associated_acts death_date years_active background instrument birth_date genre article_title name occupation
riot 08 november 2003 1976-1981 solo_singer vocals 12 march 1956 heavy metal , hard rock guy speranza
 guy speranza vocalist
guy speranza

guy speranza -lrb- born march 12 , 1956 - november 8 , 2003 in orlando , florida -rrb- was an american singer best known as new york-based metal band riot 's original frontman from 1976-1981 .
he played at the first monsters of rock festival in 1980 and sang on their first three albums , 1977 's `` rock city '' , 1979 's `` narita '' and 1981 's `` fire down under '' , before leaving the band in 1981 .
in 1982 , scott ian called speranza to offer him the position as the lead singer for anthrax .
speranza declined the offer , saying he was done with the music business .
after retiring from music , speranza worked as an exterminator in florida until being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer , from which he died on november 8 , 2003 .
