It was reported yesterday (October 27th) that drummer Steve Riley, formerly of L.A. Guns and W.A.S.P., has passed away at 67 years of age. L.A. Guns frontman Phil Lewis paid trubte to Riley via social media.
Lewis: "Very shocked to hear about Steve Riley’s passing today. He was a good guy and an excellent drummer. We toured the world together many times and countless adventures, both good and bad.
Unfortunately, we were never truly friends. In 30 years, I never once visited his house, and apart from band stuff we never hung out or went to dinner together. I think he valued his privacy and kept work and family very much separate
My condolences to his wife of over 40 years Mary Louis and Son Cole.
Journey on mate."
Later, in a separate post, Lewis shared one of the many adventures he'd had with Riley:
"We played this gig in Istanbul, Turkey. It was a huge room on the second floor in the heart of the market district. The night we checked in, our agent and the local promoter who modeled himself on Vince Neil shamelessly forgot to secure rooms, so after a horrible long flight we slept in the lobby of the hotel until the next day of the gig, when rooms became available.
The gig was packed to the door, two thousand rabid Turks bouncing up and down so hard I thought the floor was going to collapse.
Next day we found out Wince only could pay us in local currency. He handed us a suitcase full of Turkish bank notes, several million. He also forgot to get us a ride to the airport, so we had to order five taxis and a mad Italian Job dash out the city. It was crazy mad and very exciting
We we got to the airport and exchanged the currency, that worked out to a few thousand dollars
It was a great gig, and typical of the kind of situations Steve and I found ourselves in, but his infectious laughter made it fun. It’s countless little adventures like these that bonded us.
Rest easy, Riley. We lived it to the fullest."
The following statement from the Riley family regarding his passing was posted at the Riley's L.A. Guns Facebook page:
"We are devastated to share that Steve Riley has passed away at the age of 67. Steve had been battling a severe case of pneumonia for several weeks, and on Tuesday, Oct. 24, succumbed to the illness. His wife Mary Louise and son Cole were by his side in his final moments. "Steve spent the past five decades building up a rich music legacy, touring the world countless times, selling millions of records, sharing the stage with incredible bandmates and bringing joy to fans across the globe. His style was unmatched, influenced by the greats like Buddy Rich, Ginger Baker and John Bonham, and his passion for the craft was evident until the very end. But Steve’s greatest legacy was his role as a loving husband and caring father. At home, he was more than just a rocker — he was a Boston sports fanatic, a World War II buff, and an avid reader. As much as he loved being on the road, nothing brought him more joy than coming home to his family. "Steve is survived by his wife and son, as well as his brothers Michael and Daniel."
Everyone here at BraveWords offer our sincere condolences to Steve's family and friends. R.I.P.
