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181:, Taylor joined the Ventures in 1962 to fill in for Howie Johnson, who had been severely injured in an automobile accident. Johnson played with a neck brace for a period, but didn't want to be away from his family (in Washington state) for long periods, so he opted to be replaced. Taylor's distinct, harder-edged rock style so impressed the members of the band that they asked him to become a permanent member of the group.
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Taylor returned to Los
Angeles, California, for more tests and treatment, but the cancer had advanced and metastasized so quickly that in less than 10 days he died very suddenly on August 11, 1996, at the age of 62 in Tarzana Hospital, California. Mel was survived by his wife, Fiona, his six children, Rita, Sylvia, Leon, Michael Lee, Michael Richard and Jayme, as well as 11 grandchildren.
188:. During this time, they released four albums: "007 James Bond", "Sand, Sea and Love", "Mel Taylor in Japan", and "Roll over Beethoven". Taylor rejoined the Ventures in 1979, and remained their drummer until his death in 1996. After Mel died, his son Leon Taylor replaced him, and has been the Ventures' drummer ever since.
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In July 1996, Taylor developed what was initially diagnosed as pneumonia while on tour with the
Ventures in Japan. Doctors there found a malignant tumor in his lungs, but he continued to play with the band until a replacement drummer could be found for the remainder of their tour. On August 2, Mel
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as opposed to the matched grip. He originally started out with The
Ventures on a 4-piece drum kit with just hi-hats and a single cymbal. Towards the end of the 1960s, he expanded his kit to include multiple tom-toms and double bass drums; he eventually added numerous
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to his set as well. Taylor used many drum kits over the years including Rogers, Ludwig, Gretsch, and
Canopus. Taylor preferred Zildjian cymbals, Pro-Mark drumsticks, and Remo drumheads.
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Taylor released a solo album in 1965 ("Mel Taylor & The Magics In Action"). In 1972, he decided to leave the
Ventures to pursue a solo career, forming the band
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22:(September 24, 1933 – August 11, 1996) was an American musician, best known as the drummer for the
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Mel Taylor and the Magics - In Action. (1966). BP 7461. Japan.
325:(1973) Bad New Records BNCY-29 (CD released in 1997). Japan.
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991:Burials at Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery
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600:The Ventures Play Telstar and the Lonely Bull
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337:(2002) M and I Records. MYCV 30141. Japan.
213:Taylor mentioned in many interviews that
293:In Action! - Mel Taylor & The Magics
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449:Biography of Mel Taylor (The Ventures)
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1021:20th-century American male musicians
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295:(1966) Warner Brothers WB1624. USA.
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331:(1973) Dan Records VC-7510. Japan.
319:(1973) Dan Records VC-7506. Japan.
313:(1972) Dan Records VC-7503. Japan.
307:(1972) Dan Records VC-7501. Japan.
26:from 1962 to 1996. He was born in
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1011:People from Brownsville, Brooklyn
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986:Deaths from cancer in California
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34:, and was the older brother of
996:20th-century American drummers
463:Mel Taylor on Drummerworld.com
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186:Mel Taylor & the Dynamics
592:Bobby Vee Meets the Ventures
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422:"Mel Taylor - DRUMMERWORLD"
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335:The Very Best Of Mel Taylor
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936:Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff
823:Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
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397:"Obituaries: Mel Taylor"
373:"Portraits - Mel Taylor"
287:The Ventures discography
616:Walk, Don't Run, Vol. 2
377:Modern Drummer Magazine
1001:American male drummers
670:10th Anniversary Album
928:(Ahmet Ertegun Award)
729:Meet Mister Callaghan
722:Lullaby of the Leaves
608:The Ventures in Space
541:George T. Babbitt Jr.
69:Brownsville, Brooklyn
28:Brownsville, Brooklyn
1016:The Ventures members
426:www.drummerworld.com
173:After drumming with
842:The Dave Clark Five
629:Where the Action Is
329:Roll Over Beethoven
681:Compilation albums
655:Flights of Fantasy
643:Super Psychedelics
311:Sand, Sea and Love
256:. You can help by
65:September 24, 1933
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299:Drums A-Go-Go
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252:This section
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237:Personal life
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232:
231:Louie Bellson
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223:Louie Bellson
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203:crash cymbals
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175:Boris Pickett
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860:Denis Payton
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757:Wild Weekend
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636:Wild Things!
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565:The Ventures
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518:Bob Spalding
499:The Ventures
458:Find a Grave
429:. Retrieved
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405:. Retrieved
403:. 1996-08-14
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380:. Retrieved
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353:The Ventures
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265:October 2019
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258:adding to it
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154:The Ventures
141:Years active
115:
108:Larry Taylor
86:(1996-08-11)
40:Larry Taylor
19:
18:
981:1996 deaths
976:1933 births
907:Gerry McGee
856:Rick Huxley
781:Discography
736:New Orleans
525:Gerry McGee
522:Leon Taylor
281:Discography
227:double bass
179:Herb Alpert
150:Formerly of
36:Canned Heat
970:Categories
915:Don Wilson
911:Mel Taylor
864:Mike Smith
848:Dave Clark
834:Performers
536:Mel Taylor
514:Don Wilson
454:Mel Taylor
431:2022-08-18
407:2022-08-18
382:2022-08-18
359:References
285:See also:
229:idea from
219:Buddy Rich
215:Gene Krupa
209:Influences
145:1950s-1996
132:Instrument
96:California
61:1933-09-24
49:Mel Taylor
20:Mel Taylor
899:Bob Bogle
743:Sha La La
689:Only Hits
531:Bob Bogle
348:Surf rock
126:Surf rock
110:(brother)
104:Relatives
715:Perfidia
342:See also
317:In Japan
73:New York
38:bassist
32:New York
24:Ventures
946:Sidemen
879:Madonna
585:Surfing
92:Tarzana
692:(1973)
673:(1970)
665:(1969)
657:(1968)
651:(1967)
645:(1967)
639:(1966)
631:(1966)
625:(1965)
619:(1964)
611:(1964)
603:(1963)
595:(1963)
587:(1963)
581:(1962)
575:(1961)
567:(1961)
561:(1960)
221:, and
122:Genres
98:, U.S.
75:, U.S.
700:Songs
135:Drums
750:Lies
177:and
81:Died
55:Born
456:at
305:007
260:.
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