Buddy Rich's dying words

John Drury · Post by **John Drury** » 8 Mar 2001 7:42 pm

Jeremy's post reminded me of an article I saw in Scottys newsletter shortly after Buddy passed away. Toward the end in the hospital, he was rolling back and forth in the bed and moaning loudly, a nurse came in and asked "Mr. Rich, is there something that is making you uncomfortable?" He said, yes, Country Music, then rolled over and died.

John Drury
NTSGA #0003

Rick Schmidt · Post by **Rick Schmidt** » 8 Mar 2001 11:28 pm

I've heard that he did in fact say that while at a hospital, but not on his death bed. A nurse asked if he was allergic to anything, and he answered, "yeah....Country Western". Funny how urban legends like this start to mutate over the years.

I also heard one about Django Rheinhardt. Supposedly his last words were to his son right before he checked out...."you'll never be the great guitarist I am, so you might as well give up"

Now that would be cold!

John Lacey · Post by **John Lacey** » 10 Mar 2001 8:04 am

While driving down a street in L.A. years ago, Buddy Emmons almost ran into Buddy Rich crossing the street. Wouldn't that have made for some headlines!

Earl Erb · Post by **Earl Erb** » 10 Mar 2001 9:12 am

It has been my understanding for many years that Buddy was a master of the marshal arts,so why would he not feel free to treat people like $hit knowing that they might end up dead if he was confronted.Most musicians don't like the thought of getting their fingers broke or their lips busted.I admired his talent but he was an A1 a$$hole and a prick...I heard the tape.

Al Udeen · Post by **Al Udeen** » 10 Mar 2001 2:19 pm

Several yrs ago, BR&Band were setting up at the old Prom Ballroom in St.Paul, Mn. A guy walk up & says, "I hope your going to play some polkas", at which BR turned to the band & says, Same F***ing Farmers, and they all packed up & split!

Sam Marshall · Post by **Sam Marshall** » 10 Mar 2001 7:08 pm

I remember seeing a review in downbeat in the record review section. Buddy Rich had recently made caustic comments about country music in an interview. In the record review, they had ganged together his latest record and a Charlie Daniels record. Their opinion was the Charlie Daniels record was superior!

Sam in AZ

Bob Hayes · Post by **Bob Hayes** » 13 Mar 2001 9:34 am

The story that I heard years ago is..that durring an interview..BR was asked what he thought of either country music or country music musicians. He basicly said they or it wasn'r worth a s--- or they didn't know what talent was ...something like that..I lost all of the respect that I had for MR BR
Bob

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 13 Mar 2001 9:50 am

While driving down a street in L.A. years ago, Buddy Emmons almost ran into Buddy Rich crossing the street. Wouldn't that have made for some headlines!

Just shows you that even Buddy Emmons is not infallible, and is capable of occasionally not getting the job done.

------------------
Herb's Steel Guitar Pages
Texas Steel Guitar Association

Ric Epperle · Post by **Ric Epperle** » 13 Mar 2001 11:15 am

I wonder if anybody told BR that a typical 4 piece combo has 3 musicians and a drummer..

Frank Parish · Post by **Frank Parish** » 13 Mar 2001 3:54 pm

There's a website for Buddy Rich or at least there was one a while back. You can read some of the stuff he said word for word to his musicians. I always loved Rich and Krupa for their ability because I started on the drums. Rich may have been the greatest drummer of our time but he gave his band pure hell all the time. I once met a sax player that was put out of their bus just outside Vegas in the desert. He had to walk forever! Rich had a brain hemmorage on the way home from the hospital in 1986 the best I remember. Some of the guys in the band recorded his tirades without him knowing.

Jason Odd · Post by **Jason Odd** » 13 Mar 2001 4:36 pm

It's weird, we all know that Rich was a mean, violent, rude and objectionable personality and bandleader.
Your classic child star that lost his fame, then had to grow up and reclaim the throne sort of thing, but he could be strangely supportive of junkie members of his group and give them breaks he would never tolerate in anyone else. Sure he'd eventually fire them, but he would hang on to them a little longer than others.
Even when he hired Art Pepper in 1968, Art was totally down and out and had spent most of the last eight years in and out of prisons and rehab clinics, he didin't even have a instrument when Buddy hired him, in fact Buddy didin't even get to fire Art, Art left due to ill health at the time.

