In Memoriam: Robert “Pops” Popwell
Robert “Pops” Popwell, who played with The Young Rascals and The Crusaders, has passed away. He was 70 years old.
Born in Daytona Beach, Florida in 1946, Popwell started his career in the ’60s. He quickly got work in the jazz and R&B worlds. In 1970 alone, he recorded with Doris Duke, Hubert Laws, Deryll Inman, The Atlanta Disco Band, Johnny Jenkins, and Livingston Taylor. The early ’70s also saw him recording for The Rascals on their albums Peaceful World and The Island of Real and joining the fusion group The Crusaders, with whom he would record for most of the decade.
Popwell’s other recording credits include Aretha Franklin, B.B. King, Bob Dylan, Smokey Robinson, Al Jarreau, George Benson, and more. Showing his versatility, the bassist also toured with artists like Bette Midler and Olivia Newton-John. He’s featured in the film Hard to Hold with Rick Springfield.
Check out Popwell with The Crusaders performing “Spiral” (monster bass solo at 3:40):
Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Robert “Pops” Popwell.
In his time with No Treble, Kevin has met hundreds of amazing bassists and interviewed icons like Jack Casady, Victor Wooten, Les Claypool, Marcus Miller, and more. He's a gigging bassist performing jazz in Northern Virginia and bluegrass with The Plate Scrapers up and down the East Coast. Kevin appreciates all genres of music, from R&B to metal and everything in between. Connect with Kevin on Facebook and check his performance schedule on his website.
