Saturday, October 24, 2009

More about drummer Rod De'Ath


At this blog post a while back, I discussed Rod De'ath: My Favorite Rory Gallagher drummer . In that post, I indicated how I'd like to find out what has happened to Rod in the intervening years. There are various stories on the internet, including the obligatory death rumors, but I wanted to just throw some things out there in hopes some reader will set me straight on Rod and what happened to him.

For example, I found a blog history here at http://www.angelfire.com/rock3/yardbird_sect/secthistory2.html of a band called Downliner's Sect, which Rod joined in 1981. The article implies that he might had continued playing with the band for a few years, but doesn't say when he left the band. It goes on to say that by the late 80's Rod had "disappeared" and was presumed dead.

For years throughout the late 90's and 2000's, I would occasionally do a search to see if there was any new info on Rod De'Ath. In 2008, I found it here at http://www.wordmagazine.co.uk/content/valley-shadow-de039ath#.

Here's an interview with Rod at http://www.roryon.com/rod211.html that was apparently done in 1996. Since then, I've been able to find out nothing on what has happened to Rod in the intervening 13 years.

Along with playing with Downliner's Sect, he also did a couple of albums with his former Rory bandmate Lou Martin in a band called Ramrod. He also arranged a Screamin' Lord Sutch album. At some point he moved to America, living in New York City and got married and had a child.

According to these articles and interviews, Rod had then some sort of accident in which he lost an eye, was in an extended coma and suffered total memory loss. As of the interview of 1996, he said he had regained 95% of his memory.

This page http://www.ridingshotgun.co.uk/authors.html talks about a book by Gerry McAvoy, longtime bassist for Rory.






27 comments:

  1. rod is alive and well, living in north london. saw him in the pub tonight. can't say anymore as he might not want to be found...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Rod can be found most days drinking in The Shakespeare pub, Hackney.london
    i was speaking to him just a few days ago!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. ooohhh try to tell rod that there's million rory's fans that remember him like a amazing drummer!

    ReplyDelete
  4. ooohhh please tell rod that there's a million rory's fans that remember him like an amazing drummer.....let him read this page!

    ReplyDelete
  5. And tell Rod there's a Texas boy who thanks him for all the great drumming I learned from him by listening to records and watching vids of live Rory gigs. AND I'D LOVE TO KNOW HIS CYMBAL BRAND (I'm thinking Paiste) AND SIZES.

    I'll be visiting the UK hopefully later this year and will have to make a stop at this pub. What street is it on?

    ReplyDelete
  6. but there's no possibility that rod read here and leave a comment?maybe (i'm almost shure) for him it's important to know that there's still a lot of people that remember him and have to say thanks to him for what he doing in music


    a great fan from italy

    ReplyDelete
  7. One of the best drummers ever!

    ReplyDelete
  8. If there are messages getting to Rod, let him know that he is fondly remembered in Cork.

    ReplyDelete
  9. so...anonymous,you see rod in london usually??at shakespeare pub??
    tell to him about this blog please....maybe he can write here

    ReplyDelete
  10. I will write another post about this and the messages received here, but I don't wanna bug Rod. The dude's entitled to his space, I think. I certainly If someone does tell him about it, he's welcome to email me in my profile or post here. If he wanted to write a letter to post here to his fans and to all those who like me who were so influenced by his playing, then of course, I'd post it in a second.

    I wish I had the time and money to take off on an adventure, a quest, to London to hit the pubs looking for him, not to stalk him but to politely request a short interview to post here. But alas, absent a lotto winning, that's not likely to happen. Make a great indi movie though, as long as Rod agreed.

    Rod Rocks!

    ReplyDelete
  11. ooohh shure,it's far from me to bore rod!i think like you...just an indication about this blog page exist

    ReplyDelete
  12. same thing, not to bore Rod but just say him :" from France, all good mémories on his fascinating drumming with Rory (and Chuck Berry ! with the great Lou..) In my opinion, the best Rory line-up...the Rod playing was just amazing, subtle, lot of style and energy...a real master in his Art.. ps: thanxs for the blog, nice work !

