I am really shocked and disappointed in the people on here saying Robin sounds Fvcked up when he was dying and in hospice. He was the guy that kept Ratt together songwise and in general. Show some respect especially how it must feel to know you are not going to be around but loved the band. Sad... RIP Robin

Robin Crosby was RATT he started the RATT Sound. and always will be..RIP Robin we all miss you

This is probably the best interview I have ever heard and the most truthful interview I have ever heard of any rock artist.

" I've run the full gament, I've accomplished all my dreams and more, I've lived the life of ten men, nobody feel sorry for me at my funeral, in fact, let's have a party" ' robbin Crosby' the guy was one good lookin , super talented guy..

Within a year Robbin would pass away. I remember when I read the news, I felt like I had been gut punched. God bless you Robbin. May the hand of God now rest gently on your shoulder.

This is so sad, Robbin's last years were absolutly horrible, how the band and people treated him was disgusting, he didn't deserve what he got, no decent human being does.

this is great Ratt interview from the late great Robin Crosby. telling the truth beyond the stage. 🙏godbless RIP

Such a sad interview, but so good to here Robbin's story. He was such a cool guy. R.I.P. Robbin.

This is gold. Long live the KING.

Heartfelt interview man. Good he really was a gentle giant like everybody said. RIP brother your missed by millions

Man the King. I cried when i heard he died. Seen Ratt 7 times and Robin and Warren always were my fav. 1987ish i seen them in detroit with poison opening up, Robin threw a pick and somehow i caught it. I still have it till this day. He was such a beast and god i miss him. Glad hes no longer suffering. Its sad how his life ended and it seems he was so sheltered and alone. How sad. He should of been celebrated. Rip King

You just blew my mind! This needs to be heard by all Ratt fans !

I don't hear someone high on drugs. I hear a dying man who is struggling to get his words and thoughts out. I've heard a lot of people on their death beds speak. There are certain inflections and vocal stress tones they all have.

Time has gone by so fast! Rest easy Robbin! Ive never forgotten you!!!

First off, thank you so much Mitch for posting this archival interview. I would LOVE to hear more vault recordings. This was a great and interesting interview, you really handled the topics with care and kept it going. It was nice to let him put down a last interview, knowing it was the end. This could be transcribed for a future book on Ratt or rock in general. To all of the people saying he sounds "messed up", the guy was in hospice care and most likely on massive doses of painkillers and other meds. To anyone who has had a family member in hospice, it is a devastating experience. Amazing he was able to talk at all, it is a very sad end to a career in music. Another home run!!!

Cannot believe he's been gone for 18 years. I am so glad I saw them in Dallas during their prime. I still play their songs. Enjoyed their music.

Great job Mitch. Just a over-arching observation. Robbin Crosby was the soul of RATT. Steve Clark was the soul of Def Leppard. Neither band has been the same, musically, without them. We should never discredit the importance of band members like Robbin and Steve.

There was a comment here noting Robbin sounded "high on dope". According to the notes here, Robbin was in hospice and it is highly likely he had been heavily medicated as part of the hospice treatment and not some recreational choice. RIP Robbin! You left a mark in a tough business and succeeded in rock music where many many many failed. May God bless you and may you rest in peace as I know you are right now. Peace!

I have a great story on how i met Robbin back in 1992 in Huntington Beach California i lived in a Cauldi sack off Beach BLV near the Beach we were having a Neighborhood Party i walked out on my Deck over looking the Pool and there was this Tall Blonde Guy standing at my Table whipping up Dacres i provided he had asked me i hope you dont mind but i could not resist a Bannana Dacri i said thats cool help yourself he had Brought a six pack of coronas with lime which he Cracked one for me with lime and handed it to me it was all good then he said my Name is Robbin let me back up a bit i was from a small town in Washington state called Walla Walla not Knowing many People i introduced myself to him we continued chatting and hanging out on my Deck watching the Party below after sometime he said you don't know who i am i said forgive me but i don't he said have you ever heard of the Rock Band Ratt i said of course he replied i was the Lead Guitarist for the Band and i replied ya and i'm the Pope he busted up Laughing he said wait a minute he went down to his Range Rover came Back up with a a Cd and a cover Picture of the Band and pointed himself out and said dont mind all the hair and Makeup that's just Hollywood i could see the resemblance but he had gained a bit of weight but i could still tell it was him he Autographed it and set it down on the Table party goers were freaking out i was Hanging with a Rock star but it was neither here nor there to me to end my story he came back several times because he also knew someone who lived in our Neighborhood he was actually pretty down to earth the memories were Great Thanks Robbin !!!

