Bust of Quiet Riot’s Frankie Banali Revealed on What Would Have Been His 70th Birthday
A bust of Quiet Riot drummer Frankie Banali was revealed at the "Frankie Banali Celebration of Life – 70th Birthday Party" event in West Hollywood at the Rainbow Bar & Grill on what would have been his 70th birthday.
Banali joined the band in 1982 and was featured on the band's third album and every Quiet Riot album since. The drummer was the longest-tenured figure after the last original member, singer Kevin Dubrow, passed away in 2007.
Banali was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer on April 17, 2019, which spread to his liver and he was given six months to live. According to his wife Regina, "he put up an inspiringly brave and courageous 16-month battle to the end and continued playing live as long as he could."
The Quiet Riot drummer sadly passed away on Aug. 20, 2020. In an interview on "Trunk Nation with Eddie Trunk" on SiriusXM it was revealed that Banali had already paid and planned his entire funeral services before he passed away.
In the interview, his wife said that Banali was going to "get the same kind of funeral that Ronnie [James Dio] got and Jimmy Bain and all those funerals that we've been to many times. He was saying we're going to rent the Rainbow and have laminated glasses and send-off in the rock and roll way that he arrived in L.A."
And he did exactly that – Banali's bust was revealed at an event at the legendary Rainbow Bar & Grill in West Hollywood on Nov. 14, coinciding with his 70th birthday, and tons of musicians were at his celebration of life.
The long list of musicians there included all members of Quiet Riot, former AC/DC drummer Simon Wright, ex-Guns n' Roses guitarist Gilby Clarke, Deep Purple bassist/singer Glen Hughes and many more. A public funeral service will be held for Frankie Banali today (Nov. 15) at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood Hills in L.A.
See the bust as well as some photos from the event via former Quiet Riot musician Sean McNabb's Instagram below. There's also video as well that you can view below.