‘The Masked Singer’ Sends Home an R&B Great and a Rock God
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THIS POST CONTAINS spoilers for this week’s episode of Fox’s The Masked Singer.
The Masked Singer panelists dressed the part riding Harleys, smearing red lipstick over dressing room mirrors, and chucking hand horns to the sky during a special rock and roll-themed night. While Group B finalists Tiki, Husky, and Sea Queen gave head-banging performances only Sea Queen would head to the finale. Husky was the first to be sent home and was revealed as R&B legend Ginuwine.
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Tiki didn’t go home without a fight, and competed with Sea Queen in a final battle royale to Poison’s “Nothin’ But a Good Time.” But after a raspy yet rocky final note, Tiki was unmasked as Skid Row’s Sebastian Bach.
“I am just so over the moon right now because I’ve been a massive fan of yours,” panelist Nicole Scherzinger said after the reveal. “Yes, you’re a Rock God, you’re a legend, but you’re a brilliant vocalist. You can do anything with your voice.”
Bach skyrocketed to success in the late Eighties and early Nineties as the former frontman of Skid Row with a glass-shattering shriek. The rock band split with Bach in 1996 and he told Rolling Stone in 2019 that he hadn’t spoken with his former bandmates since he was fired 23 years ago.
“We were close to reuniting maybe two years ago, or a year ago or something like that, but then it didn’t happen,” Bach told Rolling Stone. “The fact that it didn’t happen obviously makes me somewhat bitter, because life is only getting shorter, as the song says.”
Since his exit, Bach has appeared on VH1 reality shows, Gilmore Girls, and Broadway.
Bach, dressed as Tiki, shrieked the Kiss classic “I Was Made For Lovin’ You” as fire plumed from the stage. After Kelly Osbourne, who played Ladybug in Season Two, delivered a clue about Japan, panelist Nicole Scherzinger quickly recalled her 2006 performance in Japan with The Pussycat Dolls where Kiss, Alice in Chains, and Skid Row played. With the hint, Scherzinger knew it was Bach.
Next, panelist Robin Thicke praised Husky for his soulful performance of Bon Jovi’s “Always” after Husky shared the clue that his “biggest fans,” his parents, had died.
“Man, the feeling you gave to that performance,” Thicke said ahead of the reveal. “You gave everything from your heart and soul that you ever been through in your life and you left it on that stage.”
Panelist Ken Jeong, claimed to be a Wild N’ Out historian after learning host Nick Cannon and Husky had shared the stage, and incorrectly guessed DJ D-Wrek from the rap battle game show. Fortunately, Thicke pieced the clues together and pinpointed Ginuwine from his vocal tone.
The slow jam artist rose to stardom following the Timbaland-produced track “Pony,” which became synonymous with the Channing Tatum-led Magic Mike series. Following the release of his debut album Ginuwine…The Bachelor and album 100% Ginuwine, his track “Differences” peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard charts. Beyond music, Ginuwine made appearances in Parks and Recreation and Chocolate City, a diverse adaptation of Magic Mike.
Last week’s episode saw O-Town’s Ashley Parker Angel unmasked, and in earlier weeks controversial NBA champion Metta Sandiford-Artest (formerly Ron Artest), Real Housewives of New York City star Luann de Lesseps, Teen Wolf’s Tyler Posey, and LGBTQ trailblazer and tennis icon Billie Jean King were all booted.
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