Quiet Riot

Quiet Riot is a heavy metal band, whose 1983 & 1984 success started the 1980's glam metal scene. They were founded in 1975 by vocalist Kevin DuBrow, the original lineup featured Randy Rhoads (guitar), Kelli Garni (bass guitar) and Drew Forsyth (drums).

Related Topics:
Heavy metal - 1975 - Kevin DuBrow - Randy Rhoads - Guitar - Kelli Garni - Bass guitar - Drew Forsyth - Drums

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After failing to break out of the Los Angeles metal scene with a record contract (unlike their contemporaries Van Halen), the group eventually scored a deal with Columbia Records in Japan.

Related Topics:
Los Angeles - Van Halen - Columbia Records - Japan

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After Quiet Riot (1977) and Quiet Riot II (1978), Rhoads left to collaborate with Ozzy Osbourne in the latter's nascent solo career. After Rhoads' exit, the band fell apart, and Kevin Dubrow changed the band's name to Du Brow. With drummer Drew Forsyth, (Former Dokken & London) guitarist Greg Leon, and bassist Tony Cavazo, the band forged ahead. This lineup lasted for two years. Dubrow also existed as a five piece for awhile which performed a version of The Temptations' "My Girl." Tony Cavazo also played in a metal band known as Snow.

Related Topics:
Quiet Riot - 1977 - Quiet Riot II - 1978 - Ozzy Osbourne - Dokken - London - The Temptations

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Following the death of Randy Rhoads in a plane crash on March 19, 1982, DuBrow attempted to reform Quiet Riot. None of the other original members were interested, so Tony Cavazo's brother Carlos joined as lead guitarist, Rudy Sarzo re-joined the band on bass and Rudy's friend, drummer Frankie Banali, completed the line up.

Related Topics:
March 19 - 1982

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In September 1982 they were signed to CBS records in America and on March 11, 1983, their American debut album Metal Health was released. Taking numerous cues from Judas Priest, the album hit #1. On August 27, 1983, Quiet Riot's second single "Cum on Feel the Noize" (a remake of one of Slade's big U.K. hits from 1973) was released; it spent two weeks at #5 on the chart. It was The first heavy metal song to make the Top 5

Related Topics:
March 11 - 1983 - Metal Health - Judas Priest - August 27 - Slade

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on Billboard Magazine's "Hot 100 singles chart".

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The success of that single also carried the Metal Health album to the top of the album chart. It was the first debut album by a metal band to top the chart. (Which in terms of American releases it was... their two previous albums QR I & QR II still have not been released in the United States)

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A #1 album and a top 5 single was unheard of for a heavy metal band in 1983. The Metal Health album also displaced Michael Jackson's Thriller album from #1. Metal Health paved the way towards a new, stronger commercial viability for heavy metal. The album's title song, which was released as a single on March 11, 1983 finally charted in early 1984 and peaked at #31. Perhaps this can be attributed to the song's appearance in the 1984 movie Footloose.

Related Topics:
Michael Jackson - Footloose

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The group's follow-up, Condition Critical, was a relative disappointment critically and commercially, selling only 3 million units. Reportedly frustrated, DuBrow began letting newer bands on the L.A. metal scene know that their success was in part owed to the past successes of Quiet Riot.

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This led to Sarzo quitting the group in 1985. (In 1987 the bassist went on to Whitesnake) The bass slot in Quiet Riot was filled by erstwhile collaborator Chuck Wright (of Giuffria). Next, the band released QRIII in 1986, another dismal failure. Fed up with DuBrow's antics, the rest of Quiet Riot fired him from his own band and replaced him with former Rough Cutt vocalist Paul Shortino. Wright was also fired and was replaced by Sean McNabb. The band released Quiet Riot in 1988, which was another failure. This 1988 Quiet Riot album also technically has the same name as their original first album with Randy Rhoads. The band fell apart after a tour that ended in Hawaii in 1989 and DuBrow fought to keep control of the name. By 1991, tempers had cooled enough for the former bandmates to communicate. DuBrow and Cavazo formed Heat, but eventually switched to "Quiet Riot" again and released Terrified (1993) with Banali and Kenny Hillary (bass guitar).

Related Topics:
1985 - Whitesnake - Chuck Wright - Giuffria - QRIII - Rough Cutt - Paul Shortino - Sean McNabb - Quiet Riot - Hawaii - 1991 - Heat - Terrified - 1993 - Kenny Hillary - Bass guitar

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That same year DuBrow released The Randy Rhoads Years featuring tracks from their Columbia albums and some previously unreleased material. Hillary left in 1995 (according to sources, Hillary commited suicide in 1996) and Wright returned. The band released Down To The Bone that same year. The following year (1996), the band released a "Greatest Hits" album which included nothing from the original two Rhoads albums and nothing from the two 90's albums, but did have a few tracks from the 1988 Shortino album. After that, Rudy Sarzo joined up again in 1997, and the band began touring.

Related Topics:
The Randy Rhoads Years - Down To The Bone - 1996 - 1997

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The tour was not successful, though, and the band was arrested several times; an angry fan sued DuBrow for injuries sustained during a show. The group still managed to release Alive and Well in (1999) which featured new songs and several rerecorded hits. They followed this up with Guilty Pleasures (2001).

Related Topics:
Alive and Well - 1999 - Guilty Pleasures - 2001

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Quiet Riot officially broke up in February, 2003 (Sarzo joined Dio the following year) and reunited in 2005. The line-up includes DuBrow, Banali, Wright, and guitarist Alex Grossi. The band is now on the Rock Never Stops 2005 tour along with Cinderella, Ratt, and Firehouse.

Related Topics:
Dio - Alex Grossi - Cinderella - Ratt - Firehouse

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Kevin DuBrow has released a solo album titled In For The Kill.

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