Buffalo Springfield formed in 1966 with Dewey Martin, left, Richie Furay, Stephen Stills, Bruce Palmer and Neil Young. (File photo)
Story Created:
Feb 7, 2009 at 1:37 PM PST
Story Updated:
Feb 7, 2009 at 1:51 PM PST
VAN NUYS — A memorial service is being planned for Dewey Martin, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame drummer for the legendary band, Buffalo Springfield, who was found dead in his San Fernando Valley apartment, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The 68-year-old musician was found dead in his Van Nuys apartment Sunday by his longtime friend, Lisa Lenes. The cause of his death has not yet been determined. But it's believed he died of natural causes.
Lenes told the newspaper that Martin had recently been in poor health and performed publicly only sporadically over the last few years.
Martin, born Walter Milton Dewayne Midkiff in Chesterville, Canada, was one of the founding members of Buffalo Springfield, along with Stephen Stills, Neil Young, singer songwriter-guitarist Richie Furay — who went on to found the band, Poco — and bassist Bruce Palmer.
The band, which produced songs such as "For What It's Worth,'' "Mr. Soul,'' and "Rock 'N Roll Woman,'' helped to popularize country rock and ignite the careers of Stills, Young and Furay.
"It's a great loss,'' Mickey Dolenz, drummer for the Monkees, told The Times. Dolenz and Martin became close friends back in the 1960s. "We never worked together, we just hung out a lot ... [but] he was a great drummer.''
Unlike his more famous bandmates, Martin's career never took off after the band broke up two years after it was formed. Buffalo Springfield only produced three studio albums. Nevertheless, the band's impact was so profound, its members were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.
Martin joined a number of other bands over the ensuing years. However, his fortunes, the newspaper reported, remained tied to Buffalo Springfield.
Stills and Young successfully sued him from using the band's name without their participation. But in the mid-1980s, he and BS former bassist, Palmer, did tour as "Buffalo Springfield Revisited.''
Martin's family told The Times that he will be buried in Canada.
However, the family said an upcoming, public memorial service in Los Angeles is now being planned. Information on the date and location for that memorial service was not currently available.
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