Ratt's Robbin Crosby
Photo: MTV News

Former Ratt guitarist Robbin Crosby died at his Los Angeles home on Thursday morning following a long battle with AIDS. He was 42.

The cause of death has not yet been determined, according to Craig Harvey, operations chief for the Los Angeles coroner's office.

One of the original members of the '80s metal rockers known for hits such as "Round and Round" and "Lay It Down," Crosby began speaking out several years ago about his drug use in the band's heyday and how it led to his contraction of the deadly virus nearly eight years ago.

Ratt formed in the late '70s under the name Mickey Ratt, eventually settling on the catchier, shorter moniker by 1983. The band — vocalist Stephen Pearcy, Crosby, guitarist Warren DeMartini, bassist Juan Croucier and drummer Bobby Blotzer — released an independent, self-titled album in 1983 before signing to Atlantic Records.

Their 1984 Atlantic debut, Out of the Cellar, was an immediate hit, selling more than 3 million copies thanks to the melodic bubblegum metal hit "Round and Round" and its tongue-in-cheek video featuring late comedian Milton Berle dressed in drag.

The group split in 1992 and went on hiatus for much of the '90s, re-forming in 1997 to release Collage and a self-titled album two years later, after which Pearcy quit the group.

In a June 1999 interview for a Ratt episode of VH1's "Behind the Music" that never aired, Crosby talked about how drug addiction and his HIV status changed his life. "What has drug addiction done for me?" he asked. "It's cost me my career, my fortune, basically my sex life when I found out I was HIV positive.

"I had spoken to somebody ... [whose] opinion mattered to me," he continued, "and he said, 'Do you wanna be remembered as the guy ... [from] one of the premier groups of the '80s? Or do you wanna be remembered as the guy who has a disease and who is dying out in Hollywood somewhere?' I feel like if I can help just one person to avoid what got me into this maelstrom of hell then it's worth it for me."

The 6'6" Crosby had also changed physically. Due to a pancreatic condition that changed his metabolism, the already strapping guitarist had gained quite a bit of weight since his '80s glam heyday.

"Apparently my pancreas has given up and I'm not metabolizing food the way I should," Crosby explained prior to his death. "It's real frustrating. ... I have a roommate that probably weighs 150 lbs. and he eats a lot more than I do. It's not like I'm a pig or a slob."

At the time of his death Harvey said the guitarist weighed 400 pounds.

Drummer Blotzer posted a message to his late bandmate — affectionately referred to as "The King" by fans — on the group's official Web site last week. In his note, Blotzer called Crosby "one of the most kind harted (sic), the most compassionate, intelligent, talented" people he'd ever known.

Despite the band's recent litigation with former singer Pearcy and strained relations, Blotzer thanked Crosby and the rest of his bandmates for the mark they made together and Crosby for his courage in the face of declining health.

"Never once did any of us hear King complain about his situation," Blotzer wrote. "The man was put thru hell and never ... ever bitched about it. ... I can only dream of being onstage with him and the rest of us together again because that's all it will ever be with him gone."

Ex-singer Pearcy also put animosity aside and praised his former guitarist. "Robbin was a sweet soul, great talent and he will be missed. Rest in peace," Pearcy wrote on his official Web site.

A memorial will be held for Crosby in La Jolla, California, on Friday, and the family has requested that donations be sent to the Robbin Crosby Memorial Fund benefiting the Pathfinders halfway house c/o Regent's Bank, 875 Prospect St., Ste. 100, La Jolla, California 92037.

• Ratt

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• P!nk
• Adema
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• R. Kelly
• Lifehouse
• The Breeders
• Henry Rollins
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This week, '80s glam rockers Ratt and Great White return to record racks with brand spanking new product, and they are currently pounding the pavement in support of the albums.

For Ratt, the latest chapter comes courtesy of a self-titled album that hit stores on Tuesday, while Great White returns with "Can't Get There From Here." While Ratt is best known for the albums the band cranked out during its days on Atlantic Records (1984's "Out of the Cellar," 1985's "Invasion of Your Privacy," etc.) and Great White put out their most familiar work (1987's "Once Bitten") on Capitol, both bands find themselves on the Columbia Records imprint Portrait.

While they are reunited in record stores, the bands are also teaming up on the road as part of a metal caravan that also includes Poison and L.A. Guns. If you want to kick it old school, here's where to look:

• 7/8 - Charlotte, NC @ Blockbuster Pavilion, Stadium
• 7/9 - Bristow, VA @ Nissan Pavilion At Stone Ridge
• 7/10 - Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank/Garden State Arts Center
• 7/11 - Camden, NJ @ E-Center
• 7/13 - Hartford, CT @ The Meadows Music Theater
• 7/14 - Scranton, PA @ Montage Mountain
• 7/15 - Boston, MA @ Tweeter Performing Arts Center

• Great White
• Ratt

The band is coming into 1998 with two oversold shows in Los Angeles and a new album deal courtesy of Sony. This past weekend, their shows at L.A.'s Billboard Live were "the" place to be. The audience, at capacity and then some both nights, included such notables as Billy Corgan, Twiggy Ramirez, Slash, Bruce Kulick (ex-Kiss) and Van Halen's Michael Anthony, among many others.

The 80s heavy metal hair band disbanded in 1992 and reunited early this past summer, albeit shy two original members. Vocalist Stephen Pearcy, guitarist Warren De Martini and drummer Bobby Blotzer reformed without bassist Juan Croucier and guitarist Robbin Crosby. Croucier now owns and operates a studio in Los Angeles and opted to concentrate on his business, and Crosby is facing health complications that precluded his participation.

The band released a hodge-podge album on a small label -- studio outtakes, old live material and four new songs -- appropriately titled "Collage." According to Blotzer, this was just to give them a reason to tour. Leg one ended abruptly and disastrously when Pearcy fell off the 12-ft. stage, broke his ankle and destroyed his kneecap. They returned to the road this fall with better luck, although they still had to cancel dates when Pearcy temporarily lost his voice.

Ratt now takes a short break before heading to the studio to record a new album. The band was recently signed to Sony by John Kalodner, the powerful A&R man well known for inking Aerosmith and other bands of the hard rock ilk. They're aiming for a summer release date.

• Ratt

July 23 [7:55 EDT] -- It's been a bad week for 80's headbangers: Ratt frontman Stephen Pearcy shattered a kneecap last Saturday night, when he was blinded by stage lights and fell 15 feet to the ground, at the annual Chippewa music festival in Cadott, Wisconsin.

Ratt, which this week releases the new album "Collage", has postponed the remainder of its first U.S tour in 6 years.

Also last week Quiet Riot guitarist Carlos Cavazzo was pistol-whipped by 3 gunmen who broke into his home near Los Angeles. He suffered cuts and bruises; 2 of the suspected robbers have been caught.

• Quiet Riot
• Ratt