Cinderella lead singer Tom Keifer to hit Elgin stage

Hard rock band Cinderella rose to the top of the music charts in the ’80s on the strength of radio hits like “Don’t Know What You Got (Till It’s Gone).”

Cinderella frontman Tom Keifer will perform with Poison lead singer Bret Michaels and Twisted Sister’s lead singer Dee Snider on Sunday, June 22, as part of Hair Band Heavyweights at Elgin’s Festival Park.

Tickets are available by going to www.grandvictoriacasino.com. Festival Park is located at 132 S. Grove Ave. in Elgin, next to the Grand Victoria Casino.

Kane County Chronicle reporter Eric Schelkopf had the chance to talk to Keifer about the upcoming show.

Eric Schelkopf: I imagine that you have toured with Michaels and Snider a lot over the years.

Tom Keifer: Yeah, yeah, they’re good friends, and I am looking forward to that show. It’s going to be a lot of fun.

Schelkopf: What do you think separated Cinderella from other hard rock bands of the ’80s and ’90s? What was it that distinguished Cinderella from other bands?

Keifer: I think that everyone from that period had their own vibe and their own sound. I think we were known for having a lot of roots in our music, and the lyrics were very real and relatable, in terms of everyday life and struggles.

And that’s probably a component of the influences of the blues and that kind of stuff in the music. Because that’s what those lyrics are about.

Schelkopf: It seemed like as the band progressed through its career, you guys incorporated the blues more in your music.

Keifer: I think it was always there. I think the production grew, where sonically, that was a little more evident. But from the first record, it was always about that blues melody and those kinds of lyrics.

Schelkopf: Last year, you released your first solo album, “The Way Life Goes.” Was it a long time coming?

Keifer: It kind of just happened. There was no major plan. I started thinking about doing one in the mid ’90s, when the whole music scene was changing for us, and never got around to it, for one reason or another.

It was more like a labor of love over a 10-year period, really.

Schelkopf: It seems like you really gave your vocals a workout on the album, especially given the problems you’ve had with your vocal cords and all the surgeries you’ve had. How is your voice holding up these days?

Keifer: It’s really good. It’s been a long battle, a long journey with getting it back from when I was told that I would never sing again in the early ’90s because of the paralyzed vocal cord.

I had to retrain it. I train every day to keep it in shape.

It’s strong as ever, as long as I do my homework every day.