But surviving the impact of the crash was only the first hurdle. He said that he then saw bandmate Phalon Jones look out of a window and say "Oh, no! Plans for a memorial service are pending. This story has been shared 42,781 times. In dreams, he feels the rush of the lake's icy water, the chill of fear, and the helplessness and hurt that followed. Shop our favorite Plus Size Clothing finds at great prices. Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox, A daily briefing on what matters in the music industry. After the crash, Cauley reformed the Bar-Kays, who celebrated their 50th anniversary this year. The plane crashed in icy Lake Monona. His music was really his life. 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 else's playing. 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. 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. Cauley-Campbell said Cauley toured with Hayes, and also played with Aretha Franklin, the Doobie Brothers and many others. "No one could play like him," she said. Bob Mehr, "Bar-Kays hornman Ben Cauley is a survivor", "Redding Was Sitting In Co-Pilot's Seat, Survivor Says", "Cause Of Crash Not Pinpointed By Officials: Credit Survivor's Life To Swift Police Action", "Ben Cauley, Founding Member Of Bar-Kays, Dies At 67 - NewsChannel5.com", Ben Cauley, Sole Survivor of Otis Redding Crash, Dies at 67, Ben Cauley Interview - NAMM Oral History Library (2015), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ben_Cauley&oldid=1124352701, Survivors of aviation accidents or incidents, Accidents and incidents involving the Beechcraft Model 18, Articles needing additional references from June 2018, All articles needing additional references, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using infobox musical artist with associated acts, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 28 November 2022, at 14:01. The new version of the band backed Isaac Hayes on his landmark 1969 album, Hot Buttered Soul, and recorded several albums of its own. What bands died in plane crash? His body was perhaps a couple minutes away from going into hypothermia when he was pulled from the waters. Born in 1947, Cauley's musical grounding came as a child at the New Friendship Baptist Church, where and he and his mother sang in the choir. recalls Cauley. The plane was found nose-down about 48 feet below the surface. On Dec. 10, 1967, they were traveling to a show near the University of Wisconsin on Reddings new twin engine Beechcraft when it went into Lake Monona near Madison, Wis. 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. He was 67. Pseudonyms will no longer be permitted. 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. I always kept on., PublishedDecember 10, 2012 at 6:00 AM CST. 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 managed to unfasten his seatbelt, and grab a cushion. Instead of playing the organ, Cauley shuffled up to the microphone and performed an impromptu trumpet solo. "That next night was in Cleveland, Ohio. He'd raise his trumpet, close his eyes and with intensity signaled by the tightening of his brows send air flowing through his horn routinely causing goose Continued Trumpeter Ben Cauley, a member of the Stax Records group the Bar-Kays and the only survivor of the 1967 plane crash that . Find the best deals on Kitchen from your favorite brands. Sometimes, in his sleep, Ben Cauley still hears their cries -- the ones of his friends and band mates. Deals and discounts in Bakeware you dont want to miss. He didn't really know he was there at that point. Able to hold on to a seat cushion, Cauley was the only survivor. Another band member, bassist James Alexander, was on a different plane. "He was there to help me.". Then, he sang He Knows Just How Much You Can Bear., Having gone through all those changes, my music was something I had in my life. She said some of the band members needed permission slips from their parents to travel with the band. 10,111, 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved Another band member, bassist James Alexander, was on a different plane. He breathed music.". Three members of the southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd die in a Mississippi plane crash. That summer of '67, the Bar-Kays started their work backing Redding with a 10-night stand at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, and then proceeded to tour the country. Can you control your erections? "No one could play like him," she said. They told him he'd never play the trumpet again. Year of Crash: 1967; Ben Cauley suffered hypothermia and shock following a plane crash that claimed the lives of four members of Bar-Kays and Ottis Redding, a legendary soul singer, in 1967. One band member, Ben Cauley, survived. "He was just a real humble, debonair gentleman," Cauley-Campbell said. Suggest an edit or add missing content. 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. 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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). ", Porter marvels not just at Cauley's resilience, but at how he continues to play and perform with the same exuberance and joy he exhibited on the Bar-Kay's delirious debut, the immortal "Soul Finger." He was 67. ", In the wake of the accident, the entire Stax family was shaken to its core. Cauley, who was a couple of years older than his bandmates, began attending LeMoyne College in 1965. It was a pitch above the roof.. Cauley couldn't swim and said he didn't even try when he was thrown into the freezing water as the . Cauley survived a debilitating stroke and a plane crash in 1967 that killed the other founding members of the Bar-Kays. Cauley started attending LeMoyne College in 1965, before becoming a professional musician.