David Quinton

“Fresh meat” is what Stiv Bators told me when he convinced David to join the circus. “He’s only 18!!!!”



This teenager from Toronto… David Quinton was 18 years old when he stepped onto the formidable drum throne vacated by Johnny Blitz. And that took a lot –Blitz survived not only life on the road with Stiv, but a vicious stabbing in NYC (for which there was a much-celebrated benefit show featuring the cream of punk rock) to come back and help the Dead Boys annihilate everything in their path. But even Johnny could take only so much and he too left the Dead Boys.

So, David grew up fast between me mothering him and Stiv & crew trying their best to corrupt him. He came to the Dead Boys from The Mods, a power pop/punk band that had its own sizeable following (and recent reunion too!)



What Stiv knew about David was that he was already an accomplished musician and a songwriter worth collaborating with. Because of his youth, Stiv could count on David to go along for the wild ride option during a live show. Once David was in the band, he propelled it to the chaotic reaches that Stiv demanded.



After the Dead Boys, the Disconnected period, after Stiv died young to become an immortal, larger than life legend…David is the one who makes the incredible impact on show biz on a daily basis. He’s now a very well respected entertainment lawyer at one of Canada’s top firms. People love to hate lawyers, but his life as a musician informs David’s every move as an advocate for the musician, filmmaker or other artist he is representing. People in the 9-5 world know him as Mr. Steinberg, though. Most important - there are a couple of boys in Toronto who have the coolest dad in the whole world…. David Quinton Steinberg. I mean…. How many nice, suburban, hockey-playing Toronto kids can say their Dad played drums for Stiv Bators and lived to tell? And then there’s always this…..



The last time I saw David was in January of this year. He was one of the hot shot lawyers heading up a film financing conference. I was killing time in the food court at the now-way-fancy Century City mall; almost at the point of purchasing a way-overpriced hot dog, my phone rings, and its David. We arranged to meet on the street just outside the mall… and he’s driving a cherry red convertible Mustang, top down of course! And he was wearing a suit. We drove across Santa Monica Blvd on our way to have lunch at Barney’s Beanery, an old punk rock hang for us, and we passed the site of the erstwhile Tropicana. It was all stuff over which to reminisce. Its just too bad you can’t stop time, because I wanted that lunch hour to never end.
I always joke that I was each and every one of their surrogate mom’s, but these boys have actually always been the big brothers I always wanted to have.

The Disconnected tribute is not over! Stay tuned for “yesterday and today” photos and cameos from Dee Dee Ramone, Joan Jett and Kent Smythe.