Rik Fox
Encyclopedia
Richard Suligowski better known as Rik Fox, is an American
heavy metal
bass guitar
player. He was mainly active during the 1970s and 1980s both in the New York City and Hollywood Rock and Metal scene.
, on Long Island
, and raised in the Polish
neighborhood of Greenpoint
, Brooklyn
. While in high school, Fox was interested in rock music
and photography
, choosing as his subjects the flashy personalities of the New York
glam
scene of the early 1970s. He photographed the New York Dolls
and KISS
among many others, performing on the N.Y. city club scene at such famous locales as Max's Kansas City
and CBGB
, clubs he was later to perform in also with a group he joined during the height of the N.Y. club scene, The Martian Rock Band. During this period, he dated a younger sister of original KISS drummer Peter Criss
. Fox and Criss became friends and Fox witnessed the formation of legendary rock band KISS from the very beginning, including the addition of lead guitarist Ace Frehley
.
in March 1982, Fox played bass-guitar in several bands, including Steeler
, SIN
and W.A.S.P.. Although he was only briefly associated with W.A.S.P. for several months, and recorded a 'live' three-track cassette demo, he came up with the name "W.A.S.P.". The idea occurred to him after he stepped on a wasp
in the courtyard of the house where he lived with band leader Blackie Lawless
. The story of W.A.S.P. is retold in the book Bang Your Head: The Rise and Fall of Heavy Metal by David Konow, where this is confirmed by W.A.S.P. guitarist Randy Piper
as well as in several online interviews with guitarist Piper. On the other hand, some who witnessed the formation of W.A.S.P. explain that Rik Fox participated in the band after drummer Tony Richards
showed up in the scene; according to Richards, the name was not Circus Circus when he joined the band. Fox contends that to his recollection, the band was named Sister
when he joined. In an attempt to save face and fuel the controversy, Lawless finally admitted Fox's involvement after many years of being asked about this subject, confirms that Rik Fox had indeed played with the band but, backpedals by subjectively claiming 'only for a couple of rehearsals', which is not the accurate truth, since Fox spent some 4 months rehearsing and writing with the band. In fact, Fox contributed to the W.A.S.P. song 'Master of Disaster', found on their original early demo. The entire second verse's lyrics and half-time break was written by Fox which preceded the guitar solo, and was eventually cut-up and re-used by Lawless in the W.A.S.P. hit song 'Wild Child'. Additionally, as photographer Don Adkins Jr. among others, can validate, and who watched Fox at the W.A.S.P. rehearsals at Pipers' studio, all Fox's claims and preponderance of evidence to be in fact, true. Fox is also shown in early band photographs taken by Don Adkins Jr. during the band's first photo session. Both Lawless and Richards allege that 'Rik Fox couldn't do it in the band, his playing was just not right', again, a subjective back-pedal-face saving gesture, so they 'let him go in a very short period of time', which comes off as plausible, because Lawless is in a better position to be believed, yet it is Fox's bass tracks found on the 'original' W.A.S.P. 3-track demo recorded at Pipers' studio which, as further evidence do not lie; so his playing ability was 'not' as some contend, the actual reason for his departure from the band. The band was actually called 'SISTER' when Fox flew out from N.Y., but with several other bands using the term 'Sister' (White Sister, Twisted Sister, et al.) Lawless claimed he 'was looking for something entirely different'; at Fox's suggestion of the name W.A.S.P., Lawless 'lit up' and loved the name). It's still not clear why Piper (and others) stand by Rik Fox's evidence, while some others are in opposition in this affair since; clearly, sides have been drawn on this controversial issue.
Management's band BURN
and then several more months recording and performing with local Arizona heavy metal band SURGICAL STEEL, with apparently, no 'playing issues' at fault claimed there either, especially with Fox successfully recording with Mick Brown, drummer of the band Dokken
for the Surgical Steel sessions. (The band lost its financial backing and the recording fell through).
and Guns N' Roses
just as the MTV
era was being introduced to Rock music. Steeler acquired the services of a young, up-an-coming Swedish guitar-whiz Yngwie J. Malmsteen
, which rocked the band to much-garnered attention, selling our venues and opening for the likes of Quiet Riot
at a high-point in their respective careers. Unfortunately, Steeler changed their line-up several more times before calling it quits and re-forming as Keel
.