[1]. Al Jackson, Jr. the drummer with Booker T & the MGs, took a particular interest in the young members of the Bar-Kays and groomed them to become the second house band for Stax after Booker T and the MGs. Able to hold onto a seat cushion, Mr. Cauley was the only survivor. Find the best deals on Fragrance from your favorite brands. He was just a real humble, debonair gentleman, Cauley-Campbell said. One band member, Ben Cauley, survived. Reputation management expert reveals why it doesn't just happen to Beijing warns Elon Musk 'don't bite the hand that feeds you' after the Tesla chief - who sells 40% of his Is YOUR lifestyle good for your heart? Save up to 50% on Women's Clothing when you shop now. "After our show he ran backstage, and said 'Y'all bad!'" On December 10, on their commute to Madison, Wisconsin, at 3:28 in the afternoon, the planecarrying Otis Redding, his partner, and the majority of the Bar-Kayscrashed into the Wiicawac Bay (formerly Squaw Bay) area of Lake Monona, on the outskirts of Madison. For those inclined to believe in the sheltering hand of a Higher Power, Ben Cauley is as close to proof as you may ever find. "I thank God," says Cauley of his unlikely survival. His music was really his life. Sitemap, Your California Privacy Rights Former trumpeter of the band The Bo-Keys. What happened next, Cauley says, "is something I can never erase. The effort to retrieve bodies, personal effects and the parts of the plane took place over 10 days. Ben Cauley, the Bar-Kays' trumpet player is the only survivor of the crash that killed 8 passengers, including Otis Redding and the band's 3 other members. Able to hold on to a seat cushion, Cauley was the only survivor. Otis went wild. He was soon back playing his horn and performing, something doctors said he would never do. ", On Cauley's first day home after months of rehab, he saw his trumpet lying on the couch. How Ben Cauley Survived The Bar-Kays Tragedy. (Dec. 10), Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Cauley was playing with the Bar-Kays while still attending high school at Booker T. Washington High School in Memphis, his daughter said. Plans for a memorial service are pending. Then they hit, and he was loose in the water, terrified he. Cauley remembers the cabin of the plane was especially cold that morning. His death was first reported by The Commercial Appeal. He was just a real humble, debonair gentleman, Cauley-Campbell said. He was just a real humble, debonair gentleman, Cauley-Campbell said. In early December, Redding and the Bar-Kays were back out on the road, doing weekenders at colleges. What's your biggest turn off? They formed a group called the Imperials, later changing their name to the Bar-Kays. You know, for a long time I used to tell my kids, 'One day I'm going back.' I was shaking all over. Find the best deals on Home Gym from your favorite brands. Cauley died in 2015. I just had to see the lake," says Cauley softly, his voice trailing off. His music was really his life. "He really loved his music. Cauley was playing with the Bar-Kays while still attending high school at Booker T. Washington High School in Memphis, his daughter said. All Rights Reserved. 'He was just a real humble, debonair gentleman,' Cauley-Campbell said. 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. Tracey Cox asks men the Are YOU at risk of being cancelled? In a way, the experience seems to have been a catharsis, providing Cauley some measure of peace. His death was first reported by The Commercial Appeal. Cauley, who'd never learned to swim, was now struggling in the waters of the frigid lake. He was 67. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. I tried. Deals and discounts in Pet Parents you dont want to miss. 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. 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 the best selection of deals on Cameras now. 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. Cauley was playing with the Bar-Kays while still attending high school at Booker T. Washington High School in Memphis, his daughter said. 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. But surviving the. Cauleys eldest daughter, Chekita Cauley-Campbell, said her father died late Monday at Methodist South Hospital. "It's really that simple. Although he continued to tour, Cauley didnt return to the site of the plane crash until 40 years later. He really loved his music. The group recorded for the Stax label and soon started touring as Reddings backup band. At 65, he still writes and records songs at his home and gigs with the Bo-Keys. He breathed music.". Plans for a memorial service are pending. Cauley suffered hypothermia and shock, but he survived. The Associated Press is an independent, not-for-profit news cooperative headquartered in New York City. Released in the spring of '67, the group's debut single for Stax, "Soul Finger", would reach No. 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. Pick up a copy of Elvis Presley's new album, Where No One Stands Alone. 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Cauley suffered a debilitating stroke in 1989, but eventually recovered fully, aside from occasional problems with slightly slurred speech. He awoke when he realized he could not breathe. He was 67. Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem. He was 67. 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 else's playing. Deals and discounts in Tech & Electronics you dont want to miss. 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". 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. 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. Bar-Kays would continue and prosper with new members after 1967 tragedy. Terms of Use No one could play like him, she said. Debuting in 1968, the reconstituted Bar-Kays were a successful group, recording and playing sessions at Stax and frequently heading out on tour with groups like the Temptations. The following day, December 9, they took the Beechcraft to Cleveland, where they appeared on Don Webster's Upbeat TV show with Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels. 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. While still attending high school in Memphis, his daughter said from going into hypothermia when he just... Him, she said some of the plane was found nose-down about 48 below! 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