Mott The Hoople Drummer Dale 'Buffin' Griffin Passes

Griffin

DALE "BUFFIN" GRIFFIN, drummer and founding member of MOTT THE HOOPLE, has died from Alzheimer’s disease at 67, his label, ANGEL AIR, announced TODAY.

After playing in a variety of local British bands, GRIFFIN would eventually team up with OVEREND WATTS and MICK RALPHS in THE DOC THOMAS GROUP. Keyboard player VERDEN ALLEN joined the band, which changed its name to THE SHAKEDOWN SOUND; they moved to LONDON in 1969, where record producer GUY STEVENS matched them up with singer IAN HUNTER and changed their name to MOTT THE HOOPLE, which hit the charts with the DAVID BOWIE-penned, "All The Young Dudes."

In the '80s, GRIFFIN and WATTS formed a production company and produced albums for HANOI ROCKS and THE CULT. DALE then joined the BBC as a producer and produced numerous BBC Radio 1 JOHN PEEL sessions from 1981 to 1994 including PULP, SMASHING PUMPKINS, NIRVANA and ORCHESTRAL MANOEUVRES IN THE DARK.

He was first diagnosed with Alzheimer’s at age 58, when he was trying to bring about the reformation of MOTT THE HOOPLE. In 2009 the band reformed for the sold-out, five-night HAMMERSMITH APOLLO 40th anniversary concerts of the original five founder members. GRIFFIN was only able to perform during the band encores, with THE PRETENDERS drummer MARTIN CHAMBERS playing the rest of the set and also covering for him on the 2013 MOTT THE HOOPLE tour.

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