Rudy Sarzo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rudy Sarzo
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Sarzo in 2012
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Rodolfo Maximiliano Sarzo Lavieille Grande Ruiz Payret y Chaumont |
| Born | November 18, 1950 Havana, Cuba |
| Origin | Florida, U.S. |
| Genres |
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| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Bass guitar |
| Years active | 1975–present |
Rodolfo Maximiliano Sarzo Lavieille Grande Ruiz Payret y Chaumont (born November 18, 1950) is a talented Cuban-American musician. He is best known as the bass guitarist for famous rock bands like Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne, and Whitesnake. He has also played with many other well-known heavy metal and hard rock groups. Rudy Sarzo rejoined Quiet Riot in 2021 and is the only original member left from their "Metal Health" lineup.
Contents
Early Life and Musical Beginnings
Rudy Sarzo was born in Havana, Cuba, on November 18, 1950. He moved to the United States in 1961 and grew up in Florida. His brother, Robert Sarzo, is also a musician, showing that music runs in their family!
Rudy Sarzo's Music Career
Joining Quiet Riot
In August 1977, Rudy Sarzo arrived in Los Angeles. He went to a Quiet Riot concert and was very impressed. After the show, he met the band's singer, Kevin DuBrow, and they became friends.
Later, in 1978, Kevin DuBrow called Rudy and asked him to try out for Quiet Riot. Rudy flew to Los Angeles, rehearsed with the band, and got the job! Even though he is on the cover of their 1978 album Quiet Riot II, another bassist named Kelly Garni played on the album before Rudy joined.
Soon after joining Quiet Riot, Rudy started teaching bass guitar at a music school called Musonia. This school was owned by the mother of his bandmate, Randy Rhoads. Rudy and Randy became very good friends. They both felt frustrated that Quiet Riot's albums were only released in Japan and not in the United States.
Randy Rhoads eventually left Quiet Riot to start a new band with former Black Sabbath singer Ozzy Osbourne. Quiet Riot played their last show on October 2, 1979, and then Randy went to England to work with Ozzy. With Quiet Riot no longer together, Rudy joined a band called Private Army.
Playing with Ozzy Osbourne
From March 1981 to September 1982, Rudy Sarzo became very famous as the bassist for Ozzy Osbourne's band. Randy Rhoads had recommended him for the role. You can hear Rudy's bass playing on Ozzy's live albums, Speak of the Devil and Tribute.
After Randy Rhoads sadly passed away in a plane crash in 1982, Rudy felt very sad. He started to wonder about his future in Ozzy's band without Randy. While still with Ozzy, Rudy helped his old band Quiet Riot record a song called "Thunderbird" for their upcoming album, Metal Health. This song was a tribute to Randy Rhoads.
Working with Quiet Riot again felt very positive for Rudy. It was a big change from the difficult times he was having on tour with Ozzy. Because of this good experience, Rudy decided to record most of the Metal Health album with Quiet Riot. He then officially rejoined Quiet Riot after his tour with Ozzy Osbourne ended.
Returning to Quiet Riot
The album Metal Health was released in March 1983. It became a huge international success, selling millions of copies! This album helped make heavy metal music very popular in the 1980s.
Rudy Sarzo was a member of Quiet Riot during their most successful period. He appeared in many MTV music videos. In 1983, readers of Circus magazine voted him the "Top Bassist." Rudy stayed with Quiet Riot from September 1982 until January 1985. He left because of disagreements caused by the singer, Kevin DuBrow, who often criticized other bands in the music press.
Life After Quiet Riot
After leaving Quiet Riot, Rudy Sarzo formed a band called M.A.R.S. with his friend and former Ozzy Osbourne bandmate, Tommy Aldridge. From April 1987 to September 1994, Rudy and Tommy were both members of the band Whitesnake.
In the early 1990s, Rudy tried to start his own band called Sun King. They signed with a record label, but the band was dropped before they could release an album. In 1992, Rudy also had a small role as a bass player in an episode of the TV show Tales from the Crypt.
Rudy rejoined Quiet Riot several times over the years and recorded albums with them in 1999 and 2001. In 2004, he joined Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force for a tour. Later that year, he joined the band Dio.
In 2007, Rudy joined Blue Öyster Cult as their bassist and stayed with them until 2012. On September 1, 2012, Rudy joined singer Geoff Tate's version of Queensrÿche. His brother, Robert Sarzo, also joined this band a few months later.
On January 18, 2017, Rudy Sarzo was honored by being inducted into the "Hall of Heavy Metal History" for his long and important career in music. From 2016 to 2021, Rudy was a member of the Canadian rock band the Guess Who. He played on their album The Future IS What It Used To Be.
Rejoining Quiet Riot Again
On August 2, 2021, Rudy Sarzo rejoined Quiet Riot once more. He replaced Chuck Wright, who left the band to work on his own music projects.
Other Projects and Achievements
In 2006, Rudy Sarzo wrote a book called Off the Rails. This book tells the story of his time in Ozzy Osbourne's band in the early 1980s. It shares his memories of guitarist Randy Rhoads, who passed away in 1982.
In 2022, Rudy worked with a famous chef and coffee expert, Bryan-David Scott. Together, they created a special coffee called Cafe Habana, which received a perfect score of 100 points!
Discography
With Quiet Riot
- Metal Health (1983)
- Condition Critical (1984)
- Alive and Well (1999)
- Guilty Pleasures (2001)
With Ozzy Osbourne
- Speak of the Devil (1982)
- Tribute (1987)
With M.A.R.S.
- Project Driver (1986)
With Whitesnake
- Slip of the Tongue (1989)
With Manic Eden
- Manic Eden (1994)
With Dio
- Holy Diver – Live (2006)
With Bassinvaders
- Hellbassbeaters (2008)
With Tim "Ripper" Owens
- Play My Game (2009)
With Animetal USA
- Animetal USA (2011)
- Animetal USA W (2012)
With Queensrÿche featuring Geoff Tate
- Frequency Unknown (2013)
With D-Metal Stars
- Metal Disney (2016)
With the Guess Who
- The Future Is What It Used To Be (2018)
See also
In Spanish: Rudy Sarzo para niños
