Tim Bogert

August 27, 1944 – January 13, 2021

The virtuoso bass player who worked with Vanilla Fudge, Cactus and the supergroup Beck, Bogert & Appice, has died of cancer at the age of 76. The news was broken by drummer Carmine Appice, who played alongside Bogert in all three bands. Writing on Facebook, Appice said: “My true friend Tim Bogert died today. He was like a brother to me. He was my friend for over 50 years.

“Tim was a one of a kind bass player. He inspired many, many bass players worldwide. He was as masterful at shredding as he was holding down a groove, and

Tim introduced a new level of virtuosity into rock bass playing. No one played like Tim. He created bass solos that drove audiences to a frenzy every time he played one. And he played a different solo every night. He was the last of the legendary 1960s bass players.

“Tim was a very intelligent person, so intelligent that we would call him ‘Spock’. You could ask him anything and he would know something about it.

“I loved Tim like a brother. I will miss calling him, cracking jokes together, talking music and remembering the great times we had together, and how we created kick-ass music together.

“Perhaps the only good thing about knowing someone close to you is suffering a serious illness, is you have an opportunity to tell them that you love them, and why you love them. I did that, a lot. I was touched to hear it said back to me. Nothing was left unsaid between us and I’m grateful for that. I highly recommend it.”

Jeff Beck added: “Sad to hear the news about Tim’s passing. We shared some good times together on stage and thankfully our mutual work will stand the test of time. His style was totally unique and was never properly recognised. Miss you man…”

A founding member of pioneering rockers Vanilla Fudge, Bogert played on their first five albums, Vanilla Fudge, The Beat Goes On, Renaissance, Near The Beginning and

Rock & Roll. Having honed their performance on the Long Island circuit, Vanilla Fudge were a hard act to follow, as Jimi Hendrix, among others, discovered to his cost.

“We played hard and audiences liked what we were doing,” Bogert told Classic Rock. “So we would wear an audience out. They would be spent by the time the main act came on.”

Vanilla Fudge disbanded in 1970 – they reunited multiple times with various line-ups – and Bogert and Appice formed Cactus. A genuine sex-and-drugs-androck’n’roll experience, Cactus made Vanilla Fudge look like amateurs in the bad behaviour department. There were pot busts, nights in jail, and fistfights, and they wouldn’t have had it any other way.

“I’d like to say, for the record, how grateful I am for that,” Bogert told Classic Rock, tongue only slightly in cheek.

Bogert also hooked up with Appice and Jeff Beck in the supergroup Beck, Bogert & Appice in 1972. Bursting with experimental zeal, they bridged the gap between the psychedelic age and a nebulous new era where metal, hard funk, soul and heavy blues could all co-exist in one glorious tumult.

“People thought we were as good as it gets,” Bogert remembered. “At the time, I did too. I thought this was going to be the best thing that ever happened to me. And for a short period of time it was.”

In later years Bogert toured with the Jeff Beck Group and Bo Diddley, hooked up with The Grateful Dead’s Bob Weir in his side project Bobby And The Midnites, and joined British group Boxer for their second album, Absolutely.

He continued to work with Appice: in CB&A with Japanese musician Char, and with Rick Derringer in

DBA. More recently, the two played together with Hollywood Monsters, whose members also included current Deep Purple keyboardist Don Airey, and ex-Whitesnake bassist Neil Murray. FL