The Sad History of Megadeth’s Drummers – Nick Menza, Gar Samuelson, Lee Rauch
0:00 – Introduction/Lee Rauch
1:57 – Gar Samuelson
4:50 – Nick Menza
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Metal band Megadeth throughout their career have had over half a dozen drummers during their nearly forty year run. Nearly half of the group’s drummers would pass away under sad and in some cases shocking circumstances and that’s what we’re going to explore in today’s video.
In 2023 it was announced that Lee Rauch, Megadeth’s original drummer would pass away at the age of 58 years old. The death would be announced by his brother Chris writing “Today is a very sad day, we lost my brother William Lee Rauch (rotch) .”Lee was a very strong man of faith so I know he is with God now. He was an Awesome drummer, who helped launch one of the biggest metal names in history by being the first drummer for MEGADETH, playing along side Dave Mustaine, Kerry King and David Ellifson. His heart was set on making it big and came very close numerous time. “Lee was a very loving and giving individual who was extremely hard working, he continued to play drums later in his life for the church which made him happy. He was a loving son and a very honorable man. Most of all, he was my brother and though I didn’t always keep in touch the way I should have, I loved him very much and he will be greatly missed to my core.
Mustaine would be asked about Lee telling an interviewer in 2004 with Bob Nabaldian
“I don’t know. He wasn’t necessarily an original [MEGADETH] drummer. He was a guy that we really liked, and then one day sitting on the steps of Billy Cordero’s house, when David Ellefson and I were squatting…we just kind of met this kid, went to his house and filtrated his bedroom and never left for a couple months. Leewas telling us how he had given his soul to Satan, and I know enough about black magic that if you really do the actual act of giving your soul to Satan…’ I was like…’I’m out of here!'”
It was originally reported that Rauch (rotch) would appear on the group’s first demo, 1984’s “Last Rites”, which was made up of three songs. Due to internal conflict Rauch left the band and was replaced by Gar Samuelson. After leaving the group he performed with DARK ANGEL and WARGOD. But following his death, David Ellefson would take to social meida to clarify a long held belief about Rauch writing “However, there is some misinformation about the ‘Last Rites’ demo. Lee never did any studio recordings with the band. The ‘Last Rites’ demo that is out there on the web was recorded 100% by his successor, our other fallen brother, Gar Samuelson on drums. That three song demo was recorded as a three piece with me, Dave & Gar in summer of 1984. Our then-manager Jay Jones brought Gar into the fold shortly after Lee departed the group in April, 1984 as he funded the making of that demo during several late night sessions at Hitman Studios in Hollywood. We continued to perform as a three-piece I
New York Jazz Loving drummer Gar Samuelson would be asked to join Megadeth in 1984 and guitarist Chris Poland would be added to the lineup. Band leader dave mustaine would refer to this lineup as the first real lineup of the band. Mustaine would credit Samuelson as giving Megadeth a sound no other metal band could replicate telling Brave Words
Gar Samuelson being a jazz drummer gave our playing a super, super cool element that none of the other metal bands had. It was great to be able to hold that over everybody else’s head because no one else could figure out what we were doing. We had energy, starts and stops, and so many gear shifts — and that’s all attributed to the jazz element, which gave the music all these crazy dynamics that you would never get in a normal rock band’s drum track. It just wouldn’t sound the same.”
But internal problems led to his time being cut short in the band only playing on the band’s first two studio albums and touring on both record
