— Alex Grossi (@AlexGrossi) September 11, 2020
QUIET RIOT guitarist Alex Grossi has thanked fans for their support following the announcement that the band was planning to carry on after drummer Frankie Banali's death. The group, which now features drummer Johnny Kelly (DANZIG, TYPE O NEGATIVE), will play a couple of shows in October as well as and a string of dates in 2021.
Earlier today, Grossi wrote on social media: "So great to see the outpouring of support from all over the world with regard to QUIET RIOT's anouncement to continue.
"Since meeting Kevin DuBrow, Frankie Banali and Chuck Wright when I joined the band in 2004, I have experienced both the amazingly great and the horribly tragic. No matter what, we always forged ahead.
"While I am still devastated from the loss of one of the most important people in my life, I take comfort in knowing that Frankie Banali's legacy could not be in better hands and will carry on as he wanted.
"Whether you like it or not — QUIET RIOT isn't going anywhere. Neither is the rock n' roll spirit that Kevin DuBrow, Randy Rhoads and Frankie Banali embodied.
"Looking forward to seeing you out on the road soon...!"
Banali, who joined QUIET RIOT in 1982 and played on its breakthrough album, 1983's "Metal Health", the first heavy metal LP to top Billboard's album chart, died in August after a 16-month battle with pancreatic cancer.
Th surviving members of QUIET RIOT said it was "Frankie Banali's wish that the band continue and we keep the music and the legacy alive."
At some of QUIET RIOT's 2019 and 2020 shows, Banali was replaced by Kelly or Mike Dupke (W.A.S.P.), depending on each musician's availability.
QUIET RIOT's shows last year with Kelly and Dupke marked the first time ever that the band performed without any of the members from its classic lineup: Banali, singer Kevin DuBrow, guitarist Carlos Cavazo and bassist Rudy Sarzo.
QUIET RIOT initially featured the late guitar legend Randy Rhoads and went through some early lineup shifts before securing the musicians that recorded "Metal Health".
Bassist Chuck Wright has been a part of QUIET RIOT, on and off, since 1982, having initially been involved in the "Metal Health" recordings (he played bass on the tracks "Metal Health" and "Don't Wanna Let You Go"). Grossi was in the last version of the band, from 2004 through 2007, before Kevin passed away, and was asked by Banali to return in 2010.
QUIET RIOT went through two vocalists — Mark Huff and Scott Vokoun — before settling on Jizzy Pearl in 2013. Pearl announced his exit from QUIET RIOT in October 2016 and was briefly replaced by Seann Nichols, who played only five shows with the group before the March 2017 arrival of "American Idol" finalist James Durbin. Pearl returned to QUIET RIOT in September 2019.
