- Rusty Day
Infobox musical artist
Img_capt = Rusty performing live withCactus
Name = Rusty Day
|Background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
Img_capt =
Birth_name = Russell Edward Davidson
Born = 29 December 1945, Detroit, MI, USA
Died = 3 June 1982, Longwood, FL, USA (aged 36)
Instrument =Vocals Harmonica
Genre = Rock,Heavy metal ,Hard rock ,Psychedelic rock ,Blues-rock
Occupation = Musician, Performer
Years_active = 1968 - 1982
Associated_acts =Ted Nugent Amboy Dukes Uncle Acid & The Permanent Damage BandCactusRusty Day & The MidnightersRussell "Rusty Day" Edward Davidson (born in
Detroit, MI ,USA ) was a rockvocalist andfrontman , best known for his work with the bands Amboy Dukes and Cactus. He was known for his powerful vocals and out-of-control lifestyle.Career with The Amboy Dukes
Day joined
Ted Nugent 's bandThe Amboy Dukes in 1968, after their former vocalist, John Drake, was fired. Day himself had just quit his own band, Rusty Day & The Midnighters. Rusty stayed only for one album, "Migration".Career with Cactus
Cactus was initially conceived in late 1969 as a supergroup of the
Vanilla Fudge rhythm section ofbassist Tim Bogert anddrummer Carmine Appice with guitaristJeff Beck and singerRod Stewart . However, Beck had an automobile accident and Stewart joinedRonnie Wood in the Faces. Out of frustration, Bogert and Appice formed what we now know as Cactus in 1969.The cast was complete when Day joined them on vocals andJim McCarty joined onlead guitar .Having made a name for himself in Detroit's rock scene as a force to be reckoned with, he took to working to try to restore one of Detroit's most legendary bands to the national stage, Detroit, the band, was formed as an offshoot of the Detroit Wheels' by members Johnny 'Bee' Badanjek & W.R.Cooke and others. Detroit's initial flame burned out quick due to many different issues going on at once. Rusty, tried his hand at restoring the glory with his line up.
Having found himself unable to really dig in with his modern versions of Cactus & Detroit, and having turned down AC/DC's request to have him join their band to replace Bon Scott, as seeing it as not quite the right fit he was seeking, thus he formed 'Uncle Acid & The Permanent Damage Band', which scored him a deal with Epic Records. Fate would not be so kind as to return his stature to him.
Death
In 1982, Day was working on an album with Uncle Acid & The Permanent Damage Band, as well as dealing
cocaine . Day owed money to Ron Sanders, one of the guitar players in his band, after a minor cocaine deal. Monte "Mondo" Thomas, Day's lead guitarist and close friend, explained Sanders as: "...a madman, he was amillionaire and a real bad coke fiend." Thomas and Day both lived in Day's house inLongwood, Florida , along with Day's 11-year old son Russell.Thomas had agreed to drive a friend out of town, and was therefore not present when Sanders opened fire with amachine gun , shooting through the windows in Day's house, killing Day, his son Russell, and a house guest, Garth McCrae.Ron Sanders shot himself six weeks later, after police had surrounded his house due to entirely different charges than the triplemurder weeks before.
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
