CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices. 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 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. Soundtrack: Dope. Deals and discounts in Cookware you dont want to miss. It was a very distinct sound. 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. Do not sell or share my personal information. Find the best deals on Women's Jewelry from your favorite brands. Shop the best selection of deals on Beauty now. Audience Relations, CBC P.O. "I didn't know it, but my head was swollen and bleeding, and I remember I had only one shoe". Ben Cauley, Sole Survivor of Otis Redding Plane Crash, Dies at 67, https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/25/arts/music/ben-cauley-sole-survivor-of-otis-redding-crash-dies-at-67.html. His death was first reported by The Commercial Appeal. Thanks for contacting us. His music was really his life. Deals and discounts in Tech & Electronics you dont want to miss. 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. Another band member, bassist James Alexander, was on a different plane. Save up to 50% on Swimwear when you shop now. ", "We kinda looked at each other, as young fellows do, and said, 'The battery's low?' Cauley died in 2015. What's your biggest turn off? 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. It was a very distinct sound. Zelenskyy on Anniversary of RussianWar, R. Kelly Awaiting Fate in Child Pornography Case That Could Add Up to LifeSentence. He was 67. How Ben Cauley Survived The Bar-Kays Tragedy. Cauley did not know how to swim and was stuck in the freezing waters holding onto a seat cushion until a . 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. (Mike Maple/The Commercial Appeal via AP, File). He said, 'I'll take care of that, I'll pick you up in my plane on Fridays.'". 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. Ben Cauley was born on October 3, 1947 in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. "In my mind Ben's success was a big reason why there was no hesitation in not only incorporating music in the airport, but building the whole airport around the credibility of Memphis music.". Ben Cauley, who played trumpet with the rhythm-and-blues group the Bar-Kays and was the only survivor of the 1967 plane crash that killed Otis Redding, died on Monday in Memphis. Cauleys eldest daughter, Chekita Cauley-Campbell, said her father died late Monday at Methodist South Hospital. At the same time, the mostly underage band became a favorite at late-night clubs like the Hippodrome, adding their flashy step and dance moves into a repertoire of R&B songs. When those moments come, alone in the darkness, he tries to think instead of the music they made together; he tries to conjure the sweet sounds of soul and Stax, the things that have sustained him all the years since. He came back to where we was and said, Man! 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. 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. 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. Terms of Use "They had given him three days to live after his stroke," says Cauley's daughter Chekita. On Dec. 10, 1967, they were traveling on Reddings new twin engine Beechcraft when it went into Lake Monona near Madison, Wisconsin. After the crash, Cauley reformed the Bar-Kays, who celebrated their 50th anniversary this year. 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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. 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. "It was a match made in heaven," says Cauley. "It's really that simple. Doctors gave him three days to live. He awoke when he realized he could not breathe. The plane crashed in icy Lake Monona. While he has long been known as the sole survivor of the crash that killed Redding just as his career was peaking, Cauley was a survivor in many other ways. Deals and discounts in Nails you dont want to miss. While he has long been known as the sole survivor of the crash that killed Redding, Cauley was a survivor in many other ways. Deals and discounts in Tablets you dont want to miss. He breathed music. Shop our favorite Dog Supplies finds at great prices. Like, what's going on? Shop our favorite Bath & Body finds at great prices. Shop our favorite Women's Shoes finds at great prices. Then they hit, and he was loose in the water, terrified he. In the difficult aftermath of his stroke, Cauley's musical future seemed limited. Cauley was playing with the Bar-Kays while still attending high school at Booker T. Washington High School in Memphis, his daughter said. One band member, Ben Cauley, survived. Find the best deals on Gear from your favorite brands. His death was first reported by The Commercial Appeal. 'It was a very distinct sound. Somehow, in between blacking out and rising to the surface of the water, he'd gotten hold of a seat cushion, which was keeping him afloat. As label co-founder Jim Stewart later put it, "The company was never the same to me after that. At this tiny detail, Cauley suddenly stops his narrative and drops his head. They formed a group called the Imperials, later changing their name to the Bar-Kays. After the crash, Mr. Cauley and Mr. Alexander rebuilt the Bar-Kays. He managed to unfasten his seatbelt, and grab a cushion. They were descending so rapidly that Ben Cauley struggled to breathe. "He asked about us doing some gigs. Published: 22:13 EST, 22 September 2015 | Updated: 03:00 EST, 23 September 2015. 