I'm from France, 43 years old.
I began listening to "metal" (hard rock at the time), with Scorpions, Twisted sister, Dokken, Bon Jovi so this was soft metal I'd say for years (other : Motley crue, Cinderella, Def Leppard, Ozzy Osbourne, Helloween, Quiet Riot, Manowar, King Diamond, Malmsteen...