Today, the music world mourns the loss of Trini Lopez, the singer and guitarist who also acted in Robert Aldrich’s 1967 film The Dirty Dozen. Lopez passed away on Tuesday of complications from coronavirus. He was 83.
Dave Grohl took to the Foo Fighters Twitter account to pay his respects to Lopez, thanking him for “unknowingly” shaping the sound of the Foo Fighters. Sharing that he purchased a 1967 Trini Lopez signature guitar while he was still in Nirvana — a guitar he still relies on to shape the Fooeys signature sound.
“Today the world sadly lost yet another legend, Trini Lopez. Trini not only left a beautiful musical legacy of his own, but also unknowingly helped shape the sound of the Foo Fighters from day one,” he wrote.
“Every album we have ever made, from the first to the latest, was recorded with my red 1967 Trini Lopez signature guitar. It is the sound of our band, and my most prized possession from the day I bought it in 1992. Thank you, Trini for all of your contributions.”
Today the world sadly lost yet another legend, Trini Lopez. Trini not only left a beautiful musical legacy of his own, but also unknowingly helped shape the sound of the Foo Fighters from day one. (1/3) pic.twitter.com/9KRJXDXeWK
— Foo Fighters (@foofighters) August 11, 2020
You will be missed by many, remembered by all.
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RIP Trini Lopez
(3/3)
— Foo Fighters (@foofighters) August 11, 2020
Trini Lopez — born Trinidad Lopez to Mexican immigrant parents on May 15, 1937. Was first hurtled into the spotlight by Frank Sinatra, who signed the blossoming musician to a long-term deal on his Reprise Records. The Warner Bros imprint would go on to release all of Lopez’s albums in the 1960s.
Lopez first break as a singer was in the form of a cover Pete Seeger and Lee Hays’ ‘If I Had a Hammer,’ — which spent three weeks at No. 3 on the Billboard 100 in 1963.
The success of the cover immediately connected with fans, and his debut 1963 record Live at PJ’s went gold. Over the course of his career, Lopez accumulated a number of Top 40 hits with tracks like ‘Kansas City’ and ‘I’m Coming Home, Cindy.’
Lopez continued to make records through to 2011. His final offering, Into the Future, saw the musician honour Sinatra by covering a number of songs associated with him.
Check out ‘If I Had A Hammer’ by Trini Lopez:
