Died On This Date (January 25, 2012) Mark Reale / Founder of Riot
themusicsover Mark Reale
June 7, 1955 – January 25, 2012
Mark Reale was a guitarist who is best remembered as the founder of and creative force behind influential hard rock band, Riot. Born in New York City, Reale began putting the group together in 1975. Two years later, they released their acclaimed debut album, Rock City. Before they knew it, they were touring with the likes of KISS, Molly Hatchet, AC/DC, Sammy Hagar, and Rush. In 1981, they released Fire Down Below which is considered their masterpiece and one of the defining metal albums of the early ’80s. Reale disbanded Riot in 1984 and started another band, Narita, but reformed it a couple of years later. Riot continued to perform and record through the fall of 2011 when they released their latest album, Immortal Soul. Mark Reale, was 56 when he died from complications of Crohn’s Diseased on January 25, 2012. Former band mate Rhett Forrester was the victim of an unsolved carjacking/murder in 1994, while original lead singer, Guy Speranza died of pancreatic cancer in 2003.
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Dave Devereaux was the owner of Force Of Habit Records, a popular independent record store in the Mission District area of San Francisco, California. As a teenager, Devereaux moved with his family from Montreal, Canada to Southern California where he became obsessed with hard rock and punk, with Metallica, AC/DC and the Ramones being among his favorites. He also did some DJing, which is when he came up with the nickname of Braindead Dave. Devereaux eventually settled in San Fransisco, opening Force Of Habit in 2004, after building a worldwide customer following on eBay. The store, which specialized in rare punk, vinyl and collectables, quickly became a local hang-out for area teens and music lovers of all ages. One such loyalist was Jello Biafra of Dead Kennedys fame who liked to pick through the shop’s 7″ single bins. Devereaux liked to support the local music scene as well, often showcasing live bands at his store. On July 5, 2011, paramedics discovered 41-year-old Dave Devereaux dead in his apartment. Authorities initially speculated that he passed away either on that day or the one prior, while early autopsy tests proved inconclusive. Foul play was not suspected, and according to online reports, Devereaux had been suffering from gastroesophageal problems in recent months.
Michael Kenfner was a long time record company executive that got his start working for 
Frank C. Starr was a charismatic lead vocalist for hard rock bands, Alien, SIN, and most famously, the Four Horsemen. Raised on Long Island, NY, Starr eventually landed in Los Angeles to take his shot at the big time. After a short run in a band called Alien, Starr began to make a name for himself fronting a band called SIN through the mid ’80s, but struggled to get noticed in the same Sunset Strip scene that gave us Guns ‘n Roses, Ratt, and Great White. After the band called it quits in 1984, Starr landed in the Four Horsemen, a rock band that took its cue more from ’70s rockers like Lynyrd Skynyrd or AC/DC than such contemporaries as Poison or Faster Pussycat. After self-releasing a four-song EP in 1989, the band were snatched up by Rick Rubin’s Def American label and went into the studio with Rubin producing. The resulting album Nobody Said It Was Easy, garnered enough critical praise and fan support to land them on the road touring with the likes of Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Black Crowes as well as regular video rotation on MTV. But all this wasn’t enough to translate into significant album sales. At the same time, word was getting around that Starr was developing a reputation for his drug use and subsequent run-ins with the law, reportedly leading to a stint in jail on drug charges forcing the label to drop the band. But all were false claims according to the band, the only reason they were dropped was because of poor record sales. The sudden rise of grunge as well as some internal fighting seemed to be the end of the Four Horsemen, but after some personnel changes, they regrouped and began working on a new album in 1994. But after losing original drummer, 
Bruce Fairbairn was a Canadian trumpet player, but made a huge mark on popular music as a rock producer. Fairbairn hit his stride in the ’80s producing such albums as Loverboy’s Get Lucky, Bon Jovi’s Slippery When Wet, Aerosmith’s Permanent Vacation, and later, Bon Jovi’s New Jersey, Aerosmith’s Pump, Poison’s Flesh and Blood, Van Halen’s Balance, AC/DC’s The Razor’s Edge Kiss’ Psycho Circus, and many more. It was while working on Yes’ Ladder, in May of 1999 that Jon Anderson discovered Bruce Fairbairn’s body in his home. Cause of death was not immediately released.