My 1st rock n roll crush. Wasn't a huge RATT fan until I laid eyes on Robbin Crosby & it was lust at 1st sight. Was devastated when he died. Still miss him to this day. Thank you for this & RIP King.

One of my heroes! Thanks a lot for this great interview. Even though he was very sick and he knew he was dying, he still shared some great stories!

Great great interview. You were letting the man speak without interruptions and being a minimalist in the questioning. Just letting the words flow out of him. And I can understand why he was favored by the press above other members of the band. The good man can carry a conversation, and even when he is battling a terminal disease no less. I feel very sorry as to what happened to him and also with the band. I noticed the signs of band obscurity with that weird album “Reach for the Sky” (even the cover art is out of place); it did not contain any memorable song as far as I knew. I am not fond of Stephen’s ‘singing’ either, but other than that flaw they were a very tight band on their earlier releases. RIP King Crosby. You are very missed.

Mitch this is Next Level journalism. well done to pull this out of the archives which trumps anything metal and rock related. if it were up to me I would nominate this for a pulitzer. I couldn't see someone like eddie trunk or anyone else at these silly sites doing anything with this kind of depth..

Dont care what others think...In my opinion Robbin was the backbone of the band. He clealry had his own issues and in this interview he obviously has had a lot of dark time to reflect on the bands mistakes as well as his own...but it has given him a sense of clarity about how things could have (and should have) been. The soap opera that became latter day Ratt really speaks volumes about the fact that some people never seem to grow up and never become grateful for what they have. Rest in power King.

How sad. We lost an incredible talent in Robbin Crosby. Rest in Peace, brother.

RIP in rock n roll heaven Robbin, one the coolest and down to earth rock n rollers ever. This interviewer is also very good, let's Robbin speak, always askes the right questions, humble and doesn't talk too much.

King and Pearcy the bones of the band.RIP. One of the Best ever.Doesn't get the credit he deserved.Thanks for uploading this.

if you notice there aren't any commercials interrupting this interview👍👍👍🙏🙏

This is honesty. He had nothing to lose

I always liked Ratt a lot. They're probably the only band from the eighties that I still really like to listen to. RIP King. I'm sorry for your pain. I've experienced much of the same.

Still can't believe how ratt hasn't released any old live album like a tribute to Robbin... They should do it, and also for the fans I think it would be really cool. RIP King

I wondered if another band invited Robbin to join if he would've left Ratt due to their interpersonal issues. I see Robbin playing Thor or another role in Marvel films. He had the look and height. He had so much potential for more. Heartbreaking

I had cried so hard that i had developed a terrible headache. He was too damn fine to go so soon. May he continue to rest in peace. #stillmissin'urobbin.

This is a great interview!!! I love it when the interviewer lets the artist talk. So many times they lead the artist into the area that they want instead of letting the artist tell it like it is. Big props to Mitch !!! Thanks for sharing this awesome interview with us fans !!

