Paul Revere of ’60s Raiders rock band dies at 76 By DERRIK J. LANG AP Entertainment Writer
Roger Hart, manager for Paul Revere and the Raiders, said Paul Revere died Saturday at his home in Garden Valley, Idaho, from cancer.
LOS ANGELES — Paul Revere, the organist and leader of the Raiders rock band, has died. He was 76.
Roger Hart, manager for Paul Revere and the Raiders, said he died Saturday at his home in Garden Valley, Idaho, from cancer.
“He’d been quiet about it for some time,” Hart said. “Treated at the Mayo Clinic, Paul stayed on the road as long as he could, then retired recently back to Idaho, where he and his wife, Sydney, always kept a home.”
Revere, born Paul Revere Dick, became known as “the madman of rock and roll” for his theatrical colonial wardrobe and infectious onstage persona with the band.
“From Day 1, we’ve always been a party band that accidentally had some hit records and accidently got on a hit television series,” Revere told The Associated Press in a 2000 interview.
The group launched its career in 1963 with a popular rendition of Richard Berry’s “Louie, Louie” before releasing its own hits, such as “Kicks,” “Hungry” and “Good Thing.” The band’s biggest smash came in 1971 with “Indian Reservation.”
Paul Revere and the Raiders served as the house band for the Dick Clark TV show “Where the Action Is” and made an appearance as themselves in the “Batman” TV series starring Adam West.
While the band’s line-up changed over the past 50 years, Revere remained a constant presence with the group and he continued touring until earlier this year.
“I don’t want to get into the details but let’s just say, it ain’t fun,” Revere wrote last year of his battle with cancer. “It’s been rough getting through the last few shows, but I would do whatever it takes to avoid missing a show. I’m giving it my all, and then some, and the band tells me I’ve been even more awesome than usual.
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"For this is what America is all about. It is the uncrossed desert and the unclimbed ridge. It is the star that is not reached and the harvest that is sleeping in the unplowed ground." Lyndon Baines Johnson
Paul Revere of ’60s Raiders rock band dies at 76 .
Old news. Read all about it hours before you did your copy/paste just for the sake of posting to appear intelligent
Optimists close their eyes and pretend problems are non existent. Better to have open eyes, see the truths, acknowledge the negatives, and speak up for the people rather than the politicos and their rich cronies.
"The Madman of Rock & Roll" was known for his unique outfits, infectious stage persona and garage rock hits
by Daniel Kreps | October 5, 2014 -- RollingStone Paul Revere, organist and ringleader of the long-running rock band the Raiders, passed away October 4th at his home in Idaho, the band's official website revealed. Revere was 76. No cause of death was revealed, but TMZ reports that Revere (born Paul Revere Dick) battled with cancer over the past year. Thanks to his colorful clothing and infectious stage persona, Revere earned a reputation as "the madman of rock & roll." He and his Raiders scored a handful of hits throughout their five decades together, including their anti-drug smash "Kicks."
In a long letter written to Revere on the band's official website, the organist is remembered from a fan's perspective. "Like most people, my initial introduction to you was on television, radio and records, but none of those mediums gave me a real clue to the one-of-a-kind life force that was Paul Revere," the letter reads. "Sitting in an audience at my first Paul Revere and The Raiders concert introduced me to a larger-than-life dynamo of high-energy slapstick, outrageous and spontaneous humor and a genuine child-like joy. Everyone in attendance just knew that you MUST be a wonderful person offstage too, no doubt about it."
Known for their Revolutionary War-style attire – like something the real Paul Revere or the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band would wear – and their memorable organ riffs, Paul Revere and the Raiders got their start in 1963 with a cover of Richard Berry's "Louie, Louie," which they recorded the same year as the Kingsmen, who had much more success with the single. However, Revere and his Raiders scored four Top Ten singles in the Sixties with "Kicks," "Hungry," "Good Thing" and "Him or Me, What's It Gonna Be." Their biggest triumph came in 1971 with "Indian Reservation (The Lament of the Cherokee Reservation Indian)." A cover of a John D. Loudermilk-penned track, the Raiders' rendition became an unlikely smash, hitting Number One on the Billboard chart in July 1971 and selling over a million copies.
Revere and Raiders lead singer Mark Lindsay co-wrote a quasi-sequel to "Louie, Louie" called "Louie Go Home," which was subsequently covered by a young David Bowie and the Who. The Raiders had endured countless lineup changes throughout the years, including Lindsay's departure in 1975, but Revere was the one constant since they first formed as the Downbeats in Boise, Idaho in 1958. Two years later, they became Paul Revere and the Raiders, a name that stuck for over half a century.
In July 2014, Revere penned a Facebook post revealing that he was dealing with some ailments. "Even though I've had some health issues, nothing can stop the old man. I'm like the Energizer Bunny! I jump on my tour bus and go from city to city, packing a trunk full of great Raider songs, tight pants and bad jokes - all against doctor's orders, by the way," Revere wrote. "I've been the worst patient these guys have ever seen, and they've been on me to take a break all year." Despite doctors' request that he take a break, Revere and his Raiders still booked shows well into 2015.
"But now you have passed on. By your example, both professional and personal, you've left a blueprint of how to live a life full of love, laughter and happiness," the letter to Revere on the band's site concludes. "The world will be a lot less fun, a lot less kind and gentle without Paul Revere in it. Your larger-than-life absence will leave a void in our hearts and our lives."
George Amedore & Christian Klueg for NYS Senate 2016 Pete Vroman for State Assembly 2016[/size][/color]
"For this is what America is all about. It is the uncrossed desert and the unclimbed ridge. It is the star that is not reached and the harvest that is sleeping in the unplowed ground." Lyndon Baines Johnson