Complete List Of Stryper Band Members

Feature Photo: Los Angeles Times, CC BY 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Stryper emerged from the Los Angeles music scene as a phenomenon that would redefine the boundaries between faith and heavy metal. The band originated as Roxx Regime in 1982 when brothers Michael and Robert Sweet began performing in local clubs. By 1983, the group transformed into Stryper and signed with Enigma Records, becoming the first openly Christian metal band to achieve mainstream commercial success in the hard rock and heavy metal world.

The band released their debut EP The Yellow and Black Attack in 1984, followed by their first full-length album Soldiers Under Command in 1985, which achieved gold certification. Their breakthrough came with the 1986 release of To Hell with the Devil, which went platinum after selling over one million copies and became the first Christian metal album to achieve this milestone. The singles “Free” and “Honestly” both reached number one on MTV’s Dial MTV program in 1987, with “Honestly” peaking at number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100. Stryper released additional gold albums In God We Trust in 1988 and Against the Law in 1990 before disbanding in 1993.

The band has sold over 10 million recordings worldwide. Following a reunion in 2003, Stryper signed with Big3 Records in 2005 and later with Frontiers Records in 2013. The current lineup includes three of the four founding members alongside bassist Perry Richardson, who joined in 2017. Throughout their career, Stryper has maintained a rotating cast of bassists while the core trio of Michael Sweet, Robert Sweet, and Oz Fox has remained largely consistent.

Michael Sweet

Michael Harrison Sweet co-founded Stryper with his brother Robert in 1982 when they performed as Roxx Regime. He joined the band as lead vocalist and guitarist, roles he has maintained throughout the majority of the band’s existence. Michael remained with Stryper from 1982 until 1992, when he departed to pursue a solo career. He returned for reunion performances from 1999 to 2001 and permanently rejoined in 2003, where he continues to serve as the band’s frontman and primary songwriter.

Michael played on all of Stryper’s major albums including The Yellow and Black Attack, Soldiers Under Command, To Hell with the Devil, In God We Trust, and Against the Law during the band’s original run. As the band’s primary songwriter and producer, he shaped the musical direction of these recordings. Following the reunion, he produced albums including Reborn in 2005, Murder by Pride in 2009, The Covering in 2011, Second Coming and No More Hell to Pay in 2013, Fallen in 2015, God Damn Evil in 2018, and Even the Devil Believes in 2020.

After leaving Stryper in 1992, Michael released his self-titled debut solo album in 1994, which sold over 250,000 copies. He followed with Real in 1996, which earned him a Dove Award nomination. During the late 1990s, he worked at his father-in-law’s campground and cranberry business in Massachusetts while continuing to write and record music. In 1998, he released an independent album titled Truth, which received critical acclaim and was re-released through Restless Records in 2000.

In 2007, Michael was invited to perform at a benefit tribute show for Boston’s late vocalist Brad Delp, where he impressed guitarist Tom Scholz with his vocal and guitar abilities. Scholz invited Michael to join Boston as lead vocalist and guitarist, and he toured with the band from 2008 through 2011, handling lead vocals on roughly half the setlist. In August 2011, Michael announced his departure from Boston to focus on his priorities and contributions to Stryper. He has also collaborated with George Lynch in the project Sweet & Lynch, releasing albums including Only to Rise in 2015 and Unified in 2017. Michael continues to release solo material while maintaining his role as Stryper’s leader.

Robert Sweet

Robert Lee Sweet co-founded the band with his brother Michael in 1982, serving as the drummer and visual architect of Stryper’s stage presence. He remained with the band from 1982 until the original breakup in 1993, returned for reunion shows in 2000 and 2001, and permanently rejoined in 2003. Robert earned the nickname “Visual Time Keeper” due to his distinctive drumming setup, where he positions his drum kit sideways to the audience rather than facing forward, allowing fans to watch his performance throughout the show.

Robert performed on all of Stryper’s classic albums including Soldiers Under Command, To Hell with the Devil, In God We Trust, and Against the Law. He began using his sideways drum setup in 1978 as a way to enhance his showmanship and connect with the audience. His massive and elaborate drum kits became a trademark of Stryper’s live performances. Robert also created a backronym for the band’s name: “Salvation Through Redemption, Yielding Peace, Encouragement, and Righteousness.”

After Stryper broke up in 1992, Robert played in various Christian-oriented acts and projects. He participated in the band King James with former Stryper bassist Tim Gaines and former Whitecross guitarist Rex Carroll, touring with them until 1996. When Stryper reunited in 2003, Robert toured with the re-formed band and appeared on the 2005 album Reborn, which marked the band’s first full-length recording of original material in over 15 years. The Murder by Pride album released in 2009 marked the first Stryper album where Robert did not record drums, as that position was filled by studio musician Kenny Aronoff, though he did play on the accompanying tour. He has appeared on every Stryper album since then and continues as the band’s drummer.

