Tony Richards, Original W.A.S.P. Drummer, Dies at 69
Tony Richards, the original drummer for heavy metal band W.A.S.P., has died aged 69. Band founder Blackie Lawless announced the death on Instagram and paid tribute. Former guitarist Chris Holmes also reacted. No cause of death has been given.
Tony Richards, the original drummer for heavy metal band W.A.S.P., has died at the age of 69. Band leader and founder Blackie Lawless announced the news on the group's Instagram account, alongside a memorial for his former bandmate.
No cause of death has been given.
Richards played in W.A.S.P. from 1982 to 1984. In that time he recorded the band's debut studio album and the stand-alone single "Animal (F**K Like a Beast)". The song was famously targeted by Tipper Gore during the PMRC hearings in the 1980s.
He is the third W.A.S.P. drummer to die. Steve Riley and Frankie Banali died before him.
Lawless pays tribute
In a statement, Lawless said the whole band was grieving. "The entire W.A.S.P. Camp are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of our original drummer, Tony Richards," he wrote.
He described the group's early dynamic. "When the Band was first started we were 4 extremely strong personalities. Tony was absolutely equal to any of the others that were in the Band."
Lawless also pointed to Richards' playing. "To watch him play riveted you no matter where you were in the room," he said. He added that Richards' "personal stamp will forever be a part of the totality" of the first album.
Lawless had spoken about Richards' importance before. In a statement a few years ago, he described how the band felt after Richards left. "When we lost him, we were mortally wounded, and we knew it," Lawless said.
In his latest statement he said the band was wounded "in a way that we never really quite recovered from" once Richards was gone. He extended the band's condolences to Richards' family.
Holmes remembers a friend
Former W.A.S.P. guitarist Chris Holmes and his wife and manager, Catherine Holmes, also reacted to the news. They said Chris had been speaking to Richards only a few weeks earlier. According to their statement, he had called him every month for the last few years.
"His passing makes us sad," they said. They sent condolences to Richards' brother John.
Their statement closed with a plea about his legacy. "He deserved not to be forgotten along with what he brought to this industry."
