QUIET RIOT singer Kevin DuBrow's body was found by friends, on Sunday, November 25th in his Las Vegas home. The police were called to the residence by a concerned neighbor and DuBrow was pronounced dead at 5:20 p.m. According to those close to the singer Dubrow recently spent a birthday weekend in New Orleans where he ate great food and even caught THE CULT at The House of Blues. Kevin loved fine foods and was a true gourmet at heart. DuBrow grew up in Hollywood, California, before settling in the Los Angeles suburb of Van Nuys at age 13. By the time he was in his mid-teens he had developed an appreciation for a number of British rock acts including the SMALL FACES, SPOOKY TOOTH, ROD STEWART and HUMBLE PIE. It was the latter of those influences that would leave the biggest impact on DuBrow and act as a compass in his musical career.

Quiet Riot drummer Frankie Banali pays another tribute to Kevin Dubrow

Phil Ashcoft (Fireworks Magazine) pays tribute to Kevin Dubrow

"The rock n roll world mourns the loss of one of the great frontmen of the metal era and the face of a movement that to this day retains its passionate and dedicated fans. Unlike any other form of music on this planet, metal is a brotherhood and in the death of Kevin DuBrow, we have lost one of the most recognizable, charismatic and outspoken leaders of the fraternity. My personal regards and condolences go to Frankie, Chuck, Kelly, Glenn and other members past and present of the extended Quiet Riot family. Kevin's death is unfair and well before his time. R.I.P Kevin."

Megadeth bassist comments on Kevin Dubrow's Passing

MEGADETH bassist James Lomenzo has issued the following update:

"My head's still reeling from the fantastic Pac-Rim Tour-O-Duty. What a great surprise to see the enthusiasm of all the crowds from Thailand through to Japan and then on to Gigantour Australia. I was particularly impressed with the turnout in Singapore and Korea. Definitely the best part of my job is to see new places and meet new fans and on both counts, I was not disappointed. Metal is alive and well all over the world!

"To our Japanese fans, thanks for the hospitality, me and the boys had a great time at hangin' and bangin' with our friends at the clubs. A big shout-out to our new friends from our Aussie Gigantour... STATIC-X, DEVILDRIVER, LACUNA COIL and BRING ME THE HORIZON; you guys really made it a great show and a great hang. Hell... I'd pay money to see this lineup of bands anytime!

"Recently someone wrote in to my musicians' thread and asked if I had any comment on the passing of Kevin DuBrow. Here's what I wrote: I met Kevin many years ago in the mid-'90s. I was considering playing with QUIET RIOT so I went down to a rehearsal to jam. Kevin surprised me. He was gracious, kind and I was blown away by the power and tone of his voice in the room. I'd heard all the stories but for me, he seemed like he really had it together that night. I'm glad to say that I have a very found memory of him and I'm glad I had that opportunity to meet and make music with him. I know he'll be missed."

Legendary vocalist/bassist Glenn Hughes (DEEP PURPLE, BLACK SABBATH) has released the following extended statement regarding the passing of QUIET RIOT singer Kevin DuBrow:

"I am deeply saddened by the passing of one of my closest friends, Kevin DuBrow.

"I had known Kevin since '83, when QUIET RIOT took off with their multi-platinum-selling record.

"He was a loud and proud soulful rock 'n roller who loved the British Invasion, quoting Stevie Marriot and yours truly as his favorite singers.

"I met him though Frankie Banali, HUGHES/THRALL's [and QUIET RIOT's] drummer. Frankie and Kevin were more than bandmates, they were brothers.

"I lost contact with him, until 2001 when I saw him in the audience at one of my shows in Las Vegas at the House of Blues. Couldn't miss him: There he was, groovin' away. All 6' 4" of him. After that show, he and I became very close....we would travel together (we were planning on goin' to Maui in the New Year).

"He stayed at my L.A. home when he was in town. He had his room, always prepared.

