Rudy Sarzo has a CV which features stints with some of the greats of the rock/metal world. From his tenures with Ozzy, Whitesnake, Dio and Quiet Riot, the esteemed bass player has played alongside many a legend, including the late great Randy Rhodes.
Since the late 70s, Rudy has featured in many line-ups of Quiet Riot. Fast forward to 2021 and the LA-based artist is back in the group whilst carrying on the musical legacy that has been left behind by his fallen bandmates. “The whole thing is to celebrate the legacy and the memory of Frankie Banali, Kevin DuBrow and Randy Rhoads. Because when I think of Quiet Riot, I go back to when I first started with it,” explains Rudy. “So that’s what I do. I go out there and celebrate the legacy of the band that I’ve been a part of since the 70s. And the memory of my bandmates who are no longer with us.”
He adds: “I’m playing in one of the most passionate bands I’ve ever been in because everybody gets it. Everybody gets why there’s a purpose for us to go out there and play. Everybody respects that and gets it and celebrates it. I went in there just to celebrate the band, not knowing what it was going to be like to play with Jizzy, Alex and Johnny. And I’ve got to tell you, it’s been a total blessing. It really has been from day one.”
Quiet Riot are presently celebrating the 40th anniversary of their seminal album Metal Health. The artist recollects how that album came to fruition. “I was in LA waiting to go out to New York to record the Speak of the Devil record with Ozzy live at the Ritz. And I get a phone call from Kevin inviting me to come down to the studio,” he says. “Kevin invited me to come down to record on Thunderbird, which is a song that he wrote for Randy when he left Quiet Riot to join Ozzy Osbourne and I used to play that song with him.”
Rudy had a close connection with the frontman. “I was living with Kevin up until the day that I joined Ozzy. We were really close. So, I said, sure, I’d love to because we knew all along that it was definitely a tribute to the memory of Randy whether it was because he left Quiet Riot and was playing with Ozzy or whether he was not no longer with us,” said Sarzo. “After Randy died, it was never the same playing with Ozzy. First of all, I lost my Quiet Riot family, which was the only reference that I had to a real band.”
Randy Rhodes was more than just a bandmate to Rudy Sarzo, he was also a friend and a mentor. “When Randy passed away, I lost that. Plus, him being a mentor to me about what it’s like to have musical integrity, or just integrity in life in general. But he showed it to me through his music and everything related to his music. So, when Randy died, I lost all of that,” confirms Sarzo.
When Rudy got into the studio with Quiet Riot there were some familiar faces. “I go into the studio to record Thunderbird, and there is Frankie Banali. We had a long history. It took us 10 years since we met to finally get into the studio to record something that possibly was going to be on record. Then there was Kevin who I will have been playing with him. In Quiet Riot with Randy and DuBrow and living with him. Carlos, I had just met, I never really played with him or socialised with him, but being back with Frankie and Kevin, my old family was enough to bring back the joy of making music again because I really lost it after Randy passed away,” explains Rudy. “So, here we are, and we cut Thunderbird really quickly because I used to play that song in Dubrow.”
Recording with Quiet Riot at that time reinvigorated Rudy. “By the time I left this session, I was really overjoyed. I found the joy again of making music. So that’s what that initial session means to me,” he says. “I was still a member of Ozzy. So, a couple of days later, I flew out to New York, and re-recorded the Black Sabbath recordings for Speak of the Devil, with Tommy, Brad Gillis and Ozzy. And, then by the time I came back to LA where I live, I made the decision to leave Ozzy and, and re-join the total unknown. The only thing that I knew was that I was going to be happy again making music which is the goal and purpose of making music to be happy?”
Being back in Quiet Riot has been a revelation for Rudy Sarzo. For me, it’s been an incredible opportunity to look deep within myself. It’s like rediscovering myself and then wanting to come up with a better version of myself because it’s 40 years later,” he says. “It’s always been a delight, and you add new energy, new ideas, plus I’m playing with different musicians.”
Quiet Riot will be returning to our shores to perform at HRH AOR next year. “I love playing the UK. For me, there’s so much history. The reason why I am a musician is because of what happened during the rock British invasion,” says Rudy. “It’s indescribable to me, but there’s a spirit there – a connection emotionally.”
Quiet Riot will perform at HRH AOR X between the 7th – 10th of March 2024. For ticket information and further details, please visit www.hrhaor.com
Words by Adam Kennedy
