Died On This Date (April 10, 2012) Ritchie Teeter / Former Drummer For The Dictators
themusicsover Ritchie Teeter
March 16, 1951 – April 10, 2012
Ritchie Teeter was a rock drummer who made is mark playing behind the Dictators during some of the band’s glory years. With a sound and vibe that was not that far removed from the Ramones, MC5, the Stooges, or the New York Dolls, the Dictators built a dedicated following that remains loyal to this day. Teeter joined the band following the release of their first album, Go Girl Crazy, and can be heard playing on 1977’s Manifest Destiny and 1978’s Bloodbrothers. Both are considered essential for any respectable early New York punk collection. Teeter went on to play in Twisted Sister in late 1980/early 1981, but never appeared on any of their albums. He did participate in later Dictator reunion shows, though not much is known about his more recent life. It appears that Teeter retired from the business some time ago, or he at least kept a very low profile. Ritchie Teeter was 61 when he died of esophageal cancer on April 10, 2012.
Thanks to Harold Lepidus for the assist.
What You Should Own
Scott Riccuiti was a respected Boston, Massachusetts area singer-songwriter and guitarist who had been entertaining folks throughout the area going back to at least the mid ’80s. As a member of Childhood, Riccuiti successfully competed in Boston battle-of-the-bands, culminating in their victory in radio juggernaut, WBCN’s Rock ‘n Roll Rumble in 1987. That lead to respectable video play on MTV for the band. Childhood ultimately disbanded in 1993. Other groups in which Riccuiti played included Pistol Whipped, A Pony For My Birthday, Huck, and Preacher Roe. And other acts he performed with on stage over the years include Shana Morrison and 
Vince Lovegrove was a famous Australian artist manager, television producer, journalist, and one-time pop star himself. As a singer, Lovegrove performed with several Perth bands during the early ’60s. In 1966, he founded the Valentines in which he sang co-lead with future AC/DC front man, Bon Scott. In fact, it was Lovegrove who ultimately introduced Scott to the other members of AC/DC who of course, went on to become a rock and roll dynasty. The Valentines scored several Australian hits before disbanding in 1970. Lovegrove went on to become a pop music journalist, writing for such magazines as Go-Set and Immedia!. As a manager, Lovegrove, at one point or another, oversaw the careers of AC/DC, Cold Chisel, Jimmy Barnes, and the Divinyls. During the mid ’80s, Lovegrove’s wife, Suzi Sidewinder, was diagnosed with HIV. Prior to this knowledge, Suzi passed the virus along to their then-unborn son, Troy Sidewinder, while he was in her womb. Suzi died of AIDS in 1987, while Troy passed away from it in 1993. Lovegrove forged on as an HIV awareness activist, educating people that the virus was much more than a “gay disease.” He made two very personal and critically acclaimed documentaries on the subject, Suzi’s Story, and A Kid Called Troy. Lovegrove continued writing and performing well into the 2000s. Vince Lovegrove was killed in an automobile accident on March 24, 2012. He was 64.
Eric Lowen is perhaps best remembered as one half of the much beloved duo, Lowen & Navarro. Formed with Dan Navarro first as a songwriting team during the early ’80s, Lowen and Navarro went on to pen songs for the likes of David Lee Roth, the Bangles, Dave Edmunds, the Four Tops, and the Temptations. Their biggest hit as tunesmiths came in 1984 with Pat Benatar’s Grammy-nominated version of their beautiful song, “We Belong.” In the early ’90s, Lowen & Navarro made the transition from songwriting to performing and recording together. Many of their songs became staples of what would later be called Triple A radio while their intimate performances wowed audiences around the world. In 2004, Lowen learned he was suffering from ALS, or as it’s commonly know, Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Rather then give in to the disease, the duo made three more albums, including 2004’s All The Time In The World, which is, by most accounts, their best. They also went on to perform upwards of 200 shows over the next five years, culminating in their final performance together on June 6, 2009. After that, Navarro forged on alone while Lowen kept the duo’s legacy alive online and by overseeing the release of archival performances. Eric Lowen ultimately died of complications from ALS on March 23, 2012. He was 60.