Died On This Date (March 24, 2010) John Ciambotti / Bassist For Clover; Played With Elvis Costello
themusicsover John Ciambotti
DOB Unknown – March 24, 2010
John Ciambotti was a respected bass player who, as part of the ’70s group Clover, played in Elvis Costello’s band for the recording of My Aim is True. Clover formed in 1967, and while building a San Francisco following, it served as a launching pad for the likes of Huey Lewis and Jeff Porcaro. In 1977, the group was hired to back Costello on what would be his much-lauded debut album. When Clover broke up in 1978, Ciambotti went on to be one of the industry’s most reliable session players. He has played on landmark recordings by the likes of Carlene Carter, John Prine and Lucinda Williams. In recent years, Ciambotti worked as a chiropractor and holistic healer specializing on musicians. On March 24, John Ciambotti, age 67, died of an apparent abdominal aneurysm.
Rod Price was one of rock music’s greatest slide guitarists. Best known as for his work as lead guitarist for Foghat, Price’s electrifying assault helped propel the band to the top of the pack in America during the 1970s. After leaving the band in 1980, Price pretty much vanished from the music scene until he re-joined the group in the mid-90s. They were never able to recapture the glory, so they again parted ways in 1999 when Foghat’s singer, 
An avid surfer, drummer Don Murray spent much of his youth surfing along the south bay area of Southern California. During high school he joined a Westchester band called the Nightriders, which included Al Nichols (guitar), Howard Kaplan (tenor sax), Chuck Portz (bass), and Glen Wilson (drums). According to Mark Volman, “The name would change again to The Crossfires with the addition of Dale Walton on Rhythm guitar and Mark Volman on sax. Dale would eventually be replaced by Tom Stanton. Jim Tucker would replace Stanton and that line-up of Nichol, Kaylan, Portz, Murray, Kaplan (Kaylan) & Volman would become the Turtles.” On January 1, 1996, Murray entered the surf for what would be his last time. Just two days later he was admitted into the hospital for a routine ulcer surgery. He died from post- operative complications two months later.
After World War II ended, the big band sound began to lose its luster and smaller boogie woogie, western swing, honky-tonk and rhythm & blues combos began taking hold across America. It was inventor Leo Fender who figured out that the electric guitar was about to gain massive popularity with musician’s and audiences alike, so he set out to create one that was easy to hold, easy to tune and easy to play. And so came the birth of the Fender Stratocaster, and the company and lifestyle that would bear his name. Fender passed away in 1991 from complications of Parkinson’s Disease, but not before giving to us the guitar-of-choice of so many legends of pop music.