Steve Riley, “His individual legacy will indeed live on.” - Blackie Lawless
- Michael Brandvold
- Oct 27, 2023
- 1 min read
The entire W.A.S.P. family are saddened to hear of the passing of our friend and former bandmate Steve Riley. Steve was a native of Boston and came from a large family. He had several brothers, which from the beginning I dubbed, "the Dalton Gang". That came from an old Quick Draw McGraw cartoon and in a fun type of way they reminded me of some crazy kind of wannabe outlaws. They all loved the name so it stuck.
It was Steve's drumming you hear providing the steady beat on songs such as "Wild Child", "Blind in Texas" and "I Don't Need No Doctor". Those songs helped cement our legacy and Steve was a big part of that. Most drummers have some the best humor in any band. It's just the way they are wired and he was no exception. Steve could make a dog laugh and that's no joke. For any band, being on the road can be a grind. If you have someone in the band that can come in and break the tension just by being themselves, then that's a gift that's sorely missed when that vacuum can no longer be filled.
One of the "Dalton Gang" has now slipped away and our hearts are truly saddened. He will be missed. But his individual legacy will indeed live on.
God Speed Steve Riley
B. L
#BlackieLawless #WASP #waspnation #hardrock #heavymetal #80smetal #wildchild #thelastcommand #theheadlesschild #thecrimsonidol #golgotha
My biggest memory of Steve Riley was his mastery of rhythm. His playing was not just about drumming, but an expression of emotion. His work will forever stay on my playlist. When you need to reduce stress, you can play drive mad.
Steve's departure is sad, but his music is eternal. I recently revisited "The Last Command," and his drumming is still so powerful. A true legend, a true artist. By the way,When you need to reduce stress, you can play doodle baseball.
Reading Blackie Lawless's tribute to Steve really showed the deep friendship between them. Their musical collaboration made history. Steve's legacy will indeed live on. Now, let me introduce a really fun time-killing game called Block Breaker.
Thank you, Steve, for giving us so much wonderful music. Your talent was undeniable. May you continue to rock in heaven. Your legacy will continue to inspire a new generation of musicians. By the way, try Ragdoll Archers for super fun archery gameplay when you want to relax!
I'm a huge W.A.S.P. fan, and Steve's drumming was the soul of many classic songs. I'll never forget those amazing moments he had on stage. His spirit lives on through the music, and we will all remember him. Finally, recommend a stress-relieving drift boss game.