Lee Rauch

William Lee Rauch (also spelled Rausch; September 10, 1964 – June 23, 2023) was an American drummer who played in several thrash metal bands based in California from 1983 to 1987.

Lee Rauch
Background information
Born(1964-09-10)September 10, 1964
Marion, Ohio, U.S.
DiedJune 23, 2023(2023-06-23) (aged 58)
Lakeview, Ohio, U.S.
GenresThrash metal
Occupation(s)Drummer
Years active1983–1987

Career

Megadeth

Rauch's career began in 1983 when former Metallica lead guitarist Dave Mustaine formed Megadeth shortly after having been abruptly fired from Metallica for "his problems with drink, drugs, and aggression towards fellow bandmembers".[1] After Megadeth's "first drummer Dijon Carruthers departed the group in fall of 1983",[2] Rauch was hired.

Megadeth, consisting of Rauch, Mustaine, Slayer guitarist Kerry King, and Ellefson,[3] played their first live gig at Ruthie's Inn in Berkeley, California on February 17, 1984.[4] A little under a month later, on March 9, 1984,[5] Megadeth recorded their first demo, Last Rites[6] This consisted of three tracks:

  1. "Last Rites/Loved to Deth"
  2. "Mechanix"
  3. "The Skull Beneath the Skin".

The lineup on this demo is debated, with former Megadeth bassist David Ellefson claiming the lineup consisted of himself, Mustaine, and Rauch's replacement Gar Samuelson;[2] however, other sources, including the Megadeth website[7] as well as Ultimate Classic Rock, state that the lineup for the demo was Mustaine, Ellefson, and Rauch.[8] Samuelson would not join the band until October of 1984,[9] though Ellefson recalls Gar joining around April of 1984.[2] The same year, Rauch would leave the group due to internal conflict.

Dark Angel and Wargod

After leaving Megadeth in 1984, Rauch would play for Dark Angel, another well-known thrash metal band from California; however, though Rauch did play live shows with the band, he never recorded anything official with them during his tenure.

In 1986, Rauch joined guitarist Michelle Meldrum's band Wargod, replacing Gene Hoglan who had left the group to join Rauch's previous band, Dark Angel. With Wargod, Rauch recorded their second demo, consisting of two tracks:[10]

  1. "Intimate with Evil"
  2. "Burning Insanity"

Ultimately, Wargod would eventually split-up in 1987, likely due to the formation of Meldrum's new band, Phantom Blue.

Grimace

Though it is not entirely clear exactly when, Rauch drummed in short-lived Missourian thrash group Grimace during the late 1980's.[11] This band produced the song "Hell's Angel", which featured on their only recording, a self-titled demo.[12]

Personal life

Rauch graduated from Toledo Whitmer High School in 1982.[13] Though Rauch was no longer a part of any bands after Grimace in the late 1980's, he would continue to play from time to time locally in northwestern Ohio. Later in his life, Rauch also spent time as the owner of a local handyman business, as well as the church drummer at Indian Lake Community Church in Indian Lake, Ohio. According to his obituary, "He [Rauch] enjoyed working with his hands, gardening, fishing, and going to automotive races".[13]

Death

Rauch died on June 23, 2023, at the age of 58.[14][13] His cause of death is currently unknown, but Rauch dying has been described as "unexpected".[15]

References
  1. Taylor, Tom (May 10, 2023). "Why was Dave Mustaine fired from Metallica?". Far Out. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  2. Stuart Williams (June 29, 2023). "Dave Mustaine and David Ellefson pay tribute to late Megadeth drummer Lee Rauch". MusicRadar. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  3. "DAVID ELLEFSON Looks Back On Guitarist KERRY KING Leaving MEGADETH For SLAYER - "He Saw There Was An Audience For It, And The Bay Area Was The Holy Grail"". Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles. March 21, 2021. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
  4. "Megadeth Plays First Show 31 Years Ago Today – Megadeth". Retrieved August 5, 2023.
  5. Megadeth - Last Rites Demo 1984, January 6, 2017, retrieved July 4, 2023
  6. "Last Rites". Encyclopaedia Metallum.
  7. "Megadeth.com – History". Archived from the original on January 1, 2011. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
  8. Martin Kielty (April 11, 2023). "Dave Mustaine After Metallica: 40 Moments for 40 Years". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
  9. Cobanoglu, Cansu (November 4, 2022). "Dave Mustaine's Remorse About Megadeth's Gar Samuelson". Rock Celebrities. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
  10. Wargod - Demo 1986, 1986, retrieved July 4, 2023
  11. GRIMACE LIVE:HELL'S ANGEL, retrieved July 4, 2023
  12. "Grimace - Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives". www.metal-archives.com. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  13. "William Lee Rauch". Peak of Ohio. June 26, 2023. Archived from the original on July 4, 2023. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  14. "Former Megadeth Drummer Lee Rauch Dies". Blabbermouth.net. June 25, 2023. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  15. "William Lee Rauch". Peak of Ohio. June 26, 2023. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
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