Died On This Date (August 15, 2012) Bob Birch / Journeyman Bassist; Played With Elton John, Billy Joel, Cher
themusicsover Bob Birch
July 14, 1956 – August 15, 2012
Bob Birch was a respected bassist who worked both in the studio and on the road with some of pop music’s biggest stars. Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, Birch was exposed to the greats at Motown at an early age. Fist playing the saxophone, Birch won several awards while in school. He eventually took up the bass and earned a scholarship to Wayne State from which he graduated with a degree in music. During the early ’80s, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in music. During his early days in L.A., Birch played on a multi-platinum Jazzercise album. One of Birch’s first gigs as a touring bassist was for Jose Feliciano. In 1992, Birch was hired by Elton John and went on to be his primary touring and studio bassist. The list of artists Birch also performed live or recorded numbers in the dozens if not hundreds. It includes Billy Joel, Cher, George Michael, Stevie Wonder, Sting, Gregg Allman, Brian Wilson, and Bruce Hornsby. He also played on such soundtracks as The Scorpion King and The Replacements. Bob Birch died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound on August 15, 2012. He was 56.
Zombies founding member and guitarist Paul Atkinson passed away from liver and kidney disease on April 1, 2004. He was 58. While the Zombies failed to take off like so many other British Invasion bands of the early 1960s, their songs like “She’s Not There,” “Tell Her No,” and “Time Of The Season” will forever be remembered as key moments in the history of rock ‘n’ roll. And no worthy collection of psychedelic rock song is complete without “Time Of The Season,” which didn’t even become popular until long after the band had broken up in 1967. Atkinson went on to work for RCA Records as an A&R Rep where he was credited for signing Abba, Mr. Mister, Judas Priest and Bruce Hornsby.
