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Otis Clay - Trying to Live My Life Without You (1972)

“One of the Most Lowdown, Funkiest Musicians,” Hi Rhythm Section Drummer Howard Grimes Dies at 80

Howard Grimes, the Hi Rhythm Section drummer who powered recordings by Al Green, Ann Peebles, Otis Clay and others, has died at 80.

Grimes’ Feb. 12 death was first reported by the Commercial Appeal in Memphis, which cited kidney failure as the cause.

Working first as part of the Stax Records house band, Grimes later joined Hi and its titular Rhythm Section.

Grimes was “one of the most lowdown, funkiest musicians ever to walk the earth,” Vee-Jay Records said in a statement.

“I’ve sweat and cried playing along with your grooves,” Ryan Jewell said on Facebook in eulogizing Grimes. “Thank you for a lifetime of inspiration.”

More recently, drummer was a member of the Bo-Keys, who posted a photo of Grimes captioned “long live the Memphis beat,” and in 2021 released his autobiography, “Timekeeper: My Life In Rhythm” with a launch event at the Stax Museum of American Soul Music.

“We'll miss the gentle giant very much,” the museum said in a statement.