Paul Revere (1938 - 2014)

Freddie Mercury sang "Another one bites the dust" and unfortunately his words continue to ring true when it comes to rock stars of the 1960s.

This morning news broke that Paul Revere (no, not the colonial silversmith and patriot) has died. The late keyboard player was the founder and leader of the mid-60s phenomenon, Paul Revere and The Raiders.

Because they included a lot of slapstick in their live shows and wore campy revolutionary war uniforms on stage many critics and rock music fans refused to take The Raiders seriously. Yet Paul Revere Dick (yes, that was his real name) and the band he led were a loud, hard rocking outfit that could blow many other rock acts of the era right off the stage. Unfortunately, their carefully cultivated image virtually obliterated the fact they weren't Herman's Hermits or The Monkees.

The Raiders were a favorite of Dick Clark and they appeared regularly on Where The Action Is, his TV show of the era.

Listen below as Revere, lead singer Mark Lindsay (another 60s pop star who made young girls swoon), and the rest of the band rock out.

Also, be sure to read this tribute to Revere posted by another cool music blog I just discovered, Iron Leg.

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