SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 SCHEDULE 13G Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 Rayovac Corporation (Name of Issuer) Common Stock, $.01 par value per share (Title and Class of Securities) 755081 10 6 (CUSIP Number)CUSIP No. 755081 10 6 Page 2 of 6 (1) Names of Reporting Person Thomas H. Lee Equity Advisors III, L.P. S.S. or I.R.S. Identification Nos. of Above Person 04 3279882 (2) Check the Appropriate Box if a Member of a Group (a) ___. (b) _X_. (3) SEC Use Only (4) Citizenship or Place of Organization Massachusetts Number of (5) Sole Voting Power -0- Shares Beneficially (6) Shared Voting Power 15,331,405 Owned by Each Reporting (7) Sole Dispositive Power -0- Person With (8) Shared Dispositive Power 15,331,405 (9) Aggregate Amount Beneficially Owned by Each Reporting Person - 15,331,405 (10) Check if Aggregate Amount in Row (9) Excludes Certain Shares __________. (11) Percent of Class Represented by Amount in Row 9 - 56% (12) Type of Reporting Person PN CUSIP No. 755081 10 6 Page 3 of 6 Item 1(a). Name of Issuer: Rayovac Corporation Item 1(b). Address of Issuer's Principal Executive Offices: 601 Rayovac Drive Madison, WI 53711-2492 Item 2(a). Name of Person Filing: See Item (1) of the cover pages Item 2(b). Address of Principal Business Office: c/o Thomas H. Lee Company 75 State Street Boston, MA 02109 Item 2(c). Citizenship: See item (4) of cover pages Item 2(d). Title of Class of Securities: Common Stock Item 2(e). CUSIP Number: 755081 10 6 Item 3. Nature of Person Filing: Not applicable CUSIP No. 437608 10 2 Page 3 of 6 Item 4. Ownership: (a) Amount Beneficially Owned: See item (9) of cover pages (b) Percent of Class: See Item (11) of cover pages (c) Number of shares as to which such person has: (i) sole power to vote or to direct the vote: See item (5) of cover pages (ii) shared power to vote or to direct the vote: See item (6) of cover pages (iii) sole power to dispose or to direct the disposition of: See item (7) of cover pages (iv) shared power to dispose or to direct the dispositon of: See item (8) of cover pages Note: Due to an existing arrangement among the reporting person, Thomas H. Lee Foreign Fund III, L.P. and Thomas H. Lee Equity Fund III, L.P., the reporting person may be deemed to beneficially own an aggregate of 894,341 shares owned by Thomas H. Lee Foreign Fund III, L.P. and 14,437,064 shares owned by Thomas H. Lee Equity Fund III, L.P. The reporting person disclaims beneficial ownership of such shares. Item 5. Ownership of Five Percent or Less of Class: Not Applicable CUSIP No. 755081 10 6 Page 4 of 6 Item 6. Ownership of More than Five Percent on Behalf of Another Person: Not applicable Item 7. Identification and Classification of the Subsidiary Which Acquired the Security Being Reported on By the Parent Holding Company: Not applicable Item 8. Identification and Classification of Members of the Group: Not applicable Item 9. Notice of Dissolution of Group: Not applicable CUSIP No. 755081 10 6 Page 5 of 6 Item 10. Certification: Not applicable. CUSIP No. 755081 10 6 Page 6 of 6 Signature After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and correct. THOMAS H. LEE EQUITY ADVISORS III, LIMITED PARTNERSHIP By: THL Equity Trust III, its General Partner By: /s/Thomas H. Lee Name: Thomas H. Lee Title: Trustee