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. The Bar-Kays were inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2013. Cauley got his musical start singing in church with his mother and picked up the trumpet in seventh grade. We've received your submission. Ben Cauley on the plane crash that killed Otis Redding & the Bar Kays Memphis January 2015 Walkin' On The Blvd 7.98K subscribers Subscribe 240 32K views 7 years ago Pick up a copy of Elvis. Nor do they divine how, in later years, after suffering a massive stroke -- when none of his doctors thought he would live for more than a few days -- Cauley was soon up and playing his horn. Deals and discounts in Cookbooks you dont want to miss. Anyone can read what you share. Mr. Cauley started playing with the Bar-Kays while attending Booker T. Washington High School in Memphis, his daughter said. Cauley was playing with the Bar-Kays while still attending high school at Booker T. Washington High School in Memphis, his daughter said. (Dec. 10), Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Save up to 50% on Women's Clothing when you shop now. These are the best Kitchen Linens deals youll find online. Another band member, bassist James Alexander, was on a different plane. 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. 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. Find the best deals on Fitness Nutrition from your favorite brands. You know, for a long time I used to tell my kids, 'One day I'm going back.' On September 20, 1973, the chartered flight he and Muehleisen were aboard crashed, the result of what an investigation later revealed was pilot error. In addition to Ms. Cauley-Campbell, he is survived by four other daughters, Shuronda Cauley-Oliver, Miriam Cauley-Crisp, Monica Cauley-Johnson and Kimberly Garrett, and two sons, Phalon Richmond and Ben Wells. It was first reported by the Memphis newspaper The Commercial Appeal. 'No one could play like him,' she said. 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. 42,781, This story has been shared 14,281 times. According to James Alexander, Cauley was the best dressed of the group, always known to wear a suit, no matter the occasion. That day, Cauley, stood outside playing a requiem on his trumpet. Cauley was playing with the Bar-Kays while still attending high school at Booker T. Washington High School in Memphis, his daughter said. 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I was conscious at that time," says Cauley. His music was really his life. Cauley-Campbell said Cauley toured with Hayes, and also played on sessions for Aretha Franklin, the Doobie Brothers, The Replacements and many others. He then played some trumpet and sang elegiac renditions of Redding's "Try A Little Tenderness" and "(Sittin On) The Dock of the Bay.". Able to hold on to a seat cushion, Cauley was the only survivor. The young, energetic Bar-Kays and the tireless Redding proved a perfect musical fit. "It was a very distinct sound. And that year, Cauley faced another brush with death when he suffered an aneurysm and massive stroke. Please note that CBC does not endorse the opinions expressed in comments. 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. The group was originally named the Imperials, and later changed to the Bar-Kays in the mid-1960s. Cauley remembers the cabin of the plane was especially cold that morning. He said that he then saw bandmate Phalon Jones look out of a window and say "Oh, no! 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. 3. Ben Cauley, musician and sole survivor in Otis Redding plane crash, dead at 67 | CBC News Loaded. It was around this same period that Stax's signature star, Otis Redding, caught the Bar-Kays in concert, and was taken by their sound. Cauley was born in South Memphis, Tennessee. 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. Save up to 50% on Skin Care when you shop now. They told him he'd never play the trumpet again. Save up to 50% on Pets when you shop now. ", In the wake of the accident, the entire Stax family was shaken to its core. Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox, A daily briefing on what matters in the music industry. Save up to 50% on Hair when you shop now. "He didn't feel comfortable being gone on the road all the time," says Alexander, who continues to lead the Bar-Kays to this day. Sometimes, in his sleep, Ben Cauley still hears their cries -- the ones of his friends and band mates. Bar-Kays bassist James Alexander had taken a different flight, as there was not enough room left on Redding's plane. Learn how and when to remove this template message, Official Rhythm & Blues Music Hall of Fame. They would be picked up on a Friday, travel and play with Redding on the weekend and return to school for the week. ', Drama on set! 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