Johnny Giosa was a rock drummer from Los Angeles, CA (by way Pennsylvania) who is perhaps best remembered as a recent drummer for the revitalized ’80s metal band, BulletBoys. Over the course of his career, Giosa played with several other acts and still found time to model, act, and style hair, reportedly “for the stars.” During the early morning hours of August 28, 2011, Johnny Giosa was killed when his car swerved into a pillar along the 405 freeway. Cause of the accident was not immediately released. Giosa was 42.
Thanks to David Plastik at eRockPhotos for the assist.
George Green was a successful songwriter who is most often associated with John Mellencamp for whom he wrote the lyrics for such pop hits “Hurts So Good,” and “Crumblin’ Down.” A boyhood friend of Mellencamp, Green’s collaborations also include “Thundering Hearts,” “Rain On The Scarecrow,” and “Minutes To Memories.” Throughout the years, Mellencamp has recorded over a dozen songs co-written with him. Green also has had his songs recorded by Barbra Streisand, Kenny Chesney, Ricky Skaggs, Hall & Oates, Vanessa Williams, the Oak Ridge Boys, and Dwight Yoakam, to name a few. George Green was 59 when he died of lung cancer on August 28, 2011.
Laurie McAllister (Born Laurie Hoyt) June 26, 1957 – August 25, 2011
Laurie McAllistar was a bassist who is perhaps best remembered for being the last one to play in the influential all-girl rock band, the Runaways. Born and raised in Eugene, Oregon, McAllister landed in Hollywood where she played in such local punk outfits as the Rave Ons and Baby Roulette. In 1978, McAllister was asked to join the Runaways (replacing Vickie Blue), whose line-up at the time was Joan Jett, Cherie Curie, and Sandy West. She never had the chance to record with the group, but played several gigs before quitting several months later. The Runaways broke up shortly thereafter. McAllister went on to play in another Kim Fowley affiliated all-girl rock band, the Orchids, who released one album on MCA Records in 1980. After the Orchids broke up, McAllister moved to Amsterdam where she lived with Dutch musician and artist, Herman Brood. She became a veterinary technician and eventually settled back in her hometown of Eugene, Oregon. Laurie McAllister died from complications of asthma on August 25, 2011. She was 57.
Jani Lane (Born John Oswald) February 1, 1964 – August 11, 2011
Jani Lane is perhaps best remembered as the front man and main lyricist for the wildly successful late ’80s / early ’90s hair metal band, Warrant who went on to sell over four million albums. Lane was just barely out of diapers when he first learned to play the drums in Akron, Ohio, and by the time he was 11, he was performing at local clubs. After graduating from high school, he joined his first proper band, Cyren, and by the mid ’80s, he was in the thick of L.A.’s exploding pop-metal scene with his own band, Plain Jane. In 1986, Lane and band mate Steven Sweet joined forces with guitarist, Erik Turner in the latter’s up-and-coming glam metal band, Warrant. The group quickly built a following throughout West Hollywood’s storied Sunset Strip clubs thanks in part to Lane’s commanding stage presence and talent as a songwriter. It wasn’t long before they were signed to Columbia Records, who went on to release a string of hit albums that included the double-platinum sellers, Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich and Cherry Pie. The colorful band fast became darlings of MTV with such videos “Down Boys” and “Cherry Pie,” and found themselves playing in front of countless screaming fans around the world. Following the release of Warrant’s third album, Dog Eat Dog, Lane decided to leave the group, but returned the following year and continued on until 2004, only to leave again and return for one last time in 2008. By the end of that year however, he was gone for good due to conflicts within the band. Throughout the 2000s, Lane lent his vocal talents to several other projects, released a solo album, and was part of the hard rock supergroup of sorts, Saints of the Underground, which included members of Ratt and Alice Cooper’s band. Lane also dabbled in acting, appearing such early ’90s films as Caged Fear and High Strung. In 2005, he competed in VH1’s reality fitness program, Celebrity Fit Club where he lost 23 pounds. On August 11, 2011, Jani Lane, age 47, was found dead in a Woodland Hills, California hotel room. The Los Angeles Coroner’s office ultimately ruled that he died of acute ethanol poisoning.
Richard Turner was a young and respected English trumpet player who is perhaps best remembered for his three years performing live with popular UK alternative rock outfit, Friendly Fires. Turner also fronted his own alt.jazz combo, Round Trip which he formed in 2007 to showcase his improvisational skills. While swimming in a public pool in South London on August 11, 2011, Richard Turner went into cardiac arrest, and despite rescue efforts by trained lifeguards and paramedics, he passed away at an area hospital. He was 27.