{"id":9414,"date":"2010-11-23T07:23:57","date_gmt":"2010-11-23T13:23:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/?p=9414"},"modified":"2013-02-06T08:44:52","modified_gmt":"2013-02-06T13:44:52","slug":"kevin-dubrow-born-to-rock","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/2010\/kevin-dubrow-born-to-rock\/","title":{"rendered":"Kevin DuBrow: Born To Rock"},"content":{"rendered":"

In Tribute: Kevin DuBrow.<\/h3>\n

by Alex Barbieri<\/span>
\nStaff Writer<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"\"On Nov. 25, 2010, it will be three years since the sudden passing of Kevin DuBrow. May hard rock and metal fans everywhere raise a clenched-fist to the sky in honor of the unique and groundbreaking Quiet Riot singer.<\/p>\n

Born on Oct. 29, 1955, DuBrow grew up in Hollywood, and later Van Nuys, Calif. Not surprising, considering he almost single-handedly put the L.A. metal scene on the world map. In 1983, Quiet Riot released the monster hit Metal Health. Their reluctant remake of Slade\u2019s \u201cCum On Feel the Noize\u201d spent two weeks at No. 5 on the Billboard charts, and the album eventually sold more than 4 million copies. Considered by many to be the first \u201cheavy metal\u201d album to top the pop charts, Metal Health kicked the door down for the radio-friendly glam rock that followed, including Motley Cr\u00fce\u2019s Shout at the Devil, Ratt\u2019s Out of the Cellar and Twisted Sister\u2019s Stay Hungry.
\n
\nThroughout his rock career, DuBrow sang on more than 15 albums, including 10 Quiet Riot releases, and a notable turn on \u201cStars\u201d from the 1985 Hear \u2018N Aid project. He could scream like a banshee, but DuBrow also had a softer side, shown on ballads like Metal Health\u2019s \u201cDon\u2019t Wanna Let You Go\u201d and \u201cTwilight Hotel\u201d and \u201cStill of the Night\u201d from QR III. DuBrow\u2019s life and career was not without controversy. In 1984, his outspoken nature caused a well-publicized war of words with Motley Cr\u00fce after he allegedly stated to the rock press, \u201cThe Cr\u00fce sucks and wouldn\u2019t sell a record.\u201d Good times.<\/p>\n

\"\"Live, DuBrow was a consummate showman, dressed in leather and velvet with striped microphone stand in hand. Almost campy, DuBrow flailed around the stage like Rod Stewart\u2019s taller, more hyper younger brother. He liked stomping on his vocal harmonizer a bit too much at times, but his sincere enthusiasm for singing and his audience made up for it. To quote a Quiet Riot song, he was truly \u201cborn to rock.\u201d<\/p>\n

He was also a rock \u2018n roll \u201clifer.\u201d Never married, Dubrow lived for the next album, tour and female companionship. From the height of fame and riches, through obscurity and bankruptcy, to finding his way back on the metal nostalgia circuit, DuBrow\u2019s true calling and passion was always his music. And though his life was cut short at 52, he fulfilled his destiny and changed the course of rock music forever.<\/p>\n

Kevin DuBrow died Nov. 25, 2007 at his home in Las Vegas. May he rock in peace. No doubt, he\u2019s assembled a killer band in heaven, his striped microphone stand in hand.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Read \u201cRemembering Kevin DuBrow,\u201d a collection of memories, stories, prayers and praise. http:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/kdtribute\/HRH%20Kevin%20DuBrow%20Tribute.php<\/a><\/p>\n

View a touching tribute video to Kevin DuBrow on YouTube. http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=iLN9uautmJk&feature=player_embedded<\/a><\/p>\n

In his honor and to remember the man who sang on some of the most memorable metal anthems of all time, Hardrock Haven and our friends have compiled a quote page full of stories, prayers, praise and memories of what DuBrow meant to us all. Read now to find out what Cage, Tony Harnell, Kamelot, Helix and many more musicians and friends had to say about their fallen brother, Kevin DuBrow. (republished from Hardrock Haven’s 2007 Tribute Page.)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

—- “I want to thank everyone for the hundreds of
\ncondolences that I’ve received in honor of Kevin which continues to pour
\nin. With Kevin’s passing a very large part of my life and my history has
\ncome to end and I can’t imagine life without his presence.<\/p>\n

I’ve not slept. There is such a void in every part of my
\nlife now. I can’t find any words to say that make any sense of it. I can’t
\nfix this, I can’t change this and I’m expected accept the unbearable.
\nI can’t utter a sentence or think of my dear friend or even say his name
\nwithout a flood of tears.<\/p>\n

