The next thing I remember, I came to and was in all this water.". 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. To some, Ben Cauley is the answer to a tragic trivia question: the trumpeter was the sole survivor of the plane crash Dec. 10, 1967, outside Madison, Wis., that claimed eight people, including Stax Records star Otis Redding, and Cauley's Bar-Kays bandmates Phalon Jones, Carl Cunningham, Jimmy King and Ronnie Caldwell. Find the best deals on Women's Jewelry from your favorite brands. Plans for a memorial service are pending. He was just a real humble, debonair gentleman, Cauley-Campbell said. Deals and discounts in Tech & Electronics you dont want to miss. When he was a senior, he would be picked up at high school on a Friday, travel and play with Redding on the weekends and then come back to school the next week. Please note that CBC does not endorse the opinions expressed in comments. In a way, the experience seems to have been a catharsis, providing Cauley some measure of peace. In 2007, Bob Mehr told the story of Ben Cauley, trumpet player for the Bar-Kays, who was the lone survivor of the crash. "I saw Carl come out of the water, I saw (Redding's valet) Matt (Kelly) come up on the other side. He then played some trumpet and sang elegiac renditions of Redding's "Try A Little Tenderness" and "(Sittin On) The Dock of the Bay.". Comments on this story are moderated according to our Submission Guidelines. 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 ", Waiting at the airport in Milwaukee, Alexander eventually got word of the accident and arrived in Madison to find Cauley laid up in a hospital bed. "When you consider what he's experienced and yet he can still get up and have the kind of energy that entertains people," says Porter, "it's a true testament to what's inside of this guy. Before long, the young Bar-Kays -- most of them, still in high school -- were a hit act, and being groomed to become Stax's second house band alongside Booker T. &the MGs. Otis went wild. ", "We kinda looked at each other, as young fellows do, and said, 'The battery's low?' We said we was in school., By the spring of 1967, the group was Reddings backing band and recording at Stax Records. It was a pitch above the roof.'. The plane had gone into Lake Monona, on the banks of Madison, at a sharp 35-degree angle. All Rights Reserved. These are the best Videogames deals youll find online. 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Can you control your erections? Bar-Kays would continue and prosper with new members after 1967 tragedy. 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. Mike Maple/The Commercial Appeal, via Associated Press. 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. He had the beat: Cauley's eldest daughter, Chekita Cauley-Campbell, said her father died late Monday at Methodist South Hospital. An original member of the Bar-Kays; lone survivor of plane crash that killed most of his fellow band members and Otis Redding. After the show was over, we went down to the Hippodrome. Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox, A daily briefing on what matters in the music industry. This year has been one of significant anniversaries for Cauley: the 40th anniversary of the plane crash, the 50th of Stax's founding, and his own 60th birthday, which his family -- which includes seven children from a pair of marriages -- celebrated by throwing a surprise party for him in October. 'It was a very distinct sound. 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. On Dec. 10, 1967, they were traveling on Redding's new twin engine Beechcraft when it went into Lake Monona near Madison, Wisconsin. Cauley died on September 21, 2015, at the age of 67.[6][7]. 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. In this Nov. 29, 2007, file photo, 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, poses for a photo in his home studio in Memphis, Tenn. Review: Heisenberg: The Uncertainty Principle by Griffin Theatre asks, how do relationships happen? He really loved his music. In dreams, he feels the rush of the lake's icy water, the chill of fear, and the helplessness and hurt that followed. He was 67. MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) 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. He's had some terrible, traumatic experiences throughout his life. Cauley got his musical start singing in church with his mother and picked up the trumpet in seventh grade. According to James Alexander, Cauley was the best dressed of the group, always known to wear a suit, no matter the occasion. Shop the best selection of deals on Cameras now. Cauley's eldest daughter, Chekita Cauley-Campbell, said her father died late Monday at Methodist South Hospital. Another band member, the bassist James Alexander, was on a different plane. The cushion kept the musician afloat until a police boat arrived. 