Oz Fox

Richard Alfonso Martinez, known professionally as Oz Fox, joined Stryper in 1983 as lead guitarist and backing vocalist. He has remained with the band through most of its history, departing from 1993 to 1999 and briefly from 2001 to 2003, but otherwise maintaining his position as one of the band’s core members. His stage name originated from high school friends who called him Oz in honor of Ozzy Osbourne, acknowledging his ability to emulate Osbourne’s vocals while playing Black Sabbath covers.

Fox joined the band after being recruited by the Sweet brothers in 1983 to form what would become Stryper. He recorded half of the guitar solos with Stryper while additionally providing background vocals for the group. Oz played on the band’s breakthrough albums including The Yellow and Black Attack, Soldiers Under Command, To Hell with the Devil, In God We Trust, and Against the Law. When Michael Sweet left the band in 1992, Fox took up lead vocal duties for a period of four months, and the trio completed two short tours in Europe with Fox as frontman.

After Stryper disbanded, Fox formed his own band SinDizzy in 1994 with former Stryper bassist Tim Gaines, drummer John Bocanegra, and guitarist Bobby MacNeil. SinDizzy released their debut album He’s Not Dead in 1998, which was described as a cross between Stone Temple Pilots and Nirvana. The band performed at several festivals in the United States, including a notable summer rock festival in Puerto Rico where former Stryper frontman Michael Sweet joined SinDizzy on stage and performed several Stryper songs. This performance led to a partial Stryper reunion in 1999 and eventually the band’s full reunion in 2003.

Fox has also worked with the band Bloodgood, performing with them at several Christian rock festivals beginning in 2006. He has helped develop artists and bands in Southern California and hosted a program called “Rewind” on JCTV. His playing style was heavily influenced by Eddie Van Halen, incorporating tapping, sweeping, string skipping, and tremolo techniques. Fox continues to record and tour with Stryper, contributing to recent albums including God Damn Evil and Even the Devil Believes.

Perry Richardson

Perry Richardson joined Stryper as bassist in 2017, becoming only the third bassist to fill that position in the band’s history. He was born on July 7, 1958, and graduated from Conway High School in South Carolina before earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from the University of South Carolina/Coastal Carolina in 1980. Richardson first encountered Stryper in 1985 when his band Maxx Warrior opened for them in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Richardson is best known as a founding member of the hard rock band FireHouse, where he played bass until 2000. While with FireHouse, the band sold over 7 million albums worldwide and won an American Music Award in 1991 for “Favorite New Artist Heavy Metal/Hard Rock.” FireHouse achieved success with hit singles including “Don’t Treat Me Bad,” “Love of a Lifetime,” and “When I Look Into Your Eyes.” Richardson was inducted into the South Carolina Entertainment Hall of Fame in 1995.

After leaving FireHouse in 2000, Richardson played bass for country music performers Craig Morgan and Trace Adkins. He was invited to join Stryper following the band’s 30th Anniversary To Hell With The Devil Tour in 2017, replacing longtime bassist Tim Gaines. Richardson made his recording debut with Stryper on the 2018 album God Damn Evil, though he did not perform on the album itself but toured extensively in support of it. He recorded his first full album with the band, Even the Devil Believes, which was released in 2020. Richardson continues to tour and record with Stryper as their current bassist and backing vocalist.

Tim Gaines

Timothy Hagelganz, known professionally as Tim Gaines, served as Stryper’s bassist for the majority of the band’s existence across multiple tenures. He was born on December 15, 1962, in Portland, Oregon, and his family moved to Arcadia, California, when he was four years old. He adopted the stage name Gaines after his uncles Reuben and Ronnie, who used the name professionally. Prior to joining Stryper, Gaines played in the band Stormer and performed extensively on the Sunset Strip.

Gaines joined Roxx Regime in 1983, which soon changed its name to Stryper, and quickly rounded out the quartet’s sound with his bass, background vocal, and keyboard skills. He recorded the band’s debut EP The Yellow and Black Attack and their follow-up full-length album Soldiers Under Command in 1985. Gaines briefly left the band during the pre-production period of the platinum-selling album To Hell with the Devil in 1986, with session bassist Brad Cobb recording the bass parts, but Gaines rejoined before the promotional photos were taken and participated in the successful world tour.

Gaines also did not participate in the recording of In God We Trust in 1988, with Brad Cobb again playing bass, but later rejoined for another world tour. He remained with the band through the recording of Against the Law in 1990 and continued until the band’s breakup in 1993. After Stryper disbanded, Gaines played in Rex Carroll’s project King James along with Stryper drummer Robert Sweet. He formed SinDizzy with Stryper guitarist Oz Fox in 1994 and released one album, He’s Not Dead, in 1998.

