Carlos Cavazo
The guitarist who powered Quiet Riot's metal anthem 'Cum On Feel the Noize' to the top of the charts, defining the sound of 80s glam metal.
Born 1957 (age 69)·American guitarist·Birthday: July 8·Baby Boomers
Biography
Carlos Cavazo replaced Randy Rhoads in Quiet Riot in 1982, stepping into the most scrutinized guitar slot in Los Angeles hard rock. His arena-ready riffs drove the band's multi-platinum album 'Metal Health,' which knocked The Police off the top of the Billboard chart. That symbolic victory for heavy metal defined his career. After Quiet Riot's initial run ended, Cavazo played with Ratt and other Sunset Strip veterans, keeping the spirit of that scene alive. His playing prioritized swagger and song service over technical flash. He never sought the spotlight, but his sound became the backbone of a generation's rock soundtrack.
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.
Carlos was born in 1957, 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 Carlos Was Born
The biggest hits of 1957
#1 Movie
The Bridge on the River Kwai
Best Picture
The Bridge on the River Kwai
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Carlos's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1957Born
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1962Started school
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1970Became a teenager
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1973Could drive
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1975Could vote
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1978Turned 21
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1987Turned 30
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1997Turned 40
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 50
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 60
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 69 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Played lead guitar on Quiet Riot's 'Metal Health,' the first heavy metal album to reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
- His guitar work was central to the hit singles 'Cum On Feel the Noize' and 'Bang Your Head (Metal Health).'
- Served as a touring and session guitarist for the band Ratt in the late 2000s.
- Co-founded the band 3 Legged Dogg with veterans like Vinny Appice and Jimmy Bain.
Did You Know?
He is the older brother of Tony Cavazo, the bassist for the band Hurricane.
Before joining Quiet Riot, he was in a band called Snow with his brother.
He initially auditioned for Quiet Riot in 1980 but was passed over for the gig that eventually went to Randy Rhoads.
“I just plugged in a Les Paul through a Marshall and played for the back row.”
