Razzle (musician)

Razzle
Razzle during his time with Hanoi Rocks.
Background information
Birth name	Nicholas Dingley
Born	2 December 1960(1960-12-02) Royal Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England
Died	December 9, 1984(1984-12-09) (aged 24) Redondo Beach, California
Genres	Rock, glam punk, punk
Occupations	Musician
Instruments	Drums
Years active	1977–1984
Associated acts	Hanoi Rocks

Nicholas Dingley, alias Razzle (2 December 1960 – 9 December 1984), was the drummer of Hanoi Rocks from 1982 until his death.

Biography

Born in Royal Leamington Spa, England, he was adopted by Henry and Irene Dingley, growing up in Coventry and then in Binstead near Ryde on the Isle of Wight.

Prior to joining Hanoi Rocks, Razzle had played in UK-based bands Marionette, The Fuck Pigs, Demon Preacher (Featurning Nik Fiend of later Alien Sex Fiend fame), and The Dark.

Dingley was notable for having 'Razzle' printed on his drum kit and not the name of the band he was in, unlike most drummers of the time. When asked about this, he said that he could not see that he would stay with Hanoi Rocks forever, instead setting his long term sights on playing for a stadium rock band such as Heart.^{[citation needed]}

Death

In late 1984 Hanoi Rocks was on their first American tour. Frontman Michael Monroe fractured his ankle, so the band had to skip a few gigs and take a break. During that break, Mötley Crüe's singer Vince Neil invited the band to visit his home, in California.

On December 8, Razzle visited Neil's home and spent the day in Redondo Beach. The two decided to take a trip to a local liquor store in Neil's De Tomaso Pantera. While speeding and driving drunk, Neil lost control of the car and hit an opposing vehicle. The two occupants of the other car were seriously injured.^[1] Razzle was taken to South Bay ER but was declared dead on arrival at 19:12 local time. He was buried at Holy Cross Church in Binstead, Isle of Wight in 1984. Neil dedicated Theater of Pain, Mötley Crüe's third studio album, to Razzle.^[2]

Neil's account of this event is documented in Mötley Crüe's 2001 autobiography The Dirt: Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band.

Razzle had a cross tattoo with the text "Too fast to live, too young to die".

References

1. ^ Chronological Crue – 1984. Members.ozemail.com.au. Retrieved on 2011-03-12.
2. ^ Frank Meyer (January 1, 2002). "Back To The Mystery City Of Hanoi Rocks". KNAC.com. http://www.knac.com/article.asp?ArticleID=182&StartTime=1%2F6%2F2002+1%3A18%3A06+AM. 

External links

Biography portal

• Razzle at Find a Grave

Persondata
Name	Razzle
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	2 December 1960
Place of birth	Royal Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England
Date of death	8 December 1984
Place of death	Redondo Beach, California