Overview
- W.A.S.P. leader Blackie Lawless confirmed on Wednesday via the band's official social accounts that Tony Richards had died and posted a tribute praising his playing and stage presence.
- Richards was W.A.S.P.'s drummer from 1982 until 1984 and is credited on the group's self-titled debut album released in August 1984.
- He left the band at the start of the 1984–85 tour and was reportedly replaced by Steve Riley, who later became known for his work with L.A. Guns.
- No cause of death has been disclosed in reports to date and publications covering the news note that detail remains unreported.
- Richards began in the Los Angeles band Dante Fox, which evolved into Great White, and his passing is the third death of a former W.A.S.P. drummer following Frankie Banali in 2020 and Steve Riley in 2023.