GRIM REAPER singer STEVE GRIMMETT to be honored at Germany's KEEP IT TRUE RISING Festival
24-08-2022
GRIM REAPER‘s founding guitarist Nick Bowcott will take part in a special tribute concert to the band’s late singer Steve Grimmett at this year’s Keep It True Rising festival, set to take place from September 30 to October 2 in Würzburg, Germany. Joining Bowcott at the event will be the surviving members of Grimmett‘s post-GRIM REAPER band STEVE GRIMMETT’S GRIM REAPER, Steve‘s son Russ Grimmett, who will sing few of his father’s songs, JAG PANZER and TITAN FORCE frontman Harry Conklin, and other guest vocalists. Festival organizers will produce and give away for free 2,000 Steve Grimmett buttons and will produce a special tribute t-shirt, with all proceeds to be given to Steve‘s family.
This year’s edition of the Keep It True Rising festival will be headlined by SAXON and VENOM INC. Also appearing at the event will be New Wave Of British Heavy Metal acts DIAMOND HEAD, Paul Di’Anno (formerly of IRON MAIDEN),BLITZKRIEG, AVENGER, SARACEN, SATAN, QUARTZ, CLOVEN HOOF, HOLOCAUST, DEMON PACT, TYTAN and MYTHRA. Other acts scheduled to perform include RIOT V, RIOT CITY and KONQUEST.
Steve died on August 15 at the age of 62. The singer’s passing came five years after he had his right leg partially amputated when an infected wound on his foot spread to the bones in his leg partway through his South American tour.
Grimmett‘s life-saving surgery in 2017 was carried out in Ecuador and the frontman was in hospital for just over a month while fans raised $14,000 to bring him home after his insurance company refused to pay because of the type of work he was doing.
GRIM REAPER‘s story began in 1979 after successfully fighting off hundreds of bands in a local Battle Of The Bands competition. This win, combined with an already sizeable following, aroused the interest of Ebony Records. Signing with the small U.K. label, GRIM REAPER released three albums in rapid succession to international acclaim. Due to legal turmoil with Ebony, GRIM REAPER would disband in 1988. Grimmett would go on to record with ONSLAUGHT, LIONSHEART and more recently THE SANITY DAYS. His renowed vocal range remains one of metal’s most identifiable with loyal fans turning out in numbers to hear him perform.
GRIM REAPER was part of the “Hell On Wheels” tour which crossed the States in 1987, alongside ARMORED SAINT and HELLOWEEN.
Grimmett reformed GRIM REAPER in 2006 as STEVE GRIMMETT’S GRIM REAPER following an amicable decision between the singer and Bowcott, who both agreed that using the original name minus the other members of the classic lineup wouldn’t be a proper reunion.
STEVE GRIMMETT’S GRIM REAPER released two studio albums, 2016’s “Walking In The Shadows” and 2019’s “At The Gates”.
Since 2006, STEVE GRIMMETT’S GRIM REAPER had made a number of European festival appearances and toured all around the world.
Earlier this year, Steve told VWMusic that he had “no regrets whatsoever” about how his career panned out. “I should by rights be a millionaire, but I haven’t got a penny to my name,” he revealed. “I’m on welfare at the moment because of COVID, and a lot of people do think that I am a millionaire, but I can tell you now, I’m not. I’ve never received a penny — not one penny — from GRIM REAPER, so that says it all, doesn’t it? But still, no regrets. I still love getting up there and playing. I still love watching the smiling faces in front of me. That says it all and does it all for me.”
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