Posted on 06/10/2002 1:59:16 PM PDT by 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.
Roth is now a paramedic? That's scary. I always assumed he'd become just a gigolo. Color me disillusioned.
I believe it was Milton Berle.
Here's the VH1 article:
http://www.vh1.com/artists/news/1455086/06102002/ratt.jhtml
" Poison started as the opening act, but it got to the point that more people were showing up for Poison than for Ratt!"
Back in the early 90's that happened to ZZ Top when they had The Black Crows opening for them.
ZZ Top threw them off the tour.
The PMSNBC article:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6501706/
???
Ratt's manager was Uncle Miltie's nephew, Marshall Berle. That's how he ended up in the "Round n' Round" video. (Damn, I'm old).
three of my favorite songs to play.
Oh and Demartini was 3 times the guitarist Crosby was and George Lynch ate 'em both for lunch!
Oops. Berle was their mangers uncle. All this time I thought he was Robin's uncle. Could have sworn that is what Percy told me. But that was a loooonnnngg time ago......
DeMartini and Lynch are in my top ten...
However....nobody could shred like Lynch:
I saw Metallica open for Ozzy after the release of Master of Puppets, and the place was full when Metallica started. I wouldn't say that anybody left when Ozzy came on, but it seemed that more people where there for Metallica than for Ozzy.
"You're in Love" is another goody.
Ah, poor George. Truly wasted his talent with Dokken. The first two Lynch Mob records are classics, but by then, the train had left the station. Lynch has a disc out called "Will Play for Food", basically a compilation of all his one offs for Shrapnel Records, and what not. There's a version of "Rollin' and Tumblin" on there that has some of his best licks ever.
Never heard of her.
Agree there. Donny was/is a world class weanie.
It's nice to hear from somebody who's actually heard of George Lynch. Again, more songs that I love to play and these,somehow I seem to play everytime I fart around with my guitar: It's Not Love, Into the Fire and In My Dreams
Oh man, Udo Dirkschnider and crew were gay? And to think I liked "Balls to the Wall". Now I will have to re-think the meaning of it. I knew Halford was gay, even back then.
Although he did do a great job as producer on that Great White EP with "Down On Your Knees".
The way my memory is serving me today I probably have that wrong too.
Yep. It was one of the worst kept secrets in town.
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