Well that just broke me.... I'm not sure who you are but I was a radio jock in SW Florida from 89-94 and this telephone interview would've killed me.. I say that because I was diagnosed w/ stage 3 colon cancer back in 07 and the drugs they keep you on due to a compromised immune system are really, really tough to function with. He did rather well considering. Saw him in 1990 at the Rocket Club in Tampa for a private show, was phenomenal! I'll never forget it! Instead of remembering how tragically he died I prefer to remember how he lived. I'm not much of a god fearing gal these days but I will say this; any man who loves an animal that much, has feelings deeper than the ocean and a heart bigger than the sun. Rest easy Robbin ☮️

I'm really glad that you could capture this. Bless his heart, I'm glad that he had the opportunity to tell what he'd gone through. I miss that big-hearted dude. I would have liked to have known him.

Robbin was a true Artist. So sad to see him gone too young

Breaks my heart thinking how Robbin ended up, he seems like a kind man. The part of his dog made me cry, that is just wrong. I m glad he got a chance telling his side of things before his death, great interview Mitch! Its shocking to hear how bad things were inside the band, you know rock n roll bands have drama, but stuff Robbin told is just sad. I cannot imagine how they managed to make 5 full albums during those 6 years.

That part about his dog of 11 years comes up missing and he said my best friend that really hit me hard because when your goin thru what he was goin thru it was him and his best friend against the word thats just very sad man.

Sounds like Robbin had a lot of guilt, inner demons, and felt everyone left him behind... but seems he also cares to much what people thought of him, let everything get to him. A man out of place, sad.

I remember my band playing this little hole in the wall joint next to this take out BBQ joint out in the San Fernando Valley. Anyway, we're on stage playing and I see this tall heavy set dude walk in with his dog and set at the bar. We finished playing and went outside. I see him come out of the BBQ place with his food and he came over to talk to us. We finished talking and he introduced himself self and said, "Hey I'm Robin Crosby." I immediately said to him.."Wait, from Ratt?!?" He's all like "Yea." I was blown away because he didn't look as I had remembered him with the huge rockstar image he had before. I told him how much him and his band inspired me when I was a kid. It sucks how things transpired in his life. He had MADE IT at the highest level of rockstardom and Arena Rock of that era, to falling down and his failing health and whatnot. RIP King

We really miss and love you Robbin... it's a shame all that had to happen.. you definitely found out who your friends were that's for sure. I think most people even today are lucky to count what good friends they really have on one hand. I know for a fact you are a beautiful angel, because you were a beautiful person on earth in the physical, and had a good heart. You will always be super special! Thanks to the person who shared this. Good work! 🤗

Very sad. Crosby was the soul of Ratt. He always struck me as a deeply sensitive individual who allowed creeping negativity derail his life. Ratt has been one of my favourite bands since Out Of The Cellar. It means a great deal to me. Certainly what Blotzer's done has considerably tarnished the legacy. For this I cannot forgive him. Hopefully Stephen, Warren and Juan can somewhat right the ship, although I don't think there's too much left. Perhaps some occasional touring. It's difficult to imagine they'd get it together enough to arrive at a new recording. Anyway ... King will forever be quintessential Ratt. When he died a small piece of my youthful innocence and wonder died with him. Miss you, dude.

Robin Crosby died homeless, drug addicted & cancer ridden. Juan ( drummer)was the only one from the band that reached out to Robin during his final months. It's a very sad end to a great guitarist & man.....

Love this interview. Always thought Robbin was a kind and thoughtful soul . Thanks for sharing this Mitch. It’s a unique and priceless interview to have. Really enjoyed it! RIP Robbin

Broke my heart when Robbin said God Bless you sad so sad

Long live the memory of the late, great Robbin Crosby! Mitch rules! xoxo The Clarences

Robbin was the heart of this band

Beautiful interview! Thanks Mitch! Such a shame this legend is gone.

God bless this wonderful, kindhearted man.

Love Robbin..R.I.P...got to meet him and the rest of the band around 87-88 and Robbin and Warren were both super cool and gracious. The rest of the band not so much. Great interview Mitch. It's pretty pathetic that his "so-called" friends who were millionaires wouldnt help him. I don't mean they should have given him cash...because I have dealt with drug addicts and he likely would have spent the cash on drugs. However they surely could have set something up for him to go through treatment and get him into better living conditions. Guys like Nikki Sixx and his former band mates should be ashamed of how selfish they were. Those people all have more than enough money to spare even a few thousand to have helped him. It really shows how self absorbed people can be.

