Gregg Journigan, producer of the nationally syndicated radio show "Rockline", had these words to say about Kevin Dubrow:

"Sitting in Japan I read a rumor [Sunday] night that Kevin DuBrow had passed. My first thought was it's way early in U.S. and 'I haven't seen it on Blabbermouth.' Upon returning from dinner, there it was. My first thought was.it's begun. The timetable of our metal icons and rock stars of the '70s and early '80s is ticking. I always think of when it will begin to happen because it's been relatively few, of natural causes. Let's hope this is too.

"As a kid on Hollywood in the early '80s, the first 'club' gig I was able to sneak into was a DUBROW gig at the Starwood in '82. This was the QUIET RIOT 'Metal Health' lineup before they released 'Metal Health', but as revamped QUIET RIOT. It was life-changing and set the table for next few years of working the Hollywood metal scene.

"Back then we didn't have the Internet and the only source, for the hardcore, was a little British mag called Kerrang! It was the bible. It was how we discovered what was going on everywhere, even in L.A.

"I got a job at a record store as the metal buyer because I had told the owner to buy lots of copies of the Japanese QUIET RIOT releases with Randy Rhoads and he sold them all out.

"Watching the '70s and newer metal
ock bands begin to come up big was awesome. With the words 'heavy metal' still underground, it was and still is to this day QUIET RIOT that brought the term to the mainstream. While today metal to me is a state of mind it was all-encompassing to many of us in the last 20+ years. Seeing this band and all the great bands at the US festival II we knew that metal had arrived.

"I used to sit out front of 'Rockline' in high school and get autographs and offer to haul gear. One night they let me come in to watch a show, the band was QUIET RIOT and they were the biggest thing in rock at the time. I was naïve but they were the coolest they could have been to a punk kid off the street.

"Jump ahead to earlier this year. Bob Coburn [host of 'Rockline'] had QUIET RIOT on 'Rockline' and they were playing live in our studio. Producing the live show and taking pics of the band and Kevin screaming 'Cum on Feel the Noize' right in my face was as cool now as back in the day. Sitting with him and talking about music, vinyl, THE FACES and, of course, HUMBLE PIE, here was a guy who was in apparent good health, somewhat self-deprecating but fully comfortable in what his role and legacy were, both good and bad.

"Few times have I got in conversations with our bands on the show where I thought I might be in over my head in regard to rock n' roll history. What I saw in he and Frankie were working musicians, not rock stars. There are very few real rock stars left.

"I never saw LED ZEPPELIN, QUEEN or THIN LIZZY in their day. I never thought I'd get to see KISS in make-up or SABBATH with Ozzy or Dio (epic) but luckily I did as well as newer bands in their heyday like OPETH, IN FLAMES or even a PANTERA or MEGADETH. These bands are not making money selling records anymore than the QUIET RIOTs and JUDAS PRIESTs are. It is mainly only via touring.

"Go see these bands when they come to your town, support the metal community for all metal genres and keep yours and all our metal health in a good state."

-- Edited by DPJ at 15:17, 2007-11-27

Comments from Quiet Riot / Giuffria / House of Lords bassist, Chuck Wright:

"I'm completely shocked and devastated. I've truly lost a brother and it's a very sad loss for the world of rock n' roll. I'm so very fortunate to have been a part of his life these past 26 years. I have so many fond memories and it's a blessing that these recent few years have been so great with the band. There is no reason to say 'I wish we could have...' We did! I still can't believe I won't be sharing the stage with his larger-than-life presence ever again. The man left a mark wherever he went and I'm heartbroken that he is no longer with us."

Comments from Glenn Hughes:

"We are all grieving.

"Kevin and I were brothers. We spoke daily, and I mean on the phone, not e-mail.

"The Kevin that I knew was a beautiful human being. He was kind, giving, nurturing. And generous. He would stay at my L.A. home when he was in town.

"I never saw Kevin loaded. He respected my sobriety. He always spoke how about the change of my lifestyle, and how he also wanted to change his.

"The last conversation I had with him 10 days ago was about this subject; he said he had to make some life changes. I was so happy and elated to hear this.

"Gabi [Glenn's wife] and I spoke to him last on Friday, November 16. He wanted to know if I could pick him up at LAX. On the 23rd, the day of a party at my house. Then there was nothing, no communication. Zero. Come Thanksgiving I knew something was strange. At the house, Kevin's room was prepared as always, with his fave candies next to the bed. He always requests them when he stays. I thought, he's gonna come jumping through the door any minute and demand to play the winner of the pool game between Chad Smith and myself.

