Badlands: The Sad Story Of the Band & Death of Ray Gillen

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Today we take a look at the band Badlands from the late 80's and early 90's. The band had some success and exposure with their first two albums, but tragedy struck the band as Ray Gillan left the group and died following the group's second album. The band tried to regroup but would disband by 1993.

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[larryrock]

The first Badlands lp was on a completely different level! Jake E Lee is one of the best guitarists from the 80's and is still crushing it!

[DonJoeBob]

Jake and Badlands is one of the best. Personally, Voodoo Highway was one the best hard rock albums ever. An assault on the genre of blues rock, Jakes playing has that massive tone and soul, Greg's bass lines are to be studied with how well they grooved with the immense sound Jake had and Ray's vocals were on point as usual.

[Brendini]

Badlands played at the bar my ex-husband worked at in Houston Texas circa 1990 and I met Ray Gillen and he was one of the most down-to-earth genuine nice guys in a rock band I had ever encountered. I was truly saddened when he passed away some years later. I will always remember hugging him at the end of our conversation and his parting words to me, which were "I will always remember you." Sadly I never got to see him in person again to see if that were true.

[passingcloudchris]

Badlands first album completely blew my mind and I became obsessed with it right after the first time I listened to it.
I’m 60 now, and I still thoroughly enjoy the album to this day. ✌️

[Fixxer]

I saw Badlands live once, opening for Great White and Tesla. Although they only had about 30 minutes to do their set, they did a great job of firing up the crowd. It's a shame that they're not better remembered, since their debut album was indeed amazing.

[nancymoreira-adragna]

Awesome band, music. Ray has to be one of the top.vocalists of all time.

[-marino]

Ray Gillian was/is still one of the best rock singers ever. He was awesome

[Lone_Wolf-]

In my opinion Badlands was more of a hard rock band, not a hair metal band

[RHM-uphn]

Badlands was a great band. They had awesome guitar riffs and Ray Gillen had a great rock n roll bluesy voice. They were one of my favorites from the 80s. If you can get their albums Badlands, Voodoo Highway and Dusk, you will not be disappointed. They rock.

[AnneStJames-fidb]

Ray was a beautiful person. I will never believe he knowingly or intentionally infected anyone! He was one of my ex husband's best friends. Like a brother to him. I was present in Ray's last recording session in NYC. We did not know he was ill, but he looked strange. When he said to me: " Take care of my brother" chills went tbrough my spine... I knew something was wrong. That was the last time I ever saw him. No friends were let to see him in a hospital...
Google Sun Red Sun albums for the recording. Also google 5th Anniversary Memorial Tribute by Ray Gillen.1998.
My ex organized Ray's memorial concert at Irving Plaza in NYC. Ray's beautiful Mom was present. Ray is truly missed. One of the sweetest caring guys I have ever met. He passed away too young. One of the best rock voices ever!

[drummer]

No one in 1989 (when I was 14) sounded anything like BADLANDS..they sounded like they just dropped out of 1971, while everyone else was busy playing fast, wearing lipstick, HUGE hair (wasn't badlands), and just making pop rock. Badlands were reinventing raw in your face rock n roll and probably didn't even know it! Had Ray not died it's hard to tell how far they would have gone. R.I.P RAY... no one will ever sing like you!!

[lancerx]

I'm a Fan of Jake and Ray but Ray Gillen was the Voice in an Era of Many Great Guitarists and Make No Mistake it was that RARE Beautiful Voice that Drew Most to Badlands Ray Gillen was Something Super Special

[amynapoli]

I’m a huge fan of Ray Gillen’s vocals. This was a very interesting story. Thanks for putting it together.

[kathrynjordan]

I loved the first album of Badlands. I still have it and still play it. Ray Gillian was a great vocalist.

[societydwellingifd]

*_I love their first album. I played it all the time on cassette back in the day._* 🤘🏻💀🤘🏻

[linhthaiduong]

Yes!At least someone finally acknowledged Ray Gillen's talent..

[jimmyr]

Lucky enough to see Badlands back in the day at Baltimore's legendary Hammerjacks. What a show!

[gregcolleyartservices]

I knew Ray and was friends with him when he lived at the Oakwood Apartments on Barham Boulevard in Los Angeles where I lived at the time as well. All the bandmates from Alice in Chains as well as many other partiers were living there at the same time (circa 1989-90). Many of us hung out by the resort-style pool and jacuzzi quite often drinking and smoking. Ray was always very cool to be around and was extremely down to earth without exhibiting any drug or alcohol-induced behavior or star ego at all. I saw the band at the Palace and his presence on stage, as well as off stage, was that of a confident person that didn't have to act. Life moved on and everyone moved on and I forgot about him for years until I heard he died of aids and read the wiki page. Today, this is the first time I've read this story and the comments, and I'm saddened by it for sure and even more sad for the women he afflicted. The story doesn't match the Ray I knew but I was only a short time neighbor. He was very focused on his career and he didn't exhibit any drug-induced behavior when I knew him other than typical poolside drink and pot. He would bring model type babes to the pool and on one occasion I did exhibit some questionable kinkyish behavior but I took it as something you could expect from a rock star (I guess) but now maybe question it a bit more.

[jimce]

Badlands was an incredibly awesome band. One of the most underrated of all time. Agreed they were not hair metal. Very bluesy and can definitely see the humble pie influence especially in the vocals. Voodoo highway is in my top 10 greatest hard rock albums of all time. Jake E. Lee is one of hard rock/ metals greatest guitarist ever. Saw his first tour with Ozzy and opened with bark at the moon....unbelieveable. he. Had big shoes to fill and did a great job.

[sidscifi]

I was cranking them and Dangerous Toys around the same time