Tony Richards, W.A.S.P.’s Original Drummer, Dies at 69

Tony Richards, the original W.A.S.P. drummer, died in November at 69. He powered the band’s self-titled 1984 debut, including “I Wanna Be Somebody,” “The Flame,” “Hellion” and four other songs that defined W.A.S.P. in heavy metal.

Blackie Lawless once described Richards as “stunning as a drummer and performer” and “one of those five-point guys.” Lawless also said the band was never quite the same after Richards left.

From Phoenix to the Sunset Strip

Richards was born Anthony Richard Orlandong on June 19, 1957, in Phoenix. He played in a string of Arizona bands before moving to Los Angeles in 1980.

Richards became one of the city’s hottest drummers through his work with Dante Fox. Richards played together with Don Costa, Mark Kendall and Jack Russell at the Troubadour, the Roxy Theatre, the Whisky a Go Go and the Starwood. Those clubs were among the most popular in Hollywood and Los Angeles. Dante Fox later became Great White. Dante Fox first made noise in the packed clubs along the Sunset Strip.

The making of a debut

In late 1982, Lawless invited Richards to join the new band he was assembling, W.A.S.P. Don Costa soon followed him. The classic original lineup paired Richards with Lawless and guitarists Chris Holmes and Randy Piper. The self-titled album appeared in 1984.

Richards’s thunderous drumming and backing vocals shaped the debut, while its seven songs established W.A.S.P. as one of metal’s most discussed acts during the 1980s.

The record delivered seven anthems:

• “I Wanna Be Somebody”
• “L.O.V.E. Machine”
• “The Flame”
• “Hellion”
• “Sleeping (In the Fire)”
• “On Your Knees”
• “B.A.D.”

All four members appeared on its cover. Lawless later said the cover choice reflected how strong they were as a unit. Video collections from that era also show Richards.

Decades later, Lawless listened again to the original studio tapes. He said: “I’m listening to Randy and Tony sing. They’re singing their asses off. Them suckers were good, you know?”

A drummer beyond W.A.S.P.

Richards left W.A.S.P. after the release of the debut. Steve Riley replaced him and later joined L.A. Guns. He kept playing music for the rest of his life. In recent years, he performed with DellaVella alongside bassist Carl Della Vella and guitarist Lee Oliver.

His death makes him the third former W.A.S.P. drummer to pass. Frankie Banali died in 2020. Steve Riley died in 2023.

His death follows those of two drummers who succeeded him, sharpening a history of a band repeatedly reshaped by each change to its drum position.

What does his death change for W.A.S.P. fans?

His death changes no release, but it makes the studio tapes, self-titled album and video collections the fullest record of his work with the lineup. Fans lose the chance to see him perform these songs again. The surviving material preserves the sound and image of the classic lineup.

Lawless’s judgment named both his drumming and his work as a performer. For future listeners, the album and video collections now carry that judgment alongside the sound and presence of the drummer himself.