"As the party ended, Gabi and I spoke of his absence. She was very upset. All along, I felt something seriously wrong. Come Sunday morning, I couldn't take it anymore and called Lark Williams, Kev's ex-girlfriend. She was in San Francisco. I asked her if she knew a paramedic who could go over to Kev's house and investigate. Dana, the medic, got in the house only to find my sweet brother at peace.

"I am completely shellshocked. We were planning to go to Hawaii for some relaxation in the New Year.

"For those of you that didn't know him, he was a true, true friend.

"l'm gonna miss our dinners at the Palm in Beverly Hills. I'm gonna miss his loud voice bellowing through my house. I'm gonna miss those oh-so-corny jokes. We all will miss him.

"Sleep well, brother. Your legacy is in good hands with me.

"Your loving brother, Glenn."

-- Edited by DPJ at 15:27, 2007-11-27

 
TWISTED SISTER frontman Dee Snider has released the following statement in regards to the passing of QUIET RIOT singer Kevin Dubrow:

"Kevin DuBrow is dead. This hits pretty damn hard.

"QUIET RIOT and TWISTED SISTER had a lot of respect for each other. The basis for this came from the fact that both QUIET RIOT and TWISTED SISTER formed in 1973 long before the rebirth of heavy metal or 'hair metal,' as it came to be known, in the '80s. When QUIET RIOT (on the West Coast) and TWISTED SISTER (on the East Coast) were formed, it was an outgrowth of the glam rock movement of the early '70s and both our bands fought the good fight against the onslaught that was disco (ugh!). When most other bands gave up or switched allegiances to what was more commercially viable at the time, both of our bands refused to bend or break, for that matter and carried the torch for heavy rock through the dark days of the mid-to-late '70s. As a result, QUIET RIOT were not only at the forefront to the L.A. metal scene, they were the inspiration for many other bands who went on to find fame and fortune.

"If you were to look back at old issues of L.A. music papers, you'd see every band who ever became anything out of L.A. opening for QUIET RIOT. And it was Kevin DuBrow and QUIET RIOT's perseverance and refusal to take no for an answer that literally destroyed the barriers of the record industry, television and commercial radio and opened the door for all metal bands to follow into the promised land. And we all know the glory days of metal that followed.

"Thank you, Kevin.

"And because TWISTED SISTER was doing, and had done, the same thing for the music scene on the East Coast, our two bands have always shared a mutual respect for one another. We know that none of the other bands (with the possible exception of Y&T, who were doing pretty much the same thing in Northern California) had been through the shit that we'd been through. We had earned our battle scars and our right to stand on those coliseum stages...while we felt many others had not.

"It's because of this connection that the passing of Kevin DuBrow hits us particularly hard. You've all heard the saying, 'There by the grace of God go I.' Well, it's never been truer than now.

"The metal community has lost a powerful voice and a great frontman, but let it never be said that Kevin DuBrow did not leave his mark. You kicked our asses, Kevin, you really did."

Message from Jeff Scott Soto:

'I met Kevin back in 1986 when Quiet Riot were on the bill with us (Yngwie Malmsteen) for a few shows in the US. He was a funny, high spirited, overall good guy. Through all that he created his image of the 'mouth that roared', I found him to be a very endearing & genuine soul. He's was a saint then & continued to be such a humble person always treating me with absolute respect since day one. I was a Quiet Riot fan when the Metal Health album came out & through knowing Kevin & Co, continued to support the guys & their quest to continue the path they set for themselves from the ground up.
As we drove to soundcheck today here in the UK, I was given the information that Kevin has passed away. My deepest condolences go out to his family, those near & dear & especially to the boys in QR. Kevin leaves us with his legacy of work that we should always remember him by & knowing him, he doesn't want us to be sad for his passing, he'd want us to celebrate by 'screaming until our throats bleed!'. RIP my friend, we'll meet again!"

Report from Kelly Garni:

No need to state the obvious. First off I want to thank all of you who either called or emailed me. I'm sorry I can't respond to them individually as it would be a huge endeavor. I also 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 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, 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 when ever 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 LA 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 2 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 3 phones in my house and little did I know soon all 3 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, Ca. 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 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, Oct 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 ROCKSTAR.

Thanks for the rest of the interview. How sad he is gone.