Sad news for rock fans.
Legendary Spinal Tap drummer Ric Parnell has died at the age of 70.
Parnell was also a onetime member of ATOMIC ROOSTER, a 1970s British hard rock/progressive rock band which was led by extraordinary keyboardist Vincent Crane.
Ric played drums on solo albums for RADIO BIRDMAN‘s Deniz Tek, who paid tribute to his friend in a social media post on Sunday (May 1). He wrote:
“Ric Parnell died early this morning.
“From day one, meeting him, I found him to be engaging, warm, and delightfully funny. We hit it off as pals immediately. He had a cheerful spirit that made you feel good, just being around him.
“Ric‘s amazing history in the music world is well known. I had the great good fortune to work with Ric on three albums. Studio time was casual, fun, and scattered with stories and humor. Ric never actually prepared for a session, but would come up with the beat and the arrangement on the spot. He would say ‘How does this next song go?’ I’d play it to him on a guitar, and he’d think about it for a minute. Then he would say ‘Right! Got something.’ Then he would nail it in one or two takes, and it was as perfect as it gets.
“Ric was one of a kind. He lives on in his music, and in our hearts.”