Randy Castillo facts for kids

Randolpho Francisco Castillo (born December 18, 1950 – died March 26, 2002) was an American musician. He was a famous drummer. Randy played drums for Ozzy Osbourne from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s. Later, he became the drummer for Mötley Crüe from 1999 until he passed away in 2002.

Early Life of Randy Castillo

Randy Castillo was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He was inspired to play the drums after watching The Beatles perform. This happened on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964.

Randy's first rock band in Albuquerque was called "The Wumblies." They played hard rock cover songs. The band later moved to Denver, Colorado, but broke up in 1980. Randy Castillo was also of Apache Native American heritage.

Randy's Music Career

Playing with Lita Ford and Ozzy Osbourne

In 1984, Randy Castillo was hired to play drums for the musician Lita Ford. He played on her album called Dancin' on the Edge. Lita Ford introduced Randy to Nikki Sixx, who was the bassist for Mötley Crüe. Nikki's bandmate Tommy Lee was also there.

Soon after the "Dancin' on the Edge" tour, Tommy Lee called Randy. He told Randy that Ozzy Osbourne was looking for a new drummer. Randy had a broken leg from skiing, so he couldn't try out right away. But a few months later, Ozzy hired him. Randy stayed with Ozzy Osbourne's band for ten years. He recorded five albums with Ozzy:

• The Ultimate Sin (1986)
• No Rest for the Wicked (1988)
• Just Say Ozzy (1990)
• No More Tears (1991)
• Live & Loud (1993)

After recording Ozzy's live album in 1993, Randy joined a band called Bone Angels. Then he joined Red Square Black. Randy also played with Ozzy's band again for a tour in 1995. He also played drums on some tribute albums during this time. He played on a Def Leppard tribute album called Leppardmania.

Joining Mötley Crüe

In 1999, Tommy Lee left Mötley Crüe. Sharon Osbourne, Ozzy's wife, called Randy and suggested he join the band. He joined without needing an audition. Randy had already played with Vince Neil (Mötley Crüe's singer) as a touring drummer. He was also an old friend of the band.

Randy's only album with Mötley Crüe was New Tattoo in 2000. This album sounded more like the band's older music. Fans had mixed feelings about it, and it wasn't as successful as they hoped. Still, there was excitement for the upcoming tour. The band planned their "Maximum Rock" tour with other famous metal bands, Anthrax and Megadeth.

Randy Castillo's Final Years

Weeks before Mötley Crüe's "Maximum Rock" tour, Randy became ill. He was playing with his mariachi side project, Azul, in Hollywood. After the show, Randy went to Cedars Sinai Hospital. Doctors found a serious stomach problem that needed emergency surgery. The surgery saved his life.

Because Randy was recovering, Hole drummer Samantha Maloney filled in for the tour. In October 2000, while recovering, Randy found a small lump on his jaw. A month later, it grew bigger. He went to the doctor and was diagnosed with a type of cancer. This cancer is usually treatable if found early. The cancer went away in mid-2001.

However, within a few months, the cancer returned. This time it was more serious. Randy Castillo passed away on March 26, 2002, at the age of 51. In his final weeks, Randy was working on a new band with Mike Inez, a bassist from Alice in Chains.

Randy Castillo's Albums

The Mud

• Mud on Mudd (1970 UNI Records)
• Mud (1971 UNI Records)

The Offenders

• The Offenders (1980)

Lita Ford

• Dancin' on the Edge (1984)

Ozzy Osbourne

• The Ultimate Sin (1986)
• No Rest for the Wicked (1988)
• Just Say Ozzy (1990)
• No More Tears (1991)
• Live & Loud (1993)

Red Square Black

• Red Square Black "EP" (1994)

Bret Michaels

• A Letter From Death Row (1998) (On Song "I'd Die For You")

Mötley Crüe

• New Tattoo (2000)

More About Randy

In Spanish: Randy Castillo para niños