Big John Bates is a Canadian singer, songwriter and guitarist. He cofounded and performed in Annihilator writing the first and highest selling album, Alison Hell. As the creator of Big John Bates & the Voodoo Dollz he put out four critically acclaimed full-length LPs and two DVDs on various labels. Following that were three albums he released with a string section, the Noirchestra, where he delved into a Gothic Americana sound. Bates has also had long-term sponsorships with Jagermeister, Gretsch (guitars) and Hofner (basses) through his 25-year career.