Legendary bassist Rudy Sarzo sat down with BraveWords scribe Dillon Collins for a chat about Quiet Riot’s legacy and the upcoming tour which kicks off tomorrow (July 14th) in Cumberland, Maryland at Rock The Mountains. In an excerpt from the feature conversation, Sarzo talks about joining the band during its earliest inception in the late ‘70s, and how he quickly became enamored with the mastery of the late, great icon, Randy Rhoads.
“Quiet Riot, when I joined in 1978 with Randy in the band, was the first time that I was ever part of a band that had a collective consciousness, meaning that we all believe in the same thing. There was a purpose. Our purpose was to get a record deal and to make a career out of playing music, music that we love. And so that was the foundation, and having played with Randy Rhoads, you know, he led by example. His musical integrity was beyond anybody that I knew before or since,” Sarzo said of the man he would share the stage with in Quiet Riot and as a member of Ozzy Osbourne’s band from 1981-82.
“The fact that I got to play with Randy in both Quiet Riot and Ozzy just left an indelible mark in me, because I was paying attention. Some people don't pay attention. Some people might have played with Randy and they didn't get what I got out of him because I had so much more room to grow.”
The sudden and tragic death of Rhoads at the age of 25 in March of ‘82 shook the rock landscape to its core, and nearly purged all joy of performing music from Sarzo.
“When I played with Randy, he was an extension of the Quiet Riot home, the consciousness. Once I lost him, I lost that completely,” Sarzo shared, somberly, diving into the events that led to him rejoining the rejuvenated Quiet Riot.
“Quiet Riot ceased to exist when Randy left to join Ozzy. That was ‘79. And then Kevin formed his band DuBrow and it did not become Quiet Riot again until October 1982. It was announced in the fan club newsletter that the band was called Quiet Riot again and that I was back in the band.”
Watch for the complete BraveWords feature with Rudy Sarzo tomorrow.
In addition to Sarzo, Quiet Riot’s current lineup includes longtime guitarist Alex Grossi, vocalist Jizzy Pearl. and drummer Johnny Kelly.
Tour dates:
July
14 - Cumberland, MD - Rock The Mountains
15 - Ferndale, WA - Silver Reef Casino
21 - Eugene, OR - Lane County Fair
23 - Edmonton, AL - K- Days Festival
25 - York, PA - York State Fair
28 - Vancouver, WA - Craft Beer & Wine Festival
August
4 - Jefferson City, MO - Cole County Fair
5 - Indianapolis, IN - Indiana State Fair
11 - Bloomfield, NE - Knox County Fair
12 - St. Michael, ND - Spirit Lake Casino
19 - Cocoa Beach , FL - Area 142
24 - Syracuse, NY - New York State Fair
25 - Island Lake, IL - Bands In The Sand Festival
26 - Walker, MN - Northern Lights Casino
September
1 - Lancaster, NH - Lancaster Fair
2 - Derry, NH - Tupelo Music Hall
9 - Carolina, PR - Vivo Beach Rock Club
13 - Salt Lake City, UT - Utah State Fair
16 - Cottonwood, AZ - Riverfront Park
17 - Kennewick, WA - Clover Island
28 - Auburn, IN - Dekalb Fair
30 - Versailles, OH - BMI Speedway
October
7 - Rama, ON - Casino Rama
12 - Chester, NY - Sugar Loaf Performing Arts Center
13 - Cohoes, NY - Cohoes Music Hall
14 - Dalton , MA - Stationary Music Hall
15 - Hudson Falls, NY - The Strand Theater
21 - New Buffalo, MI - Four Winds Casino
November
17 - St. Louis, MO - River City Casino
December
8 - Hollywood, CA - Whisky A Go Go
March
2 - Miami / Jamaica / Bahamas - Monsters Of Rock Cruise
9 - Great Yarmouth, UK - Hard Rock Hell AOR Festival
(Photo - Julie Bergonz)
