Ron Nehoda
Ron Nehoda (? - 11 September 1977) was an American road manager. He managed musicians like Frank Sinatra, Gary Wright and Peter Frampton. During Zappa's 18-month tour in 1977 Ron Nehoda was hired as road manager.
Suicide
On 11 September 1977, during the first night of the tour in Las Vegas, Nehoda committed suicide by slitting his own wrists, feet souls, armpits and crotch with a razor blade. He left a suicide note.[1] Nehoda had lost the approximate $15,000.00 concert earnings by gambling it away under the influence of cocaine. This happened before in the past, but now he panicked completely. [2] [3]
Zappa indulged in some black comedy by having Terry Bozzio ridicule this event while backstage at the Palladium during his Halloween concert. His conversation was filmed in Baby Snakes (1979) and can also be heard as an intro to the track Hands With A Hammer on You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 3.[4] However, Bill Harrington recalled that Zappa told the other band members that if Nehoda had just come to him personally he would've just accepted that he'd paid the money back. Nehoda was quickly replaced with Phil Kaufman.[5]