    ReplyDelete
  13. Thanks Frederic for your nice words, and I think most of us posting on this thread are of a like mind about the "classic" Rory lineup.

    In all seriousness, if I ever crossed his path in a pub, I'd like to catch his tab, simply say to him "you made me a much better drummer than I would have been without you, and your music moved me." That's it. No boring glomming all over him or ruining his night. Just tell him thanks and move on.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Might ask for a picture if he seemed like he wouldn't mind. That would be cool.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I'm Rod's cousin, just found this blog. Met up with him & his wife at a pub in islington last Feb, my wife & I had been to the Clapton / Beck consert & had arranged to meet them for a drink. It was the first time I had seen him since 1977, so you can imagine how pleased we were to see him looking so well considering the horrific accident that he had had. Rod is a very private person, but I think he would be very pleased to know that he is remembered so fondly, & I will make him aware of this blog.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. it would be awesome if Rod did a facebook page so fans could communicate with him. Yeah I know you said he is a private person but it would be awesome. I love the guys drumming.Calling Card is one of my all time fave albums

      Delete
  16. Thanks for stopping by, Running Man, and I certainly don't want to invade Rod's privacy. As I think you see, my effort here is just some simple recognition for a great drummer who obviously moved many folks other than me. I'd love to have not any personal details of his current life, but I'd be very interested if he would like to send me an email about his time with Rory and his drumming. My email is in my profile.

    Most importantly, I just am glad he'll get to know that me and others like me learned from his drumming greatly. Although we've never met or communicated, trust me when I say he was as much one of my drum teachers during the 70's and 80's as were my physical teachers in Houston because of what I learned off of those records.

    In any event, glad he's doing well and tell him hello from one of his American fans.

    ReplyDelete
  17. big fan saw him in marquee club in 70's what a concert

    ReplyDelete
  18. I've been wanting to find news of Rod's whereabouts for over a decade but gave up a few years ago after a fruitless search by every means I could think of. Thought of him yesterday, so decided to have just one more try on the internet today and .... Bingo! ... loads of links came up including this blog. If anyone is still in touch with him please tell him that his brother (by his Dad's first marriage) would warmly welcome an opportunity to communicate with him in some way.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Rod played with the Mick Clark Band in Portland Oregon for a few years in the late eighties. It was no secret that Rod played with Rory, and Mick was sure happy to have him around.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Thanks for stopping by, Anon. Any youtube or webpage links to Mick Clark's Band would be welcome. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  21. On this day, the 16th anniversary of Rory's passing, I'd just like to pay a tribute to the 2nd best drummer in the World (IMHO) ever...........John Henry Bonham is my No.1

    Good luck to the man whatever he's up to.

    Rod is the power behind some of Rory's best and without that and good ol' Gerry lectric fingers McBass, made it the biggest and best trio this side of Budgie!!!!
    Fantastic blog here too.

    ReplyDelete
  22. I wish him the best wherever he is , he bought my first drum kit off me, I was in Singapore at the time in the RAF, and my mother wrote to say Rod wanted to buy it for 20 quid , which I did. When I eventually returned to Wisemans Bridge, never saw him as he, had gone to London and was getting a name as a drummer. By coincidence ended up living next door to his brother Dicky for a while in the 70's. When are you down West again boys : Rod one of the Frantics now !

    ReplyDelete
  23. It's funny how some of these posts try to minimize rod's talent. His drumming on Hot Coals blows me away every time. I remember Ted McKenna saying that the hardest thing to get used to at first playing with Rory was how brutal the pace was. Anyone who could make the Master happy is fine in my book.

    ReplyDelete
  24. You may have received updated information since your original post, but if you are still interested in Rod De'ath there's a very recent picture of him looking remarkably cool and enjoying a pint of guinness, on the face book page for Barry Barnes who plays as Sinner Boy, possibly the best Rory tribute band in the world.

    ReplyDelete
  25. There's a VERY current picture and story about him, right up to the month, here: http://www.classicrockmagazine.com/news/rod-death-the-strange-story-of-rory-gallaghers-drummer/

    ReplyDelete
  26. Ah. Great post! And I love the comments. Such a fascinating history and then so many sitings!

    ReplyDelete