Dale 'Buffin' Griffin, Mott the Hoople Drummer, Dead at 67
News is too late to be LBN:
Dale "Buffin" Griffin, drummer and founding member of the Seventies glam rock group Mott the Hoople, passed away Sunday in his sleep following a long battle with Alzheimer's. He was 67. The band's manager Peter Purnell confirmed Griffin's death to the BBC, adding that the drummer was "one of the nicest, friendly and talented men I have ever known." Griffin's death comes just one week after the passing of David Bowie, who penned and produced Mott the Hoople's biggest hit, "All the Young Dudes."
After performing in series of bands in his native Herefordshire, Griffin along with bassist Pete Overend Watts, organist Verden Allen, singer/guitarist Ian Hunter and guitarist Mick Ralphs formally formed Mott the Hoople - named after a Willard Manus novel - in 1969. After a series of albums that were modestly received both commercially and critically, Mott the Hoople were on the verge of breaking up when Bowie, a fan of the band, offered them a pair of songs to record. After rejecting his "Suffragette City," Mott the Hoople opted to record "All the Young Dudes," which became the title track of the band's 1972 Bowie-produced LP. The smash single was named one of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
Mott the Hoople continued on for another few years before Allen, Hunter and Ralphs departed the group. Augmented by replacements like Spiders of Mars guitarist Mick Ronson, Griffin and Watts continued on under the moniker Mott. After releasing two albums under that name, following another series of lineup changes, Griffin and Watts recorded music as the British Lions. However, by 1980, Mott the Hoople and its offshoots had officially disbanded.
Nearly 30 years later, in 2009, Hunter announced that the five founding members of Mott the Hoople would reunite for a string of U.K. performances; unfortunately, Griffin, having recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer's, was unable to perform in the reunion gigs, although he did partake in the encores portion. "All he ever wanted was for his beloved Mott The Hoople to reform and it was his determination that achieved that very feat in 2009, but sadly by then he was too ill to perform at the five sold-out dates - though he did join the band for encores," Purnell told the BBC.
Dale "Buffin" Griffin, drummer and founding member of Mott the Hoople, passed away Sunday following a long battle with Alzheimer's.
Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/dale-buffin-griffin-mott-the-hoople-drummer-dead-at-67-20160118#ixzz3xjOtvkGx
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Were comparing notes with the checker and decided that we had ourselves a real good time from what we remember or don't remember -- and to hear he died of Alzheimer's Disease at 67 was a shocker!
Sad times indeed!