Gaines’s involvement with Fox in SinDizzy led to a partial Stryper reunion in 1999 at a concert in Puerto Rico, which eventually resulted in a full reunion in 2000 and a reunion tour in 2003. He participated in the reunion from 2003 to 2004 and again from 2010 to 2017. Gaines spent April and May 2007 supporting Richard Marx on bass, touring the United States, the Dominican Republic, and Trinidad. In September 2016, Stryper announced a hiatus due to personal issues affecting Gaines, and in 2017, the band confirmed that Gaines had been fired from the group. Since leaving Stryper, Gaines has worked with the band Faithsedge and various other musical projects.

Tracy Ferrie

Tracy Ferrie served as Stryper’s bassist from 2004 to 2010, replacing Tim Gaines when he departed before a scheduled performance at Disney’s Night of Joy in Orlando. Ferrie was born on April 5, 1966, and grew up in Northern Indiana. He studied at Berklee College of Music in the Music Production and Engineering departments but left after two and a half years following an attack and mugging outside of Boston that required hospitalization and multiple surgeries. After recovering, he moved to Hollywood and enrolled at Musicians Institute.

Ferrie’s breakthrough came through Dez Dickerson, who played guitar for Prince’s band The Revolution and helped Ferrie secure an audition for the Christian metal band Whitecross. He recorded two full albums with Whitecross and completed two world tours with the band. Since 1996, Ferrie played bass for Michael Sweet’s solo band, as well as performing with Sally Steele, Guardian, Rebecca St. James, Plumb, Sonicflood, Greg Long, and Strange Celebrity before joining Stryper in 2004.

When Ferrie joined Stryper in 2004, the band was in a rebuilding process, and in 2005 they released Reborn, their first album of original songs in fifteen years. He recorded one more album with them, Murder by Pride, released in 2009. Ferrie remained with Stryper until 2010, when he departed the band. In 2012, Ferrie became the bassist for the rock band Boston after meeting Tom Scholz at a Stryper benefit concert. He recorded the album Live, Love and Hope with Boston in 2013. Ferrie continues to tour and perform with Boston as their current bassist.

Eric Johnson

Eric Johnson served as the original bassist for Roxx Regime in 1982 when brothers Michael and Robert Sweet first formed the band as a trio. Johnson played with the group during their earliest incarnation, before the band expanded and eventually transformed into Stryper. His tenure with the band was brief, lasting only during the initial formation period. After Johnson’s departure, the band continued to evolve its lineup as it transitioned from a three-piece to a four-piece group and began developing the sound and image that would define Stryper.

Scott Lane

Scott Lane joined Roxx Regime as guitarist in 1983, playing alongside Michael Sweet, Robert Sweet, and bassist John Voorhees. Lane performed with the band during its pre-Christian phase when the group was still developing its identity and playing clubs in the Los Angeles area. The band was performing on the Sunset Strip and sharing stages with acts like Bon Jovi, Poison, Ratt, and Mötley Crüe during this period. Lane departed the band in 1983 as the Sweet brothers were experiencing a religious revival influenced by their friend Kenny Metcalf. His departure coincided with a transformative period for the band as it shifted toward its Christian message and identity.

John Voorhees

John Voorhees served as bassist for Roxx Regime in 1983, joining the band during the same period as guitarist Scott Lane. Voorhees played with the group as it performed in Los Angeles nightclubs and developed its early sound. His time with the band was brief, and he departed in 1983 before the group fully embraced its Christian identity and changed its name to Stryper. After Voorhees left, Tim Gaines joined as the new bassist, completing the lineup that would record Stryper’s breakthrough releases.

Matt Hurich

Matt Hurich briefly served as Stryper’s bassist in 1986 during a transitional period surrounding the recording of the album To Hell with the Devil. Prior to joining Stryper, Hurich played in the band Leatherwolf. He was brought in to replace Tim Gaines when tensions arose during the album’s pre-production. Hurich was outfitted with a yellow and black striped bass and a racing costume matching the band’s signature aesthetic. However, his tenure lasted less than a month, as the musical chemistry did not work out as hoped. Session bassist Brad Cobb ultimately recorded the bass parts for To Hell with the Devil, and Tim Gaines rejoined the band before promotional photos were taken and the subsequent tour began. After his brief time with Stryper, Hurich performed with his Stryper bass in the group Divine Right in 1989, which featured Kevin Brandow from Petra on lead vocals and guitar.

Check out more Stryper articles on ClassicRockHistory.com Just click on any of the links below……

Complete List Of Stryper Albums And Discography

Top 10 Stryper Songs

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