Jimmy Carl Black, the original drummer in Frank Zappa’s Mothers of Invention, a band that helped define the subgenre of art rock, died of cancer Saturday. He was 70.
He died in Siegsdorf, Germany, according to Roddie Gilliard, who performed with Black in the Muffin Men, a British group that specialized in performing Zappa’s music live.
A note on Black’s official website stated, “Jimmy passed away peacefully. … Jimmy says hi to everybody, and he doesn’t want anybody to be sad.”
James Inkanish Jr. was born Feb. 1, 1938, in El Paso, Texas, but was raised in Anthony, N.M. He changed his name after his mother married Carl Black, Anthony’s first mayor. He started playing piano at age 6 and took up trumpet in high school but switched to drums when he joined the Air Force in 1958 because “there weren’t any trumpets in rock ‘n’ roll.”
Black moved to Los Angeles in 1964 and formed the Soul Giants with Roy Estrada and Ray Collins. When the group’s guitarist was drafted, they hired Zappa, who took over as leader and changed the band’s name to the Mothers of Invention, promising, “If you guys will learn my music, I’ll make you rich and famous.”
“He took care of half of that promise,” Black joked later, “because I’m . . . sure I didn’t get rich.” Los Angeles Times
