By Derrik J. Lang
The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES — Paul Revere, the organist and leader of the Raiders rock band that carried his name, has died. He was 76.
Roger Hart, manager for Paul Revere and the Raiders, said he died Saturday at his home in Garden Valley, Idaho, from cancer.
“He’d been quiet about it for some time,” Hart said. “Treated at the Mayo Clinic, Paul stayed on the road as long as he could, then retired recently back to Idaho, where he and his wife, Sydney, always kept a home.”
Revere, born Paul Revere Dick, became known as “the madman of rock and roll” for his theatrical colonial wardrobe and infectious onstage persona with the band, which has Pacific Northwest roots.
“From Day 1, we’ve always been a party band that accidentally had some hit records and accidently got on a hit television series,” Revere told The Associated Press in a 2000 interview.
The group launched its career in 1963 with a popular rendition of Richard Berry’s “Louie, Louie” before releasing its own hits, such as “Kicks,” ‘‘Hungry” and “Good Thing.” The band’s biggest smash came in 1971 with “Indian Reservation.”
Paul Revere and the Raiders served as the house band for the Dick Clark TV show “Where the Action Is” and made an appearance as themselves in the “Batman” TV series starring Adam West.
While the band’s line-up changed over the past 50 years, Revere remained a constant presence with the group, and he continued touring until earlier this year.
“I don’t want to get into the details but let’s just say, it ain’t fun,” Revere wrote last year of his battle with cancer.
“It’s been rough getting through the last few shows, but I would do whatever it takes to avoid missing a show. I’m giving it my all, and then some, and the band tells me I’ve been even more awesome than usual.”