This showed up as recommendation on my KZfaq. Glad I found this. I lost all the info about him after the third album. Broke my heart when I read that he passed away and how, was always my big question. Read some stories, but great to hear his own words. I appreciate this so much. He will always be remembered as a very sincere and thoughtful person.

Thank you robin for giving us the best music of all time..rock in peace my friend..

Great interview with a very ill man. What a tragedy....RIP King

The guy that did this interview did a great job !!!!

Ratt fell completely apart after robbins departure. Thanks mitch for sharing.

I hope he has peace! Rest easy king!

When people are facing their own mortality is when they’re the most honest. rip

R.I.P. King ❤

The man that MADE ratt! R.I.P robbin

Ha ha Robbin said Steven claimed Jon Bon Jovi ripped off his schtick... and Robbin said " Steven, you don't have a schtick to rip off !"

Holy shit. I have so much respect for this man. Telling his story with regrets and all. Rest my friend.

Dear Mr.Robbinson L. Crosby I appreciate your time and talent I wish I could have told you that in person.Your the real thing no bullshit Thank you 😊❤️ my friend.

I'm speechless I wish things had been different. For Robbin !! I can't believe it's been 16 years now.. Rest in peace King...

This interview confirms what I had always thought was going on in the background with the band. Robin was much more of a metal head than the direction the band ended up taking. I can't imagine writing songs and having no idea how the vocals would sound! That is insane. It seemed that Warren was trying to take away from Robin's soloing style and be the only soloist. Hearing what Robin says here makes it clear why the Ratt ship sank! I saw them on the Invasion tour with Bon Jovi. Damn it was a great show! To bad things were so negative in the background. I miss you brother! Thanks for the great music.

Great interview...good job on not interrupting him..just letting him talk..

BIGTIME !!!!upload Mitch. Thank You very very much! KING VEE!

everything he said was true here I witnessed most of it ...1983 to 1991

Great interview. Robbin was so honest about Stephen aka the male diva of the band. Poor Robbin having to deal with this guy.

Great job on this interview. Thanks for posting! Rest in Peace, Robbin!

Thank you Mitch for seeing the for-site to do this interview with Robbin before he past .. you captured history and something NOBODY els would ever be able to have the chance !!!

Excellent interview. Not anything like Eddie trunk crap.

God Bless Robbin Crosby ❤. My heart is broken that he's gone. He's made a mark and impression on my life forever and given me the best memories of my life. RIP Robbin. I love you❤

Thank you so much Mitch for sharing this with us...and yes, we still miss him. \,,/

Thank you for uploading this. Ratt is by far my favorite band from the 80's LA scene. Everyone can ride Blotzer all they want, but this interview lines up with everything he has said about Ratt being dysfunctional. This band should have been 10X bigger than what they ended up being. It all came down to poor work ethic no fault of Robbin. I used to have disdain for Blotzer over recent events until listening to this interview. I now kinda feel bad for him because his side is more on par with reality. Piss on him for touring with his own version of Ratt, but let's all forget about the 1999-2006 version of Ratt that had only 2 original members.

This is so sad. He seems like a nice guy. He should of left Ratt after Invasion. Things might have turned out a little better.

I love this interview, i love how robbin is just telling it like it is not covering up anything, telling it detail by detail about the recording process and tours for each record and the band and management politics, wish more hair and heavy metal musicians would do raw interviews like this. I see why at this time though he was being treated like crap, it’s not Robbins fault I just think the rest of the band was pissed off that he was being truthful and they didn’t like being put on the spot, but the truth hurts many people, Robbin didn’t want to lie or sugarcoat anything

This is heartbreaking to listen to. Even though he is heavily medicated and looses his train of thought a few times, you helped him refocus and got a great interview. Some of his answers are vague, like if he saying his ex-wife took him to the cleaners, because he claims he became broke after divorce. This is a great tragedy how this handsome and talented man fell into a rabbit hole from which he could not dig himself out and no one helped him in the end.....

