Bang Your Head … RIP Kevin Dubrow

Can’t say I was a fan of Quiet Riot. I’ve listened to my share of metal, but I never really dug QR’s bland contribution to the genre.

But I worked in a record store in Simi Valley of all places when “Cum on Feel the Noize” hit the charts and I probably sold about a million copies of Metal Health to head-bangin’ Simi Kids who couldn’t tell the difference between Riot and, say, Judas Priest. They weren’t popular long and whatever popularity they had was as much due to the fact that they made a couple of appealing videos right at the time when MTV was becoming and important player in the music biz.

Despite all that, I’m sad to note that Keven Dubrow, Quiet Riot’s leather-lunged lead singer has died at the age of 52.

DuBrow died at his home in Las Vegas, Nevada, according to TMZ.com. The Clark County coroner’s office was examining the body to determine the cause of death, according to TMZ.

“I’m at a loss for words. I’ve just lost my best friend,” Quiet Riot drummer Frankie Banali told CNN. “Out of respect for both Kevin and his family, I won’t comment further. There’s going to be a lot of speculation out there, and I won’t add to that. I love him too much.”

Quiet Riot hit the top of the charts with its 1983 album, “Metal Health,” considered by some sources as the first heavy metal album to hit No. 1. The album was driven by the group’s cover of Slade’s “Cum on Feel the Noize,” which hit the Top 40.