how did ben cauley survive plane crash

He was 67. 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 elses playing. His death was first reported by The Commercial Appeal. He said he'd rather have the pilot do it. He was 67.. Cauley remembers the cabin of the plane was especially cold that morning. Comments on this story are moderated according to our Submission Guidelines. 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. They had three gigs booked between Dec. 8 and 10, 1967, and most of the entourage was traveling on Redding's new twin engine Beechcraft. These are the best Videogames deals youll find online. He was just a real humble, debonair gentleman, Cauley-Campbell said. Cauley's eldest daughter, Chekita Cauley-Campbell, said her father died late Monday at Methodist South Hospital. It was a pitch above the roof.. Plans for a memorial service are pending. ", "Ben is a trouper," adds his Bar-Kays bandmate James Alexander, who missed the ill-fated Redding flight. He was the only survivor of the 1967 plane crash that claimed the lives of soul singer Otis Redding and four members of the Bar-Kays. He was 67. It was around this same period that Stax's signature star, Otis Redding, caught the Bar-Kays in concert, and was taken by their sound. On Dec. 10, 1967, they were traveling to a show near the University of Wisconsin on Reddings new twin engine Beechcraft when it went into Lake Monona near Madison, Wis. The plane crashed in icy Lake Monona. With resilience and an undeniable exuberance for music, Cauley continued his career, in spite of a number of hurdles, including a massive stroke. Cauley was playing with the Bar-Kays while still attending high school at Booker T. Washington High School in Memphis, his daughter said. 'It was a very distinct sound. Shop the best selection of deals on Cat Supplies now. 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. Find the best deals on Small Appliances from your favorite brands. 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. Cauley was thrown into the freezing water. On the eve of the crash's 40th anniversary, the 60-year-old Cauley sits in his home recording studio in Southeast Memphis with two of his daughters, Chekita Cauley-Campbell and Shuronda Cauley-Oliver, talking emotionally and candidly about his remarkable life. Deals and discounts in Cookbooks you dont want to miss. We've received your submission. His music was really his life. The teen group was in high demand at clubs, like the Hippodrome. Before long, the young Bar-Kays -- most of them, still in high school -- were a hit act, and being groomed to become Stax's second house band alongside Booker T. &the MGs. The cushion kept the musician afloat until a police boat arrived. On a recent Sunday, the churchs Hammond B-3 organ was broken. ', Drama on set! [2] As such they appeared as the backing band on numerous recordings for Stax artists such as Otis Redding, Carla Thomas, and Sam and Dave. 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. Cauley suffered hypothermia and shock, but he survived. The small plane crashed nose first in Lake Monona on the way to Madison, Wisconsin. ", Flying on little rest from the previous night, the passengers soon drifted off to sleep. 'That is NOT fair': Teacher's union boss Randi Weingarten has complete meltdown over student debt outside Biden claims he had a nurse who would whisper in his ear and BREATHE on him to make sure there was a 'human House votes to block 'woke' Biden plan pushing retirement planners to invest in ESG in 401ks. Cauley started attending LeMoyne College in 1965, before becoming a professional musician.[1]. "Still, he had to do total rehabilitation," she says, learning how to read, write, walk, dress himself, feed himself, all from scratch. "He's a guy, almost like a cat: He has nine lives. "It was a match made in heaven," says Cauley. Sitemap, Your California Privacy Rights Save up to 50% on Maternity Clothing when you shop now. 'No one could play like him,' she said. It was first reported by the Memphis newspaper The Commercial Appeal. Thanks for contacting us. It was a very distinct sound. He didnt know how to swim, but he held on to a seat cushion, I couldnt swim, Cauley said, I didnt try.. "No one could play like him," she said. Released in the spring of '67, the group's debut single for Stax, "Soul Finger", would reach No. Cauleys eldest daughter, Chekita Cauley-Campbell, said her father died late Monday at Methodist South Hospital. Shop the best selection of deals on Tools & Utensils now. Early years[ edit] 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. Able to hold on to a seat cushion, Cauley was the only survivor. The Bar-Kays were inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2013. When he was a senior he would be picked up at high school on a Friday, travel and play with Otis Redding on the weekends and then come back to school the next week. Since the crash, Cauley has played with numerous bands, including a reconstituted Bar-Kays, Isaac Hayes, and the Muscle Schoals Band. While he has long been known as the sole survivor of the crash that killed Redding just as his career was peaking, Cauley was a survivor in many other ways. He learned to play trumpet when at school, and formed a band with guitarist Jimmy King, saxophonist Phalon Jones, drummer Carl Cunningham, keyboardist Ronnie Caldwell, and bassist James Alexander. MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) 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 67. ", Waiting at the airport in Milwaukee, Alexander eventually got word of the accident and arrived in Madison to find Cauley laid up in a hospital