Razzle
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Nicholas Dingley, alias Razzle (December 2, 1960–December 8, 1984), was the drummer of Hanoi Rocks from 1982 until his death.
[edit] Biography
He was born in Royal Leamington Spa, England to a young single mother who thought it was best to give him up for adoption. This went ahead and he grew up as the only child of Henry and Irene Dingley 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, 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 couldn't 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.
He was reputed for having a strong influence upon Hanoi Rocks' style. This move had them adopt a more overt glam theme once he had taken over the Rocks' drums from Gyp Casino.
Razzle also took his turn on the mic. His encore rendition of Blitzkrieg Bop by the Ramones, as seen on TNT The Nottingham Tapes, was a vision in sleaze as he sings cigarette-in-mouth, top-hatted and lycra'd to the max.
[edit] 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 Razzle decided to visit his friend, Mötley Crüe's singer Vince Neil, in California.
On December 8, Razzle visited Neil's home and spent the day at 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 but Razzle took the worst of it. He was taken to South Bay ER but was declared DOA 8 December at 19:12 local time. (It was already 9 December in Europe, which is considered his official time of death). He was buried at Holy Cross Church in Binstead near Ryde on the Isle of Wight in 1988. Vince dedicated Theater of Pain to Razzle.
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.
