Cinderella was a hair metal band with some power pop thrown in for good measure. They were formed in Philadelphia in 1984 by vocalist Tom Keifer and bassist Eric Brittingham, with drummer Tony Destra and guitarist Michael Shermick, who later changed his name to Michael Kelly-Smith. Cinderella was discovered by Jon Bon Jovi in 1985, at the Empire Rock Club in Pennsylvania. In 1985 Shermick and Destra left Cinderella and joined another Philadelphia-based metal band called Britny Fox. They were replaced by guitarist Jeff LaBar and drummer Jim Drnec. It was this lineup that recorded the Night Songs debut album using studio drummer Jody Cortez. Shortly after its recording, Drnec was replaced by (former London drummer) Fred Coury. Coury joined in time to be included as a band member on the album's liner notes. Night Songs was released in August 1986. At one time it sold more than 50,000 copies a week. The album eventually went triple Platinum.
During their tour for the album, they opened for Bon Jovi, who at the time were touring for their third album Slippery When Wet. Bon Jovi remained an avid supporter of Cinderella. Later, Cinderella headlined a tour in Japan.
Cinderella's second album was Long Cold Winter in 1988. During its tour Cinderella joined Ozzy Osbourne, The Scorpions, Mötley Crüe, Bon Jovi, and Skid Row in the Moscow Music Peace Festival on August 12 & August 13, 1989. The Long Cold Winter tour ended after 254 shows and fourteen months on the road. The shows featured Keifer being gently lowered to the stage from the air on his grand piano as fake snow fell.
