Trini Lopez, ’60s musician & actor, dies of COVID-19 at 83; Dave Grohl pays tribute
Trini Lopez, the genre-crossing Mexican-American singer, songwriter and actor who scored many hits in the ’60s, has died from complications of COVID-19. He was 83. The news was confirmed by filmmaker P. David Ebersole, who is currently finishing a documentary on Lopez.
Born in 1937 in Dallas, TX, Lopez formed his first band at age 15 in Wichita and was mentored by Buddy Holly and Frank Sinatra. He scored a number of hits, including versions of “If I Had a Hammer,” “Lemon Tree,” “Kansas City” and “La Bamba,” as well as his own songs like “I’m Comin’ Home, Cindy.”
Lopez also had a career as a character actor, appearing in 1967’s The Dirty Dozen, and in a few TV shows in the ’60s and ’70s, like Adam 12 and The Hardy Boys.
In addition to his other talents, Lopez also designed a couple guitars for Gibson in the ’60s and one of those models is owned by Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl who wrote about it in a touching tribute: “Today the world sadly lost yet another legend, Trini Lopez. Trini not only left a beautiful musical legacy of his own, but also unknowingly helped shape the sound of the Foo Fighters from day one. Every album we have ever made, from the first to the latest, was recorded with my red 1967 Trini Lopez signature guitar. It is the sound of our band, and my most prized possession from the day I bought it in 1992. Thank you, Trini for all of your contributions. You will be missed by many, remembered by all. RIP Trini Lopez.”
Rest in peace, Trini.
Today the world sadly lost yet another legend, Trini Lopez. Trini not only left a beautiful musical legacy of his own, but also unknowingly helped shape the sound of the Foo Fighters from day one. (1/3) pic.twitter.com/9KRJXDXeWK
— Foo Fighters (@foofighters) August 11, 2020
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjAvQ22_05I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evH9u3chHwU