, and outstandingly outdid his previous band's accomplishments, finding themselves being voted in a Los Angeles Music magazine's poll for 'The top drawing rock/metal band cumulative for 1984.' Doors were now opening for Fox and SIN, and they entered Encore Studios in 1985 to record master album demos, which got the attention of the record companies. However, bad luck struck again and the line-up fell apart despite Fox trying desperately to keep it all together.
lead singer Neil Turbin
to offer him the gig, which Turbin turned down in favor of his own project. During a break in rehearsals with BURN, Fox flew to Arizona to scout potential gigs for BURN when he was approached to join Surgical Steel, which led to recording an album with them and opening for Lita Ford
band. Unfortunately, the financial backing fell through for Surgical Steel to finish the album and Fox left the band, returning to Hollywood.
, than the more Glam-looking bands he created or performed with.
Rik Fox has had shared the stage and performed with some of Rock’s Legends the late Ronnie James Dio
and rock comedian Sam Kinison
, Ozzy Osbourne drummer Randy Castillo
, as well as KISS Mark St. John
, Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Mighty’ Max Weinberg
, Roseanne’s John Goodman
, producer Jean Beauvoir
, as well as Warrant and others at various all-star jams, or jamming with the likes of Steppenwolf's legendary guitarist Michael Monarch
.
, and weapons handler, working on direct-to-video lower budget films and on the television series Air America
, featuring Lorenzo Lamas
, and the late Scott Plank
, with whom Fox became close friends. Fox also dabbled in acting and took several film roles. He worked on the film Surface to Air with Chad McQueen
, Melanie Shatner
, and Michael Madsen
. Fox worked/acted briefly on the television soap opera General Hospital
, acting directly with series anchor 'Luke'-Anthony Geary
. Rik was also one of the interviewees for the VH-1 Cable series 'Driven' for the episode "The Rise of Motley Crue
" being a close friend of the band and recommended to VH-1 producers by former Hollywood booking agent Vicky Hamilton (music executive)
.
cavalry in U.S. history. Among other accomplishments, Fox had been nominated as the vice-president of the Los Angeles chapter of the Polish American Congress
, in which he served a 4-year term and stepped aside for family-related reasons.
. A discussion of a possible STEELER reunion performance has been left open-ended so far.
Although he has not left the music field entirely, in recent years, Fox has taken a new interest in learning the field of natural horsemanship
through his wife Tarrah, (married on October 1, 2009 in a small private ceremony), and they train their (rescued) horses, while he continues to work on his pursuit of raising Polish historical awareness and culture and military history with their winged hussar group. Fox still dabbles in music. Through Shrapnel Records producer Mike Varney, Fox has recently re-connected with fellow Steeler band-mate and drummer Mark Edwards.
Renewed interest is being shown to Steeler, by renown DJ SHADOW who expressed interest in using some of Steeler's music for a new project, which will possibly revive an interest in Steeler once again for the next 'Metal Generation' to come as well as previous fans who still listen to their classic album. There is an interesting after-note, that the Steeler album is the first and only independently released Hard Rock/Heavy Metal album to continue to sell, since its release in 1983, and possibly, has gone well-past the point of being certified as Gold status for such a release of its kind.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
player. He was mainly active during the 1970s and 1980s both in the New York City and Hollywood Rock and Metal scene.
Early life
Fox was born in Amityville, New YorkAmityville, New York
Amityville is a village in the town of Babylon in Suffolk County, New York, in the United States. The population was 9,441 at the 2000 census.-History:...
, on Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, and raised in the Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
neighborhood of Greenpoint
Greenpoint, Brooklyn
Greenpoint is the northernmost neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. It is bordered on the southwest by Williamsburg at the Bushwick inlet, on the southeast by the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway and East Williamsburg, on the north by Newtown Creek and Long Island City, Queens at the...
, Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
. While in high school, Fox was interested in rock music
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
and photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
, choosing as his subjects the flashy personalities of the New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
glam
Glam rock
Glam rock is a style of rock and pop music that developed in the UK in the early 1970s, which was performed by singers and musicians who wore outrageous clothes, makeup and hairstyles, particularly platform-soled boots and glitter...
scene of the early 1970s. He photographed the New York Dolls
New York Dolls
The New York Dolls is an American rock band, formed in New York in 1971. The band's protopunk sound prefigured much of what was to come in the punk rock era; their visual style influenced the look of many new wave and 1980s-era glam metal groups, and they began the local New York scene that later...
and KISS
KISS (band)
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
among many others, performing on the N.Y. city club scene at such famous locales as Max's Kansas City
Max's Kansas City
Max's Kansas City was a nightclub and restaurant at 213 Park Avenue South, in New York City, which was a gathering spot for musicians, poets, artists and politicians in the 1960s and 1970s.-Origin of name:...
and CBGB
CBGB
CBGB was a music club at 315 Bowery at Bleecker Street in the borough of Manhattan in New York City.Founded by Hilly Kristal in 1973, it was originally intended to feature its namesake musical styles, but became a forum for American punk and New Wave bands like Ramones, Misfits, Television, the...
, clubs he was later to perform in also with a group he joined during the height of the N.Y. club scene, The Martian Rock Band. During this period, he dated a younger sister of original KISS drummer Peter Criss
Peter Criss
George Peter John Criscuola , better known as Peter Criss, is an American drummer and singer, best known as the original drummer for the rock band Kiss...
. Fox and Criss became friends and Fox witnessed the formation of legendary rock band KISS from the very beginning, including the addition of lead guitarist Ace Frehley
Ace Frehley
Paul Daniel "Ace" Frehley is an American musician best known as the lead guitarist of the rock band Kiss. He took on the persona of the "Spaceman" or "Space Ace" when the band adopted costumes and theatrics...
.
W.A.S.P.
After moving to Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
in March 1982, Fox played bass-guitar in several bands, including Steeler
Steeler
Steeler was an early 1980s American heavy metal band from Nashville. Band members included: Ron Keel on vocals and guitar, Michael Dunigan on lead guitar, Bobby Eva on drums and Tim Morrison on bass. In 1982, they released the single Cold Day in Hell....
, SIN
SIN (band)
SIN was a Hard rock band was originally formed in New York/New Jersey in 1976-77, coming out of the ashes of New Jersey club circuit bands VIRGIN and LUST, with the name SIN first being coined by bassist Rik Fox, bringing with him, drummer Basil Stanley , joining Ian Criss and Keith Starz...
and W.A.S.P.. Although he was only briefly associated with W.A.S.P. for several months, and recorded a 'live' three-track cassette demo, he came up with the name "W.A.S.P.". The idea occurred to him after he stepped on a wasp
Wasp
The term wasp is typically defined as any insect of the order Hymenoptera and suborder Apocrita that is neither a bee nor an ant. Almost every pest insect species has at least one wasp species that preys upon it or parasitizes it, making wasps critically important in natural control of their...
in the courtyard of the house where he lived with band leader Blackie Lawless
Blackie Lawless
Blackie Lawless , is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, bassist and actor, best known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for heavy metal band W.A.S.P..In an interview, Blackie claims to have been born in the kitchen of the Rainbow Bar and Grill in Hollywood,...
. The story of W.A.S.P. is retold in the book Bang Your Head: The Rise and Fall of Heavy Metal by David Konow, where this is confirmed by W.A.S.P. guitarist Randy Piper
Randy Piper
Randy Piper is an American musician, rock guitarist, songwriter, and singer best known as the co-founder and original guitarist of the heavy metal band, W.A.S.P....
as well as in several online interviews with guitarist Piper. On the other hand, some who witnessed the formation of W.A.S.P. explain that Rik Fox participated in the band after drummer Tony Richards
Tony Richards
Tony Richards born Anthony Richard Orlando. He is an American musician and drummer. He was the original drummer from the Heavy Metal band W.A.S.P. 1982-1984....
