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Traffic Drummer Dead at 60
01/28/2005 10:05 PM, E! Online
Charlie Amter
Jim Capaldi , who kept the beat for Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band
Traffic, died Friday of stomach cancer at a London hospital. He was
60.
The cofounder of the legendary 1960s/1970s English band
powered such hits as "Dear Mr. Fantasy," "John Barleycorn Must Die" and
"Paper Sun."
"I was really saddened when I heard about Jim,"
Traffic cofounder and friend Dave Mason said in a statement Friday.
"Jim was a great inspiration on so many Traffic songs, he was a
tremendous songwriter."
The band, known for their blend of
blues, folk and rock, broke up in 1974. Capaldi went on to record 11
solo records with his own band, the Contenders. All told,
Capaldi-penned tunes sold more 25 million copies during a career that
spanned four decades.
In 1998, the U.K.-born Capaldi teamed
up with Mason to tour with Traffic again. The two, along with the most
famous Traffic member, Steve Winwood , had been planning another Traffic
tour last fall but were forced to rethink those plans in August when
Capaldi began treatment for a severe gastric ulcer.
Traffic
was enshrined in the Cleveland-based Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last
March.
"Jim was a great collaborator and a great friend,"
says Mason. "I know we'll all miss him dearly."
Capaldi is
survived by his wife and two daughters.
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