On this day (March 18) in 2014, Joe Lala died from lung cancer at the age of 66. He was an in-demand session drummer who played with some of the most influential bands of the 1970s. For instance, he played with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, the Byrds, Jackson Browne, and more. He was also a member of Manassas. Later, he appeared in Miami Vice, General Hospital, Melrose Place, Seinfeld, and Who\u2019s the Boss. Lala also took voice acting jobs in multiple animated series and video games.<\/p>\n
Lala started playing drums in several bands around his hometown of Ybor City, Florida. Then, he co-founded Blues Image in 1966. They released their self-titled debut album in 1969. A year later, they released their sophomore album, Open, which contained \u201cRide Captain Ride.\u201d The song peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, giving the band their only hit. They broke up later that year.<\/p>\n
[RELATED: Behind the Meaning of the Song: \u201cOhio\u201d by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young]<\/a><\/p>\n While Blues Image was over, Lala wasn\u2019t done playing drums. Rodney Justo, a member of the Atlanta Rhythm Section and a longtime acquaintance of Lala, spoke to the Tampa Bay Times<\/a> about the drummer after his passing. \u201cTampa had a crazy list of really good drummers. He couldn\u2019t crack the upper regime,\u201d he recalled. Then, he started playing congas, and multiple doors opened. \u201cI didn\u2019t know anybody who really played the congas until I met Joe. Had an authenticity, is what he had.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe Lala Played Percussion for the stars.<\/p>\n He was a percussionist of many talents. As a result, he can be heard on a long list of hit songs and albums. For instance, he played congas on the Bee Gees\u2019 1976 No. 1 \u201cYou Should Be Dancing.\u201d He played a wide range of percussion on Barbara Streisand\u2019s 1980 album Guilty and Whitney Houston\u2019s self-titled debut album.<\/p>\n A case of carpal tunnel stopped him from performing full-time. However, he still took select gigs. He recorded with Dolly Parton, Rod Stewart, and others. Additionally, he toured with the Byrds in the final days of the band.<\/p>\n A Change of Pace<\/p>\n