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R.I.P., Robert Nix (Atlanta Rhythm Section)


Jahfin

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I'm so sorry to read this sad news, Jafrin. Ronnie passed away just last year, didn't he? ARS is another band whose music brings back a unique time and place for me.

Yes, he did but I had to look it up to confirm. I've never followed the Atlanta Rhythm Section all that closely so that news passed me by. Back when I first heard of them I wasn't all that taken with them but after a friend filled me on what good musicians they are (and were), I decided to check them out the next time they came to town. I probably saw them around 3 times back in the 80's when they'd play Roadies in Goldsboro, NC. My friend was right, they were (and still are) damn good musicians and I always enjoyed seeing them live.

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I'm shocked how many musicians are dying. Maybe I just never noticed before.

I haven't researched it or anything but I think it's safe to say there has been an inordinate amount of musicians that have passed away so far this year. Also, you have people like Booker T (of Booker T and the MGs) posting about the passings of folks like Chris Ethridge (Flying Burrito Brothers) on their Twitter/Facebook feeds. Unfortunately, even the majority of the mainstream music press doesn't even report these deaths so in all likelihood, we wouldn't even hear about them otherwise. In fact, it was Booker T that first posted about Levon Helm falling ill again several weeks ago before it was ever reported by the mainstream press. Most of those outlets didn't even mention it until Robbie Robertson gave Levon a shoutout during the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremonies shortly after Booker T's post on Twitter. That's the world we're living in in 2012. I don't have a hard time dealing with it, especially when the source is a credible one such as Booker T but that isn't always the case.

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Yes, he did but I had to look it up to confirm. I've never followed the Atlanta Rhythm Section all that closely so that news passed me by. Back when I first heard of them I wasn't all that taken with them but after a friend filled me on what good musicians they are (and were), I decided to check them out the next time they came to town. I probably saw them around 3 times back in the 80's when they'd play Roadies in Goldsboro, NC. My friend was right, they were (and still are) damn good musicians and I always enjoyed seeing them live.

That's similar to how it was with me too: I wasn't all that taken with ARS at first but a friend (who was more more adept than I at identifying good musicians and bands) persuaded me to check them out.

I'm shocked how many musicians are dying. Maybe I just never noticed before.

I think there have many more this year than in the past (it seems there is at least one a week, sometimes more). I usually don't notice such things but this year seems to have been exceptionally bad for the music world.

I haven't researched it or anything but I think it's safe to say there has been an inordinate amount of musicians that have passed away so far this year. Also, you have people like Booker T (of Booker T and the MGs) posting about the passings of folks like Chris Ethridge (Flying Burrito Brothers) on their Twitter/Facebook feeds. Unfortunately, even the majority of the mainstream music press doesn't even report these deaths so in all likelihood, we wouldn't even hear about them otherwise. In fact, it was Booker T that first posted about Levon Helm falling ill again several weeks ago before it was ever reported by the mainstream press. Most of those outlets didn't even mention it until Robbie Robertson gave Levon a shoutout during the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremonies shortly after Booker T's post on Twitter. That's the world we're living in in 2012. I don't have a hard time dealing with it, especially when the source is a credible one such as Booker T but that isn't always the case.

I hesitated about posting about Chris Ethridge's passing here. My friends and I had followed Chris's career from the Burritos through his session work (he played with some of our favorite artists) so we discussed his life and career at length when he passed. I wasn't sure if it would be of interest here so I didn't post (maybe you did and I missed it).

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That's similar to how it was with me too: I wasn't all that taken with ARS at first but a friend (who was more more adept than I at identifying good musicians and bands) persuaded me to check them out.

The friend that pointed that out to me is also a musician so that probably had a lot to do with it. I recognized the musicianship in "So Into You" and "Imaginary Lover" but the soft rock side of those songs just didn't appeal to me. Also you have some cases where bands known for being exceptional studio musicians don't veer much (or any) from that blueprint on stage. I don't recall ARS being wild improvisers in a live setting but they definitely knew how to wow an audience.

I hesitated about posting about Chris Ethridge's passing here. My friends and I had followed Chris's career from the Burritos through his session work (he played with some of our favorite artists) so we discussed his life and career at length when he passed. I wasn't sure if it would be of interest here so I didn't post (maybe you did and I missed it).

Yep, I posted about it here. I know there used to be several fans of the Burrito Brothers and Gram Parsons here but that was before FB, Twitter and the like really took off and those members disappeared. As I've mentioned to others, it's hard to gauge interest on any given topic but it doesn't hurt to take a chance, you'll never know if you don't. The worst that will happen is the thread will drift off of the page.

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From UltimateClassicRock.com:

ORIGINAL ATLANTA RHYTHM SECTION DRUMMER ROBERT NIX DIES

by Billy Dukes

Robert-Nix.jpg

Tom Hill, Getty Images

During a career that spanned five decades, Robert Nix held down the beat for many famous rock ‘n’ rollers while writing and recording songs with the band he helped start in 1970. The co-founder and longtime drummer for the Atlanta Rhythm Section died on Sunday morning (May 20), according to a statement on the band’s Facebook page.

“Our thoughts today are with Robert Nix, our founding drummer, who passed away this morning,” a statement attributed to co-founder and vocalist Rodney Justo reads. Few details about the circumstances of Nix’s death have been released. The band has yet to respond to a request for more information.

Nix, like Justo, got his start as part of Roy Orbison’s band the Candymen. During the ’60s and ’70s however, he freelanced to befriend and jam with southern rockers like the Allman Brothers Band and Ronnie Van Zant, while spending time with the era’s A-listers like the Beatles, Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin. He recounted his story in an undated interview with Sweet Home Music.

Along with lending his talents to Lynyrd Skynyrd‘s ‘Tuesday’s Gone,’ Nix wrote and recorded songs on nine ARS records. ‘Spooky,’ ‘So Into You’ and ‘Champagne Jam’ (the title-track from the band’s platinum selling album from 1978) were co-written by Nix. He was with the Atlanta Rhythm Section from 1971 to 1979.

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Nix' obituary from The Florida Times-Union:

Drummer Robert Nix, whose career began in Jacksonville, died Sunday

by Heather Lovejoy

Robert Nix, a drummer whose music career began in Jacksonville, died on Sunday morning at age 67. Early on, he played in Roy Orbison's backing band Candymen, then went on to co-found the Atlanta Rhythm Section.

He had been living just outside Memphis. His brother, Michael Nix of Jacksonville, said he had sugar diabetes and was in the hospital for more than a month after undergoing surgery.

Robert Nix grew up in Jacksonville and graduated from Paxon Senior High School in 1962. He was close friends with Ronnie Van Zant of Lynyrd Skynyrd since childhood, his brother said. He played on the song "Tuesday's Gone" on the band's debut album, "(Pronounced 'lĕh-'nérd 'skin-'nérd)."

After Van Zant's death in 1977, Robert Nix purchased the Van Zant home in Doctor's Inlet, and he lived there for many years, his brother said.

He was working on a book about his life in the music industry, "The Days of Love and Blood," but his brother said the family is unsure if any of it will be published.

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http://www.youtube.c...e&v=WpPdLb69-qk

ARS

So into you

excellent stuff...

It's funny ....I was just re-reading through this thread and it was my friend Kevin, who is an unbelievable musician, that got me into them..

There were so many great bands and songs in the 70's that some were taken for granted back then...

I hear them now and there's a whole new greater appreciation..

smooth, excellent music and drumming...

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