Howard Grimes, veteran drummer and mainstay of the Memphis, Tenn., soul scene, died on Saturday of kidney failure at Saint Francis Hospital in Memphis. He was 80. His death was confirmed to NPR by his bandmate Scott Bomar of The Bo-Keys.
As a drummer for Hi Records’ house band the Hi Rhythm Section in the 1970s, Grimes worked closely with artists including Al Green, Ann Peebles and Otis Clay, among others. His beats on songs including Green’s “Let’s Stay Together” and Peebles’ “I Can’t Stand the Rain” served as a crucial foundation for the burgeoning Memphis soul sound of the era.
Grimes was affectionately nicknamed “The Bulldog” for his notoriously steady beat behind the drum kit, a name he earned from mentor and Hi Records founder Willie Mitchell.
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