Rich Ranno
Rich Ranno talks about his band's journey, their approach to marketing in the digital age, and the challenges and triumphs of their career. He shares details about their upcoming projects, including a DVD and re-released albums with bonus tracks.
Guitarist
Rich Ranno
of Starz (“Cherry Baby”)
www.starzcentral.com
www.gbmusic.com
About Rich Ranno
Richie Ranno is a guitarist and founding member of the hard rock band Starz, formed in 1975. The band's hit single "Cherry Baby" reached the national Top 40, and their second album "Violation" (1977) was later listed in Classic Rock magazine's "150 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die." Before Starz, Ranno played guitar for Stories, whose "Brother Louie" reached number one on Billboard in 1973. Starz toured extensively with Aerosmith, Kiss, Ted Nugent, and Rush.
In this interview
- Discussed using the internet and starzcentral.com as marketing tools for the band
- Mentioned a DVD project and GB Music label releasing studio albums with bonus tracks
- Talked about reissuing all four studio albums with new artwork and bonus tracks
- Recalled the loss of bass player Peter Sweval in 1990
“I look at the internet as a great marketing tool”— Rich Ranno, in this interview
Since this interview
Starz performed their final show on December 9, 2022, at Dingbatz in Clifton, New Jersey, after which the band buried the Starz logo in a New Jersey field. Ranno subsequently played locally with his Richie Ranno All-Stars band and recorded music in his basement.