showed up in the scene; according to Richards, the name was not Circus Circus when he joined the band. Fox contends that to his recollection, the band was named Sister
Sister (band)
Sister was an American heavy metal band, formed in 1976 in Los Angeles. Its members included Blackie Lawless, formerly of the New York Dolls and later of W.A.S.P., and Nikki Sixx, who would later co-create Mötley Crüe. They are notable for being one of the first bands to make usage of the pentagram...
when he joined. In an attempt to save face and fuel the controversy, Lawless finally admitted Fox's involvement after many years of being asked about this subject, confirms that Rik Fox had indeed played with the band but, backpedals by subjectively claiming 'only for a couple of rehearsals', which is not the accurate truth, since Fox spent some 4 months rehearsing and writing with the band. In fact, Fox contributed to the W.A.S.P. song 'Master of Disaster', found on their original early demo. The entire second verse's lyrics and half-time break was written by Fox which preceded the guitar solo, and was eventually cut-up and re-used by Lawless in the W.A.S.P. hit song 'Wild Child'. Additionally, as photographer Don Adkins Jr. among others, can validate, and who watched Fox at the W.A.S.P. rehearsals at Pipers' studio, all Fox's claims and preponderance of evidence to be in fact, true. Fox is also shown in early band photographs taken by Don Adkins Jr. during the band's first photo session. Both Lawless and Richards allege that 'Rik Fox couldn't do it in the band, his playing was just not right', again, a subjective back-pedal-face saving gesture, so they 'let him go in a very short period of time', which comes off as plausible, because Lawless is in a better position to be believed, yet it is Fox's bass tracks found on the 'original' W.A.S.P. 3-track demo recorded at Pipers' studio which, as further evidence do not lie; so his playing ability was 'not' as some contend, the actual reason for his departure from the band. The band was actually called 'SISTER' when Fox flew out from N.Y., but with several other bands using the term 'Sister' (White Sister, Twisted Sister, et al.) Lawless claimed he 'was looking for something entirely different'; at Fox's suggestion of the name W.A.S.P., Lawless 'lit up' and loved the name). It's still not clear why Piper (and others) stand by Rik Fox's evidence, while some others are in opposition in this affair since; clearly, sides have been drawn on this controversial issue.
SIN
Fox did play quite successfully, with his band SIN, which found the band being voted 'Top drawing heavy metal/rock band of Los Angeles' according to an L.A. Music Magazine, and performing in dozens of packed-house concerts and shows, including the annual 'Los Angeles Street Scene' before some 5,000 people, and the band recorded a master demo in 1985, just before the bands' chemistry took a downturn. Fox also spent several months in the late 1980s, rehearsing with NijiNiji
Niji may refer to:Language*虹, the Japanese word for "rainbow"Music*Niji , 1997 single from Japanese rock band L'Arc-en-Ciel*Niji/Himawari/Sore ga Subete sa, 2003 single from Masaharu Fukuyama...
Management's band BURN
Burn
A burn is an injury to flesh caused by heat, electricity, chemicals, light, radiation, or friction.Burn may also refer to:*Combustion*Burn , type of watercourses so named in Scotland and north-eastern England...
and then several more months recording and performing with local Arizona heavy metal band SURGICAL STEEL, with apparently, no 'playing issues' at fault claimed there either, especially with Fox successfully recording with Mick Brown, drummer of the band Dokken
Dokken
Dokken is an American heavy metal and hard rock band formed in 1978. They split up in 1989 but reformed four years later. The group accumulated numerous charting singles and has sold more than 10 million albums worldwide...
for the Surgical Steel sessions. (The band lost its financial backing and the recording fell through).
Moving On
Fox actually received a lot more mileage from his time with Steeler, after his tenure with W.A.S.P., and contends that Steeler was one of the cornerstones of the Hollywood rock scene in the early 1980s, laying integral groundwork for many of the bands yet to follow, such as PoisonPoison (band)
Poison is an American glam metal band that achieved great success in the mid-1980s to mid-1990s. To date, Poison has sold over 30 million records worldwide and have sold 15 million records in the United States alone. The band has also charted ten singles to the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100,...
and Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
just as the MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
era was being introduced to Rock music. Steeler acquired the services of a young, up-an-coming Swedish guitar-whiz Yngwie J. Malmsteen
Yngwie J. Malmsteen
Yngwie Johann Malmsteen is a Swedish guitarist, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and bandleader. Malmsteen became known for his neo-classical playing approach in heavy metal music which became a new musical style in the early 1980s.- Early life :...
