Ginger Baker, Cream's volatile drummer, dies at 80

RIP

If you could travel back to 1968 and tell rock fans that Ginger Baker died peacefully in hospital at age 80 no one would have believed you.

Well for sure, we wouldn't have believed you had travelled back from 2019 unless of course we were on acid listening to Cream. Then we would believe anything.

It was a time and culture bubble we some of us got to live and enjoy.

If you could travel back to 1968 and tell rock fans that Ginger Baker died peacefully in hospital at age 80 no one would have believed you.

I loved the days when a new album would come out from Cream, Hendrix, the Doors, Airplane, Mothers...any of them between 1967 and 69. It was an amazing and too brief moment in music. And for a teenager with a decent stereo and lust for new music it was nirvana.

That time will never be repeated. The deaths of people like Ginger sadly remind me of that fact.

From all accounts his private life and behavior was questionable, but Cream's music sure was amazing.

Crossroads

Sunshine Of Your Love

N.S.U

I Feel Free

Etc!

Wouldn't be my first choice as a drinking buddy, but as a drummer - for sure!

Anyone who's seen Beware of Mr Baker knows what a deeply unpleasant (and self-admitted) curmudgeon Ginger Baker was, so I think this is a perfect case of let's remember the music over everything else.

As far as 'jazz/blues/improvised' yet still commercially appealing music goes, what Baker played on "White Room" is unsurpassable.

Paul McCartney led the tributes. Great drummer. I have all the cream music.

He was an incredible drummer. I saw him perform several times with Cream. I also saw his teacher, Phil Seamen perform at a pub in South London.

Lucky!