Bachman-Turner Overdrive drummer Robbie Bachman dies aged 69 - tributes paid after brother announces death

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Bachman’s bandmate and brother Randy paid tribute to the Bachman-Turner Overdrive drummer

Robbie Bachman, the drummer for the Canadian rock band Bachman-Turner Overdrive, has died aged 69. Bachman’s brother and bandmate, Randy Bachman made the announcement on Twitter on Thursday (January 12) alerting fans.

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Randy Bachman’s post read: “Another sad departure. With the pounding beat behind BTO, my little brother Robbie has joined Mum, Dad & brother Gary on the other side.

“Maybe Jeff Beck needs a drummer! He was an integral cog in our rock ‘n’ roll machine and we rocked the world together. The pounding beat of BTO has left us.”

Bachman-Turner were known for their 1970’s hits including Takin’ Care Of Business and You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet. They were made up of the team of brothers, as well as  Tim Bachman on guitar (later replaced by Blair Thornton) and Fred Turner on bass.

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The group formed Bachman-Turner Overdrive in 1973 and sold millions of records over the next three years with their blend of grinding guitar riffs and catchy melodies. Randy Bachman left the group in the mid-1970s but gave the remaining members permission to call themselves BTO (but not Bachman-Turner Overdrive to distance himself from the band).

As BTO, Robbie Bachman and the others continued to tour and record, but their popularity faded and they broke up in 1980. Since then, the band had occasional reunions and legal battles, as Randy Bachman and Robbie Bachman fought over royalties and rights to the band’s name.

In recent years, Robbie Bachman had been semi-retired. Randy did not cite the cause of his brother’s death.

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