(CelebrityAccess) — Dino Danelli, the drummer for the legendary soul band The Rascals, has died. He was 78.
His passing was announced by the band’s guitarist, Gene Cornish, who took to social media to state: ‘It is with a broken heart that I must tell you of the passing of Dino Danelli. He was my brother and the greatest drummer I’ve ever seen. I am devastated at this moment. Rest In Peace Dino I love you brother.’
Danelli, who was a jazz drummer by training, performed with artists such as Lionel Hampton and Little Willie John before he partnered with Eddie Brigati, Felix Cavaliere, and Gene Cornish to form the Young Rascals.
The group quickly found success in the realm of Blue-eyed Soul, covering songs such as Mustang Sally, Groovin’ and with their own music, such as Groovin, which was written by Felix Cavaliere and Eddie Brigati and peaked at #1 in 1967.
However, by 1969, the band’s star was fading as the struggled to adapt their sound amid changing tastes and after multiple lineup changes, The Rascals parted ways in 1970.
After The Rascals wrapped, Danelli and Cornish formed the band Bulldog and released several albums before disbanding. Danelli also performed in groups such as Fotomaker and the Leslie West Band before he joined Steven Van Zandt’s Disciples of Soul in 1980.
Danelli reunited with Cavaliere and Cornish for a 40th anniversary show for The Rascals in 1988 and all four members of the group reunited again a decade later when they were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.
In 2012, The Rascals united again for a sextet of shows at the Capital Theatre in Port Chester, followed by a residency at the Richard Rogers Theatre in New York, followed by a tour produced by Steven Van Zandt and his wife Maureen the following year.
In addition to his work as a musician, Danelli was a visual artist, with some of his work used as album covers for The Rascals and Little Steven & the Disciples of Soul.
