FRANK STAR
BORN: FRANK CASAMASSINA OF LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK 1958,
PASSED AWAY JUNE 18th, l999.

Frank Starr was Buried
Wednesday, July 21st at
Oakwood Cemetary, Chatsworth, CA

"An Ode from a Bro."

FRANK CAME TO LOS ANGELES, IN 1984, UPON THE BREAK-UP OF HIS BAND, MONGOL HORDE RECORDING ARTISTS, "ALIEN". FRANK WAS BROUGHT WITH GUITARIST RICHIE PAGANO, FORMER "SIN" GUITARIST, J.J. KRISTI, TO ASSIST IN RE-FORMING "SIN" WITH BASSIST/BAND LEADER RIK FOX.

FRANK'S NOTORIOUS "SMART-ASS NEW YORK ATTITUDE" COMPETED WITH RIK FOX'S, BONDING THEM IMMEDIATELY INTO "SOUL BROTHERS". ANYONE CAUGHT SLANDERING RIK, WAS THREATENED WITH A BEATING BY EX-BIKER FRANK, LIKE HIS BIKER DAD BEFORE HIM. WITH THE ADDITION, AND EFFORTS OF FRANK STARR, JAY, RICHIE, AND DRUMMER MARX ANTHONY BENCACHEA, THE RE-FORMED "SIN" LINEUP WENT ON TO BECOME AN EXTREMELY POPULAR AND EXCITING ACT ALL OVER LOS ANGELES, PLAYING TO SELLOUT CROWDS.

SOON, FOLLOWED BY BEING VOTED ' THE' TOP DRAWING HEAVY METAL/HARD ROCK ACT BY LOS ANGELES' MUSIC CONNECTION MAGAZINE FOR 1984.

"SIN'S" FAN BASE SPREAD RAPIDLY THROUGHOUT JAPAN, EUROPE, AND MOST OF THE MIDWEST, ALL WITHOUT A RECORD DEAL. FRANK STARR'S CHARISMA, AND STAGE PRESENCE WON HIM HUNDREDS OF FANS EVERYWHERE HE WENT. AS "SIN" BEGAN RECORDING MASTER DEMOS FOR THEIR ILL-FATED FIRST ALBUM, FRANK TOOK UP THE OFFER TO RECORD, AND TOUR WITH DEF AMERICAN RECORDING ACT "THE FOUR HORSEMAN". AMONG FRANK'S OTHER BANDS WERE, "BONE ANGEL" (WITH RANDY CASTILLO, OF OZZY OSBOURNE), PIRATE, BOOTLEG, AND L.A.M.F.

IN NOVEMBER l995, WHILE RIDING HIS MOTORCYCLE DOWN THE SUNSET STRIP, A DRUNK DRIVER SUDDENLY PULLED HER CAR OUT IN FRONT OF FRANK, WHO HAD NO TIME TO AVOID THE COLLISION. HIS BIKE STRUCK HER CAR, SENDING FRANK FLYING THROUGH THE AIR BETWEEN 50-100 FEET, LANDING ON HIS HEAD.

ALTHOUGH FRANK WAS WEARING HIS "BRAIN BUCKET" HELMET, HE SUFFERED MASSIVE HEAD TRAUMA, AND WAS TAKEN TO CEDAR-SINAI HOSPITAL, IN A COMA, WHERE HE REMAINED FOR SOME TIME.

FRANK WAS MOVED TO BAY HARBOR HOSPITAL, IN TORRANCE CA, AND EVENTUALLY CAME OUT OF HIS COMA, HOWEVER, FRANK WAS LEFT WITHOUT NEARLY ALL OF HIS MOTOR FUNCTIONS, INCLUDING WALKING, AND TALKING, AND REMAINED ON LIFE SUPPORT, AND A RESPIRATOR.

RIK WAS AMONG HIS MANY FRIENDS TO VISIT FRANK, AND BROUGHT FRANK PHOTOS OF "SIN", AND PLAYED THEIR OLD SONGS FOR FRANK ON A WALKMAN. UPON BEING ONE OF THE FIRST INFORMED BY FRANK'S EX-WIFE, KIM CASAMASSINA, BY PHONE, THAT THE DOCTOR WALKED INTO FRANK'S ROOM, AND FRANK HAD ALREADY PASSED AWAY. THE DATE WAS JUNE 18TH, 1999. KIM INFORMED RIK, SHE COULDN'T FIND ANY OF FRANK'S PHONE BOOKS, AND ASKED FOR HELP TO "GET THE WORD OUT". SO RIK CALLED ALL THE OLD NUMBERS HE HAD TO FRANK'S FRIENDS TO PUT THE MESSAGE OUT OVER THE GRAPEVINE.

FRANK IS SURVIVED BY HIS FAMILY IN NEW YORK, AND HIS EX-WIFE, AND DAUGHTER IN LOS ANGELES. HE IS TO BE BURIED IN OAKWOOD CEMETERY, IN CHATSWORTH, CA., AND DONATIONS ARE DESPERATELY NEEDED, AND MAY BE SENT TO P.O. BOX 287, CANOGA PARK, CA. 91305, PAYABLE TO: KIM MCINTIRE, IN CARE OF FRANK STARR. A MEMORIAL BENEFIT IS PLANNED FOR SOMETIME IN AUGUST 1999 TO HELP PAY FOR THE FUNERAL, AND BURIAL COSTS. FOR FURTHER UPDATES, CONTACT RIK FOX, AT: (818) 805-8455, OR KIM CASAMASSINA AT: (818) 819-6989.

WE MOURN THE PASSING OF FRANK STARR. SON, HUSBAND, FATHER, SINGER, BIKER, BEST FRIEND, AND, MOST OF ALL... "BRO". FRANK, YOU WERE TRULY A 1% ER... "THUMBS UP" IT WAS A PLEASURE TO SHARE THE STAGE, AND A 'CHEESE SANDWICH' WITH YOU...

LOVE YOUR BRO, RIK

"THE CITY OF WIND, BLOWS ME AWAY, THE CITY OF DREAMS, STANDS
DREAMIN' TODAY. THE CITY OF LIGHTS, IS TOO DARK TOO SEE,
THE CITY OF THE ANGELS BRING THE DEVIL OUTTA ME...
ON THE RUN, ON THE RUN!"

COPYRIGHT 1983 RIK FOX, BMI PUBLISHING.