Mickey Ratt>>RATT - USA

Out Of The Cellar – 1984 - Atlantic
Invasion Of Your Privacy – 1985 - Atlantic
Dancing Undercover – 1986 - Atlantic
Reach For The Sky – 1988 - Atlantic
Detonator – 1990 - Atlantic
Ratt – 1999 - Portrait
Infestation – 2010 – Loud & Proud

Ratt image
  
 
Members
Vocals
Firedome, Crystal Pystal, Mickey Ratt, Taboo, Arcade, Vicious Delite, Vertex, Partners In Crime, Sindustries, Nitronic, Solo>>STEPHEN PEARCY>>Taboo, Arcade, Vicious Delite, Vertex, Partners In Crime, Sindustries, Nitronic, Solo

Guitar
Mac Meda, Aircraft, Metropolis, Xcalibur, Phenomenon, Secret Service, Asakawa>>Robbin Crosby>>Air Pavilion, Secret Service, Bill&Kev&War Party – The Plague, Dokken, Whitesnake, Dio, Solo>>Warren DeMartini >>Dokken, Whitesnake, Dio, Solo – Speed Of Light, Snow, Quiet Riot, Max Havoc, LTD, Dirty Rats, 3 Legged Dog, Power project, Tim “Ripper”” Owens>>Carlos Cavazo>>Big Noize, Snow, Rough Riot, King Kobra, Freakshow

Bass
Spike, FireFoxx, Vic Vergat, Dokken, Air Pavillon, Liquid Sunday, Dirty Rats, Quiet Riot, DuBrow>>Juan Croucier>>Dokken, Dirty Rats,Air Pavillon, Liquid Sunday, Quiet Riot, DuBrow – Dream Suite, Lancia, Hot Wheelz, New Haven and Monroe, Tuff, Vince Neil, Shred Zeppelin, Adler’s Appetite, Vertex>>Robbie Crane>>Lynch Mob, Shred Zeppelin, Adler’s Appetite, Black Star Riders, The Fighting Hearts, Warrant

Drum
Dokken, Vic Vergat, Firefoxx, Vic Vergat, Jack And The Blotz, Red Rockers, Geoff Tate, Saints Of The Underground, Angel City Outlaws, Contraband, Bobby Blotzer's Ratt Experience, Sin City Sinners, Montrose>>Bobby Blotzer>>Jack And The Blotz, Red Rockers, Geoff Tate, Saints Of The Underground, Angel City Outlaws, Contraband, Bobby Blotzer's Ratt Experience, Sin City Sinners, Montrose, Bobby Blotzer's Rat Attack




History & Biography
San Diego, California, USA-born Ratt is a glam and hard rock band that was founded in 1977. The band has a complex story intermingling with Motley Crüe, Rough Cutt, Dokken, Dio, Ozzy Osbourne, Quiet Riot and multiple other California-based hard rock acts of the era, but the band’s most recognizable and classic line-up is singer Stephen Pearcy, guitarists Robbin Crosby and Warren DeMartini, bassist Juan Croucier and Bobby Blotzer on drums. The band and producer Beau Hill produced several hits and successful albums in the ‘80s.

Singer Pearcy was in a band called Crystal Pystal, which would evolve into Mickey Ratt (as in Mickey Mouse). This band relocated to Los Angeles in 1980. Mickey Ratt featured Jake E. Lee who would later join Ozzy Osbourne. Lee and drummer Dave Alford would depart to form Rough Cutt – notice the two t’s - seemingly dissatisfied with Pearcy’s leadership. The band would shorten its name in 1981 and feature guitarist Robbin Crosby who was a drifter in many a local band and also from San Diego. He and Pearcy knew one another from San Diego. Partly owing to his above average height, Crosby would later be nicknamed The King by fans. The Jackson King V guitar was originally named after Robbin Crosby, Crosby played that guitar in the '80s. It was also picked up by Dave Mustaine of Megadeth. Warren DeMartini, bassist Gene Hunter and drummer Khurt Maier would join. Crosby and DeMartini had known one another since school days. DeMartini would supplant George Lynch in Dokken for a brief time as the latter man had appeared to join Ozzy Osbourne. This band was heard on Metal Massacre I compilation of Metal Blade Records alongside Bitch, Metallica/Mettallica, Malice and others in 1982. Strangely, the Ratt entry of Tell The World would not remain on later re-releases of this compilation. Croucier and Blotzer would join the band at this stage. DeMartini would leave to focus on his college studies and guitarist Marq Torien would join temporarily. DeMartini would return soon enough however. Mötley Crüe and Ratt were playing the Troubadour club in Hollywood for a $1 cover charge. Nikki Sixx and Tommy Lee from the former band would later make a cameo in a Ratt video for the song Back For More. The act often appeared at a club called Whisky A Go Go. The line-up recorded a self-titled EP in late 1982 and had it released through its management’s Time Coast imprint in 1983. The EP would later be re-issued in Europe by MFN. The cover models were Mickey, Minnie, Mandy, Moody, Melody and the legs of Tawny Kitaen, who was dating Crosby before meeting David Coverdale of Whitesnake. This EP would, spoiler alert, be re-released by Atlantic Records a year later. Ratt had garnered a major recording deal.

