Robbin Crosby

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American guitarist (1959–2002)

title: "Robbin Crosby" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1959-births", "2002-deaths", "american-male-songwriters", "american-male-guitarists", "american-rock-guitarists", "american-lead-guitarists", "deaths-by-heroin-overdose-in-california", "ratt-members", "people-from-la-jolla,-san-diego", "people-with-hiv/aids", "20th-century-american-guitarists", "21st-century-american-guitarists", "20th-century-american-songwriters", "21st-century-american-songwriters", "20th-century-american-male-musicians", "21st-century-american-male-musicians"] description: "American guitarist (1959–2002)" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robbin_Crosby" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary American guitarist (1959–2002) ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox musical artist"]

FieldValue
nameRobbin Crosby
imageRobbin Crosby.jpg
captionCrosby in the music video for Ratt's "Wanted Man" (1985)
backgroundnon_vocal_instrumentalist
birth_nameRobbinson Lantz Crosby
aliasKing
birth_date
birth_placeLa Jolla, California, U.S.
death_date
death_placeLos Angeles, California, U.S.
instrumentGuitar
genreHeavy metal, hard rock, glam metal
occupationMusician, songwriter
past_member_ofRatt, Secret Service, MacMeda, Metropolis, Phenomenon
years_active1977–
::

| name = Robbin Crosby | image = Robbin Crosby.jpg | caption = Crosby in the music video for Ratt's "Wanted Man" (1985) | image_size = | background = non_vocal_instrumentalist | birth_name = Robbinson Lantz Crosby | alias = King | birth_date = | birth_place = La Jolla, California, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S. | instrument = Guitar | genre = Heavy metal, hard rock, glam metal | occupation = Musician, songwriter | past_member_of = Ratt, Secret Service, MacMeda, Metropolis, Phenomenon | years_active = 1977– | website =

Robbinson Lantz Crosby (August 4, 1959 – June 6, 2002) was an American guitarist who was a member of glam metal band Ratt, earning several platinum albums in the US in the 1980s. Crosby died in 2002 from a heroin overdose.

Early life

Crosby was born in La Jolla, California, and had two sisters, Ristin and Bronle. Robbin attended Bird Rock Elementary, Muirlands Junior High and La Jolla High School, graduating in June 1976. He previously played baseball prior to shifting his focus to the guitar. He was the son of Harry W. Crosby, a science schoolteacher at La Jolla High and an author of books about California history.

Career

Before Ratt

In the late 1970s, Crosby played in several San Diego bands. From 1977–78 he played in Phenomenon, recording a single "The Final Word," which was written by Crosby. It was released in 1980. Phenomenon also featured future Warrior member Parramore McCarty. While playing with Phenomenon, he took lessons from Thom Beebe, described as "a monster player in the Blackmore vein." After Phenomenon folded, Crosby and the drummer from Phenomenon began playing with Metropolis from 1978–1979, playing popular Judas Priest and Robin Trower songs on the La Jolla Beach Circuit. Metropolis didn't last long, and, in 1979, Crosby teamed up with former members of Phenomenon and Metropolis to create a new band, Secret Service. Crosby moved to Manhattan Beach, California, in 1979, living with his girlfriend Tawny Kitaen. The band was short lived and, in 1980, Crosby was in a band Aircraft. The same year he also recorded a live demo with the band Aircraft, which also featured Rob Lamothe, later in Riverdogs with Dio/Whitesnake/Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell. In 1981, Aircraft changed its name to Mac Meda, which Crosby's brother-in-law managed. They recorded six songs on Vulture record label sometime in 1981, but the songs didn't help them launch a career. However, the move to the Los Angeles area provided Mac Meda with access to a vibrant club scene, which they soon became a part of, even playing the famed Troubadour (West Hollywood, California) on May 7, 1981.

With Ratt

Crosby was one of the original members of the San Diego rock band Mickey Ratt, later to be rechristened simply Ratt. He would end up co-writing many of Ratt's songs, including "Round and Round", "Wanted Man" and "Lay It Down". The album Out of the Cellar went to triple platinum based on "Round and Round".

Crosby was dating actress Tawny Kitaen at the time he joined Ratt, and she appears on the album covers of both the Ratt EP (1983) and Out of the Cellar (1984). Crosby and Kitaen broke up in 1984 after a six-year relationship.

In the coming years, Crosby would buy a home in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles. He married Playboy Playmate Laurie Carr in 1987; they divorced in 1991. They had no children. Crosby did however, have a daughter, Shania, in a romantic relationship in 1997.

Crosby's solos were blues-based, as he drew inspiration from Jimi Hendrix, which gave Ratt melodic flavors. His style was at odds with shredding style of fellow Ratt guitarist Warren DeMartini, but their two styles also complemented each other, differentiating Ratt from other west coast glam rock bands. Feeling "overshadowed" by DeMartini, Crosby began "self-medicating with drugs and alcohol," which led to a crippling heroin addiction.

