Ex-W.A.S.P drummer Tony Richards dies at 69

American drummer Tony Richards, best known as a former member of W.A.S.P, has passed away at the age of 69. The cause of death has not been disclosed. He was a member of Dante Fox, which would later change its name to Great White, before joining W.A.S.P in 1982.

He left the band two years later, having played on only their acclaimed self-titled debut album, released in 1984. That record had tracks like “I Wanna Be Somebody”, “Sleeping (In the Fire” and “Tormentor”. Only in the United States that record sold more than 500 thousand copies. W.A.S.P’s leader, guitarist and singer Blackie Lawless posted a message about Tony’s passing.

What Black Lawless said about Tony Richards’ death

“The entire W.A.S.P. Camp are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of our original drummer, Tony Richards. 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. His personality was infectious. He looked fantastic in photos. But his ability to play made him really who he was.”

“To watch him play riveted you no matter where you were in the room. When he was gone from the band we were wounded in a way that we never really quite recovered from. He was equally a part of that first album and when that record is heard to this day his personal stamp will forever be a part of the totality of that recording. He will forever be missed. We in the W.A.S.P. Camp would like to wish his family our deepest condolences,” Blackie Lawless said. Richards is the third former W.A.S.P. drummer to have died, already passed Frankie Banali (Who also was part of Quiet Riot) and Steve Riley.