R.I.P. Buddy.Have a good jam with Jimi.

Now Buddy can play his thunderous drums behind Jimi once more. RIP Buddy,you’re a legend.
Anyone else who has a copy of him playing with Johnny Winter,Berry Oakley, Gregg Allman on “Wasted Words” knows how meaningful it is to have it now, since it’s already out of print.

Hey Buddy,
Your version of “Down by the river” outshone Neil Young’s in pure emotion. Your work with the BOG will never be forgotten. RIP jammin’ with Jimi.

R.I.P. to a underappreciated rock god. you will be missed and remembered for your contribution to rock music. have an awesome time in the after life and jam with jimi like never before.

Who cares?

He was an average drummer at best and not fit to clean off Mitch Mitchells drum seat

Deadly drummer, will be missed greatly. Band of gypsys is classic, the best hendrix ever did.

Best contributions are with Electric Flag, and with a better guitar player than Jimi, Michael Bloomfield.

i still have the 45 of “them changes”, backed with “down by the river”

He was a dick and kept trying to get money from Jimi for years

Thats awful! Another loss to music and the world.

Charles E. Berry Jr.

A good drummer, but not a great one. He did play on Machine Gun, however. In all honestly,though, Mitch Mitchell blew his doors off.

I think Mitchell was a little hurt by Jimi going with Miles for that short time. Jimi did realize pretty early on that he missed Mitchell.

So when the Experience got back together, Mitchell was back on drums with Billy Cox playing bass.

The Band Of Gypsies did some pretty great stuff for the short time they were together.

RIP Buddy

It’s not a time to talk about who’s a better drummer, guitar player, etc….Buddy was a musician to the end, loved what he did, a friend to Jimi (listen to him on “Rainy Day, Dream Away” from Electric Ladyland)and so many others. Prayers go out to Buddy’s family, friends, and fans who mourn his loss.

re: Jim | 2/28/2008, 5:10 pm EST

“It’s not a time to talk about who’s a better drummer, guitar player, etc….”

Yeah, okay, um . . . Jim. I’ll talk about whatever I damned well please!

Buddy was a great drummer and brought the funk to Jimi’s trio.Band of Gypsys is one of the all time classic rock albums and it is in part to Miles’ contribution. He is not to be compared to Mitch Mitchell. They are entirely different beasts….Both awesome.

I am saddened to hear another of Jimi’s bandmates have passed. All we have left is Mitch and we as fans should let him know what Jimi and all his colleagues meant to the modern era of rock.

re: will Bernard | 2/28/2008, 5:43 pm EST

“He is not to be compared to Mitch Mitchell. They are entirely different beasts….Both awesome.”

I love people who have the arrogance to think they have the right to tell what the content of other people’s posts should be.

That’s like comparing Billy cobham and Jack Dejhonette….not fair to either of them
Besides the man just died! wait a couple of days before you start capping

“wait a couple
of days before you start capping”

Yes, master.

All this crap about Mitch vs. Buddy? Any drummer will note that neither could do what the other one did.

Buddy was a good man and a fine drummer… Granted, he did some bad things, but he paid his dues plus some…

Saw Buddy in ‘72 as one-half of a “Battle of the Drummers” tour with Ginger Baker (opening act: pre-”Love Hurts” Nazareth..good show!). Miles stopped mid-song to jump into the crowd and mix it up with security as they attempted to restrain stage-rushing fans. One tends to remember stuff like that. RIP dude, and thanks for the memory.

I will say one thing about Buddy, he was an excellent vocalist and brought some lead and backup vocals to Jimi that he didn’t have with The Experience.

But sorry, Mitch blew him away and Jimi fired Buddy so he could bring Mitch back. Those are the facts; you should know your history before you shoot your damned mouth off.

re: Joe Hammons | 2/29/2008, 2:27 am EST

“All this crap about Mitch vs. Buddy? Any drummer will note that neither could do what the other one did.”

Oh, you’re a drummer? I didn’t know that. Well, ANY DRUMMER would know that Mitch could play anything that Buddy can play and mountains more.

Mitch is on his own planet. What’s so hard to understand about that?

Mitch dissed Buddy when he said that “Buddy plays like a cement mixer!”

Buddy’s dead, and that is a shame. But you can’t make someone into something that they weren’t just because of that fact.

It’s too bad that you can’t make observations about Buddy Miles without getting attacked by psychotics.

I exterminated the racists on this thread. Anymore will be dealt with by me. Jimi and Buddy are the greatest.

Buddy Miles made sure people never forgot the Band of Gypsies, and it get his name out there, but his name is worth getting out there.