"I want you all to know that my relationship with him was a loving and nuturing one. He called me his big brother. He would call me sometimes 10-20 times a day, askin' a million questions, about life, music and food!

"Kevin was a giver; he was always sendin' me gifts in person or via FedEx. I used to call him a silly boy; all I needed was his love. Material things aren't important to me, it's on the inside that counts.

"Kevin called me on [November] 16th, [My wife] Gabi took the call, I was at the movies with my friends. He wanted to know if we could pick him up at LAX on the 23rd, the night of a party that Gab was throwin' for me.

"There's no way that KD would have missed this event, but we didn't have his flight info. By Tuesday/Wednesday, I became very concerned and started callin' him on his hotline and cell phone and texts and emails... no answer. Then Thanksgiving, I knew his mom, Laura, was back on the East Coast... Where is my boy? We thought it was very odd that he never showed. All my friends were there, but not my lil' boy... So, it's now the weekend, and I'm talkin' to Gab about catchin' a flight to Vegas.

"By Sunday mornin', I couldn't take it anymore, and decided to contact Lark Williams [Kevin's ex-girlfriend] about callin' a paramedic to get into Kev's house. Dana, the medic, got in the house only to find my sweet brother at peace. Well, the rest is history.

"I will miss him more than anyone will know. He was a big part of my life. He was childlike, he was sweet, kind.....and he loved life. I will miss having dinner with him at the Palm in Beverly Hills. I will miss his big booming voice bellowing through my house. I will miss the corny jokes he had by the dozens. I will miss talking to him on a daily basis. I will miss writing songs with him for the next QUIET RIOT album.

"I will now begin work on my new record this evening. I will dedicate this one to you, Kev.

The Right To Rock: Classic Podcast Featuring Late QUIET RIOT

"It is with great regret that we at The Right To Rock mourn the loss of Kevin DuBrow, lead singer of QUIET RIOT, who was found dead in his Las Vegas home last Sunday afternoon.

Kevin was kind enough to be one of our first guests when we started this podcast last year (Podcast #5) and he treated us with all of the respect and sincerity he would a major media publication.

We are honored to have had him on our show and we can only offer our sincerest condolences to his surviving friends and family.

Podcast #5 is still available for download at TheRightToRock.com. Check out the show and remember one of Metal's greatest vocalists.

God be with you, Kevin.

KISS singer/guitarist PAUL STANLEY:

"Kevin DuBrow, lead singer of Quiet Riot has passed. He will be missed by many. My prayers go out to his family."

Happenin' Harry comments on Kevin Dubrow

Kevin was a great guy and a staple in the Hard Rock world and the music community. He was not only a major influence to most, but a leader and a pioneer of an era. Kevin will be missed very much.

There was ONLY one Kevin DuBrow.
I feel extremely blessed to have known him.
This is a very sad day.

ANNIHILATOR leader/guitarist Jeff Waters:

"Quiet Riot had an impact on me when I was a teen and when I wasn't listening to their music, I was playing it or seeing a cover band that was playing it! Metal Health was a brilliant record and his voice and (Carlos) Cavazo's playing was damn good for that time... and very influential to many others. From (Rudy) Sarzo licking his thumb to the spandex and posing; pure cheese but great cheese! Their music was rock and metal and party music all in one. It is a sad day for metal, as DuBrow and Quiet Riot helped, in their own way, make metal what it has become today. RIP, dude. You will be missed by many and thanks for the memories and the music."

Keith (Karma10)

We are so sad to hear of the passing of Kevin Dubrow of Quiet Riot. Another rock star gone at the early age of 52. When Dubrow and Quiet Riot came out with the Metal Health album , i was just learning to play guitar , and learned just about every riff on that album as it was cranked to 10! We had the good fortune to do a show with the original Quiet Riot (Dubrow / Sarzo / Cavaso/ @ Banelli)in 2003, and Kevin Dubrow was so cool to us. He was chatting with us and laughing with us and telling story's like he knew us for years. Alot of "rock stars" are that cordial. We will miss him and tonite i'm gonna break out the Metal Health Album and crank it to 10 in his honor !

