White Sister Guitarist Rick Chadock Dies From Cancer

White Sister guitarist Rick Chadock passed away Monday (Oct. 15) after a two-year battle with cancer.

The musician was an original member of the Southern California rock band, which formed in 1980. They released a pair of studio albums -- 1984's 'White Sister' and 1986's 'Fashion by Passion' -- which enjoyed some success in the AOR format. Their song 'Save Me Tonight' appeared on the 'Fright Night' soundtrack and they also placed 'Dancin' on Midnight' in the film 'Halloween 5.'

White Sister bassist/singer Dennis Churchill-Dries revealed Chadock's death with a message to MelodicRock.com. He wrote:

It's with a heavy heart and gut wrenching sadness that I have to inform you that Rick Chadock has passed away early this morning. He lost a long battle with cancer last night ... we're all devastated. Rick and his amazing wife Chanel requested that his illness be kept private, not many people knew he was sick. The last two years have been like a bad dream, the last several months a nightmare ... as I type this I still can't believe it.

I miss him so much, it hurts ... Hug everyone you care about, tell them how much they mean to you ... while you can. Peace, Dennis.

The band reunited in early 2006 for shows and continued playing sporadically at least through 2009 according to their website. There had been some discussion in 2010 about new music, but Churchill stated that the group members had become busy with their other projects and personal lives.