Josh Todd

Presenter at the 13th Annual LA Music Awards

Josh Todd (born Joshua Todd Gruber) is an American musician and actor, best known as the lead singer of the rock band Buckcherry.
Josh Todd grew up in Anaheim Hills, California, and later moved to Lake Forest, California. He attended high school at Trabuco Hills High School in Orange County, California, and graduated in 1989. Prior to his days in Buckcherry, Todd fronted the Hollywood glam rock band Slamhound. Slamhound was signed to Skydoor Records, an independent record company that was unsuccessful in releasing a Slamhound album even though the band recorded over a dozen songs with Josh as the lead singer. While in Slamhound, Josh honed his musical style, moving away from glam and more towards punk. In 1995, Josh met guitarist Keith Nelson through his tattoo artist. The two agreed to meet because of their shared love of AC/DC. They soon formed the band Sparrow, which later changed its name to Buckcherry. He later married Jasmine Lawson, an American actress and model. He is currently married to actress/model Mitzi Martin. They have 2 children.

Career
In 1999, even before the debut Buckcherry album had ever been released, Josh was featured in one of Rolling Stone’s last issues of 1999 as “What’s Hot in the New Millennium,” which included a center-fold photograph of him.

In 1999, Buckcherry released their debut self-titled album, featuring the hit “Lit Up”. The album had a very commercial sound, far away from the glam punk music of his earlier bands.

In 2001, the band released their second album Time Bomb. Josh and Keith went on to play a tribute to Ozzy Osbourne/Mötley Crüe drummer, Randy Castillo, alongside former Guns N’ Roses members Slash, Duff McKagan, and Matt Sorum. The band, for that show, was named Cherry Roses. The band went on to record about ten songs under the name “The Project” before the others decided to replace Todd and Nelson with Scott Weiland and Dave Kushner, respectively. The band went on to become Velvet Revolver. One song, “Dirty Little Thing”, was written during the time with Josh and Keith and gives the latter co-writing credits.

In 2005, Josh Todd reformed Buckcherry with Keith Nelson and new members Stevie D., Jimmy Ashurst, and Xavier Muriel.

In 2006, he appeared as the character Hutch in the film The Still Life.

In 2008, Todd was one of the four backing vocalists for the hard rock band Mötley Crüe for the gang vocal version of “Saints of Los Angeles”.

Todd has released six albums with Buckcherry and one solo album. He also performed at the Canadian Live8 venue in Barrie, Ontario in 2005. He first joined Darryl McDaniels, Tom Hamilton and Joey Kramer of Aerosmith, and others on stage for a rendition of Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way” and then later joined all other performers on stage for a version of Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World”.

He has appeared in several movies in both credited and uncredited roles including playing the part of “Rudy” in the 2002 teen comedy The New Guy and several small parts in xXx and The Salton Sea. He has also appeared in the 2008 thriller Eagle Eye.

In 2008 Josh appeared on Escape the Fate’s album This War Is Ours in the song “10 Miles Wide” and “Harder Than You Know”. He was featured in the music video for “10 Miles Wide” in 2009.

Todd has been ranked in the Top 100 Heavy Metal Vocalists by Hit Parader (#98).

Discography
Buckcherry
Main article: Buckcherry discography
Solo Albums
You Made Me (2003)
Guest appearances
2002 – “The New Guy” the movie. He played the character Rudy.
2002 – “The Shield” series. Episode 1.6: “Cherrypoppers”.
2003 – “Rain” – DJ Muggs – Dust
2006 – “Watchtower” – D.M.C. – Checks Thugs and Rock N Roll
2008 – “Saints of Los Angeles” – Mötley Crüe – Saints of Los Angeles
2008 – “10 Miles Wide” – Escape the Fate – This War Is Ours
2010 – “Bones (TV series)”. Episode 5.19: “The Rocker in the Rinse Cycle”