The plane had gone into Lake Monona, on the banks of Madison, at a sharp 35-degree angle. "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 S. Cauley, Jr. (October 3, 1947 - September 21, 2015) was an American trumpet player, vocalist, songwriter, and founding member of the Stax recording group the Bar-Kays. He formed the Bar-Kays at Booker T. Washington High School with friends: James Alexander, Ronnie Caldwell, Carl Cunningham, Jimmy King, and Phalon Jones. . 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. Five minutes after that,it got started -- but we were still thinking about that. He was 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. Ben Cauley, the Bar-Kays' trumpet player is the only survivor of the crash that killed 8 passengers, including Otis Redding and the band's 3 other members. Cauley first picked up trumpet in the seventh grade and soon fell in with a group of neighborhood kids and Booker T. Washington high school students, including guitarist Jimmy King, saxophonist Phalon Jones, drummer Carl Cunningham, guitarist Jimmy King, keyboardist Ronnie Caldwell, and bassist James Alexander. "No one could play like him," she said. The trumpeter Ben Cauley was a member of the Stax group the Bar-Kays and the only survivor of the 1967 plane crash that killed most of his bandmates along with Otis Redding. 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. Other victims, including Redding, were found still attached to their seats. The speed of the rescue team -- which got to the crash site in 17 minutes -- was probably the thing that saved Cauley. Save up to 50% on Swimwear when you shop now. It was a very distinct sound. We've received your submission. ADVERTISEMENT The plane was found nose-down about 48 feet below the surface. On Dec. 10, 1967, they were traveling to a show near the University of Wisconsin on Reddings new twin engine Beechcraft when it went into Lake Monona near Madison, Wis. Another band member, bassist James Alexander, was on a different plane. He was a well-known session musician, and Cauley-Campbell said she often recognized the sound of his trumpet on records because it was so different from anyone else's playing. Audience Relations, CBC P.O. Find the best deals on Women's Handbags & Wallets from your favorite brands. He was 67. 12,066, This story has been shared 10,111 times. Logic or luck doesn't fully explain how Cauley escaped the plane crash or the waters that nearly consumed him 40 years ago. 'He was just a real humble, debonair gentleman,' Cauley-Campbell said. recalls Cauley. Although he continued to tour, Cauley didnt return to the site of the plane crash until 40 years later. 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. Cauley-Campbell said Cauley toured with Hayes, and also played with Aretha Franklin, the Doobie Brothers and many others. 3 on the Billboard R&B charts. Cauley's eldest daughter, Chekita Cauley-Campbell, said her father died late Monday at Methodist South Hospital. MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) 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. "Carl (Cunningham) asked an attendant at the airport to crank up (the plane) so the cabin could warm up,"; says Cauley. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. ', Drama on set! 'That is NOT fair': Teacher's union boss Randi Weingarten has complete meltdown over student debt outside Biden claims he had a nurse who would whisper in his ear and BREATHE on him to make sure there was a 'human House votes to block 'woke' Biden plan pushing retirement planners to invest in ESG in 401ks. He was a well-known session musician, and Cauley-Campbell said she often recognized the sound of his trumpet on records because it was so different from anyone else's playing. Sometimes, in his sleep, Ben Cauley still hears their cries -- the ones of his friends and band mates. Save up to 50% on Women's Clothing when you shop now. The Bar-Kays joined the Stax studio by 1966, and were signed on to Stax's subsidiary Volt Records in the beginning of 1967. 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. Another band member, bassist James Alexander, was on a different plane. Cauley had two young daughters to support, so he left the group in 1971, allowing him to continue performing on his own while being able to remain home with his family. Suggest an edit or add missing content. . Comments on this story are moderated according to our Submission Guidelines. Mr. Cauley started playing with the Bar-Kays while attending Booker T. Washington High School in Memphis, his daughter said. When he was a senior, he would be picked up at high school on a Friday, travel and play with Otis Redding on the weekends and then come back to school the next week. Shop the best selection of deals on Beauty now. However, the band made little money, as they did not have much work outside of being a house band for Stax, and frequently needed to tour with the artists they backed. "I saw Carl come out of the water, I saw (Redding's valet) Matt (Kelly) come up on the other side. Madison Police Inspector John Harrington was quoted as saying that a person without insulated SCUBA gear "wouldn't live longer than 20 or so minutes" in the icy water.[4]. They had three gigs booked between Dec. 8 and 10, 1967, and most of the entourage was traveling on Redding's new twin engine Beechcraft. In early December, Redding and the Bar-Kays were back out on the road, doing weekenders at colleges. I remember I got up, unbuckled my seatbelt to see what it was. Cauley started attending LeMoyne College in 1965, before becoming a professional musician.[1]. Shop the best selection of deals on Laptops now. He said he'd rather have the pilot do it. It is a priority for CBC to create products that are accessible to all in Canada including people with visual, hearing, motor and cognitive challenges. But he's always been the same Ben, hitting them high notes like he always does.". On September 20, 1973, the chartered flight he and Muehleisen were aboard crashed, the result of what an investigation later revealed was pilot error. After a long silence, tears begin streaming down his face, and his body slumps, the weight of 40 years of pain bearing down on his shoulders. The group was originally named the Imperials, and later changed to the Bar-Kays in the mid-1960s. Yall dont know, but yall just cut a hit., The groups debut single reached No. These are the best Home Audio deals youll find online. 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. 