Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein
Encyclopedia
Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein (born Paul Caiafa on September 15, 1964 in Lodi, New Jersey
), is an American
guitarist
best known for his material with the horror punk
band the Misfits.
, was originally a roadie for the band and was taught how to play guitar by Glenn Danzig and Jerry Only. He joined The Misfits in October 1980 at the age of 16. Doyle was the band's third guitarist, replacing Bobby Steele
among claims that Glenn and Jerry disapproved of Steele's guitar playing. Like Glenn and Jerry, Doyle incorporated the Devilock
into his image. Jerry and Doyle would finance the band by working at their father's shop.
In 1987, four years after the Misfits, Doyle and Jerry formed the metal band Kryst The Conqueror
with drummer
The Murp. Select songs from the album were released by Jerry Only's record label "Cyclopian Music" as an EP
, and featured guest guitarist Dave "The Snake" Sabo
of the metal band Skid Row.
In 1995 Jerry settled a legal battle out of court with co-founder Glenn Danzig, effectively allowing him rights to the bands name on a performing level. Doyle and Jerry reformed The Misfits in 1995, this time with Jerry acting as the band's figurehead and with Michale Graves
as vocalist and Dr. Chud
as drummer. The group released two full length albums of new material. In 2001 at a live show, Doyle unplugged his guitar and left the band. In an interview on KNAC Radio in Hollywood, Doyle said that he felt there was no semblance of a band after Graves and Chud left, going on to state he felt embarrassed to perform without a "real" singer.
In 2005, Doyle left New Jersey for Las Vegas
, and began auditioning members for his own band, Gorgeous Frankenstein. In 2006, he appeared on stage with Danzig
numerous times throughout their tour. They would meet again in 2007, when Gorgeous Frankenstein played their first tour, opening for Danzig
. Doyle has since joined them on several occasions to play 30-minute-long sets of classic Misfits songs.
In 2008 Doyle had one of his hand made, custom Annihilator guitars and a set of speakers auctioned off on eBay. The equipment was used live from 1996–2001 and sold for thousands of dollars. After years of interest from Doyle and demands from fans, Doyle began releasing high-end standard guitar and bass versions of his Annihilator through October Guitars.
In a partnership with Haunted Hot Sauce, Doyle released a product line of his own spicy sauce, titled Made in Hell. Gorgeous Frankenstein set out to tour another set of dates for 2008. The band now includes Argyle Goolsby of Blitzkid fame on bass and vocals and Dr. Chud, formerly of the Misfits on drums.
Doyle claimed that a reunion effort with Glenn Danzig ceased further progression when "Jerry put a fuckin' monkey wrench in it. [In] 2002, we had meetings ... And [Jerry] kind of fucked it up, him and his manager. We were going to do a record, do a tour and everything." In September 2010, Gorgeous Frankenstein released a DVD, titled You Must See It To Believe It!
During the latter quarter of 2011, former vocalist Danzig and guitarist Doyle will be performing Misfits songs on four different occasions as part of the Danzig Legacy tour. The first of the four shows, which took place on October 7th in Chicago, saw a sold-out crowd.
guitar. Later, after experimenting with guitars in Kryst the Conqueror, Doyle developed his custom-made Rand Annihilator guitar from 1987 to 1994. In the 2000s, Doyle collaborated with October Guitars to recreate the Annihilator along with a signature pickup.
Doyle currently uses custom-made Rand and October Annihilator guitars, Ampeg Lee Jackson heads, and his own signature Dean Markley strings. He is set to release his own signature amplifier cabinet.
He is seen with a Jackson Guitar in old pictures
a.k.a. Gorgeous George (Frankenstein). They have a daughter named Boriss together and Stephanie has a son named Issac from a previous relationship and Doyle has two sons named Louis and Pauly from a previous relationship. He has their names tattooed on the fingers of his right hand. They moved to Las Vegas, Hollywood and returned to New Jersey.
Doyle claims to have been lifting weights for 34 years. He is known to have shy reactions when being filmed and at times refuses to speak.
