Quiet Riot singer, Kevin Dubrow, died last Sunday night at his home in Las Vegas. I’d post a link, but so many blogs and websites and news sites are covering his death I wouldn’t know which one to post. So, if you have been living in a cave and really need to read about it do a search on Google or Yahoo!.
During the course of the last week Kevin’s death have been covered all over television, radio and the internet. There were many tributes to him on specialty hard rock and metal shows, and for the ones taped in advance of his death, probably more to come. The amount of other people coming out of the woodwork to pay tribute to Kevin Dubrow is tremendous. The music of Quiet Riot has even made back into regular rotation on a few stations here in the New York/New Jersey area.
While I think it’s great that Kevin and his music are getting all this attention, but I kind of find it troubling that it took his death to make people remember him. Everyone is saying so many great things about him, as people often do about people when they die, which is nice. I’ve got nothing bad to say about him. I had the chance to meet Kevin once a long time ago and he was a very nice guy. People go on to say how wonderful, great and influential Quiet Riot was but what they don’t realize is that Kevin was still an active singer and entertainer, and an active member of Quiet Riot. To many people Kevin Dubrow and Quiet Riot were “residing in the where are they now file.” But, unlike all the 80s glam and metal bands getting back together to make a few bucks because of the rising interest in 80s music, he kept Quiet Riot going, no reunion necessary. The band was still making their way across the US and parts of Europe, playing music year after year. I didn’t get to see the band back in the 80s, but I did get to see Quiet Riot in several small clubs on Long Island in the 90s, and once in a minor league baseball stadium a few years ago in New Jersey with Rudy Sarzo playing bass. Every time they were fun and kicked ass.
It kinda makes me sick listening to all these hypocrites. So, to all of you that are eulogizing Kevin and calling him an enormous talent and great friend, why weren’t you supporting him, band and his career? If he meant so much too you, where the hell were you?
It’s great that you can hear him on the radio again, but it sucks that it took his death to make it happen.