Jeff LaBar comments on Kevin Dubrow Passing

Once again, the music world has suffered the tragic loss of one of it's own. Kevin Dubrow was not only a great singer/songwriter, but a good friend & a very sincere man. I've been in this business for over 20 years now & have had the pleasure of meeting & touring with some of the greatest bands & artists of our time. Never before, had I met a person whom I wanted to know forever until Kevin (& Frankie, for that matter). Quiet Riot was, is & always will be one of the greatest bands in the history of rock music, whether you choose to call them 80's hair metal or classic rock, one thing is little known about them…the quality of their character. Over the years, the members of this band have epitomized the definition of class, demonstrated the thoughtfulness of a close family member & shared the appropriate amount of rockstar hilarity & behavior to make me understand what it should be about. I never felt like I was worthy of  being considered a rockstar but Kevin always made me feel like I was one of the great ones. He, to me was the ultimate rockstar & ultimately a great man.
    In closing, I would like to convey that this is a sad day, not only to the music community but personally & my thoughts & prayers go out to his family & close friends, most of all his best friend, Frankie Banali as well as Chuck & Alex.
   Kevin…you will be missed!

Classic Rock Revisited founder Jeb Wright has issued the following tribute to QUIET RIOT vocalist Kevin DuBrow:

As editor and owner of Classic Rock Revisited.com I am particularly saddened and grief stricken to hear this news. Over the years Kevin and I built a friendship as he was a big fan of our website. When I was in Las Vegas we would meet and have dinner (of which he always paid the bill). We were together at the first Rock Honors after show party where I saw him gushing over meeting and talking with Brian May of Queen. We conducted many interviews over the years and Kevin even interviewed Mick Abrahams and Glenn Hughes for Classic Rock Revisited.

While most people knew Dubrow as a loud-mouthed rock star who made headlines when he bashed other bands on the Sunset Strip, there was another side of him that not everyone saw. Kevin Dubrow was first and foremost a music fan. Whether it was Humble Pie, Blodwyn Pig or Trapeze, Dubrow would spend hours convincing anyone who would listen as to why these bands were important to the history of rock. It is on that level that Kevin and I based our friendship.

In our very first interview in 1999, we found a common ground that stayed with us until his demise. Ironically, the interview almost never happened. I called Kevin in his hotel room during a night off on tour. We began chatting about whatever current Quiet Riot project that was going on. Kevin gave me one line answers to my questions and it was quickly apparent that he was not into the interview. I stopped the interview and said to him, 'If this is a bad time I can do this another day.' He replied in a surprised tone, 'No, we can do it now.' We spoke for a while off the record about other bands that we were into. Kevin was impressed that we had a lot of the same musical tastes and we hit it off and stayed in touch.

I went backstage as an invited guest of Quiet Riot during the Rock Never Stops tour and was greeted by a smiling Kevin Dubrow. He gave me a hug and we started talking. During our conversation a well built blonde came up to us, took off her shirt and asked Kevin to take her back to the bus. He obliged. I printed in my article that he got a blowjob from the girl and when he read the article on Classic Rock Revisited I got a frantic phone call telling me that if his current girlfriend saw that article he was in big trouble! We laughed about it and luckily she never saw the story. Anytime I saw him or spoke to him after that he always brought up the story and bragged of his conquest. Kevin always made me laugh as he was a terminal teenager always ready to get into mischief.

Kevin cemented his musical legacy years ago. 'Cum on Feel the Noise' and 'Metal Health' will always be included in any 'Best of the 80's' or 'Best Metal Songs of All Time' polls that will ever be conducted. His crazy interviews will also go down in history as will the fact that he was in a band with the legendary Randy Rhoads before Randy joined Ozzy Osbourne. But it is important to remember that Kevin Dubrow was into the music as much as anyone who will read this article. He was a true rock nerd who got lucky and got to live the dream.

