Rattlers entertainer Fang dies at age 65
Brian Beazer, who came to Phoenix from Idaho in 1990, and began riding out on his Harley Davidson before Arizona Rattlers games in 1992 known as Fang, has died.
He was 65.
The Rattlers announced the news of his death Sunday morning.
Beazer died in his sleep on Tuesday, according to Kenny Glenn, who was friends with him.
“He was the Rattlers’ Gorilla, goodwill ambassador and proud of it,” Glenn said. “I’d say that to him -- the Rattlers’ Gorilla. He’d look at me stern face and say, ‘I am no damn mascot.’ We laughed.”
Beazer came to Phoenix from Boise and worked as an on-air disc jockey for KOOL 94.5 FM and KOOL Gold AM 960. He served as music director at both stations.
With his long dark locks, sun glasses, wearing a leather jacket with “Fang” stitched on the back, and his Harley, Beazer was a fixture at Rattlers games since their inception in 1992 when thenSuns owner Jerry Colangelo bought the Arena Football League franchise.
Fang would come out of the tunnel in the darkened arena with his sunglasses on riding at considerable speed his Harley with smoke billowing and Metallica’s “Enter Sandman,” blistering through the arena’s sound system.
Rob Hart knew Beazer for 30 years. Hart was the in-arena television director since before it opened in 1991, while then-America West Arena in downtown Phoenix was still under construction. Hart had done every Rattlers’ home game, before retiring in 2019.
“We always talked right before the game on what he was going to do,” Hart said. “He said, ‘I’ll come out an do my circle, stop and act very upset that nobody is cheering.’ I said, ‘OK, I’ll have a camera right in front of you and be somewhat tight to see your face and count the rings on the fingers.”
Beazer as Fang would point to one side of the arena as fans roared, then to the other side, as the crowd erupted. Then, he would point towards the tunnel, where the players were introduced for the game.
He did this every year until last season, when he lasted one game.
Beazer received seven championship rings from the Rattlers, six of those while the team played in the Arena Football League and another in their first year in the Indoor Football League.
“Our organization thanks him for his long-time, unwavering support,” Rattlers coach and team president Kevin Guy said in a statement on Sunday. “He holds a special place in Rattlers history.”
Beazer was a very private man who guarded his Fang alter ego, according to those who knew him well.
“Brian loved Fang and was very protective of his alter ego,” Glenn said. “He lectured me one night on the purpose of every single article of clothing that a biker wears. All in the protection in case of an accident, not to just be cool clothing.”
Mark Casoli, who was an engineer at KOOL and was the Rattlers game DJ working in operations in the early years, was Beazer’s workout partner at the time the Rattlers were being formed.
“He was dedicated to weight training and exercise,” Casoli said. “He was approached to be the mascot for the upcoming inaugural season.
“I made a comment about the word ‘mascot,’ because in my experience, Brian Beazer was anything but a fuzzy, cuddly, T-shirt- throwing plush toy. Coupled with the fact that he would be riding into what was then America West Arena on his beloved Harley Davidson motorcycle, we wondered if perhaps management didn’t think it all through.