Rudy Sarzo

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Rudy Sarzo
Rudy Sarzo performing at The Roxy, West Hollywood, CA on Oct. 11, 2009
Background information
Born	November 18, 1950 (1950-11-18) (age 59) Cuba
Genres	Hard rock, Heavy metal
Occupations	Musician, Songwriter
Instruments	Bass guitar, Guitar
Years active	1975 - present
Associated acts	Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake, Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force, Dio, Blue Öyster Cult
Website	http://www.rudysarzo.com

Rudy Sarzo is a bass guitarist born Rodolfo Maximiliano Sarzo Lavieille Grande Ruiz Payret y Chaumont ^[1] in Havana, Cuba on November 18, 1950. He emigrated to the United States in 1961. Sarzo has played with many bands including Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake, Manic Eden, Dio and Blue Öyster Cult.

Music career

From March 1981 to September 1982, Sarzo rose to fame as the bassist in ex-Black Sabbath vocalist Ozzy Osbourne's band. He was recruited on the recommendation of guitarist Randy Rhoads, who had previously played with Sarzo in Quiet Riot. Sarzo can be heard on Osbourne's Speak of the Devil and Tribute live albums. The liner notes of Osbourne's 1981 studio album Diary of a Madman list Sarzo as the bassist, though Bob Daisley actually played bass on the recordings^[2]. Following Rhoads' death in a plane crash in 1982, Sarzo left Osbourne's band and rejoined Quiet Riot from the period of September 1982 to January 1985. He recorded the multi-platinum album Metal Health with the band, the first Heavy Metal debut to reach #1 on the Billboard charts. During this period Sarzo appeared on numerous MTV videos and was voted #1 Bassist in Circus magazine for 1983.^[3]

From April 1987 to September 1994, he was a member of Whitesnake, touring internationally to support the multi-platinum 1987 album Whitesnake. He also recorded the Slip of the Tongue album, and appeared in six MTV videos.

In February 2004, Sarzo joined Yngwie Malmsteen’s Rising Force for the U.S. 30 city “Attack Tour”. He then joined Dio later in 2004.

In 2006, Sarzo wrote a book, Off The Rails, which tells the story of his time in the Ozzy Osbourne Band. The book centers mainly on his memories of Randy Rhoads, a guitarist and dear friend who died in a plane crash while on the Diary of a Madman tour. A serious rift developed between Sarzo and Osbourne during the period of Quiet Riot's Metal Health success, primarily due to vocalist Kevin DuBrow's competitiveness and frequent criticism of Osbourne's vocal abilities. Osbourne frequently claimed to have "punched out" Sarzo in a later meeting.

Sarzo also guest starred on the DeMarco Bros. Single, "Blood Moon", along with vocalist Dave Brooks. As of 2008, he is touring with Blue Öyster Cult.

Technical career

Sarzo is also an avid computer digital animator. When not touring or recording, he is a 3D technical director and co-executive producer at Ocean Visual FX in Southern California. Sarzo has demonstrated computer animation software at major tradeshows, such as demonstrating Acid, Sony Vegas and DVD Architect software at the Sony Pictures booth during the 2004 Winter NAMM Show. He released the Acid for Non Linear Editors training DVD, directed by Douglas Spotted Eagle, for the VASST training series, and created the “Working Man’s Bass” loop library exclusively for Sony Pictures’ Acid Software. He created the concert 3D animated opening for the video wall used during a European tour by Dio.

Discography

With Ozzy Osbourne

• Speak of the Devil (1982)
• Tribute (1987)

With Quiet Riot

• Metal Health (1983)
• Condition Critical (1984)
• Alive and Well (1999)
• Guilty Pleasures (2001)

With Whitesnake

• Slip Of The Tongue (1989)

With M.A.R.S. (MacAlpine/Aldridge/Rock/Sarzo)

• Project Driver (1986?)

With Manic Eden

• Manic Eden (1994)

With Michael Angelo Batio

• Hands Without Shadows - "Tribute to Randy" (2005)

With Dio

• Holy Diver - Live (2006)

With Bassinvaders

• Hellbassbeaters (2008)

With Tim "Ripper" Owens

• Play My Game (2009)

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Rudy Sarzo

• Rudy Sarzo Official website
• Ocean Visual FX website
• Interview at Saviours Of Rock

References