Rusty Day
Encyclopedia
Russell "Rusty Day" Edward Davidson (born in Detroit, MI, USA) was a rock vocalist and frontman, best known for his work with the bands Amboy Dukes
and Cactus
. He was known for his powerful vocals and out-of-control lifestyle.
's band The Amboy Dukes
in 1968
, after their former vocalist, John Drake, was fired. Day himself had just quit his own band, Rusty Day & The Midnighters. Rusty stayed only for one album, Migration.
was initially conceived in late 1969
as a supergroup of the Vanilla Fudge
rhythm section
of bassist
Tim Bogert
and drummer
Carmine Appice
with guitarist Jeff Beck
and singer Rod Stewart
. However, Beck had an automobile accident and Stewart joined Ronnie Wood in the Faces
. Out of frustration, Bogert and Appice formed what became known as Cactus in early 1970
. The cast was complete when Day joined them on vocals and Jim McCarty
joined on lead guitar
.
Having made a name for himself in Detroit's rock scene as a force to be reckoned with, Rusty worked to restore one of Detroit's most legendary bands, Detroit
, to the national stage. Detroit, the band, was formed as an offshoot of The Detroit Wheels
by members Johnny 'Bee' Badanjek, W.R. Cooke, and others. Detroit's initial flame burned out quickly due to many different issues going on at once. Rusty, tried his hand at restoring the glory with his line up.
Rusty found himself unable to really dig in with his modern versions of Cactus and Detroit, and having turned down AC/DC
's request to have him join their band to replace Bon Scott
(seeing it as not quite the right fit), he thus formed Uncle Acid & The Permanent Damage Band which scored him a deal with Epic Records
.
, Day was working on an album with Uncle Acid & The Permanent Damage Band, as well as dealing cocaine
. Day owed money to Ron Sanders, one of the guitar players in his band, after a minor cocaine deal. Monte "Mondo" Thomas, Day's lead guitarist and close friend, explained Sanders as: "...a madman
, he was a millionaire
and a real bad coke fiend." Thomas and Day both lived in Day's house in Longwood, Florida
, along with Day's 11-year-old son Russell.
Thomas had agreed to drive a friend out of town, and was therefore not present when Sanders opened fire with a machine gun
, shooting through the windows in Day's house, killing Day, his son Russell, and a house guest, Garth McRae.
Ron Sanders shot himself six weeks later, after police had surrounded his house due to entirely different charges than the triple murder
weeks before.
The Amboy Dukes
The Amboy Dukes were an American rock music band of the late 1960s and early 1970s from Detroit, Michigan, best remembered for their hit single "Journey to the Center of the Mind", and for launching the career of Ted Nugent...
and Cactus
Cactus (band)
Cactus is an American hard rock supergroup, formed in 1970.-Biography:Cactus was initially conceived as early as late 1969 by the Vanilla Fudge rhythm section of bassist Tim Bogert and drummer Carmine Appice with guitarist Jeff Beck and Xylophone player Adele Smitchell acted as the counterpart and...
. He was known for his powerful vocals and out-of-control lifestyle.
Career with The Amboy Dukes
Day joined Ted NugentTed Nugent
Theodore Anthony "Ted" Nugent is an American guitarist, musician, singer, author, reserve police officer, and activist. From Detroit, Michigan, he originally gained fame as the lead guitarist of The Amboy Dukes, before embarking on a lengthy solo career...
's band The Amboy Dukes
The Amboy Dukes
The Amboy Dukes were an American rock music band of the late 1960s and early 1970s from Detroit, Michigan, best remembered for their hit single "Journey to the Center of the Mind", and for launching the career of Ted Nugent...
in 1968
1968 in music
-Events:*January 4 – Guitarist Jimi Hendrix is jailed by Stockholm police, after trashing a hotel room during a drunken fist fight with bassist Noel Redding.*January 6 – Gibson Guitar Corporation patents its Gibson Flying V electric guitar design....
, after their former vocalist, John Drake, was fired. Day himself had just quit his own band, Rusty Day & The Midnighters. Rusty stayed only for one album, Migration.
Career with Cactus
CactusCactus (band)
Cactus is an American hard rock supergroup, formed in 1970.-Biography:Cactus was initially conceived as early as late 1969 by the Vanilla Fudge rhythm section of bassist Tim Bogert and drummer Carmine Appice with guitarist Jeff Beck and Xylophone player Adele Smitchell acted as the counterpart and...
was initially conceived in late 1969
1969 in music
-Events:Perhaps the two most famous musical events of 1969 were concerts. At a Rolling Stones concert in Altamont, California, a fan was stabbed to death by Hells Angels, a biker gang that had been hired to provide security for the event...
as a supergroup of the Vanilla Fudge
Vanilla Fudge
Vanilla Fudge is an American rock band. The band's original lineup – vocalist/organist Mark Stein, bassist/vocalist Tim Bogert, lead guitarist/vocalist Vince Martell, and drummer/vocalist Carmine Appice – recorded five albums during the years 1966–69, before disbanding in 1970...
