Re: All about Ray Gillen... -- Sleaze Roxx

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Date Posted: 16:14:37 07/08/04 Thu
Author: Rob Del Castillo
Subject: Re: All about Ray Gillen...
In reply to: Trevor 's message, "Re: All about Ray Gillen..." on 06:10:07 06/12/04 Sat

>>>I seriously doubt Ray abused drugs; somehow that just
>>>doesn't fit--tho very little of the man's real and
>>>private life is known. I've tried to find info on him
>>>online, but even when people are asked about him in
>>>interviews, no one says much except "great guy,"
>>>"phenomenal talent" or just "I knew him, RIP." I've
>>>never had so much difficulty finding information on
>>>someone before.
>>>
>>>Ray commented in a late-80s interview that while he
>>>drinks his share, he's not excessive and doesn't
>party
>>>because "I want to stay healthy" (he was dead about 5
>>>years later). Glenn Hughes has said that Ray was in
>>>serious denial about his disease and would always
>tell
>>>him he didn't have it, he said they both watched the
>>>tribute to Freddie Mercury together and Ray told him
>>>again he didn't have AIDS. Hughes said Ray once
>showed
>>>him bloodwork to prove it, only later Glenn found out
>>>it was actually Ray's brother's-in-law--not Ray's.
>>>Even Ray's mom denied it was AIDS.
>>>
>>>I do think it's short-sighted to presume he may have
>>>been gay or a drug user to contract it. While men are
>>>less likely to contract AIDS from a woman than they
>>>are to transmit it to either sex, it is entirely
>>>possible. Ray was gorgeous, charismatic and gifted. I
>>>have no doubt he had his pick of ladies. He may have
>>>experimented sexually, been promiscuous or tried
>drugs
>>>in his younger days and contracted it, long before
>>>anyone even knew what AIDS was. He could have had a
>>>blood transfusion and gotten it. He could have been
>>>bisexual. No one's talking, so we may never know.
>>>
>>>If Ray was in such denial about his disease, as all
>>>reports seem to suggest (Glenn commented that Ray
>>>"left a lot of unanswered questions for people," and
>>>also mentioned that Ray and his girlfriend would
>visit
>>>Glenn's house before Ray died--you have to wonder if
>>>Ray transmitted the disease to anyone else. Badlands
>>>saw their share of groupies. Someone had suggested he
>>>dated the chick Susie Owens from the "Winter's Call"
>>>video; she was a Playmate and he was a rock star, so
>>>you can assume that if it's true, they slept
>together.
>>>He also has a daughter, Ashley, who'd probably be
>>>about... 20 now I guess. I get the impression he
>>>contracted the disease after her birth.
>>>
>>>That's about all I know and there aren't any answers,
>>>but I hope some of that helps a little with all the
>>>Ray questions on the board.
>>>
>>>Blu
>>
>>Blu - About 20 years ago I was in love with Ashleys'
>>mom but due to my stupidity I ended up on the losing
>>end. Although my life did move on I found myself
>>always thinking about her since that time and have
>>been trying to locate her to try and set things right.
>>Just wondering if you or anyone else on this board may
>>have any information as to how I might be able to
>>contact her.
>>
>>Thanks
>>BS
>
>
>It makes me very sad reading the posts, to go so young
>is awful whether it is Ray, Layne, Robin Crosby etc.
>
>While we are still in this place, your music lives on!
>See you on the other side one day in the future.

To Mama Gillen and all family, friends and fans of Ray:

Glad I found this forum so I could finally get a few things off my chest...

I am a vocalist myself who has been performing in N.Y.C./N.J. area origional and cover bands for nearly twenty years, Influenced by pretty much the same great classic vocalists as Ray was.

Upon hearing the debut album from Badlands for the very first time, my immediate reaction was to throw my microphone in the fucking garbage and give up any thoughts of success as a singer; that's how floored I was by Ray's performance.

In my opinion, by far the best band to come out of the eighties Hard Rock/metal scene. Period.

As of this writing, it is my understanding that the debut and Voodoo Highway have been long deleted from the Atlantic Records catalouge, while other, lesser talanted bands who recorded for the label; with shallow songs and, at best, pedestrian talent are still in print and widely available. Shameful!!!

Dusk, in case any of you do not already have it, is well worth the inflated import price.

I have seen, perhaps hundreds of shows, by many many bands and artists over the years. Yet the one that always stands out in my mind is Badlands' appearence at l'amour in Brooklyn in november of 1989. I still have yet to see another show that affected me so deeply, especially being a vocalist in an origional, similarly influenced band at the time.

I find it both cruel and pathetic that Ray left us so soon. I'm sure the "what ifs" and "if onlys" have crossed all of our minds.To this day, I cannot listen to my favorite Badlands song "devil's stomp" without feeling a deep sense of sadness.

The bottom line, Ray Gillen raised the benchmark for Hard Rock singers and then some. Although I never met the man, I will always miss him.

Thanks for listening,Peace and God Bless.

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