R.I.P. -- Kevin DuBrow

So there I was... it was the summer of 1983. I had just finished my freshman year of high school and I had discovered that I was a metal head. Not the drug induced, beating up old ladies metal head, just the innocuous, parents not really worried type of head banger. I went to summer camp at Camp Pee Dee for the last time that year. Several of my friends were there... my "metal" friends, one of which being Buddy Williams. He had a new 'tape' of a band called Quiet Riot.

It was easily the most metal thing I had heard to date. An argument could be made that now it's laughable but at the time it was almost frightening. The cover had an insane guy on it who had obviously just broken out of an asylum and was coming to get me. Jason Vorhees mask... straight jacket... it was pretty dark. I loved what I heard. I remember thinking how cool I would be when I got my cassette of this masterpiece. The guitar was awesome and the lead singer, Kevin DuBrow, just wailed. What a great album and a great time in my life. I was coming of age. Finding myself. How was I to know that in just three short years, I'd be in college and hooked on REM and other alternative, acoustic rock.

I saw Quiet Riot a couple of years ago with my brother-in-law. It was the "Rock Never Stops" tour (ironic, isn't it). As we were leaving, Kevin and couple other guys were walking through the hall. I was within 10 feet of him. I didn't stop. Didn't yell out. Just said... "there he is". The 15 year old me would have lost his mind. Oh well, times change, people change.

Kevin DuBrow died yesterday at the ripe old age of 52. I don't know yet how but it makes me sad. Thank you, Kevin Dubrow, your music and spandex clad antics made me happy and I'll never forget it. Well... I'm off to iTunes get some Quiet Riot.