Longtime Quiet Riot drummer Frankie Banali has died at age 68 after a yearlong battle with stage-four pancreatic cancer.
Banali received the diagnosis last spring and revealed it a few months later in October. The drummer, who first joined Quiet Riot in 1982, was determined to continue performing, even though his treatment caused him to miss several shows.
Banali kept fans updated on his fight via social media. Last week, the drummer informed fans that he had spent the prior three weeks in the hospital, where he had undergone two blood transfusions and suffered a stroke.
Ultimately, it was too much to overcome.
Banali "put up an inspiringly brave and courageous 16-month battle to the end and continued playing live as long as he could," read a statement from his family. "Standard chemotherapy stopped working, and a series of strokes made the continuation on a clinical trial impossible. He ultimately lost the fight at 7:18PM on Aug. 20 in Los Angeles surrounded by his wife and daughter."
A GoFundMe campaign to help Banali's family with his medical expenses was created in late-April.
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