Fox News host Greg Gutfeld pays tribute to Riley Gale of Power Trip | NME

Greg Gutfeld, one of the co-hosts of the Fox News talk show The Five, used yesterday’s edition of the programme (August 26) to pay tribute to Riley Gale, the late frontman of thrash metal band Power Trip who died earlier this week aged 34.

• Read more: A tribute to Power Trip’s Riley Gale, a self-styled ordinary guy who made a modern metal masterpiece

Despite differing political views – Gutfeld is a registered Libertarian, while Gale was outspokenly progressive – the two had struck up a friendship after the band objected to their music being used on The Five.

Wearing a Power Trip t-shirt given to him by Gale and describing the singer as “an all-around brilliant dude,” Gutfeld said that after he played two songs from the band’s acclaimed 2017 album ‘Nightmare Logic’ on the show, the band asked him on Twitter to “cease and desist”.

“But Riley wanted to talk about it so I called him up,” Gutfeld said. “The phone call lasted two and a half hours. We laughed at how people think it’s wrong for people who disagree to be friends. From that moment that’s what we became, friends. Good friends.”

He continued: “We met in Texas at a bar with his great dad and both came with me to my book signing where Riley actually helped unpack my books and hand them out. It was priceless, it was a blast. During this pandemic we talked often and a lot about everything under the sun.

“It was clear this period was hitting him pretty hard so we helped each other out. I wish I had done more, frankly. I’m going to miss him. Riley Gale, rest in rock, in peace.”

Gutfeld said in his tribute that the singer “died in his sleep,” however Gale’s cause of death remains unconfirmed. In keeping with requests from Gale’s family, he also directed fans wishing to donate in tribute to the singer to direct their funds to Dallas Hope Charities.