Former Scorpions drummer James Kottak has passed away at the age of 61. The sad news was confirmed by the artist’s daughter. In an interview with TMZ, she said that the musician passed away on January 9 in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky.
James Kottak is dead. The drummer of the Scorpions was 61 years old
A post about Kottak’s death also appeared on the official Scorpions Facebook page. “James was a great man, musician and family guy. He was our brother and we will really miss him,” the musicians wrote and published a photo of the artist.
James Kottak was a member of the Scorpions group from 1996 to 2016. He played on all the band’s albums, starting with “Eye II Eye” from 1999, ending with “Return Forever”, released 16 years later. After 20 years of cooperation, the drummer was expelled from the band due to alcoholism, his place was taken by Mikkey Dee, previously known from Motorhead. The artist is a member of Scorpions to this day.
James Kottak has been struggling with alcoholism for years
Before joining the Scorpions in 1996, Kottak was a member of Kingdom Come. After parting with the authors of “Wind of Change”, he returned to the previous band and was its active member until his death. In addition, the musician also played in bands such as Warrant, Motrose, Wild Horses and Nut House.
In 2014, Kottak was arrested in Dubai and sentenced to a month in prison and a fine. According to The National, during the flight from Moscow and Dubai the musician drank several glasses of wine and then got lost at the airport. Frustrated, he began shouting racist slogans and even refused to travel with passengers from Pakistan and Afghanistan, covering his nose and complaining about their “nasty smell.” The musician later admitted that he was drunk, but denied all other reports.
In a recent interview with Tulsa Music Stream, Kottak talked about his battle with addiction. He confessed that between 2008 and 2011 he managed to remain completely sober. Unfortunately, the musician did not persevere with his resolutions.
Source: Gazeta
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