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. What's your biggest turn off? When he was a senior, he would be picked up at high school on a Friday, travel and play with Redding on the weekends and then come back to school the next week. He breathed music.". He was 67.. The comments below have not been moderated. They told him he'd never play the trumpet again. But in a greater sense, Cauley is the ultimate survivor -- someone who's become the living embodiment of both the triumph and tragedy of the Stax legacy. 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. I'd never been that way before in my life. Cauley was thrown into the freezing water. Trumpeter Ben Cauley has died in Memphis at the age of 67. He was 67. And it hadnt gone, Cauley said. Sitemap, Your California Privacy Rights Able to hold on to a seat cushion, Cauley was the only survivor. He breathed music.. "When you consider what he's experienced and yet he can still get up and have the kind of energy that entertains people," says Porter, "it's a true testament to what's inside of this guy. He said, Man, thats a hit. Find the best deals on Gear from your favorite brands. On Dec. 10, 1967, they were traveling on Reddings new twin engine Beechcraft when it went into Lake Monona near Madison, Wisconsin. Inside the forest palace 'Putin shares with his gymnast lover and their secret children': Luxury estate Ukrainian military unit named after Boris Johnson 'is wiped out by Wagner troops', the Russian mercenaries How did Russia lose HALF of its 45,000 elite paratroopers in just seven months? He breathed music.. See also. It was a very distinct sound. It was a pitch above the roof.. The Bar-Kays were inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2013. The plane crashed in icy Lake Monona. And while he. These are the best Smartphones deals youll find online. He was 67. He was a well-known session musician, and Cauley-Campbell said she often recognized the sound of his trumpet on records because it was so different from anyone else's playing. Since the crash, Cauley has played with numerous bands, including a reconstituted Bar-Kays, Isaac Hayes, and the Muscle Schoals Band. "After our show he ran backstage, and said 'Y'all bad!'" See for yourself by trying this new quiz devised by cardiologists 'They told me anyone wearing Trump has to go now': Ron DeSantis book signing event in Florida turns ugly Another close call! 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 Fame's website. Deals and discounts in Cookware you dont want to miss. Despite the lingering scars of his past, Cauley continued to work and perform, his horn in demand for sessions in Memphis, Muscle Shoals, even Nashville. He survived the 1967 plane crash that killed Otis Redding. 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. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. He's had some terrible, traumatic experiences throughout his life. He was a well-known session musician, and Cauley-Campbell said she often recognized the sound of his trumpet on records because it was so different from anyone elses playing. Cauley was separated from the plane and thrown out of an opening in the fuselage. Ben Cauley. In dreams, he feels the rush of the lake's icy water, the chill of fear, and the helplessness and hurt that followed. "But (the attendant) told us he couldn't crank it up because the battery was kind of low. On December 8, 1967, Otis Redding and the Bar-Kays flew in Redding's twin engine Beechcraft H18 plane to Nashville, Tennessee, for three weekend gigs. He was soon back playing his horn and performing, something doctors said he would never do. ", He recalls turning toward Phalon Jones. Trumpeter Ben Cauley, a member of the Stax Records group the Bar-Kays and the only survivor of the 1967 plane crash that . While he has long been known as the sole survivor of the crash that killed Redding, Cauley was a survivor in many other ways. Miraculously, he survived. But I went over and picked it up and started playing -- ba-de-dum-dum-ba-dum-dum," says Cauley, aping the first notes of "Soul Finger.". Released in the spring of '67, the group's debut single for Stax, "Soul Finger", would reach No. What bands died in plane crash? 2023 Billboard Media, LLC. The group recorded for the Stax label and soon started touring as Reddings backup band. The cushion kept the musician afloat until a police boat arrived. Cauley-Campbell said Cauley toured with Hayes, and also played on sessions for Aretha Franklin, the Doobie Brothers, The Replacements and many others. Bar-Kays trumpet player Ben Cauley celebrated his 65th birthday this year, and he has much to celebrate. "That next night was in Cleveland, Ohio. 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But, as if scripted, on that third day, Cauley recovered dramatically enough to leave the intensive care unit. This story has been shared 42,781 times. No one could play like him, she said. They created their signature song, Soul Finger., [Jim Stewart] came back and said, Whats that yall played? Cauley said. CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices. Later that same evening, they played at a popular Cleveland club, Leo's Casino. 'He really loved his music. Save up to 50% on Smart Home when you shop now. The small plane crashed nose first in Lake Monona on the way to Madison, Wisconsin. Cauley survived a debilitating stroke and a plane crash in 1967 that killed the other founding members of the Bar-Kays. But surviving the. 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. It was a pitch above the roof.. On Dec. 10, 1967, Mr. Cauley and most of the other members of the band were traveling on Reddings new twin-engine Beechcraft when it crashed into Lake Monona, near Madison, Wis. On June 6, 2015, Cauley was on hand to be inducted into the Official Rhythm & Blues Music Hall of Fame in Clarksdale, Mississippi, along with the other Bar-Kays. It was a pitch above the roof.. No one could play like him, she said. Al Jackson, Jr. the drummer with Booker T & the MGs, took a particular interest in the young members of the Bar-Kays and groomed them to become the second house band for Stax after Booker T and the MGs. Cauley's eldest daughter, Chekita Cauley-Campbell, said her father died late Monday at Methodist South Hospital. Cauley suffered hypothermia and shock, but he survived. Bar-Kays while attending Booker T. Washington High School in Memphis, his daughter said small... Best Home Audio deals youll find online before in my life Cauley recovered dramatically to. 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