Guitarist for Rock Band Ratt Dead From AIDS (posted 6/10/2002)

Reuters via NYTimes.com ^ | 6/10/02

[GeneD]

Filed at 4:21 p.m. ET

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Rock guitarist Robbin Crosby, a founding member of the 1980s heavy-metal ``hair'' band Ratt, has died after an eight-year battle with AIDS, according to the group's official Web site. He was 42.

Crosby, who went public with his illness in a radio interview last July, saying he had contracted the disease through heroin use, died on Thursday.

The band's Web site (http://www.therattpack.com) carried a photograph of the guitarist performing in concert beneath the words, ``In Memory of Robbin Crosby.'' The site's ``forum'' section posted dozens of messages of condolences from grieving fans.

Crosby co-founded Ratt in 1983 with vocalist Stephen Pearcy, and after adding guitarist Warren DeMartini, bassist Juan Croucier and drummer Bobby Blotzer, the Los Angeles-based group became one of the most popular rock acts of the mid-1980s.

The band released its self-titled debut independently in 1983, leading to a major-label recording contract with Atlantic Records, which issued the band's breakthrough LP, ``Out of the Cellar,'' in 1984. The album featured the huge radio and MTV hit ''Round and Round,'' which like many of Ratt's songs was co-written by Crosby.

Three more platinum-selling albums followed, starting with ''Invasion of Your Privacy'' in 1985, but the band's popularity waned after the 1990 release of ``Detonator'' as the alternative rock movement took hold, and the band broke up in 1992.

In keeping with the band's raucous, free-wheeling image, Crosby's indulgence in drugs took its toll as the musician's lavish lifestyle dissolved into a maelstrom of addiction.

``Robbin had everything kids dream of growing up,'' his brother-in-law, Bill Decker, told the San Diego Tribune. ``He was married for a while to a Playboy Playmate, he had a Ferrari, a Laurel Canyon house with a pool that overlooked L.A., a personal assistant. ... But then he started getting heavily into drugs, and his marriage started to fall apart. He lost his way.''

In July 2001, Crosby disclosed in an interview with the Los Angeles radio station KNAC that he had full-blown AIDS, a disease he said he believed he contracted when he began using heroin in the mid-'80s as a member of Ratt.

``Basically, it's killing me,'' he said at the time. ``I've been in the hospital for eight straight months, and in and out for over seven years.''

Ratt reunited without Crosby in 1997 to release another two albums. Last year, Blotzer and DeMartini launched a tour with several new members, and are due to play this summer's Rock Fest tour with other 1980s glam-metal acts.

[Terabitten]

I always thought Warren DiMartini was the better of the two guitarists in that band, but that's just me.

You're right about the guitar playing talent in the 80s. The technical bar was so high then that people forget just how *difficult* to play some of that stuff is. I've been playing for 15 years and I still can't get some of it down.

Most everything since '92, though, I can usually figure out in a matter of minutes.

[Junior_G]

You resurrected this thread from three years ago so you could defend Ratt??? That's hilarious.

[RockinRight]

Warrant's lead singer is from Akron, OH and I've met him. Nice guy. Although he's a walking "Say no to Drugs" commercial...

[RockinRight]

Well it wasn't to defend Ratt per se. I just came across it when searching AIDS posts. I was then simply stating my opinion.

[Clemenza]

Really Gay 80s LA hair band. Had 15 minutes of fame due to the fact that they got Milton Berle to star in their first video, "Round and Round." Uncle Miltie, what were you thinking?

[RockinRight]

"Gay" band that probably got more FEMALE a$$ than you've dreamed of...which might explain the AIDS...or the heroin...or maybe he was a closet homo. I dunno. I liked Ratt and still do.

[Clemenza]

Ratt was gay in the third definition (as in "that band is Sooooo Gay.). Rob Halford of Judas Priest and the guys in Accept were/are Gay in the second definition (as in "Liberace is Gayer than a white sale at Pottery Barn").

[Kokojmudd]

"You're right about the guitar playing talent in the 80s. The technical bar was so high then that people forget just how *difficult* to play some of that stuff is. I've been playing for 15 years and I still can't get some of it down."

You are right. I am no fan of that genre but now 20+ years later am amazed at the technical skill involved in playing that claptrap. How did they find the time to practice so much between all the sex, booze and drugs? Must have been the Protestant work ethic.

[RockinRight]

Liberace is Gayer than a white sale at Pottery Barn

ROFL...I'll have to remember that one...

[RockinRight]

Just out of curiosity...what music do you like?

[Malacoda]

Winger?
WINGER?!?

Now I've got "Seventeen" stuck in my head. Go stand in the corner. Just go.

[Tall_Texan]

Five more posts and this thread will have more posts from today than it got the day it started. Is this progress?

[RockinRight]

I've revived more dead threads than David Lee Roth...

For the uninformed...Roth now works as a paramedic...

[RockinRight]

I saw sparks fly, from the corner of my eye
And when I turned, it was love at first sight
I said please excuse me, I didn't catch your name
Oh it'd be a shame not to see you again
And just when I thought she was comin' to my door
She whispered sweet and brought me to the floor, she said
I'm only seventeen, but I'll show you love like you've never seen
She's only seventeen, daddy says she's too young, but she's old enough for me
Come to my place, we can talk it over, oh everything going down in your head
She said take it easy, I need some time, time to work it out, to make you mine
And just when I thought she was comin' to my door
She whispered sweet and brought me to the floor, she said
I'm only seventeen, you ain't seen love, ain't seen nothing like me
She's only seventeen, seventeen
(Solo)
Such a bad girl, loves to work me overtime
Feels good (ha), dancin' close to the borderline
She's a magic mountain, she's a leather glove
Oh she's my soul, it must be love
She's only seventeen, still she gives me love, like I've never seen
She's only seventeen, daddy says she's too young, but she's old enough for me
She's everything I need, daddy says she's too young
But she's old enough, old enough for me

[moehoward]

And who was Crosby's uncle?

[Kokojmudd]

"Just out of curiosity...what music do you like?"

These days I listen to a lot of 30's and 40's swing, a good deal of Sinatra, some jazz standards, bebop..to a point, early, early country like Jimmie Rodgers, Bob Wills,... Captain Beefheart...very original and complex. I do like late 70's early 80's punk rock like X, black flag, the freeze,bad brains etc...probably because I can play most of it on my guitar...except for the billy zoom guitar leads....honestly I don't listen to rock as much. As I get older it sounds louder!

I do have appreciation for the metal guitarists of the 80's because I know how difficult it is to play some of that stuff...I would probably like the music better if I could play it on my guitar....but I will wait for a talent implant when they become available at Walmart. :)

[Old Professer]

I had to read the first sentence to find out the name of the band.

[RockinRight]

Talent implant...LOL...

I can dig old swing and Sinatra.

[RockinRight]

He was somehow related to Bing. Not sure if it was his uncle.

[WaveMan]

Anyone have a link that works with this news story? The NYT one in the original post isn't there anymore...:/