On October 17, 1993 : Criss Oliva
dies at the age of 30.
Real Audio 80K.
On the morning of October 17th,
1993 the rock world lost one of its most underrated influential
guitarists. For on this morning Criss Oliva lost his life
due to an accident ( head on collision) with a drunk driver.
Criss and his wife Dawn were travelling to
the final day of an outdoor Livestock festival. While driving
on U.S. 301 on the way to Zephyrhills, Oliva's car was struck
by a drunk driver. During the following year the drunk driver
was convicted of DUI manslaughter and sentenced to five years
in prison( he only served 18 months) along with ten years of probation.
Criss and his older brother Jon were the nuclei
of the band Savatage. They formed a group called Avatar
in 1978 and in 1983 they changed the band's name to Savatage due
to some copyright problems.
In 1994 Jon Oliva recorded an album entitled
Handful of Rain as a tribute to his brother Criss.
Criss and his wife Dawn were travelling to
the final day of an outdoor Livestock festival. While driving
on U.S. 301 on the way to Zephyrhills, Oliva's car was struck
by a drunk driver. During the following year the drunk driver
was convicted of DUI manslaughter and sentenced to five years
in prison( he only served 18 months) along with ten years of probation.