The band’s major label and full-length debut was amusingly called Out Of The Cellar and an immediate hit. The bluesy guitar sleazed up, scratchy vocals, glam image and attitude of the rhythm section were good sellers and the thematic cover artwork with Tawny again did not hurt the band. The band was deliberately crafting an image to attract female fans and stayed away from heavy metal themes. Key to success, however, was MTV’s immediate support. Tom Allom, who had worked with Judas Priest, was supposed to produce, but Beau Hill ended up being behind the knobs. The song Round And Round was all over MTV and FM stations. The album reached the Billboard Top Ten and sold 3,000,000 copies. Heavy touring to the tune 320 dates was followed by Invasion Of Your Privacy. You’re In Love was the main single and did favours for the band again. The band toured the world including appearing at Monsters Of Rock festival across the pond in England. The members grouped in Maui, Hawaii after the tour in order to write a new album. The record was supported through an initial tour with Bon Jovi opening. The sophomore record would sell over 2,000,000 copies. The band, Twisted Sister and Mama’s Boys toured the USA. The group oversaw the release of a home video called Ratt: The Video. The band was using alcohol, heroin and more.

Dancing Undercover defied its title and was different. Gone was the cover babe and in was a more heavy metal sound. The black and white cover was likely a clue. Congruously it did not sell as much. The band played shows and tours with Vinnie Vincent’s Invasion, Cinderella and Poison. At one point Ratt felt threatened by Poison and dropped the opener in favour of Queensrÿche. Poison was invited back when ticket sales dropped. The group hit Europe as part of the Monsters Of Rock Tour. Tawny Kitaen and Crosby had gone separate ways with rumour having it that the girlfriend was seeing American athlete OJ Simpson. Crosby married Playboy Playmate Laurie Carr in 1987, but he would soon be a heroin addict. By this time Crosby and singer Pearcy were not friends with the other members either. Reach For The Sky did better, but the band and Beau Hill went separate ways. In fact, the band had intended to have Mike Stone (Queen, Journey, etc.) produce, but oodles of money and months had been wasted to subpar effect. Hill was brought back in at that point. Ratt toured with Great White, Kix and Warrant. The touring was not as lucrative and it was eventually cut short. The band was being managed by Alan Kovac and Left Bank Management now who would later take over Nikki Sixx and team. The manager knew how to bring in money, but also invited lawsuits. Songsmith Desmond Child (who had worked with Bon Jovi) helped write the next one, the heavier Detonator. Crosby would guest on Bon Jovi’s Blaze Of Glory album of 1990. Jon Bon Jovi contributed backing vocals on Heads I Win, Tails You Lose from Detonator. The band hit Japan where the band did not perform well partly owing to guitarist Crosby’s drug abuse. He would be switched out for Michael Schenker who had a guest slot on the album and would last less than a year. Blotz would later be in Contraband with the German guitarist. This band was deemed to be a creature of manager kovac and would open for Ratt too! Crosby would check in at rehabilitation to try to cure himself from heroin. With success fleeting and Crosby out, Pearcy checked himself out in 1992 for a band called Arcade, which was called Taboo at first. This act featured drummer Fred Coury known from Cinderella. The band was no more as of February 1992. Crosby was fired from the band and would separately claim management lied to him by promising production work and proceeds instead. Crosby tried his hand at production and worked with an act called Mail Order Brides. Crosby would also get a divorce. The band’s implosion was intensified with Crosby contracting HIV and AIDS in 1993 or 1994. The band was no more and Juan Croucier would threaten to sue Pearcy for attempting a Ratt line-up. Pearcy would deny having resigned from the partnership.