Mitchell and Redding couldn’t really be the ones to promote that record cause they weren’t a part of it. That left Billy Cox and Buddy, along with Eddie Kramer. To criticize Buddy for promoting a record her sang and played on is a little short-sigthed. He got together with the family, who worked hard to bring everyone the entire catalog of Hendrix material in the late 90’s so we could hear just about everything, which means alot when other’s were content to steal masters and release unauthorized “lost albums”.

Buddy did other work beyond the Band of Gypsies, and there are some good pieces out there. Funk, Rock, R & B, he did a little bit of everything, often with all-star casts who respected his contibutions in ways some people refuse to.

I hear people debate the better or best of musicians, and that’s fine, but in the end, what was shall remain. The version of the songs I hear with Buddy playing drums are brilliant as they are. The songs with Mitch are brilliant as they are. I’m just happy I have them to hear.

Oh, and has anyone considered Buddy’s firing was a biproduct of control issues with management more than a musical one. Buddy was a star at that time in his own right. Sharing vocals in the band presented a problem for people who were exploiting Jimi because they couldn’t just exploit him anymore. An artist with a habit to support is easy to manipulate. An artist with real friends around them is harder to manipulate. That’s no slight against Mitch, but in the end, Buddy would have been a more powerful player on the business/ management side of things than Mitch because he was more than just part of the rhythm section, he became an equal voice.

In the end, and I wasn’t there, I feel that it was better for business for Jimi to be in an integrated band. It was better for the hangers on for Jimi to be partying hard so his eyes weren’t on the prize. Jimi was the bread winner of that unit without Buddy. With Buddy he was a partner. The divided and conquered, and Jimi was a casualty.

Meanwhile Buddy delivered many albums for columbia thereby being the bread winner for his collaborators. He survived, and part of me would like to think that had he not been forced out maybe Jimi would have too. But you know, a lot of people seem to prefer their Rock Stars dying young to living past their “prime” and doing work they dissapprove of.

It’s shameful that people would feel that way. Everybody deserves a chance to live a fair life, and our opinions about their craft are worth what they weigh. We should all be respected for our efforts, regardless of someone else’s aesthetic taste. You can’t please everybody, and no one should argue with someone for being pleased.

Let Buddy Miles rest in peace, and in the meantime, find his best work and enjoy it along with you other favorites if that’s your taste. If it isn’t, spare his fans the indignity of you indiscrete criticism.

re: W. Smith | 2/29/2008, 11:57 am EST

What a bunch of self-serving bullshit.

“If it isn’t, spare his fans the indignity of you indiscrete criticism.”

Um . . . Fuck You.

Once again, enjoy the Rock List.

Billy Cox helped Jimi have a more funk oriented sound and Jimi was more than happy to bring him into the fold with him and Mitch in The Experience.

You forgot one important band that Buddy played with, The Electric Flag with the late, great Michael Bloomfield. Like Buddy, Bloomfield was anoither musician who did not get the respect that he deserved

if you ever met buddy you will know why he will be missed.
R.I.P. buddy

I met Buddy and he put his hand up my shirt when I was 12.

Why izzit that the White Man from the Dave Clark 5 “passes away” and the Black Man from Jimi Hendrix’s band “dies”.

Can you explain that to me?

I renounce AND reject that motherfucker!!!

Best contributions are with Electric Flag,CArlos Santana and with the best guitar player of all time, Jimi Hendrix.
Buddy,you’re a legend.
R.I.P. from Portugal.

I was directed to this article by a friend who is also a Buddy Miles fan. I’m shocked by the frivolous commentary below. Estimations of his abilities or personal relationships aside, he was a human being and deserves at least a shard of respect with his passing. Shame on you ignorant children, and shame on Rolling Stone for giving you a larger format for your hateful commentary than the walls of your highschool bathrooms where bullshit like this belongs.

Wow | 3/1/2008, 7:11 pm EST

“Shame on you ignorant children . . . for your hateful commentary . . . the walls of your highschool bathrooms.”

What does Buddy Miles, Heath Ledger and that guy from the Dave Clark 5 have in common?

They’re all fucking dead.

Saw Buddy Miles a very few months ago when he played the Soiled Dove in Denver . he was so ill that he was in a wheel chair and couldn’t remember the lyrics to “Them Changes.” a very sad performance..he gave his heart and we cheered him on…but the end was obviously very near.

A big talent in his day..Electric Flag, Band of Gypsys, Santana ,California Raisins and a long string of solo lps will carry his legacy for the next generation.

The Buddy Miles Express rolls on….

Why do people persist making up bullshit stories about doing things and going places they didn’t?

RS, I know stuff that you don’t know.

I Have just found out that my longtime friend Buddy Miles has passed away.
We were band mates togather in the first Wilson Pickett “midnight movers band”
He had joined Wilson,s band only 2 weeks ahead of me.
Rest in peace Buddy,ill try to hold it down here for a while.
Carlton “frog” McWilliams.(Guitarest)

“Carlton “frog” McWilliams.(Guitarest)”

Carlton, you’ve been a professional musician for how long, and you can’t spell the word “guitarist”? . . . I don’t know, something’s fishy . . .

