Image © Corbis
Vinnie made his name as the replacement for Ace Frehley in Kiss. At first he was only in the shadows, most notably lending his playing and song-writing skills to the 1982 album Creatures Of The Night, even though Ace's visage graced the cover. He finally joined the band officially later that year.
He took up the persona of the Ankh Warrior (see below...!) before enjoying a stormy relationship with his bandmates, with allegations of non-payment of royalties and over-indulgent solos being flung back and forth until he finally left (or was dispensed with, depending on what you read...) in 1984.
Vinnie subsequently formed Vinnie Vincent Invasion, a barely-disguised, almost Malmsteenesque, showcase for his undoubted guitar skills, and they made a ripple or two on the hair metal scene before imploding in 1988.
Vin's often unfairly regarded as a figure of fun, but he knew which end of the guitar was which, as demonstrated by the vintage clip below...
