Jimmy Kay from Canada's The Metal Voice recently interviewed ex-Quiet Riot's co-founder, bassist and best friend of Randy Rhoads, Kelly Garni in of a two part interview Part 2
Facebook Photo Keli Garni
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Garni spoke about his book Angles with Dirty Faces, which talks how Randy and Garni disliked Black Sabbath in the early days, Garni conflicts with Kevin Dubrow, Randy Rhoads letters, poor management in Quiet Riot, re-releasing Quiet Riot 1 and 2 and the gun shooting incident with Randy Rhoads that led to Garni being fired from Quiet Riot
When asked about why he did not get along with Kevin Dubrow
"I never really got along with Kevin Dubrow from the very beginning because I didn't like him. Kevin was not a nice person. He was obnoxious and he hated me. Kevin loved and adored Randy and he wanted to be really close to Randy and I was like no that is not happening that's my best friend. If you asked anybody in the music business back then what was Kevin like, they would say he was a prick and that's even after he is dead. Kevin doesn't even get any respect after he died. Kevin was a dick, he was a prick and asshole and he certainly made his own bed in that regards. Later on in the ending of my book I talked about how I learned a different side of Kevin and how I became extremely good friends with him and close enough with him, that if I had a brother this is the guy outside of Randy and Kelle Rhoads. "
When asked about their opinions of Black Sabbath and Alice Cooper in the early years
"Black Sabbath to us were trying to be evil. Randy Rhoads and I didn't really get it. That is why it's so weird that Randy Rhoads ended up with Ozzy because we never listened to Black Sabbath, we didn't think they were very talented. Randy and I loved Alice Cooper it was a whole different realm of music, this was like going to see a horror movie. Black Sabbath to us was like a church of evil to us. That is how we saw them. When you went to see Alice Cooper you understood the entertainment value, it was a show. The Black Sabbath guys to us at the time appeared to be really into worshipping the devil and our upbringing didn't support believing into anything like that. We didn't want to be evil at all. Alice appeared to be more crazy than evil. When Randy first told me he joined Ozzy I was like really Ozzy? We hated that shit but Randy said this was different he got to write the music and work with these other guys well respected artists."
When asked about Randy Rhoads letters to Kevin Dubrow in his time with Ozzy Osbourne
"Kevin did have a tendency to write letters to Randy and Kevin showed me the letters Randy sent to him and Randy was clearly unhappy in Ozzy. When Randy did come to Las Vegas during the Blizzard of Oz tour and we spent time together. Randy was very clear about how unhappy he was in that band. Ozzy was a complete mess and the whole band was struggling to get any kind of recognition. Randy told me these things but it really didn't resonate to me at the time. Randy got into the Ozzy situation with a lot of reservations going into it. Kevin Dubrow said the most interesting thing to me later on in life that I could never ever believe. He said, you know what after you left Quiet Riot Randy just wasn't the same anymore and he wasn't into the band Quiet Riot anymore like he was, he felt alone and Kevin said I think that is why he left to join Ozzy. "
When asked if Randy appreciated the position in being in Ozzy band
"Randy was given free reign in Ozzy and was really appreciative of Ozzy giving him the opportunity. Randy felt pretty lucky to be playing and writing with band. I know he was particular close with Bob Daisey. Also Bob deserves a lot of credit for helping Randy getting out of his shell that Randy was put in the Quiet Riot days by the people who managed us."
When asked about the gun shooting incident with Randy Rhoads "The only thing out there that I would debunk or argue with is people say I tried to kill Randy Rhoads with a gun. People call me out on that one all the time and I almost got into a fist fight with Ozzy about it. Nothing could be further from the truth. First of all when it comes to Randy everyone thinks he was so angelic, well we used to go out and shoot guns all the time. One time the S.W.A.T. team was called at my house because we were firing guns off in my backyard." "What happened was I had robbed a bar the night before and stolen all their liquor and I was very drunk that's why Randy was at my house because we were drinking and we were drinking for about 6 hours straight. Randy and I had an argument over whether was should kick out Kevin Dubrow from Quiet Riot. People say that during that fight I tried to shoot Randy Rhoads and that is not true. I fired a bullet through the ceiling. (in the book Garni claims 10 feet above Randy's head 8 feet in front of him). The bullet went no where near Randy Rhoads and in no way would I ever try to kill my best friend. And yes a pretty good fist fight happened a rather violent one. Randy left my house bleeding pretty badly and so did I. But that is what friends and brothers do is they roll around the ground, beat each other up and that's all it was. People have made a big deal about a fight between two best friends who are brothers and have construed it in a completely negative manner then it actually was. In no way did I try to kill Randy Rhoads, in no way. Because of this fight I was thrown out of Quiet Riot, I was kicked out of Quiet Riot because of this. I have no problems saying that. Once I started to pull a gun out the management said he is out of control which I agree to that decision that they made and have no issues with. I deserved to get fired from Quiet Riot, totally deserved it. But I will say Randy called me up after I got out of jail from the incident the next day and he was laughing cause I got thrown in jail. How I got thrown in jail was, I got in my car and I was very angry and I knew that Kevin was down at the Record Plant recording vocals for Quiet Riot 2. Like I said the fight was over kicking Kevin out of the band and we got into a mix about it, the gun was fired and we got into a fist fight, I probably got into a dozen fist fights with Randy over the years. That's how brothers are you fight, you cry, you say you are sorry and then you do it again. I pulled out a gun to make my point, to make a big loud noise which was sort of my way of saying everyone just shut up. "
"So after Randy left my house with the aid of a friend who was sitting right there who will back up everything I am saying Kim McNair a good friend of Randy's and mine. I was very drunk and after Randy left I said I am going to fix this deal and I am going to blow Kevin's ass away. I got in my car and I tried to drive clear over to Holly wood which was 25-30 miles away and I was going to kill Kevin, that was my big drunken plan and as soon as I got in my car and started driving I realized I couldn't drive. I didn't have the ability and I was like well there goes that plan, well I'm going to have to go home. So in order to park in front of my house I had to go around the block and I had to go into a major intersection and when I made that turn, I blew the turn and there was a cop car and they pulled me over in front of my house. I had the gun in the shoulder holster and they had me get out of the car . Next thing I know I was on the ground and then I woke up in jail with my face covered in blood. I was charged with DUI and felony possession for a concealed weapon. I know what I did, I owned up to it I am not going to lie about it and I'm not going to try and sugar coat it, there is no way to sugar coat it . I fucked up."
Growing up with Randy Rhoads- Stories by Ex-Quiet Riot Kelly Garni- Part 1
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