, which rocked the band to much-garnered attention, selling our venues and opening for the likes of Quiet Riot
Quiet Riot
Quiet Riot is an American Heavy Metal band. They are best known for their hit singles "Metal Health" and "Cum On Feel the Noize". They were founded in 1973 by guitarist Randy Rhoads and bassist Kelly Garni, under the original name Mach 1, before changing the name to Little Women and finally Quiet...
at a high-point in their respective careers. Unfortunately, Steeler changed their line-up several more times before calling it quits and re-forming as Keel
Keel (band)
Keel is an American heavy metal band founded in 1984 in Los Angeles, California. They were known for their rock anthem "The Right to Rock." The band was active until 1989, with a brief reunion in 1998. Keel reunited in 2008 and is currently touring for their 25th anniversary.-History:Keel was...
.
Going Solo With SIN
Meanwhile, Fox was now 'on the map' and had a bankable reputation and sizable following, enough to now attempt to sell out clubs on his name alone. This happened when he formed a band and referred back to the band name he used back in his New Jersey club days going back to 1977-SIN. Fox's first L.A. line-up began to sell out clubs rapidly drawing attention, following on the heels of his popular notoriety from Steeler. However, within one year, the band members began to entertain ideas of kicking Fox out of his own band and replace him. Things came to a head during recording what would have been their first album when Fox stormed out of the session after apologizing to the producer Bill Metoyer. Fox quickly re-formed another line up using 3 members of the New York band ALIENAlien (band)
Alien is a Swedish rock band formed in Gothenburg in 1986 by guitarist Tony Borg and vocalist Jim Jidhed. They are best known today for their single "Only One Woman", a cover of a Marbles song, and "Brave New Love", which was featured in the 1988 movie The Blob.- Early success :Borg and Jidhed's...
, and outstandingly outdid his previous band's accomplishments, finding themselves being voted in a Los Angeles Music magazine's poll for 'The top drawing rock/metal band cumulative for 1984.' Doors were now opening for Fox and SIN, and they entered Encore Studios in 1985 to record master album demos, which got the attention of the record companies. However, bad luck struck again and the line-up fell apart despite Fox trying desperately to keep it all together.
New Band Life
Fox was quickly approached by NIJI managed band BURN, who shared the same producer, and was accepted into the band. Not long after the band eventually removed their singer, Fox approached friend and fellow New Yorker, former AnthraxAnthrax (band)
Anthrax is an American heavy metal band from New York City, formed in 1981. Founded by guitarists Scott Ian and Danny Lilker, the band has since released ten studio albums and 20 singles, and an EP featuring Public Enemy. The band was one of the most popular of the 1980s thrash metal scene...
lead singer Neil Turbin
Neil Turbin
Neil Turbin is an American thrash metal vocalist known for being the original lead singer for American band Anthrax and current lead vocalist and songwriter of the heavy metal band DeathRiders. -DeathRiders:...
to offer him the gig, which Turbin turned down in favor of his own project. During a break in rehearsals with BURN, Fox flew to Arizona to scout potential gigs for BURN when he was approached to join Surgical Steel, which led to recording an album with them and opening for Lita Ford
Lita Ford
Lita Ford is a British-born, American rock musician and singer who was the lead guitarist for The Runaways and achieved popularity for her solo career between the 1980s and late 2000s.-Early life:...
band. Unfortunately, the financial backing fell through for Surgical Steel to finish the album and Fox left the band, returning to Hollywood.
