Bobby Blotzer
His thunderous, steady beat provided the backbone for Ratt's Sunset Strip anthems, helping define the sound of 80s glam metal.
Born 1958 (age 68)·American drummer·Birthday: October 22·Baby Boomers
Biography
Bobby Blotzer hammered his way out of the Los Angeles club scene and into rock history as the engine room of Ratt. Joining forces with schoolmate Juan Croucier, he helped solidify the band's lineup just as the glam metal wave was cresting. Blotzer's drumming wasn't about flashy solos; it was about a powerful, propulsive groove that locked in with the bass to create an irresistible, swaggering foundation for hits like "Round and Round." His work on Ratt's multi-platinum albums provided the relentless drive that fueled endless arena tours and MTV rotations. While the band's trajectory was marked by internal strife, Blotzer's tenure captured the era's excess and energy, his sticks keeping time for one of the decade's most recognizable sounds.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Bobby was born in 1958, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Bobby Was Born
The biggest hits of 1958
#1 Movie
South Pacific
Best Picture
Gigi
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Bobby's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1958Born
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1963Started school
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1971Became a teenager
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1974Could drive
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1976Could vote
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Turned 21
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1988Turned 30
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 40
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 50
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 60
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 68 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Played drums on all of Ratt's classic albums during their 1980s heyday, including the multi-platinum "Out of the Cellar" and "Invasion of Your Privacy."
- His steady, powerful backbeat was integral to hit singles like "Round and Round," which became a MTV staple and a glam metal anthem.
- Performed on "Dancing Undercover," which achieved gold status and produced the hit "Dance."
- Maintained a consistent presence in Ratt through numerous lineup changes and legal battles over the band's name and legacy.
Did You Know?
Before joining Ratt, Blotzer was in a band called Mickey Ratt, which was an early incarnation of the group.
He is an avid pilot and has owned several aircraft.
Blotzer engaged in a long legal dispute with Ratt vocalist Stephen Pearcy over the rights to the band's name.
He authored a memoir titled "Tales of a Ratt: Things You Shouldn't Know."
“My job was to keep the beat and drive the bus.”
