Roger Hawkins, who played drums on numerous pop and soul hits of the 1960s and â70s and was among the architects of the funky sound that became identified with Muscle Shoals, Ala., died on Thursday at his home in Sheffield, Ala. He was 75.
His death was confirmed by his friend and frequent musical collaborator David Hood, who said Mr. Hawkins had been suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other conditions.
An innately soulful musician, Mr. Hawkins initially distinguished himself in the mid-â60s as a member of the house band at the producer Rick Hallâs FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Ala. (The initials stand for Florence Alabama Music Enterprises.) His colleagues were the keyboardist Barry Beckett, the guitarist Jimmy Johnson and Mr. Hood, who played bass. Mr. Hood is the last surviving member of that rhythm section.
Mr. Hawkinsâs less-is-more approach to drumming at FAME â often little more than a cymbal and a snare â can be heard on Percy Sledgeâs gospel-steeped âWhen a Man Loves a Woman,â a No. 1 pop single in 1966. He was also a driving force behind Aretha Franklinâs imperious âRespect,â a No. 1 pop hit the next year, as well as her Top 10 singles âChain of Foolsâ (1967) and âThinkâ (1968).
Renaming themselves the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, the four men appeared on many other hits over the next decade, including the Staple Singersâ chart-topping pop-gospel single âIâll Take You There,â a 1972 recording galvanized by Mr. Hawkinsâs skittering Caribbean-style drum figure. They also appeared, along with the gospel quartet the Dixie Hummingbirds, on Paul Simonâs âLoves Me Like a Rock,â a Top 10 single in 1973.
Mr. Hawkins and Mr. Hood worked briefly with the British rock band Traffic as well; they are on the bandâs 1973 album, âShoot Out at the Fantasy Factory.â
Roger Hawkins, who played drums on numerous pop and soul hits of the 1960s and â70s and was among the architects of the funky sound that became identified with Muscle Shoals, Ala., died on Thursday at his home in Sheffield, Ala. He was 75.
His death was confirmed by his friend and frequent musical collaborator David Hood, who said Mr. Hawkins had been suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other conditions.
An innately soulful musician, Mr. Hawkins initially distinguished himself in the mid-â60s as a member of the house band at the producer Rick Hallâs FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Ala. (The initials stand for Florence Alabama Music Enterprises.) His colleagues were the keyboardist Barry Beckett, the guitarist Jimmy Johnson and Mr. Hood, who played bass. Mr. Hood is the last surviving member of that rhythm section.
Mr. Hawkinsâs less-is-more approach to drumming at FAME â often little more than a cymbal and a snare â can be heard on Percy Sledgeâs gospel-steeped âWhen a Man Loves a Woman,â a No. 1 pop single in 1966. He was also a driving force behind Aretha Franklinâs imperious âRespect,â a No. 1 pop hit the next year, as well as her Top 10 singles âChain of Foolsâ (1967) and âThinkâ (1968).
Renaming themselves the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, the four men appeared on many other hits over the next decade, including the Staple Singersâ chart-topping pop-gospel single âIâll Take You There,â a 1972 recording galvanized by Mr. Hawkinsâs skittering Caribbean-style drum figure. They also appeared, along with the gospel quartet the Dixie Hummingbirds, on Paul Simonâs âLoves Me Like a Rock,â a Top 10 single in 1973.
Mr. Hawkins and Mr. Hood worked briefly with the British rock band Traffic as well; they are on the bandâs 1973 album, âShoot Out at the Fantasy Factory.â