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. Dressed in a black suit, Cauley spoke of how he was "honored" to be there to remember his friends. "Ben is a miracle," says his friend and fellow Stax Records alum, songwriter/producer David Porter. What bands died in plane crash? ADVERTISEMENT The plane was found nose-down about 48 feet below the surface. Able to hold on to a seat cushion, Cauley was the only survivor. 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. 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Find the best deals on Home Gym from your favorite brands. They were descending so rapidly that Ben Cauley struggled to breathe. He breathed music.". Yall dont know, but yall just cut a hit., The groups debut single reached No. And that year, Cauley faced another brush with death when he suffered an aneurysm and massive stroke. "He asked about us doing some gigs. But, Cauley, who had a growing family, left the band in 1972. 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. "He really loved his music. Shop the best selection of deals on Beauty now. "He was in a total state of shock," says Alexander. 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. I always kept on., PublishedDecember 10, 2012 at 6:00 AM CST. Cauley, who was a couple of years older than his bandmates, began attending LeMoyne College in 1965. When he was a senior he would be picked up at high school on a Friday, travel and play with Otis on the weekends and then come back to school the next week. Cauley died in 2015. He didn't know how to swim, but he held on to a seat cushion, "I couldn't swim," Cauley said, "I didn't try.". Porter credits the popularity of Cauley's performances there with helping make the airport's later musical makeover possible. The plane was found nose-down about 48 feet below the surface. 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. "[3], Cauley then unbuckled his safety belt which ultimately allowed him to separate himself from the wreckage. He was 67. He was just a real humble, debonair gentleman, Cauley-Campbell said. Other victims, including Redding, were found still attached to their seats. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. The Associated Press is an independent, not-for-profit news cooperative headquartered in New York City. On December 10, 1967, they were traveling on Redding's new twin engine Beechcraft when it went into Lake Monona near Madison, Wisconsin. 3 on Billboards R&B chart. Shop the best selection of deals on Cat Supplies now. He was soon back playing his horn and performing, something doctors said he would never do. Released in the spring of '67, the group's debut single for Stax, "Soul Finger", would reach No. Former trumpeter of the band The Bo-Keys. Terms of Use Cauley was born in South Memphis, Tennessee. It was a pitch above the roof.. Early years[ edit] Find the best deals on Gear from your favorite brands. Deals and discounts in Cookware you dont want to miss. Ben Cauley in 2007. The loss of Redding and the promising Bar-Kays was a devastating blow. 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Find the best deals on More Pets Supplies from your favorite brands. Save up to 50% on Hair when you shop now. He was 67. 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. Later that same evening, they played at a popular Cleveland club, Leo's Casino. . Inside the forest palace 'Putin shares with his gymnast lover and their secret children': Luxury estate Ukrainian military unit named after Boris Johnson 'is wiped out by Wagner troops', the Russian mercenaries How did Russia lose HALF of its 45,000 elite paratroopers in just seven months? But, as if scripted, on that third day, Cauley recovered dramatically enough to leave the intensive care unit. 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. I just had to see the lake," says Cauley softly, his voice trailing off. They would be picked up on a Friday, travel and play with Redding on the weekend and return to school for the week. His music was really his life. 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. Bar-Kays trumpet player Ben Cauley celebrated his 65th birthday this year, and he has much to celebrate. The lake had not frozen over, but water was chilly and divers were taxed. Find the best deals on Women's Handbags & Wallets from your favorite brands. He was previously married to Shirley. He also went on to create music with other artists such as, Elvis Presley, Isaac Hayes, Rufus Thomas, The Staples, and rapper Drake. Related news. Ben S. Cauley, Jr. (October 3, 1947 - September 21, 2015) was an American trumpet player, vocalist, songwriter, and founding member of the Stax recording group the Bar-Kays. Like so many Stax stories, Ben Cauley's tale begins in South Memphis. 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. His music was really his life. 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