The Randy Castillo
Tribute show was held at the Key Club Monday night, April 29th, 2002 to
raise money for charity. The event was organized by Randys sister
Chris Castillo, Phil Soussan, former manager Todd Singerman and others,
and featured performances by Buck N Roses (ex-Gunners Slash, Duff and
Matt Sorum with Buckcherrys Joshua Todd and Keith Nelson, who were
joined onstage by Aerosmiths Steven Tyler), Montrose, Slap, Latin
monsters Ziroq (formerly Azul) and many others, ending with a drumming
tribute to Randy, including a beautiful tribal song from some Native American
friends of Randys from New Mexico and a film of the man himself
in action.
As important as the
performances themselves was the reason they were all brought together:
the man himself, Randy Castillo. Randy was best known to the world for
his work with Ozzy Osbourne, Lita Ford and more recently, Motley Crue.
However, he was also a wonderful human being and a shining personality,
whose personal testament is contained in the remembrances below by the
artists and people who turned out to pay tribute to the fallen rocker.
"...for
22 years [Randy] was my best friend... I would usually be playing
with him... He’s not here tonight, so I’m playing for him."
-Phil Soussan |
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Show organizer Phil Soussan,
remembered of Randy, “I have a lot of memories of Randy: for twenty-two
years he was my best friend. I’ve got way way too many. Let’s put it this
way: I organized this show. I put it together with the help of Tom Maher,
Todd Singerman, Matt Sorum, Rhonda Saenz, Paul Blazek -- we came together
to put this together. The only memory I can really think of which would
be appropriate, is that every other benefit I’ve ever done, I’ve done with
Randy. So I’m doing this benefit tonight and he’s not here, and I would
usually be playing with him, and um… [gets emotional] right now that’s the
one thing I’m remembering more than anything else. I mean, I could tell
you funny stories about the benefits I’ve played, but the most important
thing I can think of is that I would usually be playing with him. He’s not
here tonight, so I’m playing for him.”
Chris Castillo offered
up her favorite memory of her brother: “Probably the best memory I have
is when I was 17 and I ran away from home. Randy was playing with the Offenders
out in Chicago and he had to come out and rescue me in Wisconsin. Just the
way he did it was so Randy: We sat together, and he said, ‘Look, you gotta
come home. I know it’s a bitch; I know life’s a drag right now, but trust
me, it’s all going to be okay. But you gotta come home with me.’ And that’s
probably my favorite memory of Randy is him saving my ass in Wisconsin.”
Ratt’s Bobby Blotzer
recalled, “I’ve known Randy since 1977, and Randy and I were really good
buddies, and as everyone will attest, he was one of the kindest human beings
you will ever have the pleasure of meeting. It’s truly a sad day to have
our brother leave so early. He’s missed, and he was a great talent and a
great human being…God I miss him, it’s horrifying.”
Marci Fitz, wife of Vince
Neil drummer Brent Fitz and longtime friend of Randy commented, “I think
it’s really great that all these people are here for Randy. Randy really
cared about his friends; he cared about people, and he was always really
nice to people, and I think he more than deserved all of us here to celebrate
his life and to pay tribute to him.”
"[Randy]
was a very special man, a very great musician, a very soulful
human being...God bless him, and I’ll play good for him tonight."
-Steve Lukather |
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Famed guitarist Steve
Lukather remembered, “My fondest memory of Randy is about 1997, me, Phil
Soussan, Randy, Gilby Clarke, and Ryan Roxie went down to Cabo San Lucas
to play Cabo Wabo just for a [vacation], we did it for a lark, just playing
covers and having a laugh. We were there for a week, and we just hung every
night, and Randy and I had some really great moments, with everyone, and
also just me and him. He was a very special man, a very great musician,
a very soulful human being. It really just kinda sucks that he’s not here
right now, but you know, assholes live forever, but the good ones die young.
I don’t understand that. But God bless him, and I’ll play good for him tonight.”
Fellow drummer Pat Torpey
(Mr. Big, Montrose) goes way back with Randy and recalled, “I hate to admit
it because it sort of dates me a little bit, but I actually met Randy back
in 1973. He was playing with a band called the Womblies. I saw him play,
and he blew me away! I thought, oh my God, this is what I have to be doing!
He really inspired me. I have a specific drum lick that I could show people
that I took from Randy, and I still use it to this day. He really was ahead
of his time. I saw him in Phoenix (he was originally from Albuquerque),
and he just blew me away. He was the guy that everyone wanted to see, even
on a local level, just playing the circuit…we played in New Mexico, Colorado,
Utah and Arizona, and all the drummers followed Randy around, because he
was the show, he was the thing, and we are going to miss him a lot. I have
known him almost thirty years.”
Steelheart’s Michael
Matejevic commented, “When I lived with Ralph Rickeman from the Scorpions
(we lived together in Studio Hills), there were a lot of crazy ridiculous
parties, that’s all I can say, and that’s where I had the opportunity to
meet Randy a few times. I didn’t know him extremely well, but I did meet
him a few times at the house, and he was always a gentleman. The other thing
is, my mother passed away from leukemia, and so did my brother, all in one
year, so my deepest respects to Randy and his family.”
