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Dave Clark Five member Rick Huxley passes away

Dave Clark Five member Rick Huxley passes away

THE death has taken place of Rick Huxley who was the bass player in the 60s pop group The Dave Clark Five. He was 72.

In 1958, the 16-year-old Huxley had answered an advertisement for a guitarist. The ad had been placed by drummer Dave Clark. By the early 1960s the final line-up of the group, which was to enjoy phenomenal success in the U.K. and the United States, had been established.

Joining Clark and Huxley in the final formation were Mike Smith (keyboards), Lenny Davidson (lead guitar) and Denis Payton (saxophone).

In late 1963, the group released Glad All Over which was went on to reach Number 1 in Britain and Number 6 in the U.S. When the recording captured the number one slot in January 1964, the group had taken over the top spot from The Beatles’ song I Want To Hold Your Hand.

The Dave Clark Five were to follow The Beatles to the United States where they experienced fan reactions every bit as big as their Merseyside rivals.

Mr. Huxley and his fellow band members took the States by storm, going on to enjoy 14 consecutive Top 10 hits and appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show.

The group’s other hits included Bits And Pieces (see below), Catch Us If You Can and Everybody Knows.

However, the band members decided to split-up in 1970.

In 2008 Mr. Huxley travelled to the United States to be present when The Dave Clark Five were inducted into The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (see below).

Mr. Huxley’s death means that only two other members of the group, Dave Clark and Lenny Davidson, remain alive. Denis Payton passed away in 2006 and Mike Smith in 2008.

Dave Clark paid tribute to his old friend who had been suffering from emphysema in recent years.

He said: “Rick was a dear friend and an immensely talented musician. He was very kind and had an amazing sense of humour — he was the funny one of the group.”

To see The Dave Clark Five perform Bits And Pieces, click here.

To view a feature about The Dave Clark Five being inducted into The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, click here.

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