In Memoriam: Tim Drummond

Another fantastic session bassist has left us. Tim Drummond, who worked with artists ranging from James Brown to Bob Dylan to Neil Young, has passed away at the age of 74. A cause of death has not been announced.

Drummond was born in Canton, Illinois in 1940. He honed his craft in the clubs around Cincinnati, Ohio where he would eventually work with acts like Hank Ballard and James Brown, who eventually brought him into his full time band in the late ’60s. The bassist toured the world with Brown and recorded tracks like “Licking Stick.” Brown once stated, “Tim’s not a white bass player, he’s my bass player.”

After quitting Brown’s band, Drummond moved to Nashville to do more session work but ultimately moved to California. He met Neil Young in the early ’70s and played on the groundbreaking 1972 album Harvest. Subsequently, he would contributed to every one of Young’s albums up until 1980’s Hawks & Doves, as well as several more since then.

Drummond’s resume also includes work with Miles Davis, Lonnie Mack, J.J. Cale, John Mayall, Rick Danko, Bob Dylan, and many more. Besides bass work, he co-wrote the song “Saved” for Dylan’s Slow Train Coming as well as Cale’s “Who’s Talking” and Ry Cooder’s “Down in Hollywood.”

Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Tim Drummond.