Lodi, New Jersey
Lodi is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 24,136. The borough of Lodi is governed under the 1923 Municipal Manager Law.Lodi owes its name to the Italian city of Lodi...
), is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
best known for his material with the horror punk
Horror punk
Horror punk is a music genre that mixes Gothic and punk rock sounds with morbid imagery and lyrics, which are often influenced by horror films...
band the Misfits.
Life and career
Doyle, the younger brother of the Misfits bassist, Jerry OnlyJerry Only
Jerry Only is an American bassist. He is the current bassist and vocalist for the Misfits. He is credited with creating the infamous hair style known as the devilock.-Life and career:...
, was originally a roadie for the band and was taught how to play guitar by Glenn Danzig and Jerry Only. He joined The Misfits in October 1980 at the age of 16. Doyle was the band's third guitarist, replacing Bobby Steele
Bobby Steele
Bobby Steele is an American punk rock musician. He is the current guitar player, songwriter, and sole original member of punk band The Undead. He has been a member of multiple other bands, most notably, as the second guitarist of The Misfits...
among claims that Glenn and Jerry disapproved of Steele's guitar playing. Like Glenn and Jerry, Doyle incorporated the Devilock
Devilock
The devilock is a hairstyle created by Misfits bassist Jerry Only in the late 1970s. In an early 1980s interview, Only claimed that the devilock was based on a "tidal wave" hairstyle seen among the 1970s skateboarding communities...
into his image. Jerry and Doyle would finance the band by working at their father's shop.
In 1987, four years after the Misfits, Doyle and Jerry formed the metal band Kryst The Conqueror
Kryst The Conqueror
Kryst the Conqueror was an American Metal project formed in August of 1987 by two former members of the horror punk band, The Misfits. The project was led by bassist Jerry Only, who adopted a new stage name, "Mo The Great" , and his younger brother, guitarist Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein...
with drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
The Murp. Select songs from the album were released by Jerry Only's record label "Cyclopian Music" as an EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, and featured guest guitarist Dave "The Snake" Sabo
Dave Sabo
David Michael Sabo, nicknamed "The Snake," is a rock guitarist who plays in the heavy metal band Skid Row. He is co-guitarist with guitarist Scotti Hill.-Biography:...
of the metal band Skid Row.
In 1995 Jerry settled a legal battle out of court with co-founder Glenn Danzig, effectively allowing him rights to the bands name on a performing level. Doyle and Jerry reformed The Misfits in 1995, this time with Jerry acting as the band's figurehead and with Michale Graves
Michale Graves
Michael Emanuel , better known by his stage name Michale Graves, is an American singer and songwriter, singing for the late 1990s re-incarnation of The Misfits from 1995 to 1998 and again from late 1998 until late 2000. Graves grew up in Dumont, New Jersey...
as vocalist and Dr. Chud
Dr. Chud
Dr. C.H.U.D. is an American rock drummer and singer.-Life and career:...
as drummer. The group released two full length albums of new material. In 2001 at a live show, Doyle unplugged his guitar and left the band. In an interview on KNAC Radio in Hollywood, Doyle said that he felt there was no semblance of a band after Graves and Chud left, going on to state he felt embarrassed to perform without a "real" singer.
In 2005, Doyle left New Jersey for Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
, and began auditioning members for his own band, Gorgeous Frankenstein. In 2006, he appeared on stage with Danzig
Danzig (band)
Danzig is an American heavy metal band, formed in 1987 in Lodi, New Jersey. The band serves as a musical outlet for the singer/songwriter Glenn Danzig. Danzig can be seen as the third stage in Glenn Danzig's musical career, preceded by the horror punk bands The Misfits and Samhain...
numerous times throughout their tour. They would meet again in 2007, when Gorgeous Frankenstein played their first tour, opening for Danzig
Danzig (band)
Danzig is an American heavy metal band, formed in 1987 in Lodi, New Jersey. The band serves as a musical outlet for the singer/songwriter Glenn Danzig. Danzig can be seen as the third stage in Glenn Danzig's musical career, preceded by the horror punk bands The Misfits and Samhain...
