Terms of Use Cauley was the sole survivor of the plane crash that claimed the lives of Otis Redding and four band members of the Bar-Kays outside of Madison, Wisconsin, on December 10, 1967. We filmed (the TV show) 'Upbeat,' and then played a concert. When those moments come, alone in the darkness, he tries to think instead of the music they made together; he tries to conjure the sweet sounds of soul and Stax, the things that have sustained him all the years since. (Dec. 10), Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. All Rights Reserved. Thanks for contacting us. "That next night was in Cleveland, Ohio. Able to hold on to a seat cushion, Cauley was the only survivor. The group recorded for the Stax label and soon started touring as Reddings backup band. He breathed music.. Yall dont know, but yall just cut a hit., The groups debut single reached No. It was a very distinct sound. At around 3:30 p.m., just a few minutes outside of Madison, Cauley woke to the plane's violent shaking. He was a well-known session musician, and Cauley-Campbell said she often recognized the sound of his trumpet on records because it was so different from anyone elses playing. Although he continued to tour, Cauley didnt return to the site of the plane crash until 40 years later. "Honestly, I didn't even know what it was. ", Martin Luther King, Junior accepts Nobel Peace Prize; Women get the right to vote in Wyoming Territory; America's first domestic passenger jet flight takes off; Soul singer Otis Redding, General Augusto Pinochet die. The Bar-Kays were inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2013. The plane had gone into Lake Monona, on the banks of Madison, at a sharp 35-degree angle. That day, Cauley, stood outside playing a requiem on his trumpet. The effort to retrieve bodies, personal effects and the parts of the plane took place over 10 days. Cauley was born in South Memphis, Tennessee. "He really loved his music. . Bar-Kays trumpet player Ben Cauley celebrated his 65th birthday this year, and he has much to celebrate. No one could play like him, she said. Another band member, bassist James Alexander, was on a different plane. After the crash, the pair rebuilt the Bar-Kays and backed Isaac Hayes on his landmark album, Hot Buttered Soul, according to the Memphis Music Hall of Fame's website. She said some of the band members needed permission slips from their parents to travel with the band. That fall, Redding paused from the road to have some polyps removed from his throat, and to write and record what would prove to be his swan song, "(Sittin' on the) Dock of the Bay.". While he has long been known as the sole survivor of the crash that killed Redding, Cauley was a survivor in many other ways. It was a pitch above the roof.. I always kept on., PublishedDecember 10, 2012 at 6:00 AM CST. The cushion kept the musician afloat until a police boat arrived. He breathed music.. Anyone can read what you share. On Dec. 10, 1967, they were traveling on Redding's new twin engine Beechcraft when it went into Lake Monona near Madison, Wisconsin. He also went on to create music with other artists such as, Elvis Presley, Isaac Hayes, Rufus Thomas, The Staples, and rapper Drake. To encourage thoughtful and respectful conversations, first and last names will appear with each submission to CBC/Radio-Canada's online communities (except in children and youth-oriented communities). The plane was found nose-down about 48 feet below the surface. On the eve of the crash's 40th anniversary, the 60-year-old Cauley sits in his home recording studio in Southeast Memphis with two of his daughters, Chekita Cauley-Campbell and Shuronda Cauley-Oliver, talking emotionally and candidly about his remarkable life. Cauley died on September 21, 2015, at the age of 67.[6][7]. Amid the waves, he lost hold of the cushion, but then another cushion floated by and he grabbed onto it. Ben was the only survivor of the Otis Redding plane crash. His music was really his life. Another band member, bassist James Alexander, was on a different plane. They created their signature song, Soul Finger., [Jim Stewart] came back and said, Whats that yall played? Cauley said. Ben Cauley and James Alexander reformed the Bar-Kays and went on to record with Stax artists such as Isaac Hayes, Rufus Thomas and the Staple Singers, as well as appear at Wattstax, "The Black Woodstock". Every Sunday, Cauley attends Calvary Longview United Methodist Church where he sings with the choir. He was 67. Learn how and when to remove this template message, Official Rhythm & Blues Music Hall of Fame. No one could play like him, she said. Find the best deals on More Pets Supplies from your favorite brands. He was the only survivor of the 1967 plane crash that claimed the lives of soul singer Otis Redding and four members of the Bar-Kays. She said some of the band members needed permission slips from their parents to travel with the band. Cauley, who'd never learned to swim, was now struggling in the waters of the frigid lake. Do you hate foreplay? Trumpeter Ben Cauley, a member of the Stax Records group the Bar-Kays and the only survivor of the 1967 plane crash that killed most of his bandmates and Stax star Otis Redding, has died in Memphis. These are the best Smartphones deals youll find online. "After our show he ran backstage, and said 'Y'all bad!'" Plans for a memorial service are pending. ', Drama on set! This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google, Visit Billboard Pro for music business news, Kodak Black Arrest Warrant Issued in Florida Over Failed DrugTest, Brad Paisley Drops Song Featuring Ukrainian Pres. Want to know what everyone in the music business is talking about. I'd never been that way before in my life. Save up to 50% on Hair when you shop now. Female firefighters in Richton Park lead by example: You dont have to be a man to do this job, Kam Buckner: The next mayor of Chicago has a reform mandate, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. People are also reading Nor do they divine how, in later years, after suffering a massive stroke -- when none of his doctors thought he would live for more than a few days -- Cauley was soon up