I can’t stand that I won’t hear his voice on the phone.<\/p>\n

I can’t stand that I won’t step on a stage with him again.<\/p>\n

I can’t stand that I won’t share another day with him.<\/p>\n

I can’t stand that I won’t sit across from him laughing.<\/p>\n

I can’t stand to go past the room and see the awards we earned and shared.<\/p>\n

I can’t stand that life is forever changed.<\/p>\n

I can’t stand that I can’t change this.<\/p>\n

I can’t stand that I have to accept this.<\/p>\n

This is a picture that Kevin sent to me on May 24, 2007.
\nIt was taken in 1993 after we had reconciled and started working together
\nagain and when he sent it to me he called to say that this is how he will
\nalways like to remember us as friends. A relationship in life that continued
\nuntil now. I want to remember my dear Kevin in life like this rather than
\nin his passing.”<\/p>\n

Frankie Banali (Quiet Riot) reprinted with permission
\nof Frankie Banali from http:\/\/www.frankie-banali.com\/<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

—- “I was working at a record store when Metal Health came out; it made
\nme proud as a fan of metal to see that album sell so much every day. It
\nwas the breakthrough into the mainstream for sure and it validated to
\nall my non-metal friends that my music had finally arrived. Kevin had
\na very unique voice that I know touched a lot of people. He left way too
\nsoon.”
\nTony Harnell (TNT, Morning Wood, Starbreaker)<\/p>\n

—- \u201cI never met Kevin, but for sure I couldn’t stop
\nplaying my vinyl version of Metal Health the year it was released. I would
\nscream at the top of my lungs along with the songs; he had a strong and
\npowerful voice and was one of my early influences. RIP Kevin, and keep
\nit loud up there! All my deepest thoughts to his family and friends.\u201d
\nSilver Steff (SILVER DIRT)<\/p>\n

—- \u201cOne of my first albums was a rare Quiet Riot vinyl LP that had
\nRandy Rhoads in the band at the time. Kevin and QR put rock\/metal on the
\ncommercial map following that and many, many bands would not exist without
\ntheir influence. The news of Kevin\u2019s death hits very hard, a sad
\nreminder of how delicate life can be.\u201d
\nThomas Youngblood (Kamelot)<\/p>\n

—- \u201cRegardless of attitudes or rumors, Kevin had
\na voice you either loved or hated. But there is no denying that his voice
\nhelped to pave the way for \u201880’s metal. Personally, I loved the
\nguy as a vocalist and performer. I thought he had a great voice and tons
\nof energy. He always seemed on top of his game when performing. He will
\nbe sadly missed by millions.\u201d
\nJaime Vendera (Vocal coach\/The Voice Connection)<\/p>\n

—- \u201cWe toured with Kevin and Quiet Riot in the summer of 1984 on our
\nWalking the Razor’s Edge CD. Also on the tour was Whitesnake. My favorite
\nmemory of Kevin, however, was two summers ago when we met up at a festival
\nwhere Helix and Quiet Riot were on the same bill. Together with Frankie
\nwe reminisced about that tour back in ’84 and expressed the desire to
\nhook up again somewhere down the road. Luckily I filmed some of our encounter
\non my Sony movie camera as sadly we’ll never get the chance to be on the
\nsame bill again. On behalf of Helix and myself I would like to express
\nmy deepest sympathies to the Kevin\u2019s family.\u201d
\nBrian Vollmer (Helix)<\/p>\n

—- \u201cSadly I never got to meet Kevin. Metal Health came out when I was
\nin high school and it was an incredibly influential album. Every band
\nI auditioned for was playing at least one song off of Metal Health. People
\nforget that Quiet Riot kicked off the whole LA metal scene, starting a
\nsigning craze for bands like Motley Crue, Ratt, WASP, Dokken … literally
\nhundreds if not thousands of bands that came out of that scene. Soon bands
\nstarted moving to Los Angeles just to ride the wave that QR helped to
\nkick off. Their first single \u201cCum on Feel the Noize\u201d was such
\na surprise hit, it wasn’t even available in stores as a single until months
\nafter the song broke. This forced people to purchase the full album, making
\nMetal Health the first metal album to climb that charts. They created
\na sound that no one had heard on radio up till that point \u2014 and
\nthey built on this by becoming the first metal band to headline an arena
\ntour solely on the strength of a debut album. Kevin accomplished a lot
\nfor the metal scene, and his passing is a loss to us all.\u201d
\nEric Ragno (Vox Tempus, Ted Poley, Steve Grimmet, David Readman, American Angel, etc.)<\/p>\n

—- \u201cI was very saddened to hear of the passing of a great Rock Singer
\nand Front Man, and one who had stamped his mark forever in the books of
\nRock History. Kevin DuBrow will be missed by all of his fans, friends,
\nand family.<\/p>\n