Dubrow was a Rock Star in the truest sense of the word. From his leopard print fashion statements to his striped microphone stand to his ever changing hairstyle, Dubrow always kept us on our toes. Whether he was playing Live Aid or Nudestock, Dubrow strutted the stage. He also threw fits, got into fights with band members and even forgot to show up to a few gigs. He was born to front a hard rock band and did so to the best of his ability. Say what you will about Kevin Dubrow, one must admit that he was 100% genuine in presenting himself to the media and the fans -- sometimes this was pretty and sometimes it was downright ugly but it was always exactly how he felt at the time.

I will miss seeing Kevin out on the road. I will miss our emails and phone calls. The next time I am in Las Vegas it will hit me that I can't pick up my cell phone and have him pick me up and go out to eat. I am stunned and shocked at the loss of a true friend and a huge supporter of Classic Rock Revisited. Kevin was there for me anytime I asked and he enjoyed both being interviewed and conducting the interviews he did for the website. I can only hope that Kevin is in heaven right now smiling down upon us and jamming with Randy once again. I know how much he loved Randy and that nothing would make him happier. Just thinking that thought makes this sad news somehow more bearable. If there is a heaven then it just got a lot louder and more fun that ever before. R.I.P. Kevin. You may be gone but your spirit burns brightly within the hearts of your friends and loved ones you left behind.

Fly on Thunderbird.....fly."

Jeb Wright
Editor
Classic Rock Revisited

Motley Crue's bassist Nikki Sixx

"I was thinking about sitting in Kevin's apartment in 1979. I had just been over to [late Quiet Riot/ Ozzy Osbourne guitarist] Randy Rhoads' learning some of their songs. Randy called Kevin while I was there and told him they should get me to be the bass player in Quiet Riot. I passed ... 'cause we all had a destiny. [Kevin] always did what he loved most — music — and always said what was on his mind. And that is the measure of a man. He will be missed. I'm grateful to have those early memories ... before the fame, just kids with dreams.

Tony Bonnici, general manager for Las Vegas rock radio station KOMP-FM, 92.3

"The rock world lost a real character in Kevin DuBrow," said Tony Bonnici, general manager for Las Vegas rock radio station KOMP-FM, 92.3, where DuBrow worked as the morning drive-time host for a year starting in 1996. "He lived that rock 'n' roll world to the extreme."

"Kevin was a wild man, he was fun to be around," added Craig Williams, a KOMP DJ who lived with DuBrow for a time and was co-host of his morning show. "Kevin liked to party and eat good food, stay up late. He was a very strong personality."

Having moved to Las Vegas in 1995, DuBrow got clean and sought to reform his reputation as an arrogant rock star prone to verbally assaulting his headbanging peers, friends said.

"He was aware of his character defects; he was man enough to get sober, and it changed his ways," said Jamie Adler, a Los Angeles-based booking agent who put together the 2004 "Bad Boys of Metal Tour" with DuBrow, former WARRANT frontman Jani Lane and MÖTLEY CRÜE rocker Vince Neil. "The guy's been sober for years. He was a health fanatic. He ran every day. He'd eat healthy."

Billy Morris, a Cleveland-based guitarist who toured with QUIET RIOT and DuBrow's solo band in 2005, agreed DuBrow led a balanced lifestyle.

"He realized that to give the fans a 100 percent show, he had to work his body out, he had to take vitamins and eat good, get a proper amount of sleep," Morris said. "The only time I ever saw him drink was a glass of fine wine after a meal. With QUIET RIOT, there was no liquor in the dressing room. I hope that people across the world don't think that this was a rock 'n' roll lifestyle that killed him."

