Quiet Riot Drummer Frankie Banali Dead at 68
Quiet Riot drummer Frankie Banali has died at the age of 68.
On April 17 of 2019, Banali was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer, which had spread to his liver, and given six months to live. He kept the news quiet until October and was candid about his prognosis in interviews.
The news of his passing came via a statement from Banali's wife, Regina, who, in part, said, "He put up an inspiringly brave and courageous 16-month battle to the end and continued playing live as long as he could. Standard chemotherapy stopped working and a series of strokes made the continuation on a clinical trial impossible. He ultimately lost the fight at 7:18PM on August 20th in Los Angeles surrounded by his wife and daughter."
Although not a founding member of Quiet Riot (Banali didn't debut with the band until the release of their third album, 1983's mega-hit Metal Health), the drummer remained an enduring presence within the lineup. Despite exiting the group on multiple occasions, he performed on every Quiet Riot studio album since Metal Health (the first metal album to ever hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200), contributing to a total of 12 of the group's records.
Banali also enjoyed brief stints in W.A.S.P., playing drums on seven albums, including the standout efforts The Headless Children (1989) and The Crimson Idol (1992).
"Frankie is survived by his devoted wife Regina, loving daughter Ashley, many dear friends, dedicated fans, and a menagerie of rescue animals all of whom are family," the statement continued, noting, "He was a long time advocate for animal rescue, a spokesperson for the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, and a sponsor of Children International. Donations in his name are encouraged for Fixnation.org, Pancan.org, Children.org. His wish for everyone is that you be your own health advocate for early detection so you may live long and rescue many animals."
Our condolences to the Banali family and the drummer's friends and bandmates.
Rest In Peace, Frankie Banali
Rockers We've Lost in 2020