Riki Rachtman grew up in Van Nuys, California but later moved to the Hollywood Hills. At the age of 16, Rachtman auditioned to sing in the band the Angry Samoans, and the next year he was in a band called the Fairlanes. In the late 1980s, Rachtman was lead vocalist of the L.A. metal act Virgin. In the 1990s, he spent over a year in a band called Battery Club, which toured with The Offspring. Rachtman appears in , which is a 2016 documentary film directed by Drew Fortier about 80s LA hard rock bandBang Tango.
Hosting
Before becoming a full-time VJ for Headbangers Ball, Rachtman made guest appearances as a fill-in and guest VJ for the show in 1989 while Adam Curry was still the main host for the program at that time. From 1990-1995, Rachtman hosted MTV's heavy metal show Headbangers Ball as a full-time VJ. His friend at the time, Axl Rose of Guns N' Roses, reportedly was instrumental in him getting the job at MTV. Despite having no TV experience during that time, he eventually got a job as a VJ on MTV after his successful performance during his audition at MTV studios in New York. Rachtman had a brief appearance as a wedding guest in Guns N' Roses' music video "November Rain". From August 1993 to January 1996, Riki co-hosted the radio advice program Loveline with Doctor Drew Pinsky and Adam Carolla. The trio hosted together until friction between Riki and Adam led Riki to leave the show in January 1996. In 1999 and 2000, Rachtman worked for World Championship Wrestling as a backstage interviewer. During one episode, he was almost powerbombed by wrestler Kevin Nash. He also hosted Nitro, WCW's flagship program, parties across the country. Rachtman had previously appeared on WCW programming as a guest co-host for the May 30, 1992 edition of Saturday Night. On the Los Angeles radio stationKLSX, Rachtman hosted a show called 'Riki Rachtman Radio.' The show came to an abrupt end when he assaulted fellow KLSX show host Doug Steckler after Steckler insulted Rachtman's girlfriend at the time, adult-film actress Janine Lindemulder. In 2003, Rachtman hosted 22 Greatest Bands for MTV2. In 2003, he became the host of a syndicated rock music and NASCAR-themed radio show called Racing Rocks, which is heard on over 120 stations across America. He hosted Nascar 24/7 Live. He was a former co-host of the show NASCAR RaceDay, as of 2008 is no longer part of the program.
Entrepreneurship
Rachtman was the owner of The Cathouse nightclub, for many years a showcase for many of the heavy metal bands that were featured on Headbangers Ball. During this time, he also ran another nightclub called the Bordello. Rachtman and the Cathouse club are featured in the Penelope Spheeris documentary, . During their heyday, they were also featured in Rolling Stone and Newsweek magazines. Rachtman also owns a skateboard company called Pool School. In the Summer of 2015, Rachtman became an ordained minister and performed his first marriage ceremony on August 15, 2015 at the Cathouse Live Concert at Irvine Meadows officiating the ceremony of Skye Hazard and Sean Kelehan of Omaha, Nebraska.
VH1
Rachtman Co-hosted the 2007 reunion show for Rock of Love, which starred his friend, Poison frontman Bret Michaels. Rachtman was also a dean on , which featured Sharon Osbourne as headmistress and contestants from Rock of Love seasons 1and 2, and he also hosted its reunion special, as well. In 2008, he hosted the reunion special for Rock of Love 2. In 2009, he again hosted the reunion special for Rock of Love Bus. He was last seen on Daisy of Love, a Rock of Love spin-off starring Daisy De La Hoya, Rachtman's friend and Rock of Love 2 runner-up.
Personal life
In 1999, he lived in Orange County, California. In 1994, Riki told Chris Cornell on a Soundgarden episode of The Headbanger's Ball that he used to live in New Zealand. In 2018, Rachtman tweeted that he had been drug and alcohol free for 30 years. In November 2014, he announced on his Facebook account that he would be moving to Charlotte, North Carolina. Every year Rachtman raises money and goes on a motorcycle ride throughout North America. It is called Riki's Ride, and so far has raised close to $50,000 for various charities. Riki is dating Lea Vendetta from the television showInkmaster. Together they live in Mooresville, North Carolina.