1990’s
Not one to stand still, Fox's music career took a turn, but never entirely ended, after he abandoned his last band, Thunderball, in the early 1990s. He changed his 'pretty-boy look' and played in a local, low-key Hollywood band Wiseguys, (not 'The Wiseguys'), radically camouflaging himself into a rather incognito image that better fit the band MinistryMinistry (band)
Ministry is an American industrial metal band founded by lead singer Al Jourgensen in 1981. Originally a synthpop outfit, Ministry changed its style to industrial metal in the late 1980s. Ministry found mainstream success in the early 1990s with its most successful album Psalm 69: The Way to...
, than the more Glam-looking bands he created or performed with.
Rik Fox has had shared the stage and performed with some of Rock’s Legends the late Ronnie James Dio
Ronnie James Dio
Ronald James Padavona , better known as Ronnie James Dio, was an American heavy metal vocalist and songwriter. He performed with, amongst others, Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell, and his own band Dio, which means God in Italian. Other musical projects include the collective fundraiser...
and rock comedian Sam Kinison
Sam Kinison
Samuel Burl "Sam" Kinison was an American stand-up comedian and actor. Kinison was known for his intense, harsh and politically incorrect genre humor...
, Ozzy Osbourne drummer Randy Castillo
Randy Castillo
Randolpho Francisco Castillo was best known as Ozzy Osbourne's drummer during the mid 1980s to the early 1990s, and later as drummer for Mötley Crüe, from 1999-2002.-Early years:...
, as well as KISS Mark St. John
Mark St. John
Mark Leslie Norton , better known as Mark St. John, was a guitarist known for his brief work with the rock band Kiss.-Prior to Kiss:...
, Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Mighty’ Max Weinberg
Max Weinberg
Max Weinberg is an American drummer and television personality, most widely known as the longtime drummer for Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band and as the bandleader for Conan O'Brien on Late Night with Conan O'Brien and The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien.Weinberg grew up in suburban New Jersey...
, Roseanne’s John Goodman
John Goodman
John Stephen Goodman is an American film, television, and stage actor. He is best known for his role as Dan Conner on the television series Roseanne for which he won a Best Actor Golden Globe Award in 1993, and for appearances in the films of the Coen brothers, with prominent roles in Raising...
, producer Jean Beauvoir
Jean Beauvoir
Jean Beauvoir is an American singer bassist, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist.Beauvoir was born in Chicago to parents of Haitian background. He played drums as a child and switched to bass as a teenager. He was Gary U.S. Bonds's musical director at age 13; following this he sang in the doo wop...
, as well as Warrant and others at various all-star jams, or jamming with the likes of Steppenwolf's legendary guitarist Michael Monarch
Michael Monarch
Michael Monarch is an American guitarist. He is best known for his work with the band Steppenwolf....
.
New Interest
After having served five years in the California State Military Reserve as a radio operator/communications NCO, his interest moved on in all things military which brought him to working in the film industry as an assistant property masterProperty master
The property master is an artistic and organizational employee in a film, television or theatrical production who is responsible for purchasing, acquiring and/or manufacturing any props needed for a production...
, and weapons handler, working on direct-to-video lower budget films and on the television series Air America
Air America (TV series)
Air America is an American action/adventure television series starring Lorenzo Lamas, and premiering on October 4, 1998. The series is not based on the 1990 film Air America.-Plot:...
, featuring Lorenzo Lamas
Lorenzo Lamas
Lorenzo Lamas y de Santos is an American actor. Lamas is known for playing Lance Cumson on the popular 1980s soap opera Falcon Crest, Reno Raines on the 1990s crime drama Renegade, and Hector Ramirez on the daytime soap opera The Bold and The Beautiful...
, and the late Scott Plank
Scott Plank
Scott Plank was an American film and television actor, best known for playing Nick Reardon on Melrose Place, and as Wiley Farrell on Air America.-Life & acting career:...
, with whom Fox became close friends. Fox also dabbled in acting and took several film roles. He worked on the film Surface to Air with Chad McQueen
Chad McQueen
Chadwick S. "Chad" McQueen is an American actor, film producer, martial artist and race car driver. He was born in Los Angeles, California to actor Steve McQueen and Filipino-born actress Neile Adams.-Personal life:...