As Ratt stepped in the studio in 1990, Crosby entered rehab. According to Crosby's brother-in-law, the guitarist was also addicted to cocaine and "other stuff" and was repeatedly in and out of rehab.

After Ratt

Crosby eventually left Ratt. Prior to leaving, Crosby worked as a producer for metal band Lillian Axe.

In a June 1999 interview for a Ratt episode of VH1's Behind the Music, Crosby talked about how drug addiction and his HIV status changed his life. "What has drug addiction done for me?" he asked. "It's cost me my career, my fortune, basically my sex life when I found out I was HIV positive."

In 2001, Crosby publicly stated that he had AIDS and had been HIV-positive since 1994. He had also been in and out of the hospital for eight years dealing with back problems and health issues associated with HIV. To occupy his time he became a Little League coach, and also worked on a guitar fan/collector project, which was to create a limited-edition run of Jackson King V "Big Red" replica guitars.

Crosby also attempted various musical projects, first (post-Ratt) re-uniting with Perry McCarty, Krys Baratto, Dino Guerrero and Mark Lewis as an updated version of Secret Service, a moniker used by McCarty and Crosby previously for their pre-Ratt San Diego band. Later moving to El Paso in 1996, he briefly played with the Country/Western group War Party. One of his last projects was with former collaborator and ex-Ratt bassist Juan Croucier.

Death

Crosby died at his home in Los Angeles on June 6, 2002. Although his death was reported to be from complications from AIDS, he actually died of a heroin overdose. According to an autopsy report after his death, Crosby was 6 ft and weighed 400 lb.

Discography

With Ratt

With Jon Bon Jovi

With Rumbledog

References

References

  1. [https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/robbin-crosby-general-biography.1622298/post-20663443 The Gear Page]{{Dead link. (January 2026)
  2. Karen Kenyon, [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-04-12-vw-1109-story.html "Tracking the Hispanic Roots of California"], ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'', April 12, 1987.
  3. Varga, George. (June 7, 2017). "Robbin Crosby of San Diego-bred band Ratt died 15 years ago at 42".
  4. Varga, George. (2002-06-10). "Robbin Crosby, 42; guitarist for ’80s rock band Ratt".
  5. [https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/robbin-crosby-general-biography.1622298/post-20654492 The Gear Page]{{Dead link. (January 2026)
  6. (2015). "AOR Night Drive: Phenomenon (Robbin Crosby) - the Final Word [Single] (1980)".
  7. [https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/robbin-crosby-general-biography.1622298/post-20654602 The Gear Page]{{Dead link. (January 2026)
  8. [https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/robbin-crosby-general-biography.1622298/post-20655849 The Gear Page]{{Dead link. (January 2026)
  9. [https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/robbin-crosby-general-biography.1622298/post-20656149 The Gear Page]{{Dead link. (January 2026)
  10. [https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/robbin-crosby-general-biography.1622298/post-20660312 The Gear Page]{{Dead link. (January 2026)
  11. [https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/robbin-crosby-general-biography.1622298/post-20657129 The Gear Page]{{Dead link. (January 2026)
  12. (2015). "AOR Night Drive: Aircraft (Robin Crosby) - Live Demos".
  13. "Mac Meda {{!".
  14. [https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/robbin-crosby-general-biography.1622298/post-20657981 The Gear Page]{{Dead link. (January 2026)
  15. [https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/robbin-crosby-general-biography.1622298/post-20661072 The Gear Page]{{Dead link. (January 2026)
  16. [https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/robbin-crosby-general-biography.1622298/post-20666693 The Gear Page]{{Dead link. (January 2026)
  17. [https://books.google.com/books?id=bMBf3TYZigQC&q=%22Robbin+Crosby%22+died+OR+death+OR+dead&pg=PA476 The Encyclopedia of Dead Rock Stars: Heroin, Handguns, and Turkey Bacon Sandwiches] By Jeremy Simmonds. p. 476.
  18. [https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/robbin-crosby-general-biography.1622298/post-20658755 The Gear Page]{{Dead link. (January 2026)
  19. [https://rockandrolltruestories.com/tragic-death-of-robbin-crosby/ Rock and Roll True Stories, 2022]
  20. [https://www.nytimes.com/2002/06/12/arts/robbin-crosby-42-a-guitarist-with-heavy-metal-group-ratt.html New York Times, June 12, 2002]
  21. (May 15, 2021). "The Story Behind the Tragic Death of Robbin Crosby".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

1959-births2002-deathsamerican-male-songwritersamerican-male-guitaristsamerican-rock-guitaristsamerican-lead-guitaristsdeaths-by-heroin-overdose-in-californiaratt-memberspeople-from-la-jolla,-san-diegopeople-with-hiv/aids20th-century-american-guitarists21st-century-american-guitarists20th-century-american-songwriters21st-century-american-songwriters20th-century-american-male-musicians21st-century-american-male-musicians