I remember seeing Quiet Riot for the first time at “The
\nFleetwood” in Redondo Beach, Calif. in 1976 with Kevin, Frankie,
\nRudy, and Randy. Great line up, but then again all the QR lineups have
\nbeen great and strong as ever throughout the years. I saw Quiet Riot in
\nall their splendor & hoopla from the headlining Metal Health tour
\nduring the “Bang Your Head” days, all the way up to Rock Never
\nStops Tour 2005. Kevin always gave it his all, and I always believed it!
\nI recently heard through a source that the band was really doing well
\nthis year from touring and that the sky was the limit.<\/p>\n

I ran into Kevin and got to talk to him at PINK’S in Las
\nVegas a few years back when it was open for business; he could be a bit
\nintimidating if you didn’t actually know him, but as soon as I broke the
\nice and told him what a big fan I was he was a very friendly guy, and
\nappreciative. Long Live Quiet Riot and Kevin DuBrow’s Legacy!\u201d
\nJesse Damon (Silent Rage)<\/p>\n

—- \u201cI played with Kevin at the Monterrey Metal Fest and sat next to
\nhim for the press conference. He was very cool and we were joking at the
\npress meeting how Frankie Banelli was the only one who really spoke Spanish
\nand was just rolling with the reporters. A lot of the other bands did
\nnot show up for it but those of us who were there really put on a show
\nfor them. He was always seemingly very upbeat and excited throughout the
\nentire event. I spoke with reporters at the gathering, publicly acknowledging
\nQuiet Riot’s contribution to metal and looked at him in the eyes thanking
\nthe band for having us play with them. I told him it was an honor and
\nhe was genuinely stoked for the praise. I made some jokes in Spanish and
\ntold them all we were going to kick ass and everyone laughed. Kevin pulled
\nme aside and told me \u2018Good job in there,\u2019 which was cool.<\/p>\n

He told me how they had played in Mexico several times before and were
\nbig there. Judging by the 10,000 plus people that night, he was right.
\nThey absolutely crushed that night and he had the crowd really going off.
\nIt was definitely one of his shining moments as we were all on the stage
\nbehind him watching this arena metal performance for the ages. That night
\nit was CAGE, DIO, QUIET RIOT, DOKKEN, TWISTED SISTER and HATEBREED.\u201d
\nSean Peck (Cage)<\/p>\n

—- \u201cIf it wasn\u2019t for Quiet Riot, I probably never would have
\nstarted listening to metal in the first place. Hearing them on the radio
\nand seeing them on MTV as a teenager opened up my ears and forced me to
\nrecognize not only their groundbreaking movement, but to understand I
\nfound the exact kind of music that still has me addicted to it decades
\nlater. Unfortunately, I never met or interviewed Kevin, but Quiet Riot
\ncame through my home town in 2005 and ripped Sioux Falls a new hole. The
\nindustry is bereft without his voice.\u201d
\nDerric Miller (Hardrock Haven)<\/p>\n

—- \u201cI was stunned and saddened by the news of Kevin
\nDuBrow\u2019s premature passing. I will always be thankful not only for
\nthe road he paved for all bands that followed in the wake of Metal Health\u2019s
\nsuccess, but for being able to call him one of my best friends from \u2018back
\nin the day\u2019.<\/p>\n

When KEEL was the opening act on QR\u2019s 1986 tour, Kevin
\ntreated us, and me, extremely well \u2013 upon occasion, he invited me
\nto ride with him in their tour bus to the next town and we\u2019d room
\ntogether, singing and partying. In 1989 he made a guest appearance on
\nour \u201cLarger Than Live\u201d album, singing on our cover of Humble
\nPie\u2019s \u201cFool For A Pretty Face\u201d \u2013 our vocal back-and-forth
\nat the end of the tune (along with Jamie St. James) is one of the highlights
\nof that disc.<\/p>\n

I’m glad I got to see Quiet Riot live several times these past few years,
\nincluding a gig where I was once again their opening act in Pittsburgh
\nlast year. Kevin\u2019s voice and stage presence were as strong as ever,
\nand with many of our contemporaries no longer able to deliver vocally
\nit was great to see and hear a guy who\u2019d been doing it longer than
\nany of us still able to belt it out and hit the high notes.<\/p>\n

Never once in all these years did he fail to have a smile
\nand a hug for me, and we last spoke a couple of months ago. He hooked
\nme up with tickets for their show with Vince Neil in Las Vegas and we
\nmade dinner plans that will now remain unfulfilled.<\/p>\n

Kevin\u2019s music left a mark on modern culture, and his
\npassing will leave a mark deep inside me. He will be missed. My condolences
\nto all of his other friends and members of his family who have suffered
\nthis loss.”
\nRon Keel (Keel, Iron Horse)<\/p>\n