, Melanie Shatner
Melanie Shatner
Melanie Ann Gretsch is an actress who had the major role in the Subspecies film series as Becky Morgan, sister of the protagonist, Michelle Morgan.-Filmography:*Star Trek V: The Final Frontier as Yeoman...
, and Michael Madsen
Michael Madsen
Michael Søren Madsen is an American actor, poet, and photographer. He has appeared in more than 150 films, most of them small independent films, though he has starred in central roles in such films as Reservoir Dogs, Free Willy, Donnie Brasco, and Kill Bill, in addition to a supporting role in Sin...
. Fox worked/acted briefly on the television soap opera General Hospital
General Hospital
General Hospital is an American daytime television drama that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest-running American soap opera currently in production and the third longest running drama in television in American history after Guiding Light and As the World Turns....
, acting directly with series anchor 'Luke'-Anthony Geary
Anthony Geary
Anthony Geary is an American actor. He has starred on the ABC daytime drama General Hospital as Luke Spencer from 1978 to 1984 and from 1993 to present.-Life and career:...
. Rik was also one of the interviewees for the VH-1 Cable series 'Driven' for the episode "The Rise of Motley Crue
Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1981. The group was founded by bass guitarist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, who were later joined by lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil...
" being a close friend of the band and recommended to VH-1 producers by former Hollywood booking agent Vicky Hamilton (music executive)
Vicky Hamilton (music executive)
Vicky Hamilton is an American record executive, personal manager, promoter and club booker, writer , documentary film maker, and artist....
.
Renaissance pioneer
Through acting, he eventually became involved with the Renaissance Faire scene, where he actively sought to bring the noticeably absent Polish history into the forefront. Fox has been referred to by many Polish media correspondents and others as a 'recognized pioneer' in this venture, of creating the first representation in the U.S., of the Polish winged hussar cavalry of central Europe which, apparently, is a part of his ancestry. Apart from being a 'rock star' musician, he is the first Polish-American of Polish noble ancestry, to 'formally', represent the Polish Winged HussarPolish Hussars
The Polish Hussars were the main type of cavalry of the first Polish Army, later also introduced into the Army of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, between the 16th and 18th centuries...
cavalry in U.S. history. Among other accomplishments, Fox had been nominated as the vice-president of the Los Angeles chapter of the Polish American Congress
Polish American Congress
The Polish American Congress is a U.S. umbrella organization of Polish-Americans and Polish-American organizations.Its membership is composed of fraternal, educational, veterans, religious, cultural, social, business, and political organizations, as well as individuals.As of January 2009, it lists...
, in which he served a 4-year term and stepped aside for family-related reasons.
Recently
Fox is also involved in co-promotion of the European and Japanese market release of The STEELER Anthology with former band mate Ron KeelRon Keel
Ron Keel is a Heavy metal vocalist and guitarist for a number of bands from the 1980s to the modern day, including the glam metal band Keel.-Biography:...
. A discussion of a possible STEELER reunion performance has been left open-ended so far.
Although he has not left the music field entirely, in recent years, Fox has taken a new interest in learning the field of natural horsemanship
Natural horsemanship
Natural horsemanship is the philosophy of working with horses by appealing to their instincts and herd instincts. It involves communication techniques derived from wild horse observation in order to build a partnership that closely resembles the relationships that exist between horses.- Basic ideas...
through his wife Tarrah, (married on October 1, 2009 in a small private ceremony), and they train their (rescued) horses, while he continues to work on his pursuit of raising Polish historical awareness and culture and military history with their winged hussar group. Fox still dabbles in music. Through Shrapnel Records producer Mike Varney, Fox has recently re-connected with fellow Steeler band-mate and drummer Mark Edwards.
Renewed interest is being shown to Steeler, by renown DJ SHADOW who expressed interest in using some of Steeler's music for a new project, which will possibly revive an interest in Steeler once again for the next 'Metal Generation' to come as well as previous fans who still listen to their classic album. There is an interesting after-note, that the Steeler album is the first and only independently released Hard Rock/Heavy Metal album to continue to sell, since its release in 1983, and possibly, has gone well-past the point of being certified as Gold status for such a release of its kind.