned his attention to his other prime interest, film. After reaching a deal with Lionsgate Production, his directorial debut, House of 1000 Corpses, was released in 2003. Extremely grotesque, it grossed a respectable $16 million dollars at the box office. Of course, Zombie released an album accompanying the film. Never one to shy away from whatever music moves him, the album included a remake of The Commodores’ classic “Brick House,” which he called “Brick House 2003.”
His next film was the disturbing classic The Devil’s Rejects, released in 2005. In 2007, Zombie directed a remake of Halloween starring Malcolm McDowell and Sherri Moon Zombie, his wife. This film grossed a stunning $80 million and set the Labor Day weekend box office record. In 2022, he directed a feature-length reboot of the ’60s TV show The Munsters. The song “They Are The Munsters” from the movie’s soundtrack, written by Zombie and long-term collaborator Zeuss, was nominated for a Hollywood Music in Media Award.
Current activity, Haverhill road sign
Zombie continues directing films and videos as well as touring and recording his own music. On Labor Day weekend in 2021, he delivered his legendary brand of heavy metal as a headliner at the Rocklahoma festival in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The town of Haverhill recently honored their hometown horror meister. When entering Haverhill via Route 110 there is a sign that reads “Welcome” in large letters with the line “Rock/Movie Star Rob Zombie was born in Haverhill” underneath. There could be another sentence under that acknowledgement celebrating another one of Haverhill’s musician heroes, industrial-music band Powerman 500, fronted by Spider One, Rob Zombie’s younger brother.
(by Edwin Sumpter)