Brent Muscat of Faster Pussycat

Bassist Kelly Garni, who was one of the founding members of QUIET RIOT, has released the following statement regarding the passing of the group's lead singer, Kevin DuBrow:

"I want to thank everyone who refrained from jumping to conclusions and starting rumors. This has been a very traumatic tragedy to me and because of the fireworks usually associated with Kevin, I was expecting an avalanche of negativity that both me and Frankie [Banali, QUIET RIOT drummer] usually have to deal with. And I'm happy to say that for the most part, everyone did nothing but express good feelings. Unfortunately what negativity that did occur was internal and while inconvenient, I was able to handle.

"On Sunday [November 25], while I was working I got a phone call from Kevin's home security company. It was at about 3:15 in the afternoon. I am the only one who gets a call whenever his alarm goes off and usually I go to his house and let the guards in to check things out. However, Kevin had had his front doors replaced a few weeks ago and I did not yet have a key, so I told them to send the guards and if there was a problem I would go there and take care of it. They also told me that Kevin's voice mail was full. That was the first sign of trouble to me.

"I got on the phone to Frankie in L.A. and asked if Kevin was with him. He said no and that he hadn't talked to Kevin in about 10 days. He said he thought Kevin was with one of his girlfriends. From there, I started to track her down. I have never met her and only after Frankie gave me her name was I able to find her, which was relativity easy. By now about 10 minutes had passed. She said that Kevin had missed Thanksgiving with her (one of two girls he was supposed to have thanksgiving with. Well, he IS Kevin). She said she had gone to his house and left him many messages without response and that she had a very bad feeling about this. Right then, my other phone rang. I have three phones in my house and little did I know soon all three would be ringing nonstop. I put the phone down on the table with girlfriend #2 still on the line and it was Frankie on the phone. He told me what had happened. I lost all composure at that point and told FB I would call him back.

"Now to the other phone where I had the unpleasant task of telling #2 the news. Needless to say she freaked. GF#1 was Lark Williams who was in San Fran at the time. She was worried about Kevin as well and she had called a paramedic friend of hers to go check on Kevin. The guy happened to be very close to his house. With Lark on the phone, the guy went to Kevin's and was looking into windows and told Lark he could see his keys on the counter. Lark told him to break in immediately. It was a very ballsy and good thing she did. The guy broke in (hence the call from the alarm co.) and found Kev. This all happened in about 20 minutes time. From there, police, fire, everybody was called. He was found in bed. I talked with a detective who was there and they hadn't even removed Kevin yet. He said, 'We have found no signs of foul play and are ruling this an accidental death.'

"Last I heard from Kevin's brother, there was going to be a service this Sunday in Corona del Mar, Caalifornia. Kevin will be buried next to his father. But then I was told that the coroner was still not done so that was kind of up in the air. I have not heard from them since.

"Peter Margolis [director of the upcoming Randy Rhoads documentary film] was one of the first people I called. I had had to tell the news to Kevin's brother as well and I really didn't want to go through that again with others who are important in our lives. He was very kind was immediately saddened and said right off he wouldn't wish this on anybody. I read his statement and can say that he did in fact want to work out the differences between Kevin and himself.

"From here, I am not going to point out all the other things to you that people say when an icon dies.

"Kevin was what he was and he lived his life as such.

"To me, Kevin was my brother for 35 years. And like brothers, we had our differences. But many many times over dinner, we discussed how great it was to be able to sit across from each and laugh about all the terrible things we said and did to each other. He was always there for me, and I was always there for him.

"The last time I saw him was on our mutually shared birthday, October 29, He gave me a big hug and a really great present. The best present, though, was the hug.

"I will miss him terribly. I pray that those who had issues with him don't take this opportunity to celebrate this.

"If you knew Kevin well enough to have a beef with him, then you knew him well enough to know he had a very good side to him as well.

"Thank you all for all your kindness. Please remember him for the one thing he wanted to be since he was born: A ROCK STAR."