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.
David Lee Roth is about to take over Howard Stearns slot in NYC, I beleive.
Nice. Ever try "Mr. Scary?"
George and Mick Brown (the drummer), were basically forced to work with Dokken. They had jammed with him once or twice, but didn't want to work with him. Dokken then took the songs that Lynch had written and got a record deal in Germany, of all places. Since he had no deal at the time, Lynch's hand was forced, so he threw in with Dokken. No wonder they didn't get along.
I thought I was in a time warp. "Didn't he already die? Oh. Old thread."
Lynch has amazing chops but that grinding Marshall sound that DiMartini and Crosby got, especially on the EP and the first 3 albums, is just ear-splitting. Listen to Back For More when the band kicks in after the acoustic guitar...like a sonic boom!
Dokken was good till Don became an a$$hole around the time "Back for the Attack" came out. The reunion albums in the 90s sucked helium.
Actually, all the 80s Dokken releases with Lynch were very very good. However, the first two Lynch Mob CD's are George's best work by far.
Some, but to be honest, with like 20 tracks on the recorded version, you basically have to be George Lynch to pull off a reasonable facsimile live.
I remember working through about half of it and it never sounded as cool as George's, so it got left by the wayside many years ago...although the opening "Crazy Train-ish" riff is fun to pound out.
Natural selection at work.
NO WAY!! I was wondering who would get that slot.
The thing about Halford though is he never wore it on his sleeve. He was gay, but so what, he sang and did his thing. Didn't feel the need to rub it in our faces like the modern gay crowd.
Well Mick and George were the true talents. Don was a good singer but really nothing spectacular.
Don't get me wrong, I was a big Dokken fan. Wore out "Under Lock and Key", back when you could actually wear those things out. It's just that Lynch Mob was so much better. Those guys would have been huge if they came out 10 years earlier. Even having to switch singers, those two records were great.
As a 12-18 year old, I liked metal, including Priest and Accept. Turns out they were gay.
If this trend continues, expect Robert Earle Keen, Jr, David Allan Coe, and Hot Tuna to come out of the closet any time now.
LOL!!
You almost couldn't tell the singers apart.
"Wicked Sensation" coulda been a big hit a few years earlier. I do remember it got a little airplay there for about a week or two.
he was born in my hometown of Akron, Ohio.
Round and Round really was a cool tune.
When WILL the madness end?
First Ray Charles, then that drummer in that rock band I cannot remember, then that guy from Molly Hatchet flirted with disaster one last time. I can hardly keep up with the death toll. Johnny Cash is dead and the Man in Black is not coming back. Maurice Gibb is getting Too Much Heaven and Not Enough Earth these days. Dirty 'Ol Bastard (we hardly knew ye Mr. Bastard) is pushing up watermelons. Stacy Lattisaw, Laura Branigan and Kirsty McCall are all dead. Everytime you turn around, somebody else in the music world is dying. That guy from that Australian band, that singer who did an awesome version of Neil Young's "Powderfinger" down that stadium that hot, muggy night so long ago. Half of McFadden & Whitehead is dead. So is half The Beatles and 1/5 of the Rolling Stones (or 1/6 if you want to include Ron Wood as a Stone).
When will the madness end?
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