Larry Knechtel dies at 69; bassist, keyboardist for '70s soft-rock group Bread - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

catlover79 · 08-25-2009, 12:41 AM

http://www.latimes.com/news/obituari...,3190712.story

Knechtel played keyboards and bass with the Wrecking Crew, a group of L.A. studio musicians, before joining Bread in 1971. His arrangement of 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' won a Grammy in 1970.

Knechtel won a Grammy for his work on "Bridge Over Troubled Water." (Los Angeles Times)

By Keith Thursby

August 24, 2009

Larry Knechtel, a member of the 1970s soft-rock group Bread, who had a wide-ranging career as a studio musician, has died.

Knechtel died Thursday at Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital in Yakima, Wash. He was 69. A hospital official would not release a cause of death, but a report in the Yakima Herald-Republic said he apparently suffered a heart attack.

Knechtel played keyboards, bass guitar and harmonica as a member of the Wrecking Crew, a group of Los Angeles studio musicians that included future headliners Glen Campbell and Leon Russell and session drummer Hal Blaine. Knechtel played with Elvis Presley, the Beach Boys, the Byrds, the Mamas and the Papas and many others.

"It just snowballed. I was in the right place at the right time," Knechtel told the Yakima paper in 2004. "It was a lot of fun. We were all young. I was making big money and hearing myself on the radio."

In 2007, members of the Wrecking Crew were inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame in Nashville.

Knechtel, who was born Aug. 4, 1940, in Bell, first played with Kip Tyler and the Flips and in 1959 joined Duane Eddy, a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame guitarist. He won a Grammy in 1970 for his arrangement of "Bridge Over Troubled Water" by Simon and Garfunkel. Knechtel also played the piano on that song.

In 1971, he joined Bread after the group's second album, when Robb Royer left.

"We needed somebody to play bass and keyboards and provide a strong instrumental element that we had been lacking," singer David Gates told The Times in 1977. "Larry was just what we needed."

Knechtel played on the Dixie Chicks' "Taking the Long Way" album and toured with the group in 2006. He had been living in Yakima since 2003.

According to the Herald-Republic, Knechtel is survived by his wife, Vickie; son Lonnie and daughter Shelli Kokenge; his mother, Edna Knechtel; brothers Don and Bob Knechtel; and three grandchildren.

Lee · 08-27-2009, 08:34 PM

My favorite Bread songs are:
Make It With You
It Don't Matter To Me
If
Baby I'm-A Want You
Everything I Own
The Guitar Man
Lost Without Your Love

I also like David Gates' solo hit Goodbye Girl

Rest in peace, Larry Knechtel

Marvo301 · 08-27-2009, 08:57 PM

Larry Knechtel

catlover79 · 08-27-2009, 09:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lee

My favorite Bread songs are:
Make It With You
It Don't Matter To Me
If
Baby I'm-A Want You
Everything I Own
The Guitar Man
Lost Without Your Love

I also like David Gates' solo hit Goodbye Girl

Rest in peace, Larry Knechtel

Those are all great songs. I think my all-time favorite is If. That is one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard.

Retro4Life · 08-27-2009, 10:10 PM

Very sorry to hear this. I have just been listening to "Everything I Own" a lot lately, too; kind of ironic.

Bread played the type of music we're likely to never hear again; memorable, lyric based pop that moves the soul.

RIP

catlover79 · 08-27-2009, 10:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Retro4Life

Very sorry to hear this. I have just been listening to "Everything I Own" a lot lately, too; kind of ironic.

Bread played the type of music we're likely to never hear again; memorable, lyric based pop that moves the soul.

RIP

Yes, their style of music was very similar to the Carpenters. Karen Carpenter once said in an interview that David Gates was one of her favorite male vocalists.

Retro4Life · 08-27-2009, 10:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catlover79

Yes, their style of music was very similar to the Carpenters. Karen Carpenter once said in an interview that David Gates was one of her favorite male vocalists.

Their styles certainly seem compatible.

Sigh. All of this makes me feel so very old...and so very disconnected from modern popular music.

As a sidenote, I never realized until very recently that "Everything I Own" was not written as a romance ballad, but as a loving tribute to Gates' own father. That's pretty cool; there aren't a lot of "father/son" songs out there, and the song could easily be translated into a song for anyone that we loved that has left us alone and lonely.

catlover79 · 08-27-2009, 10:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Retro4Life

Their styles certainly seem compatible.

Sigh. All of this makes me feel so very old...and so very disconnected from modern popular music.

As a sidenote, I never realized until very recently that "Everything I Own" was not written as a romance ballad, but as a loving tribute to Gates' own father. That's pretty cool; there aren't a lot of "father/son" songs out there, and the song could easily be translated into a song for anyone that we loved that has left us alone and lonely.

No, it just means you have very good taste in music. You're also right that you don't hear many father/son songs. Other than Harry Chapin's Cats in the Cradle and Leader of the Band by Dan Fogelberg, I can't think of any.