For more information on the Band of Gypsies, Buddy Miles working with the Hendrix family Via Experience Hendrix MCA and his leaving the band, just find the Video that was released to coincided with the release of Jimi Hendrix – Band of Gypsys (Live at the Fillmore East). It’s a short documentary about that period with interviews with Buddy, Billy Cox, Eddie Kramer, and others. Of course there are all the behind the musics, BBC docs, biographies and the rest. Nobody walks on water, but there’s more to Buddy’s Miles life and influence, than can be said for people who get on line to instigate and belittle for no reason other than their own ego-driven negativity. Chances are we won’t see any of you mentioned on these pages as doing something that inspired people. That said, here’s to hoping you all have good lives in your circles, cause you’re not engendering any we wishes here with the poisin you’re spitting. I hope you all get over it. “We gotta live together.”

“for people who get on line to instigate and belittle for no reason other than their own ego-driven negativity. Chances are we won’t see any of you mentioned on these pages as doing something that inspired people. That said, here’s to hoping you all have good lives in your circles, cause you’re not engendering any we wishes here with the poisin you’re spitting. I hope you all get over it. “We gotta live together.” ”

You see, the thing you just can’t see is, that nobody’s really dissing Buddy. Most of these comments are for people like you who can’t share their thoughts without being snotty, jugmental, and acting morally superior.

Most of these comments are pointed at you to piss you off and to get under your skin because you can’t seem to be able to express yourself without being a judgmental dick!

So take your holier-than-thou attitude and shove it up your ass!!!

RIP Buddy.

Some individuals memories of Buddy are pretty mixed up.Oh well, have a nice day anyway.
I will always remember the Buddy Miles that serious people took note of and respected for, his love for the young talent around the world who are the up-and-coming performing stars to be. I remember one of the particular nights we were playing a benefit at Hard Rock in San Diego(Buddy was a sponsor for Children’s Cranial Foundation). Ceasar Rohas, Kenny Olson, Billy Cox to name a few were there and during a break a mother and her young daughter came up to me for an autograph saying how much her daughter enjoyed the music, adding her daughter was learning how to play the drums. I felt it was necessary that I bring them over to Buddy and told him about the young teen’s aspirations. Buddy shook and held her hand and said, you want to be a drummer? shyly she nodded and for a good 15 minutes of the break Buddy told her important things she needed to know about drums, music, gave her his cell number and told her to call him ANYTIME if she need to talk and to keep in touch with him. All of the great players that night and all the terrific musicians, friends and fans who have know Buddyt understand what I’m saying- Buddy was the baddest of the bad, the baddest drummer ever.Tops at the performance level. He proved his badass to many of the masses with the individual love he gave everyone ,personally,
in this world. I will miss you Buddy , you were a great inspiration and support to me and my family as well. And if I never told you, I’ll tell you now that not any of us,not all of us put together , could fill the void you have left. I will cherish my memories being with you
with everyone I know ,come to know, for the rest of my life in honor to you. It was an honor and privilege to have had you as a friend, mentor, and colleague.
The lord has you soul now in the palm of His hand where you belong.
Peace out,brother!
TBUDD 3/2008

Hey Miranda, You forgot to mention
Buddy was only 2 years old when he
held your little booby when you were 12,remember?!!It’s easy for you to forget what 2 years olds think that little thing you got under your shirt is…it’s just a little bump, like it still is now!Except now its all shriveled up,old hag…………

“A good drummer, but not a great one. He did play on Machine Gun, however. In all honestly,though, Mitch Mitchell blew his doors off……….

I think Mitchell was a little hurt by Jimi going with Miles for that short time. Jimi did realize pretty early on that he missed Mitchell.”