Buddy, one weird ass bastard.

John Steele · Post by **John Steele** » 14 Mar 2001 8:34 am

Anyone searching for signs of Buddy Rich's musical mortality should listen to the complete set of tracks from Norman Granz's recording session of June 6, 1950
A potentially stunning lineup for a record date (Thelonius Monk, Dizzy Gillespie, Curley Russell, Charlie Parker), the session descended into mayhem with the inclusion of Buddy Rich (whose style came from an earlier era). After 11 screwed-up takes of "Leap Frog", during which Bird can be heard to groan "What in the WORLD is going on here?!?" it becomes painfully evident that, while Rich was a great drummer, he sometimes found himself amongst company he could not keep up with. He just couldn't cut it.
He was not musically infallible either, in my humble opinion.
As my brother often says, take a Jerk, dress him in a suit, and all you end up with is a Jerk In A Suit.
-John

Manny Shuffles · Post by **Manny Shuffles** » 15 Mar 2001 9:25 pm

Funny how all you steelers only remember the good in your players. Asshole or no,t BR was the best there ever was bar none. So what that he knew it, you better take a close look at YOUR heroes. you'll find the same traits

------------------
swing it til' the wheels fall off!

John Drury · Post by **John Drury** » 17 Mar 2001 3:59 pm

Rick Schmidt:You could hardly call that an urban legend that mutated over the years, Scotty wrote that story in his newsletter only a couple months after Buddy croaked.

John Drury
NTSGA #0003[This message was edited by John Drury on 17 March 2001 at 07:14 PM.]

Jason Odd · Post by **Jason Odd** » 18 Mar 2001 8:08 am

Manny Shuffles......

Funny how all you steelers only remember the good in your players. Asshole or no,t BR was the best there ever was bar none. So what that he knew it, you better take a close look at YOUR heroes. you'll find the same traits

Do you seriously think that there are steel players who led bands, trashed the players, hated their employers, refused to play on ballads, were obsessed with cutting anyone else with a rep (Buddy was obsessed with beating Gene Kupra, although he was most likely better), cut albums with other peoples arrangements and not crediting them, yeah...... O.K sure.

Don't take it personally, but you're idol didn't have clay feet, but ones made of sh..... well you know.

Dude, my heroes include Red Rhodes, Speedy West, Jay Dee Maness, Tom Brumley, and Sneaky Pete Kleinow to name some.
I've have been in one form of communication with all bar Red Rhodes, the others have proven to be true gentlemen, humorous, charming, intelligent individuals who are aware of their place in music history.
Maybe I'm being harsh on Buddy, but he was the best for a period, and it seems he bitterly never forgave the world for the rest of his career.

Earl Erb · Post by **Earl Erb** » 18 Mar 2001 8:52 am

Jason,I couldn't have said it better.

John Drury · Post by **John Drury** » 18 Mar 2001 10:04 am

Good grief! This guy must have been a 24K Prick! I was only peripherally aware of him over the years, this is the first time I've heard any of the dirt on him. Sounds like one of those people that could brighten up a room just by walking out of it!

John Drury
NTSGA #0003

Al Udeen · Post by **Al Udeen** » 18 Mar 2001 9:29 pm

Going back to John Lacey's reply, about BE almost running over BR in LA, Can you imagine, the nurse telling BR that the guy that ran over him, plays Country Music!

Joel Glassman · Post by **Joel Glassman** » 28 Mar 2001 8:36 am

Buddy Rich tapes transcripts: http://carrothers.com/billyboy/actone.htm
Never mind...just noticed this page was posted in another thread.[This message was edited by Joel Glassman on 28 March 2001 at 08:55 AM.]