That was a really hard to listen to. So sad. A lot of interesting stuff. Mitch did a great job as always. R.I.P. King.

This actually wasnt his last recorded interview. I found one online literally recorded a few months before he passed where he talked about Lori Carr his ex wife and a bunch of other interesting things. It was recorded at the El Coyote in w hollywood if I remember.

The very upmost respect to Robbin for answering all the questions in this interview. Very intimate questions and answers at a very tough time in Robbin’s life... Sad to listen to listen to. The best thing is that Robbin lives on in our hearts and memories through the music.

Great interview. Ratt losing Robbin was like Def Leppard losing Steve Clark, they were so integral to the best hooks written.

I enjoyed hearing this. I liked the part about poison tour and kicking them off and then ticket sales dropped. The Tour of 87 of Ratt and poison was amazing. I saw them at least 3 times. Poison carried them on that tour and only Robbin appreciated it. He appreciated their success and it shows here.

This is a great interview, Mitch! (Allen)

Robbin is awesome. I got teary eyed listening to him, he sounded tired and worn out, but in good spirits. I wish Ratt sounded heavier like when they started out. He's so underrated, he's talented and he's a beautiful soul and man. Too bad how things ended up for him. If I ever meet him in person in heaven, I'm going to ask him to jam with me, with Cliff Burton, two of the most important musicians in history. Robbin seemed like he's the only one who really cared about the band and was willing to do anything for it.

Heartbreaking.

I listened to this whole interview... very cool and thanks for posting it. Ratt & Roll \m/ \m/

Thank you for this

I can hear the pneumonia 😞 at this point he wouldn’t recover

Robbin’s story is a cautionary tale of what the trappings of the music scene. He was a main driving force for the success of the band. He was a true rock star but unfortunately the hardest drug of all got his meat hooks on him and destroyed his life. He was a genuine great and sweet person with no bad ill towards anyone. It’s great this interview took place because his story needed to be heard. How pathetic was Stephen’s jealousy towards Bon Jovi that he would sabotage the stage and show for the Bon Jovi and the fans. RIP King!!!! You are now in heaven playing your Flying V with other rock stars!

I come back and listen to this interview often. Such an honest and raw interview. The best. Such a sincere awesome person. Rest in power Robin!

Such A Talented Musician. A Legend Forever. We All Miss You Robbin.

Its so cool that at the height of RATT's fame that Red Jackson V would be coined the "KING" V and would be the name of that production model from it being the double Rhoads. So glad that lives on to today in remembrance of Robbin.

that was really sad i feel so bad its really messed up everything he went threw and how his bandmates treated him n turned there backs on him. he was such a good dude and its admiring the ambition and drive he had to get out of there and go make music and wanted to be remembered and respected which he deffinitly deserved the respect and he is remembered to this day. wow that interview brings a tear to my eye just really sad. R.I.P ROBBIN

And now Warren has been kicked out. Sorry Robbin. May you find happiness you couldn’t here. Shame 4/5 living RATT members can’t just grow up and tour together. Now if they were creating new music ok but they’ll just play the hits so ridiculous they can’t just get the 4 together and add Carlos and tour. Mitch Lafon does the best interviews of anyone in music. Asks solid questions, allows the guest to speak and then offers a follow up to allow the guest to expand further and more in-depth. Solid stuff. Eddie Trunk is too much of a me monster to do this.

So very sad RIP Robin "THE KING" Crosby

Robin made RATT!!!!!! I really miss him

Robin was always my favorite member of Ratt and one of my favorite guitar players ever.

when Mr.Crosby's passed away it was the end of Ratt he was in so much pain at time R.I.P

I will never forget buying Invasion of your privacy and hearing the killer opening riff to Your in Love , that moment is burned into my brain. This is where drugs lead ! No glamour here.