He didnt know how to swim, but he held on to a seat cushion, I couldnt swim, Cauley said, I didnt try.. Madison Police Inspector John Harrington was quoted as saying that a person without insulated SCUBA gear "wouldn't live longer than 20 or so minutes" in the icy water.[4]. Trumpeter Ben Cauley, a member of the Stax Records group the Bar-Kays and the only survivor of the 1967 plane crash that . Ben Cauley was at home on stage. Born in 1947, Cauley's musical grounding came as a child at the New Friendship Baptist Church, where and he and his mother sang in the choir. He said, 'I'll take care of that, I'll pick you up in my plane on Fridays.'". And that year, Cauley faced another brush with death when he suffered an aneurysm and massive stroke. However, the band made little money, as they did not have much work outside of being a house band for Stax, and frequently needed to tour with the artists they backed. Learn more about . He was 67. His death was first reported by The Commercial Appeal. "He really loved his music. Cauley died in 2015. Besides Cauley-Campbell, Cauley is survived by daughters Shuronda Cauley-Oliver, Miriam Cauley-Crisp, Monica Cauley-Johnson and Kimberly Garrett; and sons Phalon Richmond and Ben Wells. "It's really that simple. Deals and discounts in Cookbooks you dont want to miss. After the crash, the pair rebuilt the Bar-Kays and backed Isaac Hayes on his landmark album, Hot Buttered Soul, according to the Memphis Music Hall of Fame's website. And this guy just looked at me and said, 'Well, son, you're the only one alive.' These are the best Home Audio deals youll find online. Instead of playing the organ, Cauley shuffled up to the microphone and performed an impromptu trumpet solo. Mr. Cauley had various health problems in recent years, including a stroke he suffered in 1989, but he continued to perform. (his death) (2 children) Trivia (3) He survived the plane crash that killed Otis Redding. In a way, the experience seems to have been a catharsis, providing Cauley some measure of peace. The Bar-Kays were inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2013. Shop our favorite Makeup finds at great prices. Cauley survived a debilitating stroke and a plane crash in 1967 that killed the other founding members of the Bar-Kays. He was 67.. He was 67. Sitemap, Your California Privacy Rights "He really loved his music. ", Martin Luther King, Junior accepts Nobel Peace Prize; Women get the right to vote in Wyoming Territory; America's first domestic passenger jet flight takes off; Soul singer Otis Redding, General Augusto Pinochet die. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group, Just WHO was Tom Brady speaking to during furious phone call - as lip reading analysis reveals retired QB screams 'stop calling me', rages about 'sounding stupid' and demands to know 'what am I supposed to do? Ben Cauley. The Bar-Kays had an immediate Top 20 hit in the spring of 1967 with Soul Finger, an instrumental that begins with the melody from Mary Had a Little Lamb before segueing into the gritty soul music Stax was known for. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Trumpeter Ben Cauley, a member of the Stax Records group the Bar-Kays and the only survivor of the 1967 plane crash that killed most of his bandmates and Stax star Otis Redding, has died in Memphis. He was a well-known session musician, and Cauley-Campbell said she often recognized the sound of his trumpet on records because it was so different from anyone else's playing. Ben S. Cauley, Jr. (October 3, 1947 - September 21, 2015) was an American trumpet player, vocalist, songwriter, and founding member of the Stax recording group the Bar-Kays. On September 12, 2008, the scholarship was founded. He breathed music.". In early December, Redding and the Bar-Kays were back out on the road, doing weekenders at colleges. In recent years he's become an important presence at the Stax Museum of American Soul, both at ceremonial functions and its school for children. He was 67. Besides Cauley-Campbell, Cauley is survived by daughters Shuronda Cauley-Oliver, Miriam Cauley-Crisp, Monica Cauley-Johnson and Kimberly Garrett; and sons Phalon Richmond and Ben Wells. "Ben is a miracle," says his friend and fellow Stax Records alum, songwriter/producer David Porter. Suggest an edit or add missing content. The best seat in the house! On September 20, 1973, the chartered flight he and Muehleisen were aboard crashed, the result of what an investigation later revealed was pilot error. Find the best deals on Home Gym from your favorite brands. In this Nov. 29, 2007, file photo, Ben Cauley, a member of the Stax Records group the Bar-Kays and the only survivor of the 1967 plane crash that killed most of his bandmates and Stax star Otis Redding, poses for a photo in his home studio in Memphis, Tenn. (Mike Maple/The Commercial Appeal via AP, File). While he has long been known as the sole survivor of the crash that killed Redding, Cauley was a survivor in many other ways. Plans for a memorial service are pending. Thanks for contacting us. Then they hit, and he was loose in the water, terrified he. