deceased
Modern Drummer is the world’s most widely read drum magazine, is dedicated entirely to the art of drumming and caters to the needs of amateur, semi-pro, and professional drummers.
Idris Muhammad Dies at Age 74
The funk and jazz drummer Idris Muhammad, who hailed from New Orleans and spent his recent years playing with pianist Ahmad Jamal, passed away this week at age seventy-four. Muhammad’s friend Dan Williams, who's worked with the New Orleans Jazz &…
Session Percussionist Joe Lala Passes
Joe Lala, a busy session percussionist credited with having played on dozens of gold and platinum records, died on March 18 after a battle with cancer. Lala was born on November 3, 1947, in Florida, where he co-founded the band…
Stooges Drummer Scott Asheton Passes
By Robert Matheu Modern Drummer learned of the death this past weekend of Scott Asheton, drummer with the seminal Ann Arbor, Michigan, band the Stooges; his passing was noted in several media reports and on Stooges singer Iggy Pop’s Facebook…
Drum Instructor Sam Ulano Passes
Sam Ulano, a beloved yet controversial player and instructor who Modern Drummer readers will recognize from the many ads he ran in the magazine over the years, passed away last week, at the age of ninety-three. MD published an interview…
Drummer Joseph M. LaCaze Passes
Joseph M. LaCaze, New Orleans native and drummer for the band EyeHateGod, Mystick Krewe of Clearlight, and Outlaw Order, and who was known for performing ceremonial voodoo drumming in numerous solo experimental electronics projects, passed away on August 23 in…
Alan Myers of Devo Passes
Alan Myers, the drummer with iconic new wave band Devo during the group’s peak period, died this week following a battle with cancer. Myers appeared on Devo’s first six albums, Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!, Duty…
Jefferson Airplane/Starship Drummer Joey Covington Dies
Joey Covington, who was a member of the legendary West Coast band Jefferson Airplane, died in a car crash this past Tuesday. He was sixty-seven years old. Covington became a professional drummer as a young teenager, taking gigs in, among…
Marvin McQuitty Passes
Drummer Marvin McQuitty, who collaborated with everyone from the gospel artists Fred Hammond and Israel & New Breed to the pop stars Stevie Wonder and Jessica Simpson, passed away this week at age forty-six. MD sends condolences to his family…
Industry Vet Ray Enhoffer Passes
Drum industry veteran Raymond J. Enhoffer passed away suddenly at the age of sixty-four this past June 30. According to Jim Rockwell, managing director at Filament Solutions, and a longtime friend and colleague, Ray will be remembered by his many friends…
Crowded House Drummer Peter Jones Passes
Peter Jones, who played drums with Crowded House (“Don’t Dream It’s Over,” “Something So Strong,” “Weather With You”) in the mid-’90s, has passed away. In 1994 Jones replaced Paul Hester, who, following a long battle with depression, took his own…
Former Twisted Sister/Dictators Drummer Rich Teeter Passes
Rich Teeter, who served in two New York hard rock institutions—Twisted Sister and the Dictators—passed away on April 10 following a battle with esophageal cancer. He was sixty-one. Teeter, who was also a twenty-plus-year employee at music retailer Sam…
Longtime NRBQ Drummer Tom Ardolino Passes
Tom Ardolino, former drummer of the legendary rock ’n’ roll group NRBQ, passed away on January 6, at the age of fifty-six. The band announced Ardolino’s death on its Facebook page, adding, “Tom will be missed but his spirit lives…
Jazz Great Paul Motian Passes
Paul Motian, who was among the most well-regarded musicians of the post-bop era, passed away today (November 22) at the age of eighty. Motian was particularly known as a fine trio drummer—a reputation he gained largely from his work with…
In Memoriam: Willie “Big Eyes??? Smith
Willie “Big Eyes” Smith, one of the great practitioners of a true American art form, was lost to blues fans around the world when he passed on September 16, 2011. The harmonica player, drummer, singer, and composer, who gained international…
