Original W.A.S.P. Drummer TONY RICHARDS Dead At 69

Original W.A.S.P. drummer Tony Richards has died at the age of 69.

Tony's passing was announced by W.A.S.P. leader Blackie Lawless in a post on Wednesday (November 11) on the band's official social media.

Blackie wrote: "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."

Richards was a member of W.A.S.P. from 1982 until 1984. He played on the band's debut self-titled album that was released on August 17, 1984. Richards was reportedly fired from W.A.S.P. at the beginning of W.A.S.P.'s 1984-1985 tour and was replaced by Steve Riley.

Prior to W.A.S.P.'s formation, Richards played in DANTE FOX, which later evolved into GREAT WHITE.

Former W.A.S.P. guitarist Chris Holmes, along with his wife and manager Catherine Holmes, also reacted to Tony's death. Catherine wrote on social media: "We learned that Tony Richards passed away. Chris was talking to him a few weeks ago as he did every month for the last few years.

"His passing makes us sad. He deserved not to be forgotten along with what he brought to this industry.

"All our condolences to his brother John."

Richards is notably the third former drummer of W.A.S.P. to have died, following Frankie Banali in 2020 and Steve Riley in 2023.

Four years ago, Blackie spoke of his regret in losing Richards from W.A.S.P., saying "Tony was stunning as a drummer and performer. Tony was one of those five-point guys. He looked great, looked great in photos, and performed great. [He] could sing his ass off and perform his butt off. When we lost him, we were mortally wounded, and we knew it… To give you an example, look at that first album. It's all four of us on the cover. Second and third albums are just me. That was a conscious decision we made because when Tony was gone, we were not the same band anymore. We knew it. In the early days, we promoted ourselves as a band, and we thought when Tony was gone, we didn't have that strength anymore."