and playing his horn. Ben Cauley was born on 3 October 1947 in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. Besides Cauley-Campbell, Cauley is survived by daughters Shuronda Cauley-Oliver, Miriam Cauley-Crisp, Monica Cauley-Johnson and Kimberly Garrett; and sons Phalon Richmond and Ben Wells. Able to hold on to a seat cushion, Cauley was the only survivor. "Carl (Cunningham) asked an attendant at the airport to crank up (the plane) so the cabin could warm up,"; says Cauley. However, the band made little money, as they did not have much work outside of being a house band for Stax, and frequently needed to tour with the artists they backed. Sometimes, in his sleep, Ben Cauley still hears their cries -- the ones of his friends and band mates. Privacy Notice It is a priority for CBC to create products that are accessible to all in Canada including people with visual, hearing, motor and cognitive challenges. He could jam: Musicians Derek Huston, Marc Franklin, Cauley and Joe Restivo of the Bo-Keys open for Cyndi Lauper at The Club Nokia in LA in 2011. He had the beat: Cauley's eldest daughter, Chekita Cauley-Campbell, said her father died late Monday at Methodist South Hospital. "He's a guy, almost like a cat: He has nine lives. With a hit single and a tour with Redding, Cauley said the young band felt they were on their way, Things started looking up, from that point on., But six months later, five Bar-Kays and Otis Redding climbed aboard a small plane to fly from a show in Cleveland to Madison, Wisconsin. Plans for a memorial service are pending. What happened next, Cauley says, "is something I can never erase. This past Monday, with the anniversary of the crash approaching, Cauley did something he long promised himself he'd do: he returned to Madison, to the site of the crash. Ben Cauley, musician and sole survivor in Otis Redding plane crash, dead at 67 | CBC News Loaded. Shop the best selection of deals on Cameras now. Shop our favorite Plus Size Clothing finds at great prices. On a recent Sunday, the churchs Hammond B-3 organ was broken. 'He was just a real humble, debonair gentleman,' Cauley-Campbell said. ', Connected:He was a member of the Stax Records group the Bar-Kays and the only survivor of the 1967 plane crash that killed most of his bandmates and Stax star Otis Redding. And it hadnt gone, Cauley said. No one could play like him, she said. ", "Ben is a trouper," adds his Bar-Kays bandmate James Alexander, who missed the ill-fated Redding flight. He was 67. Trumpeter Ben Cauley, a member of the Stax Records group the Bar-Kays and the only survivor of the 1967 plane crash that killed most of his bandmates and legendary singer Otis Redding, has died in Memphis. Cauley died on . I just had to see the lake," says Cauley softly, his voice trailing off. Trumpeter Ben Cauley, a member of the Stax Records group the Bar-Kays and the only survivor of the 1967 plane crash that killed most of his bandmates and Stax star Otis Redding, has died in. His daughter Chekita, consoles him, his younger girl Shuronda brings him some tissues, as he struggles to continue. Mr. Cauley had various health problems in recent years, including a stroke he suffered in 1989, but he continued to perform. Cauley started attending LeMoyne College in 1965, before becoming a professional musician.[1]. He had struggled with health issues for years, including a stroke he suffered in 1989, but he persevered through all of it and continued to play his trumpet. Cauley evaded one more close brush with death when he avoided a diabetic coma. He had struggled with health issues for years, including a stroke in 1989, but he persevered and continued to play his trumpet. He died on 21 September 2015 in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. On September 12, 2008, the scholarship was founded. He said that he then saw bandmate Phalon Jones look out of a window and say "Oh, no! 'He really loved his music. The Bar-Kays joined the Stax studio by 1966, and were signed on to Stax's subsidiary Volt Records in the beginning of 1967. You know, for a long time I used to tell my kids, 'One day I'm going back.' Find the best deals on Gear from your favorite brands. Besides Cauley-Campbell, Cauley is survived by daughters Shuronda Cauley-Oliver, Miriam Cauley-Crisp, Monica Cauley-Johnson and Kimberly Garrett; and sons Phalon Richmond and Ben Wells. Shop our favorite Bath & Body finds at great prices. He was 67. "He was there to help me.". ", On Cauley's first day home after months of rehab, he saw his trumpet lying on the couch. An original member of the Bar-Kays; lone survivor of plane crash that killed most of his fellow band members and Otis Redding. But I went over and picked it up and started playing -- ba-de-dum-dum-ba-dum-dum," says Cauley, aping the first notes of "Soul Finger.". Besides Cauley-Campbell, Cauley is survived by daughters Shuronda Cauley-Oliver, Miriam Cauley-Crisp, Monica Cauley-Johnson and Kimberly Garrett; and sons Phalon Richmond and Ben Wells. Instead of playing the organ, Cauley shuffled up to the microphone and performed an impromptu trumpet solo. He then played some trumpet and sang elegiac renditions of Redding's "Try A Little Tenderness" and "(Sittin On) The Dock of the Bay.". He was 67. ", In the wake of the accident, the entire Stax family was shaken to its core. After the crash, the pair rebuilt the Bar-Kays and backed Isaac Hayes on his landmark album, Hot Buttered Soul, according to the Memphis Music Hall of Fames website. Today is the 50th anniversary of the Wisconsin plane crash that took the life of Stax Records great Otis Redding. He had struggled with health issues for years, including a stroke he suffered in 1989, but he persevered through all of it and continued to play his trumpet. Another band member, bassist James Alexander, was on a different plane. "The first job we did that weekend was in Nashville, at Vanderbilt University on Friday,"; says Cauley. 3 on the Billboard R&B charts. After the crash, the pair rebuilt the Bar-Kays and backed Isaac Hayes on his landmark album, Hot Buttered Soul, according to the Memphis Music Hall of Fames website. 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