Keith “Keef” Hartley April 8, 1944 – November 26, 2011
Photo by Jan Persson
Keef Hartley was a British drummer whose first notable gig came when he replaced Ringo Starr inRory Storm and the Hurricanes when Starr was hired away by the Beatles. It wouldn’t be a stretch in fact, to call Storm and his band equally popular as the Beatles throughout England – albeit during their early days only. Following his tenure with Storm, Hartley went on to play with John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers. He can be heard on such Mayall albums as The Blues Alone and Crusade. Hartley went on to form the Keef Hartley Band – a jazz rock combo in the vein of Chicago. In 1969, the group played Woodstock, but unfortunately followed Santana who had just played one of their greatest sets ever, so needless to say, they didn’t leave as lasting an impression as they might have otherwise. Hartley went on to release several albums that did moderately well over the years. Keef Hartley was 67 when he passed away on November 26, 2011. Cause of death was not immediately released.
Thanks to Henk de Bruin at 2+ Printing for the assist.
Robert Whitaker was a celebrated British photographer whose shots of the Beatles are some of the most iconic images in pop music history. Whitaker’s career in photography can be traced back to the late ’50s when he was attending college in Melbourne, Australia. It was while freelancing in 1964 that he had a chance meeting with Beatles manager,Brian Epstein while the band was in the midst of an Australian tour. That lead to numerous photo sessions with the band over the next few years, including one on March 25, 1966 where Whitaker captured the infamous image that shows John Lennon, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, and Paul McCartney wearing white lab coats and covered with baby doll parts, raw meat, and false teeth. The photo was selected for the band’s Yesterday and Today cover as seen below, but Capitol records quickly recalled it, but only after several thousand got it. The cover was changed making original copies of the “Butcher” cover extremely valuable to this day. Away from the Beatles, Whitaker photographed the likes of Gerry & The Pacemakers, the Seekers, Mick Jagger, and Cream who used his photos of band members within the collage of their Disraeli Gears album cover. Robert Whitaker continued to work in photography throughout the rest of his life, at times as a photojournalist for TIME and Life magazines. He was 71 when he passed away on September 20, 2011.
Thanks to Harold Lepidus and Scott Miller for the assist.
Lil Hardin-Armstrong
February 3, 1898 – August 27, 1971
Lil Hardin was an accomplished jazz pianist, singer, bandleader and prolific composer. She was also Louis Armstrong’s second wife. As a composer, she can count the following standards as her own, “Don’t Jive Me,” “Struttin’ With Some Barbecue,” “Just For A Thrill,” and “Bad Boy.” The latter two becoming hits for Ray Charles and Ringo Starr, respectively. Hardin performed and recorded well into the ’60s with many of jazz’s greatest names. When Louis Armstrong passed away in July of 1971, Hardin was devastated. Even though they had been divorced, Hardin took part in the funeral as if she were still family. Roughly six weeks later, while performing at a televised memorial to Armstrong, Lil Hardin collapsed at the piano and died later that evening. She was 73 years old.
Roddis “Pete” Drake
October 8, 1932 – July 29, 1988
L-R: Pete Drake, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Peter Frampton, Billy Preston
Pete Drake was an in-demand Nashville producer and pedal steel guitarist during the ’60s and ’70s. In 1950, Drake formed an Atlanta-based band that included Joe South, Doug Kershaw, Jerry Reed and Roger Miller. He later moved to Nashville where he played on hits by the likes of Bob Dylan, Lynn Anderson, Tammy Wynette, Joan Baez, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. While in Nashville he developed a unique device to play his guitar through – it was called a “talk box” and it would reach the masses in later recordings by Peter Frampton and Joe Walsh. Drake died of lung cancer on July 29, 1988.
Ben Keith (Born Bennett Schaeufle)
March 6, 1937 – July 26, 2010
Ben Keith was a successful Nashville session player, producer, and singer-songwriter who is perhaps best remembered for his many collaborations with Neil Young. Keith first began making a name for himself in Nashville during the ’50s and ’60s when he played on numerous country and early rock ‘n roll hits. That list includes his steel guitar on Patsy Cline’s “I Fall To Pieces.” During the early ’70s, Keith was invited to play on Young Harvest album that went on to become the most successful album of 1971 and spawned such rock staples as “Old Man” and “Heart Of Gold,” both of which featured Keith’s playing. That was the beginning of a nearly 40-year musical partnership that found Keith playing on over a dozen Young albums and in countless concerts. Over the course of his career, Keith also collaborated with a group of some of popular music’s most beloved artists. That list includes Waylon Jennings, Jewel, Warren Zevon, Willie Nelson, the Band, Johnny Cash, and Ringo Starr. He also released a handful of his albums. Ben Keith passed away on July 26, 2010 at the age of 73. Cause of death was not immediately released.