. Doyle has since joined them on several occasions to play 30-minute-long sets of classic Misfits songs.
In 2008 Doyle had one of his hand made, custom Annihilator guitars and a set of speakers auctioned off on eBay. The equipment was used live from 1996–2001 and sold for thousands of dollars. After years of interest from Doyle and demands from fans, Doyle began releasing high-end standard guitar and bass versions of his Annihilator through October Guitars.
In a partnership with Haunted Hot Sauce, Doyle released a product line of his own spicy sauce, titled Made in Hell. Gorgeous Frankenstein set out to tour another set of dates for 2008. The band now includes Argyle Goolsby of Blitzkid fame on bass and vocals and Dr. Chud, formerly of the Misfits on drums.
Doyle claimed that a reunion effort with Glenn Danzig ceased further progression when "Jerry put a fuckin' monkey wrench in it. [In] 2002, we had meetings ... And [Jerry] kind of fucked it up, him and his manager. We were going to do a record, do a tour and everything." In September 2010, Gorgeous Frankenstein released a DVD, titled You Must See It To Believe It!
During the latter quarter of 2011, former vocalist Danzig and guitarist Doyle will be performing Misfits songs on four different occasions as part of the Danzig Legacy tour. The first of the four shows, which took place on October 7th in Chicago, saw a sold-out crowd.
Playing style and equipment
Doyle's early guitar playing style consisted heavily of down strokes and power chords during which he used an Ibanez IcemanIbanez Iceman
The Iceman is an electric guitar model produced by Ibanez. -History:The Iceman is an Ibanez guitar produced by Hoshino Gakki. Hoshino Gakki exported copies of American electric and acoustic guitars in the 1950s, and by the mid 1970s the Ibanez guitars had reached a level of quality comparable to...
guitar. Later, after experimenting with guitars in Kryst the Conqueror, Doyle developed his custom-made Rand Annihilator guitar from 1987 to 1994. In the 2000s, Doyle collaborated with October Guitars to recreate the Annihilator along with a signature pickup.
Doyle currently uses custom-made Rand and October Annihilator guitars, Ampeg Lee Jackson heads, and his own signature Dean Markley strings. He is set to release his own signature amplifier cabinet.
He is seen with a Jackson Guitar in old pictures
Personal life
Doyle is married to former pro wrestler Stephanie BellarsStephanie Bellars
Stephanie Bellars is a professional wrestling valet and the former girlfriend of "Macho Man" Randy Savage. She worked for WCW and ECW. She has been known as Gorgeous George and George Frankenstein.-Personal life:...
a.k.a. Gorgeous George (Frankenstein). They have a daughter named Boriss together and Stephanie has a son named Issac from a previous relationship and Doyle has two sons named Louis and Pauly from a previous relationship. He has their names tattooed on the fingers of his right hand. They moved to Las Vegas, Hollywood and returned to New Jersey.
Doyle claims to have been lifting weights for 34 years. He is known to have shy reactions when being filmed and at times refuses to speak.
The Misfits
- Walk Among UsWalk Among Us-Band:* Glenn Danzig – vocals, guitar on "Vampira", "Devils Whorehouse", "Astro Zombies", overdubbed guitar on all tracks except "Mommy Can I Go Out & Kill Tonight?"* Jerry Only – bass, background vocals...
(1982) - album - Earth A.D./Wolfs Blood (1983) - album
- American PsychoAmerican Psycho (album)American Psycho is an album by the Misfits. Released May 13, 1997, it was the first to be recorded and released without founder and leader Glenn Danzig...
(1997) - album - Famous MonstersFamous Monsters-Chart positions:- Credits :* Michale Graves - vocals* Jerry Only - bass* Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein - guitar* Dr. Chud - drums...
(1999) - album
Kryst The Conqueror
- Deliver Us From Evil (1989) - album
Gorgeous Frankenstein
- Gorgeous Frankenstein (2007) - album
- You Must See It To Believe It! (2010) - DVD