Bobby LaKind
Encyclopedia
Bobby LaKind was a conga
player, vocalist, songwriter and occasional live backup drummer with The Doobie Brothers
. He was originally a lighting roadie for the band. After observing LaKind goofing around on the congas after a concert, the band took notice of his talent and asked him to join as a sideman for studio sessions.
He sessioned with the band from 1976 and joined them onstage as well. He was finally invited to join the band as a full member three years before their 1982 dissolution, though he was not credited as such on record until the Farewell Tour
album in 1983. When the band reformed in 1988, he rejoined and was featured on the album Cycles, but prior to recording the follow-up, he was forced into retirement by terminal cancer.
His former Doobie colleagues from the various line-ups played two concerts to benefit a trust for LaKind's children in 1992. He died on Christmas Eve that year. Bobby was from Teaneck, New Jersey
and graduated from Teaneck High School
, Class of 1963. He attended the University of Kentucky
and was a member of Sigma Nu fraternity, the Animal House of UK fraternities during the 60s. Also a member of Sigma Nu fraternity during this time was basketball player and future coach, Pat Riley.
Conga
The conga, or more properly the tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed Cuban drum with African antecedents. It is thought to be derived from the Makuta drums or similar drums associated with Afro-Cubans of Central African descent. A person who plays conga is called a conguero...
player, vocalist, songwriter and occasional live backup drummer with The Doobie Brothers
The Doobie Brothers
The Doobie Brothers are an American rock band. The group has sold over 40 million units worldwide throughout their career. The Doobie Brothers were inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004.-Original incarnation:...
. He was originally a lighting roadie for the band. After observing LaKind goofing around on the congas after a concert, the band took notice of his talent and asked him to join as a sideman for studio sessions.
He sessioned with the band from 1976 and joined them onstage as well. He was finally invited to join the band as a full member three years before their 1982 dissolution, though he was not credited as such on record until the Farewell Tour
Farewell Tour
Farewell Tour is the first live album by American rock band The Doobie Brothers, released in 1983. . It documents what they thought would be their final concert. The front cover shows Keith Knudsen cutting the strings on John McFee's guitar as a symbolic gesture. Original lead vocalist and...
album in 1983. When the band reformed in 1988, he rejoined and was featured on the album Cycles, but prior to recording the follow-up, he was forced into retirement by terminal cancer.
His former Doobie colleagues from the various line-ups played two concerts to benefit a trust for LaKind's children in 1992. He died on Christmas Eve that year. Bobby was from Teaneck, New Jersey
Teaneck, New Jersey
Teaneck is a township in Bergen County, New Jersey, and a suburb in the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 39,776, making it the second-most populous among the 70 municipalities in Bergen County....
and graduated from Teaneck High School
Teaneck High School
Teaneck High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school, which is part of the Teaneck Public Schools district in Teaneck, New Jersey, United States...
, Class of 1963. He attended the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
and was a member of Sigma Nu fraternity, the Animal House of UK fraternities during the 60s. Also a member of Sigma Nu fraternity during this time was basketball player and future coach, Pat Riley.