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. Save up to 50% on Hair when you shop now. He was just a real humble, debonair gentleman, Cauley-Campbell said. Apple sales drop 5% in biggest quarterly decline since 2016, Alphabet misses Q4 estimates, Amazon reports almost no profit and Google Ad revenue falls, US employers cut 102,000 jobs in January - a 440% jump from the same time a year ago: 'Tech wreck' spurred layoffs as expert warns 'we're on the other side of the hiring frenzy of the pandemic years', Estranged wife of Texas man accused of killing his Colombian DJ girlfriend transferred 'marital estate to an offshore trust' before she filed for divorce and abandoned the United States as a Wisconsin judge has now issued a warrant for his arrest, Nepo baby gets DENIED! Ben Cauley, who played trumpet with the rhythm-and-blues group the Bar-Kays and was the only survivor of the 1967 plane crash that killed Otis Redding, died on Monday in Memphis. On Dec. 10, 1967, Mr. Cauley and most of the other members of the band were traveling on Reddings new twin-engine Beechcraft when it crashed into Lake Monona, near Madison, Wis. When he was a senior, he would be picked up at high school on a Friday, travel and play with Redding on the weekends and then come back to school the next week. Cauley was playing with the Bar-Kays while still attending high school at Booker T. Washington High School in Memphis, his daughter said. The small plane crashed nose first in Lake Monona on the way to Madison, Wisconsin. His death was first reported by The Commercial Appeal. In dreams, he feels the rush of the lake's icy water, the chill of fear, and the helplessness and hurt that followed. recalls Cauley. We've received your submission. He died on 21 September 2015 in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. (Dec. 10), Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Bar-Kays bassist James Alexander had taken a different flight, as there was not enough room left on Redding's plane. Former trumpeter of the band The Bo-Keys. His body was perhaps a couple minutes away from going into hypothermia when he was pulled from the waters. It was a pitch above the roof.". Not music to our ears:Trumpeter Ben Cauley has died in Memphis at the age of 67, according toThe Commercial Appeal; here he is seen in 2009, His pal: Otis Redding looking dapper in a publicity still in the 1970s. ', Connected:He was a member of the Stax Records group the Bar-Kays and the only survivor of the 1967 plane crash that killed most of his bandmates and Stax star Otis Redding. The Associated Press is an independent, not-for-profit news cooperative headquartered in New York City. While he has long been known as the sole survivor of the crash that killed Redding, Cauley was a survivor in many other ways. Please note that CBC does not endorse the opinions expressed in comments. 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To some, Ben Cauley is the answer to a tragic trivia question: the trumpeter was the sole survivor of the plane crash Dec. 10, 1967, outside Madison, Wis., that claimed eight people, including Stax Records star Otis Redding, and Cauley's Bar-Kays bandmates Phalon Jones, Carl Cunningham, Jimmy King and Ronnie Caldwell. On Dec. 10, 1967, they were traveling on Redding's new twin engine Beechcraft when it went into Lake Monona near Madison, Wisconsin. He said, Man, thats a hit. She said some of the band members needed permission slips from their parents to travel with the band. At this tiny detail, Cauley suddenly stops his narrative and drops his head. "Phalon looked out the window -- what he saw, I don't know -- but he just said, 'Oh no!' MEMPHIS, Tenn. Trumpeter Ben Cauley, a member of the Stax Records group the Bar-Kays and the only survivor of the 1967 plane crash that killed most of his bandmates and Stax star Otis Redding . This past Monday, with the anniversary of the crash approaching, Cauley did something he long promised himself he'd do: he returned to Madison, to the site of the crash. The next thing I remember, I came to and was in all this water.". He was a well-known session musician, and Cauley-Campbell said she often recognized the sound of his trumpet on records because it was so different from anyone else's playing. He had struggled with health issues for years, including a stroke in 1989, but he persevered and continued to play his trumpet. The plane had gone into Lake Monona, on the banks of Madison, at a sharp 35-degree angle. Trumpeter Ben Cauley has died in Memphis at the age of 67. Pseudonyms will no longer be permitted. Cauley evaded one more close brush with death when he avoided a diabetic coma. Trumpeter Ben Cauley has died in Memphis at the age of 67. 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