Joe Casey · Post by **Joe Casey** » 30 Mar 2001 11:21 am

The best there ever was? That's ones opinion, I think not.He was a Gene Krupa clone only he thought the drums should be featured over all. I was just looking for my Buddy Rich collection until I realized I never had one or wanted one..Let the A$$Hole rest in Piece.

------------------
CJC

[This message was edited by Joe Casey on 30 March 2001 at 11:24 AM.]

Jim Ashton · Post by **Jim Ashton** » 30 Mar 2001 8:37 pm

I started on the drums myself. I hear a lot of you saying that BR was the best there ever was. I would list him at least 3rd. Louis Bellson first and then Krupa. Also Bellson was the nicest of the three. MHO. Jim A...

Jody Carver · Post by **Jody Carver** » 1 Apr 2001 6:46 pm

Jim,,,,your comments were about as accurate as one can get,,,your opinion re Buddy,Louie& Gene.

I was going to start a story about my expierience with Buddy Rich,,,as he was a Rogers drums endorser at the time Rogers was owned by CBS Musical Instruments,,,Fender Rhodes Pianos,& Rogers Drums

Yes I heard that "infamous" tape on the bus ride,,,,that didnt alter the fact that he was a great drummer. I dealt with him on two occasions delivering his drum outfit to him when ever he was in New York, I cannot go into that at this time it is too invloved,,but an interesting story as well as it it long.

I did clinic's with Louie Bellson & he was a prince of a guy,,,his techinique different from Buddys's his special double bass drum thing was something to see and hear and a gentleman besides his great talent.

I didnt know gene Krupa as far as meeting him etc,,,but it;s difficult to say too much here about Buddy Rich,,,I would hate to think I would add to the negative comments about him,,,I saw a different kind of man in Buddy than he is known to be,,,Buddy had one man that knew him best and handled him as well ,,,his name was Ben D. Strauss ,,,Ben knew Buddy for years & years,,,Ben was the man who catered to Buddy and knew how to handle him.

Ben passed away about 1 1/2 years ago and there was a nice article about Ben in "Not so Modern drummer,",,,tells alot about
Buddy Rich. Most top name drummers respected him,Ed Shaughnessy, Bellson, Roy Burns (another Rogers marketing man) with much talent ,,,Charlie Persip, Shelley Mann
& they all agreed Buddy was the greatest,,

dont take me to task on this,,,please Iam only telling it like it was, Henry Adler Music on West 46th St was Buddys hangout when in NY ,,,there was a lot of good in Buddy Rich,,,and I hope he rests in peace,,,and if he heard all these negatives about him,,,it would make him happy and he would play harder and better,,,that was Buddy Rich....He was God, Bellson, a Prince of a guy,,,hard to choose from a standpoint of who was better...Bellson was by far much more likeable no question about that...if any of you ever run into Roy Burns( he has a drum accessory business in LA called "Aquarian" ask Roy, about Buddy,,,he knew him well,
I for one hope he rests in piece,,,but keep the tempo straight or he will return and "kick "butt" PS I have a great story about Buddy but would take up too much space on this thread,,,Iam known for my long stories,,,but it is interesting ,,,it may show a side of Buddy that nobody spoke about.
There was some good in him,,, Copyright (c)2001 by Jody Carver "All Rights Reserved"[This message was edited by Jody Carver on 16 May 2001 at 10:25 AM.] "Copyright (c)2001 by Jody Carver
"All Rights Reserved"[This message was edited by Jody Carver on 16 May 2001 at 10:35 AM.]

Mike Sweeney · Post by **Mike Sweeney** » 11 Apr 2001 10:04 am

This reminds me of a story. About a month after Buddy Rich died one of his former band members called his house and asked his wife if he could speak to Buddy his widdow said I'm sorry but Buddy is no longer alive. Oh the man said and hung up. About an hour later he called back and asked to speak to Buddy again the woman said I'm sorry but Buddy has passed away. Oh he said again and hung up. Well he called again about an hour later and asked,Is Buddy there? The woman was now getting mad and she said Look I've told you twice already that Buddy is dead. The man then said I know but I just wanted to hear it one more time. Mike Sweeney