It is no surprise on this news, but it is still never news you want to hear. Frankie Banali was 68 years young and has been fighting pancreatic cancer for more than a year. Today, he lost that fight and the rock world lost another good one.
Frankie was not an original member of Quiet Riot, but he was there during the classic years so he might as well have been. He joined the band in 1982 and has been there the whole time (except for those points of band hiatus). He was the one, driving force to keeping the Quiet Riot name in the public eye (for good or for bad). He co-wrote songs like “Metal Health (Bang Your Head)”, “Condition Critical” and most every song on QRIII. He was a massive part of that sound and he pounded on those drums like a mad-man.
Frankie was on more Quiet Riot albums than any other member and has been in the band the longest. He was their biggest champion. He did everything he could to keep the brand going through numerous singers and band member changes He was the one constant. Now that he is gone, I assume the band will now be gone as well but the music will live on.
I think I will throw these on to celebrate his legacy…
When he gets to Heaven, I hope he can hook up with Kevin Dubrow and Randy Rhodes again, maybe they can “bang” some heads up there in Heaven. Who knows, the next Thunder you hear could be them jamming. Rest in Peace sir!!
I will always say The Headless Children was his best album. RIP
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I don’t have that one. Mainly because it is W.A.S.P. and I don’t have any of their albums. I will throw it on this weekend. Now, I won’t listen to the last 2 albums because I just can’t!!
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Headless Children is fucking awesome. Play The Crimson Idol as well since Frankie is on a few songs there too, and Bob Kulick plays guitar on it.
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Unfortunately the band upstairs is getting better and better. RIP
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Truer words have never been spoken!
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The Headless Children for the win. R.I.P. Frankie.
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Isn’t QRIII the one Mike reviewed with just a picture of a turd?
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Yes it is. Another man’s turd is another man’s treasure. Or something like that. 😂
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That’s gonna be my excuse for liking X and Rock Hard then! 😂
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Fair enough
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Great drummer. Their documentary didn’t exactly paint a very flattering portrait of him as a person, but maybe they played up the whole thing for drama. People in the metal community seemed to love him, so I guess that’s the true test of a man’s worth. As Twain said quoted in It’s a Wonderful Life, “No man is a failure who has friends.”
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Exactly. There is nothing but nice things said about him from other musicians.
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I find it difficult to process that we lost so many musicians within this past year. Thankfully we have their music to remember these legends by.
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I think it is every year lately as our idols are getting much, much older and things start happening that are beyond our control.
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Some of them weren’t even that old, which makes it worse!
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The WASP albums Frankie did is some
of his best work.
RIP
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