Quiet Riot

Heavy metal band Quiet Riot had their ‘five minutes’ of fame in 1983 with a remake of a Slade song, Cum On Feel The Noize, and a US number 1 album, METAL HEALTH- the first metal album to reach that position in the US charts—but were unable to maintain that momentum with subsequent releases. The band formed in 1975 with lanky vocalist Kevin DuBrow (b. 1955), Randy Rhoads (guitar), Drew Forsyth (drums) and Kelly Garni (bass), taking their name from a suggestion made by Status Quo's Rick Parfitt. They recorded two albums with that line-up, released only in Japan. Rudy Sarzo then replaced Garni. Rhoads left in 1979 to join Ozzy Osbourne and was later tragically killed in a plane crash in March 1982. At that point the band briefly split up, with some members joining the vocalist in a band called DuBrow, and Sarzo also working with Ozzy. Quiet Riot regrouped around DuBrow, Sarzo, guitarist Carlos Cavazo and drummer Frankie Banali and signed to the Pasha label for the breakthrough album and single, their musical and visual style fashioned after the harder rocking glam acts of the '70s, particularly Slade. Friction within the group followed their quick success and resultant publicity affected sales of the follow-up CONDITION CRITICAL, which reached number 15 in the US but was considered disappointing. After several personnel changes Quiet Riot recorded another album in 1986, which reached number 31 but showed a marked decline in the group's creativity. DuBrow was subsequently ejected from the band and a self-titled 1988 album, with new vocalist Paul Shortino (ex- Rough Cutt), barely made the charts. The group then disbanded, with DuBrow going on to form Little Women.