Sad news arrives as former L.A. GUNS and W.A.S.P. drummer Steve Riley has passed away at the age of 67
Initial reports of Riley‘s passing came from Metal Sludge and were later confirmed by his close friend Jason Green. In a video posted on his Waste Some Time With Jason Green YouTube channel, Green revealed that Riley had been dealing with various health issues before his untimely death. A source with knowledge of the situation shared that the drummer died on Tuesday, October 24, following a recent hospitalization. Riley had also been using a cane for mobility in the past few months.
Steve Riley was notably the drummer for W.A.S.P. during the period encompassing the first four albums and their respective world tours from 1983 to 1987. After his departure from W.A.S.P. in 1987, Riley joined L.A. GUNS and contributed his drumming skills to the band’s most commercially successful records.
In April 2021, Riley, along with L.A. GUNS guitarist Tracii Guns and vocalist Phil Lewis, reached an out-of-court resolution regarding the rights to the band’s name. Per the terms of the settlement agreement, Tracii and Phil retained the use of the L.A. GUNS trademark, while Riley and his bandmates from the other version of L.A. GUNS moved forward under the new moniker “RILEY’S L.A. GUNS.“
RILEY’S L.A. GUNS, featuring Steve Riley, along with Orlando-based guitarist/vocalist Kurt Frohlich, Nickels, and guitarist Scott Griffin, released a new single titled “The Dark Horse” last month through Golden Robot Records. This track is part of the band’s forthcoming sophomore album of the same name, tentatively set for an early 2024 release.