Died On This Date (November 5, 2025) Gilson Lavis / Former Drummer For Squeeze and Jools Holland
themusicsover Gilson Lavis
August 22, 1947 – November 2, 2025
Gilson Lavis, the sharp-suited drummer whose steady hand helped steer Squeeze through the ’70s and ’80s and later became the rhythmic heart of Jools Holland’s Rhythm & Blues Orchestra, has died at 74.
Born David Leslie Gilson Lavis in Bedford, England, he began his career behind the kit for touring greats like Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Dolly Parton before joining Squeeze in 1976. His crisp, economic playing drove the band’s most enduring songs, “Cool for Cats,” “Up the Junction,” “Tempted,” and “Black Coffee in Bed,” and helped define the snap and swagger of late-’70s British pop.
After parting ways with Squeeze in the early ’90s, Lavis reunited with frontman Jools Holland, becoming a fixture in Holland’s big band for more than three decades. Whether on Later… with Jools Holland or live on stage, his drumming remained impeccable: unflashy, unshakable, and always in service of the song.
Besides music, Lavis enjoyed painting, turning his eye toward portraiture with the same precision he once brought to rhythm. His works, often portraits of the musicians he admired, found gallery walls and private collections, proof that his creative drive was as restless as ever.
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