Retro4Life · 08-27-2009, 10:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catlover79

No, it just means you have very good taste in music. You're also right that you don't hear many father/son songs. Other than Harry Chapin's Cats in the Cradle and Leader of the Band by Dan Fogelberg, I can't think of any.

Thanks for the kind words.

I think Barry Manilow's "Ships" would also fall into this category, but yeah, there's precious few of that type.

catlover79 · 08-27-2009, 11:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Retro4Life

Thanks for the kind words.

I think Barry Manilow's "Ships" would also fall into this category, but yeah, there's precious few of that type.

Yeah, I forgot about Ships.

70s show watcher · 08-28-2009, 12:57 AM

its sad that hes gone i grew up listinening to bread they were i fave of my mother r i p larry

Schmoopie · 08-29-2009, 03:09 AM

How sad to hear of his passing. I love "Bread". I think that's such a cool name for a band! They probably meant "money" When they came up with the name, but it always makes me hungry anyway!

We have the "Bread" Greatest Hits CD and it's got tons of awesome songs on it!

08-25-2009, 12:41 AM	#1
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,392	Larry Knechtel dies at 69; bassist, keyboardist for '70s soft-rock group Bread http://www.latimes.com/news/obituari...,3190712.story Knechtel played keyboards and bass with the Wrecking Crew, a group of L.A. studio musicians, before joining Bread in 1971. His arrangement of 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' won a Grammy in 1970. Knechtel won a Grammy for his work on "Bridge Over Troubled Water." (Los Angeles Times) By Keith Thursby August 24, 2009 Larry Knechtel, a member of the 1970s soft-rock group Bread, who had a wide-ranging career as a studio musician, has died. Knechtel died Thursday at Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital in Yakima, Wash. He was 69. A hospital official would not release a cause of death, but a report in the Yakima Herald-Republic said he apparently suffered a heart attack. Knechtel played keyboards, bass guitar and harmonica as a member of the Wrecking Crew, a group of Los Angeles studio musicians that included future headliners Glen Campbell and Leon Russell and session drummer Hal Blaine. Knechtel played with Elvis Presley, the Beach Boys, the Byrds, the Mamas and the Papas and many others. "It just snowballed. I was in the right place at the right time," Knechtel told the Yakima paper in 2004. "It was a lot of fun. We were all young. I was making big money and hearing myself on the radio." In 2007, members of the Wrecking Crew were inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame in Nashville. Knechtel, who was born Aug. 4, 1940, in Bell, first played with Kip Tyler and the Flips and in 1959 joined Duane Eddy, a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame guitarist. He won a Grammy in 1970 for his arrangement of "Bridge Over Troubled Water" by Simon and Garfunkel. Knechtel also played the piano on that song. In 1971, he joined Bread after the group's second album, when Robb Royer left. "We needed somebody to play bass and keyboards and provide a strong instrumental element that we had been lacking," singer David Gates told The Times in 1977. "Larry was just what we needed." Knechtel played on the Dixie Chicks' "Taking the Long Way" album and toured with the group in 2006. He had been living in Yakima since 2003. According to the Herald-Republic, Knechtel is survived by his wife, Vickie; son Lonnie and daughter Shelli Kokenge; his mother, Edna Knechtel; brothers Don and Bob Knechtel; and three grandchildren.
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08-27-2009, 08:57 PM	#3
Marvo301 I'm NOT a Blockhead! Forum Celebrity Join Date: May 17, 2002 Location: The Great White North Posts: 21,460	Larry Knechtel
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08-27-2009, 10:10 PM	#5
Retro4Life Accept No Substitutes Forum Veteran Join Date: Feb 04, 2009 Location: IL Posts: 6,708	Very sorry to hear this. I have just been listening to "Everything I Own" a lot lately, too; kind of ironic. Bread played the type of music we're likely to never hear again; memorable, lyric based pop that moves the soul. RIP
	__________________ Alex Reiger :[Trying to convince Louie not to antagonize Bobby] "It's not hard to make people feel bad about their lives. What's hard is making people feel good about their lives."

08-29-2009, 03:09 AM	#12
Schmoopie Keep Calm and Love Snoopy Forum Star Join Date: Jul 13, 2008 Location: Lynnwood, Washington Posts: 15,697	How sad to hear of his passing. I love "Bread". I think that's such a cool name for a band! They probably meant "money" When they came up with the name, but it always makes me hungry anyway! We have the "Bread" Greatest Hits CD and it's got tons of awesome songs on it!
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08-27-2009, 08:34 PM	#2
Lee veteran member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: May 23, 2001 Location: Pulaski, Tennessee Posts: 4,768	My favorite Bread songs are: Make It With You It Don't Matter To Me If Baby I'm-A Want You Everything I Own The Guitar Man Lost Without Your Love I also like David Gates' solo hit Goodbye Girl Rest in peace, Larry Knechtel

08-28-2009, 12:57 AM	#11
70s show watcher Member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: May 20, 2008 Location: between point place and studio 8 h Posts: 4,549	its sad that hes gone i grew up listinening to bread they were i fave of my mother r i p larry