A Bitter Cinderella Story [Tom Keifer/Nikki Sixx fanfic]

Chapter 1: What a voice!

[Forward: This story is entirely fictional, taking GREAT liberties with the times, places, people presented in this fanfiction! I am not going for factual accuracy but I am aware of the general timelines of both bands, and events regarding Motley Crue, Cinderella etc. As such you should consider as I do, this being set in an ALTERNATIVE UNIVERSE, set in the mid 1980s, much of the first chapters are set in spring 1985 right before Theater of Pain is released. I will be playing fast and loose with characterizations to suit my story but I've read +watched countless interviews involving both bands, I have read The Dirt, some of The Heroin Diaries, seen many many concerts of both bands online, I listen to their music, so I'm familiar with all involved BUT this is an alternate world, so not everything will be the same!]

Now that I've gotten that out of the way, please leave comments or kudos! They're much appreciated! I enjoy feedback, and if you see errors like with spelling or grammar, nicely point them out. I am always in the process of going back and editing later on as mistakes are easy to miss in the midst of being in the writing zone! Thanks! Enjoy, and oh heed the tags, I may add warnings for more explicit content as they arise

Leonel Steele removed the headphones, setting them aside as the demo tape finished. Well, well that loser finally found something worthwhile! One of his talent scouts, a spineless bastard named Callum Roberts, known mostly by his peers, co-workers, and ex-wives as Cal, was in Philadelphia making his rounds of the local music scene scouting for a band to sign to Typhon's music label, Euphoria Records. The label had several branches handling the various music genres; pop, new wave, rock, metal, folk, country, and any new sound gaining momentum. 

Music was essential within all cultures, and Typhon Inc who not only possessed a firm hold within the music industry dabbled in many sectors; radio, television, news, and even started to invest in the tech industry with computers, phones, and this new world-bending creation, the internet, a network connecting computer devices all over the country and potentially the world. Typhon like their competitors was always seeking ways to innovate, advance, and profit. It always came down to profit. And that included profiting off of people which is where their entertainment sector came in, bringing them billions off the sales of their top musicians, actors, models, and other figures of celebrity. 

It was amazing what one could do by branding someone, their image, their voice, their skills. Merchandise the fuck out of them; clothing lines, posters, magazines, perfumes, booze, drugs, if you can slap a name, image, or label on something, and there is an audience to buy it, the money just comes pouring in. Until it doesn't, then it's rebranding, or finding someone new. Out with the old, and unprofitable, in with the new and profitable. 

Leonel had worked under his predecessor Mr. Howell who had signed numerous big musical acts where they were raking in millions solely by album sales, basic merch, and concert tickets into a billion dollar money making machines once he slapped their names and faces on a whole slew of products from footwear lines, alcohol brands, to promoting drugs by several big name pharmaceutical companies who know have merged into only four entities now. People were suckers when they saw their favorite singer, or rock stars face or name on a label. Why buy the cheaper no-name soda, when you can buy the cola with their face or name on it that THEY drink. Most never even tried the shit they sold to the masses. What mattered was people bought it, they believed their idols wore, drank, smoked, ate, or used it. Whatever it took to make that cold hard cash. 

It was a brutal business practice, and Typhon like the others, sucked in and spat out many, many famous acts who either burned out, dropped out, died, aged out or fell out of favor with the public and were replaced. Sometimes those with enough foresight to realize their gravy train would end at some point, squirrelled away enough so they could live the rest of their lives with some dignity. From what Leonel saw, not too many had that foresight, or were so broken by the business, they were too dysfunctional even if they had the means and money to walk away.