Page 30 - Black Velvet Magazine Issue 106

BV106 pg 26-34 fozzy centre.qxp_BV106 pg30 05/05/2022 23:13 Page 5

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“I even remember, fast forward three or you can get complacent with success. And I’ve band, working hard and achieving success that
four years later, when we started to really make seen some of my heroes over the years be- he abstained from drinking and taking drugs to
our way as a band in Stuck Mojo, we were on come complacent and I’m constantly figuring be the most responsible member.
tour supporting Type O Negative, and the out new ways to inspire myself, so that I can “It just became a lifestyle choice,” he con-
opening band… we were the middle band… continue to be a better version of myself on tinues. “We all have our own path. Even
the opening band was a band called Drain stage and making records.” though I’ve made the choices not to drink or to
STH, an all-female band from Sweden. And do drugs, I’ve never looked down on other peo-
they were in a tour bus and Type O Negative hile Rich has talked of fast forward- ple who did, because I don’t look at that as a
had two tour buses and we were in an old van, Wing, let’s backtrack a bit. Prior to moral issue. I don’t think that I have somehow
and I remember just how it inspired us. Not be- Fozzy, Rich (born on January 16th, 1969, also chosen a higher path than someone else, it’s
cause we wanted to be in a bus. It made us known as The Duke) was a member of the At- just lifestyle choices and there are plenty of
feel like we were these hungry dogs that just lanta-based rap metal band Stuck Mojo from people who know how to have a few drinks and
wanted to go with visceral animal instincts and 1989. Rich was the member in Stuck Mojo that their life is fine and probably better than mine,
just crush the stage. And, in our minds, we had didn’t drink, smoke or take drugs. He explains, so… I’m not having any judgements on any of
kind of roleplayed, ‘Look at these soft people “I didn’t not drink or smoke and do drugs be- that stuff, it’s just been one of those things.”
riding around in these million-dollar buses’. cause I wanted to be straight edge, it was be- He tells us that he was also vegetarian for
And now, 25 years later, I’m soft, riding around cause the other guys in my band were doing 17 years, but “I never went around telling peo-
in million-dollar buses! And I have to figure out those things and somebody had to drive the ple I was vegetarian because it was not nec-
new ways to stay hard. I have to figure out new van. Somebody had to check us into the hotel. essarily something I wanted to have a debate
ways to stay inspired, to make sure not to get Someone had to be responsible. And I became with people. I love animals like you. I felt weird
soft, to make sure that I can put on the type of that person.” about eating them.”
performances that our fans deserve, because We love that Rich was so dedicated to the When we tell him that we try and speak up

FOZZY