— “I can remember the first time I heard “Come On
\nFeel The Noise.” I had been listening to hard rock for most of my
\nlife, but there was something about Kevin DuBrow’s voice and the pounding
\nrhythm of Quiet Riot that made my sense of hearing perk up a notch, and
\ninstinctively I reached for the volume knob, and I just couldn’t turn
\nit up loud enough. Here was a style of music that made sense. A style
\nthat filled a musical void that finally played the kind of music I could
\nrelate to, and I dove into it head first. From that moment on, from the
\ntime the musical airwaves first latched on to the gravelly, smokey, bar
\nroom kind of voice that was all Kevin DuBrow, the floodgates were opened,
\nand a new musical genre was born. Call it hair metal, pop metal or what
\nhave you, for what you call it doesn’t matter. What does matter is the
\nfact that Kevin Dubrow and the boys of Quiet Riot started it all. And
\nI just couldn’t get enough of it. And I owe it all to Kevin DuBrow who
\nrefused to quit, even after years of rejection from labels and band members
\nalike. Kevin, your music touched my life in a way that no other kind of
\nmusic ever has, so thank you. May you rest in forever peace … ”
\nFranco (Hardrock Haven)<\/p>\n

— “I didn\u2019t know Kevin well. I only had the opportunity
\nto talk with him a few times, but my first meeting had a profound effect
\non me. We were booked on the same bill in the late 90\u2019s. It was one of
\nthose disastrously mishandled and poorly promoted shows that we\u2019ve all
\nbeen involved with at some point in our careers.<\/p>\n

The show was originally to be held in a warehouse in a run
\ndown area of town rented by the promoter for the event. My band showed
\nup for sound check to find that the fire marshal wouldn\u2019t allow the building
\nto be used, so the promoter had set up the staging in a vacant lot next
\ndoor. It was within a few yards of a freeway and an underpass where a
\ngroup of homeless men were congregating.<\/p>\n

As it turned out, only about 20 or so people showed up
\nfor the gig. I assumed that the Quiet Riot guys were going to take one
\nlook at the situation and turn around to go back to their hotel. I was
\npleasantly surprised to see them take the stage anyway and proceed to
\nrock the hell out of the 20 or so ticket holders and the hand full of
\nhomeless folks gathered nearby.<\/p>\n

I recall Kevin saying something about it reminding him
\nof the backyard keg parties they\u2019d played back in the day. Through it
\nall he was incredibly engaging and treated the small crowd as if they
\nwere a packed arena. He took what could have been a bad situation and
\nmade the best of it.<\/p>\n

I recall leaving and thinking that the small crowd that
\nwas there had just been treated to an intimate and truly special show
\nthat they would probably remember forever. He was a consummate professional
\nthrough and through. That ethic had a profound effect on me, and it\u2019s
\nsomething I\u2019ve tried to emulate with my own career. Rest in peace Kevin.
\nYou were an inspiration and a true original. You will be sorely missed.”
\nTrey Gadler (Azrael\u2019s Bane)<\/p>\n

— “I first discovered Kevin DuBrows talents through my
\ninfluence of Randy Rhoads. Thanks for many years of sharing your music
\nwith us Kevin. The riot you made for all of us to enjoy was far more than
\nquiet. My sincere condolences to all of his family and close friends.”
\nGeorge Bellas (solo, Palace Terrace)<\/p>\n

— “I was helping this company with connections to
\ngetting Rockstars to attend their awards show in Los Angeles. I had Frankie
\nBanali of Quiet Riot’s phone number and I told him about the show and
\nwho was involved. Long story short, Frankie gave me Kevin’s number and
\nwe ended up talking about the show because the company had this segment
\nabout Randy Rhoads. Kevin just loved Randy so much. He talked to me for
\nlike 30 minutes! Kevin told me so many great stories about Randy. I realized
\nthat Kevin was such a nice guy and had such passion about Randy and being
\nhis friend. That phone conversation was so killer! He was a great singer
\nand performer! He was really funny too. Kevin was “Bang Yer Head” and
\nno one can change that! R.I.P.”
\nMarkus Allen Christopher (Miss Crazy)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In Tribute: Kevin DuBrow. by Alex Barbieri Staff Writer On Nov. 25, 2010, it will be three years since the sudden passing of Kevin DuBrow. May hard rock and metal fans everywhere raise a clenched-fist […]<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6971],"tags":[1684,1685],"class_list":{"0":"post-9414","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-main-articles","7":"tag-kevin-dubrow","8":"tag-quiet-riot"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9414","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9414"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9414\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9414"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9414"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9414"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}