Sometimes you know that it will be the last time. Other times it comes as a surprise, a shock maybe. When a soldier in a rock group leaves that group, for whatever reason, it affects everyone involved. It could signal the end of an era. Or the start of something new and bigger. I watched a few bands go through this and lived to tell about it.
The Dave and Sam Show
Big names on my list are the lead singers who left. It’s hard to imagine a band continuing a successful career AFTER replacing the main voice. Well, Van Halen sure did. On September 14th, 1982, I finally got the chance to see Van Halen perform live (Cow Palace, Daly City CA). Four years after their debut album burned the wax out of my ears. They had become my favorite band by this time. Listening to them was fun but seeing them live was transformational. Lead singer David Lee Roth was unbelievable in his heyday. While never considered a great singer, he is definitely considered one of the best front men in rock history. My favorite DLR moment comes out of the darkness of the Cow Palace that night.
Right after the announcer asks us to welcome “The Mighty Van Halen!” , the stage explodes in bright light, the blonde lead singer can be seen high in the air, in mid-jump, off the drum riser. My love for VH continued, even after Dave left.
Roth’s replacement, Sammy Hagar, brought an established entity into the VH fold. Many fans, even to this day, resent Hagar’s time with Eddie and Alex. The band’s style did change slightly but that was Eddie’s natural evolution. Van Halen was actually more commercially successful with Sammy. Both eras are kick ass. Regardless, old men, like me, still argue about it.
Now I’m Here
Unlike David Lee Roth, who is still walking the earth, some artists didn’t quit or get fired from their band. Some, tragically, died in the middle of their careers. I saw Freddie Mercury and Queen perform in 1982 (Oakland Coliseum Arena, CA ) on the Hot Space tour. This tour was the last time Freddie played in North America. Freddie’s stage presence was unique and magical. Every move was a picture. His perfect voice was as good in person, if not better, than on record. The Queen set list is a trip through the popular music of my adolescence. The concert was a blur of action. An immense stage, banks and banks of lighting, smoke and a very loud guitar filled the Oakland Arena. But Freddie stood out. No one took their eyes off of him.
After Freddie died in 1991, the world mourned along with the band. The demand for Queen music persisted. It wasn’t until 2004 that they dared to reunite. The quite-capable Paul Rodgers (Free, Bad Company) agreed to stand behind the mic. Queen + Paul Rogers lasted 5 years (1 record, many, many miles on the road)
Adam Lambert sang with Brain and Roger as part of “American Idol” in 2011. Then, years later, he repeated the act at a show honoring the band. That gig turned into a much longer one. Lambert hit the road with Brian May and Roger Taylor for a HUGE Queen tour. He fit perfectly despite his age compared to his band mates. Lambert displayed just the right combination of respect and vitality to Freddie’s masterpieces. No one could have done better at honoring and celebrating Freddie Mercury.
This may not even count. I saw Jefferson Starship with 3 original members of the Jefferson Airplane. The key, for me, was Grace Slick. Granted this was many years after the Airplane set the psychedelic world on fire. Pretty damn cool to hear Grace Slick singing “White Rabbit” in 1984 (Greek Theater, Berkeley CA) . It brought a little of that 60’s vibe to the 80’s concert experience. Her voice never faltered.
He Stopped Believin’
Another man, nicknamed the “Voice”, fronted a local band. This local band went from obscurity to full-blown superstardom right under my nose. Even though they originated in my backyard, I first saw them on TV in 1978. They were on a PBS show, out of Chicago, called “Soundstage”. The band is Journey and the ‘Voice’ belongs to Steve Perry. There is one important thing to remember about Steve Perry: his incredible voice sounds no differently live than on record. A true crooner for a generation with a range not usually found in a rock band. Journey was the soundtrack of my high school years. I was lucky enough to see and hear Perry sing with Journey twice. It wasn’t enough. Steve Perry split from Journey in 1987
The band was dormant until Perry returned in 1995 to record a new album. A full reunion and tour was planned but never materialized . Journey pushed on because their music had a resurgence. The band went through a few lead singer replacements but never caught the fire again. The music will always speak for itself and Journey songs are part of the American fabric. Currently, the band is fronted by its longest-tenured replacement, Arnel Pineda. Arnel has an unbelievable story. He was plucked from YouTube (and the Philippines) by Journey guitarist/founder Neal Schon to front the band. The band continues to enjoy healthy touring success with Arnel singing his heart out.
Same Makeup, Different Guys
I first saw KISS in 1979. It was the Dynasty tour. I had been waiting 3 years to see my heroes. My 15 year old head exploded that night. They were still in full costume and face paint in those days. So many firsts, both good and bad, happened to me that night. KISS originals Ace Frehley and Peter Criss were still in the band in 1979. The show was spectacular. The tour was the last with the originals until 1996 when they reunited.
After these two members left (were fired), the band replaced them. KISS continued to record and tour for many years without 2 of the founding members. The replacements lived through KISS’s decision to take off the makeup. Then had to sit on the sidelines while Gene and Paul reunited with Ace and Peter for a Reunion tour. Finally the band decided that the replacements would wear the face paint of Ace and Peter. The band embraced it’s past and toured before and after the COVID pandemic. They officially calling it quits 4 years later. Stay tuned!
Tragedy Strikes
Lynyrd Skynyrd was 2nd on the bill of my first-ever rock concert. It was the summer of 1977 and Peter Frampton was headlining a Day on the Green stadium show. Frampton was the attraction for me. I knew some of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s radio hits but I didn’t appreciate the band until a few years later. I remember singing along to “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Freebird” and enjoying the whole experience. Tragically, later on this same tour, the plane carrying the band crashed on it’s way to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Killed on impact were lead singer and heart of the band, Ronnie Van Zant and Steve Gaines, along with backup singer Cassie Gaines (Steve’s older sister), assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, pilot Walter McCreary and co-pilot John Gray. Such a tragedy. There are some fantastic videos of the band from the show I was at. I only wish I had focused more on Skynyrd that day.
Just Missed These Guys
There are many times that I have seen a band playing with the replacements of an original member. Sometimes it’s even a replacement of the replacement. However, I have missed many notable originals. Cliff Burton died in a bus crash that his band mates survived. Amazingly, Metallica pushed on. I have enjoyed every decibel of every Metallica concert. I still wish I had witnessed Cliff Burton on bass.
AC DC
I also missed Bon Scott singing lead for AC/DC. Scott’s replacement, Brian Johnson, has been the recipient of the bulk of AC/DC’s success. But, as is often the case, AC/DC would never have reached that success without Bon Scott. I never saw Keith Moon playing the drums for the Who. To be fair, I was probably a little too young to see these last two.
I was hoping to catch the Ozzy the next time he came around. Randy Rhodes played guitar for Ozzy Osbourne. He was a brilliant player. I had my chances to see him live and I missed them. By the time Ozzy came back around, Rhodes was long gone.
I suppose that the lesson learned is to never take anything for granted. Enjoy those live moments at concerts. Those times are fleeting. You may be witnessing history. And give those replacements a break!!