rhythm section
Rhythm section
A rhythm section is a collection of musicians who make up a section of instruments which provides the accompaniment section of the music, giving the music its rhythmic texture and pulse, also serving as a rhythmic reference for the rest of the band...
of bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
Tim Bogert
Tim Bogert
John Voorhis "Tim" Bogert III is an American musician. He graduated from Ridgefield Memorial High School in his hometown in 1963...
and drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
Carmine Appice
Carmine Appice
Carmine Appice is an American rock drummer of Italian background and is the older brother of drummer Vinny Appice by 12 years. He received a classical music training and was influenced by the jazz drumming of Buddy Rich and Gene Krupa early on...
with guitarist Jeff Beck
Jeff Beck
Geoffrey Arnold "Jeff" Beck is an English rock guitarist. He is one of three noted guitarists to have played with The Yardbirds...
and singer Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart
Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
. However, Beck had an automobile accident and Stewart joined Ronnie Wood in the Faces
Faces (band)
Faces are an English rock band formed in 1969 by members of the Small Faces after Steve Marriott left that group to form Humble Pie...
. Out of frustration, Bogert and Appice formed what became known as Cactus in early 1970
1970 in music
- Events :*January 3**Davy Jones announces he is leaving the Monkees**Former Pink Floyd frontman Syd Barrett releases his first solo album The Madcap Laughs....
. The cast was complete when Day joined them on vocals and Jim McCarty
Jim McCarty (guitarist)
James William McCarty is an American blues rock guitarist from Detroit, Michigan. He has performed with Mitch Ryder and The Detroit Wheels, the Buddy Miles Express, Cactus, the popular Detroit rock band The Rockets, the Detroit Blues Band, and more recently, Mystery Train.He also recorded with...
joined on lead guitar
Lead guitar
Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
.
Having made a name for himself in Detroit's rock scene as a force to be reckoned with, Rusty worked to restore one of Detroit's most legendary bands, Detroit
Detroit (band)
Detroit was a rock group formed by Mitch Ryder as a successor to his Detroit Wheels in 1970. The only original Wheel in the group was drummer John Badanjek; other members were guitarists Steve Hunter and Brett Tuggle, organist Harry Phillips, and bassist W.R. Cooke. A single album was released by...
, to the national stage. Detroit, the band, was formed as an offshoot of The Detroit Wheels
The Detroit Wheels
The Detroit Wheels were an American rock group from Detroit, Michigan. They served as Mitch Ryder's backup band from 1964–1967, and played on all his most successful records.Their original members were:* Jim McCarty...
by members Johnny 'Bee' Badanjek, W.R. Cooke, and others. Detroit's initial flame burned out quickly due to many different issues going on at once. Rusty, tried his hand at restoring the glory with his line up.
Rusty found himself unable to really dig in with his modern versions of Cactus and Detroit, and having turned down AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
's request to have him join their band to replace Bon Scott
Bon Scott
Ronald Belford "Bon" Scott was a Scottish-born Australian rock musician, best known for being the lead singer and lyricist of Australian hard rock band AC/DC from 1974 until his death in 1980...
(seeing it as not quite the right fit), he thus formed Uncle Acid & The Permanent Damage Band which scored him a deal with Epic Records
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
.
Death
In 19821982 in music
This is a list of notable events in music from 1982. 1982 was a big year in music with Madonna making her debut as well as the year that Michael Jackson released Thriller which became the world's best selling album and it still holds that title today....
, Day was working on an album with Uncle Acid & The Permanent Damage Band, as well as dealing cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
. Day owed money to Ron Sanders, one of the guitar players in his band, after a minor cocaine deal. Monte "Mondo" Thomas, Day's lead guitarist and close friend, explained Sanders as: "...a madman
Insanity
Insanity, craziness or madness is a spectrum of behaviors characterized by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns. Insanity may manifest as violations of societal norms, including becoming a danger to themselves and others, though not all such acts are considered insanity...
, he was a millionaire
Millionaire
A millionaire is an individual whose net worth or wealth is equal to or exceeds one million units of currency. It can also be a person who owns one million units of currency in a bank account or savings account...
and a real bad coke fiend." Thomas and Day both lived in Day's house in Longwood, Florida
Longwood, Florida
Longwood is a city in Seminole County, Florida, USA. The population was 13,745 at the 2000 census. As of 2006, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 13,491. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee-Sanford Metropolitan Statistical Area....
, along with Day's 11-year-old son Russell.
Thomas had agreed to drive a friend out of town, and was therefore not present when Sanders opened fire with a machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
, shooting through the windows in Day's house, killing Day, his son Russell, and a house guest, Garth McRae.
Ron Sanders shot himself six weeks later, after police had surrounded his house due to entirely different charges than the triple murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
weeks before.