NRBQ Drummer Tom Ardolino Dies at 56

Tom Ardolino of NRBQ backstage at the King King in Los Angeles.

Tom Ardolino, a longtime drummer of NRBQ, died on January 6 at the age of 56.

The band announced Ardolino’s death on their Facebook page on Friday: "Friends, We regret to inform you that Tom Ardolino passed away today. Tom will be missed but his spirit lives on through those who were touched by him."

Ardolino had joined NRBQ in 1974 after years as a fan and stayed with them for three decades, playing in thousands of the cult favorites’ legendary live shows and on 15 studio albums. In 2004, during NRBQ’s hiatus, he released a solo album, Unknown Brain.

Ardolino was living in Springfield, Massachusetts, at the time of his death.

"He was a great drummer and a great guy," former NRBQ guitarist and singer Al Anderson told the Hartford Courant. "He had a totally unique style of drumming that nobody can ever duplicate. That was one of the baddest rhythm sections in the world."

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