Montrose bassist Chuck
Wright said, “ I just remember that every time I saw Randy he was a perfect
gentleman at all times, and he was always happy to see me. We always talked
about the fact that I’ve been fortunate in my career to play with some great
drummers, and I never got to do a record with him. We always talked about
doing one, and it’s unfortunate that’ll never happen now, but we’re here
for the music.”
And they were indeed
there for the music, and that night the music was in honor of Randy Castillo.
Many of the artists were happy to reflect on what they hoped to contribute
to the show and their thoughts on being involved in the event.
"[Randy's]
Apache...he's THE drummer of the world... we're going to honor
him with the original drum of our American Indian people." -RedHawk
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Native American artist
RedHawk provided a preview of her contribution to the program. “We are going
to be doing tonight a very sacred song for Randy. It’s a Lakota song --
it’s the Thunderbeam song -- and the American Indian drum, you know, it’s
the original drum, it’s the original music of this land, so we’re going
to honor Randy. He’s Apache, and because he’s THE drummer of the world;
there is no one like Randy Castillo, I mean there’s Elvis -- there’s no
one like Elvis, there’s no one like Marilyn Monroe, there is NO one like
Randy, and so we’re going to honor him with the original drum of our American
Indian people.”
Lukather said of performing,
“I was honored to be asked, really. There’s a lot of guys who probably should
have been asked before me, but I think that this was put on by Randy’s really
really closest friends, and Phil Soussan is like a soul brother to me, and
that’s how I knew Randy. I met those guys when they were playing with Ozzy
in 1985 in a bar in Japan, and we’ve been friends ever since. He was a great
friend, but I didn’t get to see him that much. I love him, he’s a great
man, and I’ll miss him.”
Torpey says of being
a part of the show, “It’s in the spirit of Randy Castillo. Drummers are
sort of this separate underground community. I know all the drummers; we
all know each other. We stay away from the guitar and bass players, keyboards
and singer [laughs]. There’s something about drummers that we’re just a
little more regular guys. I really believe that, and Randy was like that.
Never a bad word about anyone, always a kind word for everyone, and that’s
why we are here, just for Randy. I’m thinking about him, I’ve been thinking
about him all day, and I know that Randy actually wanted to be in Montrose
at one time, so I really feel, I don’t know, like his spirit is touching
me a little bit, so it’s going to be great.” Bandmate Wright agrees. “It’s
great to see everybody come together, friends and family too, to create
a fund to help out his family.”
Chris Castillo called
the show an extreme success because, “Number one, his friends were here.
His fans were here, and again, it just shows the outpouring of support,
not to mention the stories that were told to me throughout the night were
nothing but positive stuff. He wasn’t a hotheaded musician, he wasn’t some
big guy who thought his shit didn’t stink, but he was a down to earth guy
and it didn’t matter if you were a delivery guy for a car to his hotel or
a friend of his; he treated everyone with respect. That’s how he wanted
it to be. I think it was an awesome success, amazing - all the support...
My mother is blown away. I mean, today she had a rough day because she knew
this was coming, but she just can’t believe the outpouring and the lives
that her son has touched that we didn’t even know about.”
"My mother
is blown away...she just can't believe the outpouring and the
lives her son [Randy] has touched..." -Chris Castillo |
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Blotzer commented on
the turnout. “There’s a hell of a lot of great talent here tonight, so I’m
really looking forward to that… I hate the fact that we are here because
of a great friend passing away, but it’s great to see the outpouring and
the amount of respect and the turnout of the talent and the friends, it’s
mind-boggling. I tell you, when I go, I doubt I’ll have that many here [Laughs].
Who knows, but it’s great to see, and there’s a lot of love in the room…
a lot of love.”
Jose Prieto of Ziroq
noted that, “Randy played drums in Ziroq about two years ago. We had been
playing, I think, for two or three years. Randy loved to play with the band.
I didn’t play with him because I came in the band after he left, but I played
with him about two months ago, an acoustic show at [the] Red Rock, I think
that was the last time Randy played live -- I’m not sure, but I’m really
comfortable to play here tonight.”
Soussan felt the benefit
went over well and commented, “We could have done two nights. We sold out,
and we could have sold out two nights easily. I’m really sorry we didn’t
do two nights, but we’re going to do something every year for it. We’re
setting up a memorial, there’s going to be a foundation set up. The family
still has to decide on the basis of that foundation. It could be, for example,
a scholarship foundation, or it could be something more close to his heart,
like maybe something for musicians with terminal illnesses. I don’t know
if you know, but musicians don’t have insurance or anything like that, and
that’s a really worthwhile cause. We’d like to do something every year.”
One thing is for sure,
the spirit of Randy was in the house at the Key Club that night, not to
mention in people’s hearts and on their minds. Rock on in the great beyond,
our friend. R.I.P.
For more information
on the Randy Castillo Memorial Fund, go to http://www.randycastillo.com
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