bed. Find the best deals on More Pets Supplies from your favorite brands. "Honestly, I didn't even know what it was. Debuting in 1968, the reconstituted Bar-Kays were a successful group, recording and playing sessions at Stax and frequently heading out on tour with groups like the Temptations. Taken to the hospital, Cauley was finally told that he'd been the only one to survive. I couldn't talk. And it hadnt gone, Cauley said. Porter credits the popularity of Cauley's performances there with helping make the airport's later musical makeover possible. Another band member, bassist James Alexander, was on a different plane. He said that he then saw bandmate Phalon Jones look out of a window and say "Oh, no! "He was just laying there with his eyes open. ', 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. Cauley's eldest daughter, Chekita Cauley-Campbell, said her father died late Monday at Methodist South Hospital. He was the only survivor of the 1967 plane crash that claimed the lives of soul singer Otis Redding and four members of the Bar-Kays. 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. He was 67. "It was a very distinct sound. 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. But surviving the. 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 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 elses playing. According to Jet magazine, which interviewed Cauley and the authorities who assisted in the rescue attempt, the rescue divers could not be in the water for more than 15 minutes at a time due to the freezing temperature of the water. One band member, Ben Cauley, survived. But I went over and picked it up and started playing -- ba-de-dum-dum-ba-dum-dum," says Cauley, aping the first notes of "Soul Finger.". In a way, the experience seems to have been a catharsis, providing Cauley some measure of peace. He had struggled with health issues for years, including a stroke he suffered in 1989, but he persevered through all of it and continued to play his trumpet. Otis Redding was born on September 9, 1941 in Dawson, Georgia, USA as Otis Ray Redding Jr. recalls Cauley. At around 3:30 p.m., just a few minutes outside of Madison, Cauley woke to the plane's violent shaking. Do not sell or share my personal information. Able to hold on to a seat cushion, Cauley was the only survivor. When he was a senior he would be picked up at high school on a Friday, travel and play with Otis Redding on the weekends and then come back to school the next week. Shop our favorite Makeup finds at great prices. It is a priority for CBC to create products that are accessible to all in Canada including people with visual, hearing, motor and cognitive challenges. Several hundred people came and listened, and bathed him in appreciative applause. "He still wanted to perform but was not mobile enough to do a lot of touring," says Porter, who set up Cauley gigging as a kind of one-man bandat his Da' Blues restaurant inside the Memphis International Airport. Show more Otis Ray Redding Documentary Ethic Radio Archive Reels 186K views 1 year ago. Cauley had two young daughters to support, so he left the group in 1971, allowing him to continue performing on his own while being able to remain home with his family. When he was a senior, he would be picked up at high school on a Friday, travel and play with Otis Redding on the weekends and then come back to school the next week. Cauley suffered a debilitating stroke in 1989, but eventually recovered fully, aside from occasional problems with slightly slurred speech. 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. They would be picked up on a Friday, travel and play with Redding on the weekend and return to school for the week. 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. 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. Another band member, bassist James Alexander, was on a different plane. Cauley, who'd never learned to swim, was now struggling in the waters of the frigid lake. But he's always been the same Ben, hitting them high notes like he always does.". Ben Cauley, Sole Survivor of Otis Redding Plane Crash, Dies at 67, https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/25/arts/music/ben-cauley-sole-survivor-of-otis-redding-crash-dies-at-67.html. He died on 21 September 2015 in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. Learn more about . Shop the best selection of deals on Cameras now. [2][3] Cauley, who was sitting directly behind Otis Redding in the co-pilot's seat, had fallen asleep on the flight clutching his seat cushion. Another band member, bassist James Alexander, was on a different plane. 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 legendary singer Otis Redding, has. While he has long been known as the sole survivor of the crash that killed Redding, Cauley was a survivor in many other ways. Otis went wild. He didn't know how to swim, but he held on to a seat cushion, "I couldn't swim," Cauley said, "I didn't try.". Cauley did not know how to swim and was stuck in the freezing waters holding onto a seat cushion until a . Yall bad. He asked what we were doing? Although he continued to tour, Cauley didnt return to the site of the plane crash until 40 years later. Audience Relations, CBC P.O. I came to and was in high demand at clubs, like the Hippodrome by the Commercial Appeal, on. Cabin of the plane crash until 40 years later while still attending school... Plane was especially cold that morning Ben Cauley, who missed the ill-fated flight. One to survive who missed the ill-fated Redding flight Supplies from your favorite brands the... 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