Eddie Eddie Eddddiiieee,

You haven’t got your history right,Eddie fella. You know who missed Mitch? Michael Jeffrey missed Mitch and wanted him back with Jimi—-> for the money and control- not the drum style. Mitchell don’t got the blues, don’t feel the blues- and Jimi was a bluesman from Seattle ,doodle dorf. When you say “…by Jimi going with Miles for a short time”, try the “short time” being from 1963 thru 1970, and from 1963 thru 1966 when Mitch Mitchell NEVER EVEN KNEW JIMI, WAY BEFORE BAND OF GYPSYS!Jimi and Buddy were pallin’ around the same concerts, jammin’ together, – before anyone knew Mitchell, before anyone ever heard the Experience in the U.S. or Europe music circuit! Mitchell was and employee,with no rights to the music, just a hired gun by Micheal Jeffrey, Jimi’s first manager from Yameta.(is this information to much for your brain to handle,fella?) Miles, Hendrix and Cox had a private studio right around corner from Filmore West(called “Bootleg Studio”) that only Jimi, Chase Chandler and Kramer had keys to, and Buddy and Billy didn’t
need to because THEY WERE ALWAYS WITH JIMI….CIRCA 1968-70. And was Mitchell there, EDDIE? Answer is NO! You need corrections because your point of view is just that-
a view, and not fact. You are correct in one point,Buddy played on machine gun and, oh, yeah,by the way when you see a name attached to a song that means (like- Lennon/McCartney) that the TWO OF THEM WROTE IT. AND BUDDY WROTE THE DRUMS FOR IT, not Mitchell.And Buddy wrote a lot more to that song and many more with JIMI, NOT Mitch Mitchell wrote a lot more than Buddy Miles.And when MIles played on Electric Ladyland it was becuase Mitch’s chops didn’t fit the music,WEREN’T the “blow you away” drums needed that Buddy Miles had for Jimi. Mitchell’s style,jazzy yes- not powerful like Buddy Rich. Buddy Miles, a LOT OF POWER,fast lightning fast like Buddy Rich. Mitchell took orders from management, and from Jimi,as a good studio musician he was- doing what he was told, no more, no less. But Mitchell did not blow off any doors, fella. One thing IS true- you blow a LOT of hot air for someone who’s really not right with himself. Go back to school …you might learn something the second time around.
and for a footnote:
Mitch Mitchell is a good drummer, and he’s educated enough to respect the dead… or he’ll end up in hell, stricken from the book of life forever where most everyone should go if they dist the deceased while using BS as a platform.

yes, he was a dear man. May he Rest in Peace. Alice

sculler,dale e,kurt’s corspes,in the air tonight, eddie wilson,re:w smith,
sindekneadsadikfix, miranda, baracko,coroners comedy,litmus test,and all the rest like these are losers, and don’t know anything about it and because you know nothing right. you lose, you lost losers!

What folks have to remember about Buddy is this…anybody who was able to hang on the ‘chitlin circuit’ with the likes of Wilson Pickett (not called ‘Wicked” for nothing) had to have known what he was doing to some extent. Buddy was fine for what he did and set some standards for the ’singing drummer’ to boot.

The folks in Omaha Nebraska and Allen’s Showcase will miss a friend
24th & lake Street Omaha, Nebraska
RIP.
Buddy

Buddy Miles will be missed.
He was a drummer that played for the song and he did it well.
This isn’t about who is best. He was best at what he did!!

I will miss Buddy

The Big Bopper was a friend of mine. He lived a wild and crazy life but sometimes wonderful. He was a talent more than most of us will ever know. We sat and talked till the early morning hours I heard his thoughts and listen to his music as only he could give with no one else around. I will miss your spirit and your talent but most of all I will miss your humanity that few ever knew about. Buddy was far from perfect but he understood life and some of it he couldn’t handle for it was too much for him. That caused him some of the troubles in his life as weird as that might sound. Buddy was a human that searched for acceptance and he found that in his music his rare and gifted music. All of you fans out there need to go back and listen the words of Buddy in his music and that is were you will still find him. Playing forever in our mind and hearts thanks for the gift you gave to us and left us with. Your friend Pepo.

We got to live together from the 1971 album of the same name is my greatest song of all time

Buddy was agreat man with common struggles I wil allways remember him jammin in kenosha wis:buddy hired me out from terry james and the blue flames,took me to chicago and man we had a ball my love goes out to Val and family love Dennis

RIP Buddy and Mitch– thank you both for your excellent music that will live on forever. . . .

Eddie, Eddie, Eddie. Try the decaf. BTW I do play enough to recognize what both players brought to the band. Since I also do live audio work, I’ve had the opportunity to work on stage at gigs with both of them. I’m not so sure that Mitch’s “cement mixer” comment was a diss. Mitch had chops Buddy could only dream of and Buddy had a downbeat/backbeat funk that Mitch didn’t. I doubt that either of them cared to play like the other.

Respect to Buddy Miles.
Respect to Mitch Mitchell.

Peace-

Th anking them for the contribution and inspiration-

All that is left is to continue ourselves.

over the years I have seen buddy miles play at the local venues primarily in the late 60’s, what a showman. I have all of his albums, I even have a pair of his used drum sticks, that he gave to me at a place in upstate New York called Gilligans, back in 1969.

Buddy, will be missed a drummer extroadinare.

Charles R. Infantino

The last time, I saw Buddy, was at Winston’s in Ocean Beach, Ca. Well to my supprise, Buddy did not play drums. He played a strat the entire show playing all of Hendrix songs.I know a lot of you guitar players wont like this. But Hendrix didn’t have shit on Buddy’s guitar playing.I would call it my most memorable concert.