Former RATT Singer STEPHEN PEARCY: 'We Never Abandoned' ROBBIN CROSBY

Classic Rock Revisited recently conducted an interview with former RATT frontman Stephen Pearcy. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow:

Classic Rock Revisited: Why did you leave RATT?

Stephen: "You can perceive it as voluntary or involuntary, withdraw. It was an agreement or partnership that was sometimes honored and sometimes not. I took them to court etc. and we amicably got it settled, but unfortunately it took four years of bullshit. That doesn't mean that everything is better, because I still feel that there are wrong things being done right now, and some things bother me. As long as they don't disturb the real partnership and throw a record out there, that is fine with me. They can do what the want. They are just a cover band. I don't go out and perceiving myself as my old band. I just happen to be the guy that created the band, hired them and wrote the songs. I co-wrote the songs. I am a Rat Bastard and I have bigger, better, fish to fry. I just wanted to regroup and develop at a time when it was very necessary."

Classic Rock Revisited: Can we talk about [late RATT guitarist] Robbin [Crosby, who died of AIDS in 2002]?

Stephen: "Sure we can."

Classic Rock Revisited: That whole situation was so sad.

Stephen: "Well, both of us knew what we were getting into. You're given this debauchery platinum card and however you use it was your choice. Robbin and I were never the people to tell anybody what to do. In the band, I started it and pulled him in first. We knew what we were doing, but he was extreme in everything that he did. When I did one he would do four. Everybody had their different substance intake and his just happen to be everything. The one that got him was AIDS and people should be aware that dirty needles, if you choose to go that way, don't work and sex, throw a rubber on it and be careful and then the party and everything else is cool. People live their own life; it took me a few years to get my shit together. The guy was king in our eyes, he was Robbin, he was our leader, and he was my right hand man. It was terrible; it was just bad all the way around. He is a soldier we lost in the rock and roll war. He was not the first and I am sure he will not be the last."

Classic Rock Revisited: How did you and Robbin originally meet?

Stephen: I had MICKEY RATT in San Diego and he had his band PHENOMENON in San Diego and we played gigs together and we met like that. I pulled my band to LA in 1980. His band followed and then fell apart and Robbin started jamming with me. When Jake E. Lee went to OZZY we asked Robbin to join the band and the rest is history."

Classic Rock Revisited: When he came to you and told you the news were you just shocked?

Stephen: "Yeah, because I wasn't free from dabbling in any of that. He was excessive in that. He told everybody too late. He hid it for so long, he really did; he hid it for so long. There really was not much we could do but move ahead in life and support him as much as we could. We never abandoned him, but 'Behind the Music' will have a lot to say about that and will answer a lot of questions and I am really happy about that. People have been mislead by original members. With all do respect, Robbin was a great guitar player for the band and was all around great person. The sweetest man you could ever meet on the planet. The gentle giant. The guy is like 6'4” tall, blonde dude."

Read the entire interview at ClassicRockRevisited.com.