The members would attempt a regroup in 1996 and recruit Robbie Crane (of Pearcy's Vertex and Vince Neil band) on bass. DeMartini was the sole guitarist. The band played sporadic shows, including a tour of Japan in 1997 that had brought the band out of its hole thanks to the generous offer, issued a rarities’ album called Collage and was successful in obtaining a new contract, this time with Sony. Juan had a rock band called Liquid Sunday. This line-up issued a self-titled album that was far less glammy than Ratt of the past. Keri Kelli was then added on guitars, but then the band lost Pearcy again who preferred to busy himself with his solo material. This act was billed as Ratt Featuring Stephen Pearcy thus forking the band’s name and formation. The rest of the band asked fans to discourage Pearcy from using the association. Crosby, who was afflicted with AIDS, overdosed on heroin and died in June 2002. He had had bouts of being clean in the interim. The group toured with Cinderella, Quiet Riot and Firehouse using the Rock Never Stops monicker in 2005. The first band became largely inactive until 2006. DeMartini was to join Dio, but ultimately walked away due to not liking the musical style of that band. The group had recruited perennial side-vocalist Jizzy Pearl for several years to tour. Robbie Crane was back on bass. John Corabi was playing guitar. Pearcy would return in 2007 thus merging the two iterations. Ratt and Poison hit the road. John Corabi would depart and be replaced by former Quiet Rioter Carlos Cavazo in the summer of 2008. The departure of the singer-turned-guitarist was rumoured for weeks and earlier denied by Ratt.

The band signed with independent label Loud & Proud in early 2009, which was a label by Tom Lipsky who had run CMC International before. Blotzer was arrested for domestic violence in 2009. He also penned a book called Tales of A Ratt – Things You Shouldn't Know. The band recorded Infestation with Cavazo over the course of two years with the goal of going back to its roots. While the songs accomplished that mission the band was not getting along and disbanded. Prior to that, Scorpions picked Ratt as its openers in the United States for its phony farewell tour in 2010. As well, just before, Ratt was forced to cancel its European tour in support of the Infestation album. Vocalist Stephen Pearcy underwent emergency hernia surgery in June 2010.

Pearcy attempted to begin writing new material in 2012. Robbie Crane would say goodbye however. Croucier would rejoin the fold. An aeroplane carrying members of the band and Dokken was forced to make an emergency landing in Illinois in 2013 after a reported fire broke out in the jet's cockpit. The bands were touring with Sebastian Bach and Lita Ford. In the meantime, the members continued their infighting and Pearcy would leave citing personal and business issues in 2014. Pearcy said he would focus on his solo material before adding he is open to recording with Ratt again as well. Croucier would continue touring as Ratt while the band’s drummer would do Bobby Blotzer's Ratt Experience. DeMartini sued Ratt and Blotzer and lost. As such, Blotzer and co. kept on touring as Ratt. Bobby Blotzer's version of Ratt recruited former L.A. Guns and current Angels In Vein guitarist Stacey Blades and bassist Todd Kerns of Slash Featuring Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators to take over for Nicholas "Blaze" Baum and Robbie Crane who left the band in 2016. Blotzer sued Pearcy and lost as well. This, and years of turmoil, prompted Pearcy, Croucier and DeMartini to sue Blotzer to wrest back control of the band’s entity and trademarks. In the meantime, two entities toured performing Ratt songs. Blotzer would lose the case this time. DeMartini would leave the turmoil once again and the new Ratt was no singer Pearcy and bassist Croucier. The two recruited guitarists Jordan Ziff and Chris Sanders and Black 'N Blue drummer Pete Holmes to complete the line-up. Yet, Sanders left soon. Guitarist Chris Sanders left the band in early 2020. The band performed in Oklahoma as a quartet after the man’s retirement. The band had earlier deemed him missing in action. Pearcy underwent knee replacement surgery in 2019. He had been almost disabled and could neither perform nor recall all his lines. Stephen Pearcy was improving in the spring of 2019. He was derided for, what seemed like, drunken performances the autumn prior, which he attributed to taking pain medication for the issue and combining the same with alcohol. It was also revealed later that he had been afflicted with liver cancer. The pandemic had hit by now and all shows would be cancelled. Still Frankie Lindia of David Lee Roth band would take Sanders’ spot. Pearcy would declare that he is cancer free. Stephen Pearcy postponed his East Coast USA solo shows after testing positive for COVID-19 in late 2021. Mötley Crüe singer Vince Neil and Stephen Pearcy announced a concert at the Spotlight 29 Casino in Coachella, California, USA performing songs from their main bands for January 28th 2023. Bobby Blotzer's Rat Attack was an act featuring singer Gabriel Colon of Lynch mob. Stephen Pearcy would commemorate the 40th anniversary of the band's debut album Out Of The Cellar by performing it in its entirety with his solo act at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California, USA on December 29th 2023. He announced that more concerts would do the same in 2024.


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