Ralph Saenz
Ralph Michael Saenz (born May 17, 1965), better known as Michael Starr, is an American musician who is best known as the lead vocalist of the comedic glam metal band Steel Panther.
Also recorded as Michael Starr · Ralph Michael Saenz · David Lee Ralph
Ralph Saenz

Alfred Nitsch · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Name
- Michael Starr
- Birth Name
- Ralph Michael Saenz
- Born
- 17 May 1965
- Birthplace
- Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
- Occupation
- * Singer
- Nationality
- United States
- Fields
- hard rock
- Education
- University of California and Berkeley
- Languages
- English
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
VALÉORINE documentary reading
Documentary summary
Ralph Michael Saenz (born May 17, 1965), better known as Michael Starr, is an American musician who is best known as the lead vocalist of the comedic glam metal band Steel Panther.
Admitted source layer · organised and presented by VALÉORINE
Reference Check
Propose documentary evidence for Ralph Saenz. A contribution is never written directly as fact: identity, source, rights and evidence gates still decide.
Sign in to contribute
World of VALÉORINE
Documentary connections
Only confirmed graph relationships appear here. Images are shown only when their identity and reuse rights both pass the documentary gate.
Documentary evidence
Documentary basis
Authority files
wikidata · Q3030346
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Michael Starr • Alias — * David Lee Ralph • Michael Diamond • Michael Saenz • Birth Name — Ralph Michael Saenz • Born — 17 May 1965 • Birthplace — Chicago, Illinois, U.S. • Origin — Los Angeles, California, U.S. • Genre — * Glam metal • hard rock • Occupation — * Singer • songwriter • Years Active — 1980s–present • Current Member Of — Steel Panther • Past Member Of — * L.A. Guns • Nanowar of Steel
Early and personal life
Early and personal life
Saenz was born in Chicago on May 17, 1965. He is of Spanish and Swedish descent. He was raised primarily in the Van Nuys neighborhood of Los Angeles, where his father was a college professor. He is often cited as having a Ph.D. in English from University of California, Berkeley; however, this is a common misconception, as Saenz had lied about his education to get an apartment when his credit was being checked.
Career
Career
Saenz was the lead singer for the David Lee Roth-era Van Halen tribute band Atomic Punks from May 1994 to December 2008, where he used the stage name David Lee Ralph. He formed the band with future bandmate, Steel Panther guitarist Russ Parrish. Saenz was briefly the lead singer for L.A. Guns, singing on the Wasted EP. He also has sung for the band 7% Solution. Saenz formed Steel Panther, a satirical metal band, in 2000 with Parrish under the name Metal Shop (soon changed into Metal Skool, Danger Kitty [for a commercial], then into Steel Panther). The band has become successful worldwide, and has many celebrity fans who have performed onstage with them. He provided background vocals for AFI on the albums Sing the Sorrow and Decemberunderground. Saenz also briefly appeared in the 2001 film Rock Star, playing the part of a singer auditioning for the fictitious band Steel Dragon.
With 7% Solution
With 7% Solution
• Better Late Than Never (Mitch Perry Album) (1998)
With Long Gone
With Long Gone
• Long Gone (2017)
With L.A. Guns
With L.A. Guns
• Wasted (1998)
With Steel Panther
With Steel Panther
• Hole Patrol (2003) • Feel the Steel (2009) • Balls Out (2011) • All You Can Eat (2014) • Lower the Bar (2017) • Heavy Metal Rules (2019) • On the Prowl (2023)
With Metal Sludge
With Metal Sludge
• Hey That's What I Call Sludge – Vol 1 (2003)
Guest appearances
Guest appearances
• Fozzy – Do You Wanna Start a War (vocals on "Tonight") • Gus G. – I Am the Fire (vocals on "Redemption") • Ninja Sex Party – Attitude City and Level Up (vocals on "6969") • Nanowar of Steel – Uranus • Various artists – Peacemaker (featured artist in "Pumped Up Kicks") • Crashdïet - Automaton (Vocals on "Powerline") • Sophie Lloyd – Imposter Syndrome (vocals on "Runaway")
Identity and origins
Identity and origins
The authorities additionally record the headings Michael Starr, Ralph Michael Saenz and David Lee Ralph. His recorded language was English.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 1 entries
1965
Ralph Saenz born at Chicago.
Discography
• Illustration — Starr (center) with Steel Panther at Nova Rock 2017
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Home. steelpantherrocks.com.
- 2.From an interview with the Swedish magazine Hårdrock.
- 3.Interview – Steel Panther's Michael Starr. www.therockpit.net.
- 4.Steel Panther: Is the joke starting to wear thin?. February 17, 2017.
- 5.Ralph Saenz.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Music memorabilia
42,866 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Ralph PeerPerson
- Ralph PeñaPerson
- Ralph PenlandPerson
- Ralph RaingerPerson
- Ralph SantollaPerson
- Ralph ShapeyPerson
- Ralph SharonPerson
- Ralph SiegelPerson
Best supported in this field
For owners
Own a work by Ralph Saenz?
A specialist will read what you send and tell you what the house can establish, what it cannot, and whether the object is suited to sale. There is no charge and no obligation. The object stays with you throughout; nothing is shipped to us unless it is arranged in writing beforehand.