That day, Cauley, stood outside playing a requiem on his trumpet. While he has long been known as the sole survivor of the crash that killed Redding, Cauley was a survivor in many other ways. 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. Plans for a memorial service are pending. He breathed music. 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. She said some of the band members needed permission slips from their parents to travel with the band. He really loved his music. He didn't really know he was there at that point. "But (the attendant) told us he couldn't crank it up because the battery was kind of low. Learn more about . 3 on Billboards R&B chart. The best seat in the house! Find the best deals on Women's Jewelry from your favorite brands. No one could play like him, she said. He had the beat: Cauley's eldest daughter, Chekita Cauley-Campbell, said her father died late Monday at Methodist South Hospital. 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. Deals and discounts in Bakeware you dont want to miss. He played trumpet in Otis' band the Bar-Kays. "He was just a real humble, debonair gentleman," Cauley-Campbell said. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. However, the band made little money, as they did not have much work outside of being a house band for Stax, and frequently needed to tour with the artists they backed. His music was really his life. As label co-founder Jim Stewart later put it, "The company was never the same to me after that. "He was just a real humble, debonair gentleman," Cauley-Campbell said. "He was in a total state of shock," says Alexander. His music was really his life. He was previously married to Shirley. 42,781, This story has been shared 14,281 times. "It was a match made in heaven," says Cauley. He was 67.. Anyone can read what you share. He breathed music.". Terms of Use With resilience and an undeniable exuberance for music, Cauley continued his career, in spite of a number of hurdles, including a massive stroke. Taken to the hospital, Cauley was finally told that he'd been the only one to survive. His death was first reported by The Commercial Appeal. In dreams, he feels the rush of the lake's icy water, the chill of fear, and the helplessness and hurt that followed. Cauleys eldest daughter, Chekita Cauley-Campbell, said her father died late Monday at Methodist South Hospital. To some, Ben Cauley is the answer to a tragic trivia question: the trumpeter was the sole survivor of the plane crash Dec. 10, 1967, outside Madison, Wis., that claimed eight people, including Stax Records star Otis Redding, and Cauley's Bar-Kays bandmates Phalon Jones, Carl Cunningham, Jimmy King and Ronnie Caldwell. ", Martin Luther King, Junior accepts Nobel Peace Prize; Women get the right to vote in Wyoming Territory; America's first domestic passenger jet flight takes off; Soul singer Otis Redding, General Augusto Pinochet die. "In my mind Ben's success was a big reason why there was no hesitation in not only incorporating music in the airport, but building the whole airport around the credibility of Memphis music.". "Still, he had to do total rehabilitation," she says, learning how to read, write, walk, dress himself, feed himself, all from scratch. 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. "Honestly, I didn't even know what it was. Shop our favorite Makeup finds at great prices. Learn how and when to remove this template message, Official Rhythm & Blues Music Hall of Fame. "The first job we did that weekend was in Nashville, at Vanderbilt University on Friday,"; says Cauley. As Cauley recalls, Otis Redding followed the band there to offer them a gig, We played at the Coliseum, said Cauley. The Bar-Kays first release was supposed to be You Cant Sit Down, but when Stax founder Jim Stewart stepped out of the room during the recording session, the band had an impromptu jam. Several hundred people came and listened, and bathed him in appreciative applause. While he has long been known as the sole survivor of the crash that killed Redding, Cauley was a survivor in many other ways. She said some of the band members needed permission slips from their parents to travel with the band. Al Jackson, Jr. the drummer with Booker T & the MGs, took a particular interest in the young members of the Bar-Kays and groomed them to become the second house band for Stax after Booker T and the MGs. He really loved his music. Privacy Notice 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. ", In the wake of the accident, the entire Stax family was shaken to its core. Cauley was the sole survivor of the plane crash that claimed the lives of Otis Redding and four band members of the Bar-Kays outside of Madison, Wisconsin, on December 10, 1967. But surviving the impact of the crash was only the first hurdle. 'He really loved his music. Not music to our ears:Trumpeter Ben Cauley has died in Memphis at the age of 67, according toThe Commercial Appeal; here he is seen in 2009, His pal: Otis Redding looking dapper in a publicity still in the 1970s. In 2007, Bob Mehr told the story of Ben Cauley, trumpet player for the Bar-Kays, who was the lone survivor of the crash. Every Sunday, Cauley attends Calvary Longview United Methodist Church where he sings with the choir. Mike Maple/The Commercial Appeal, via Associated Press. They were descending so rapidly that Ben Cauley struggled to breathe. Please note that CBC does not endorse the opinions expressed in comments. 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 died in Memphis. ", After months of shock and mourning, Cauley and Alexander decided to try and pick up the pieces of their shattered lives and re-form the band. Find the best deals on Small Appliances from your favorite brands. Shop our favorite Bath & Body finds at great prices. Comments are welcome while open. We've received your submission. 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 Fames website. It was a very distinct sound. 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This past Monday, with the anniversary of the crash approaching, Cauley did something he long promised himself he'd do: he returned to Madison, to the site of the crash. Ben Cauley - Plane Crash Plane Crash On December 8, 1967, Otis Redding and the Bar-Kays flew in Redding's twin engine Beechcraft plane to Nashville, Tennessee for three weekend gigs and used that city as a base to commute to additional gigs. He was 67. 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. Cauley was separated from the plane and thrown out of an opening in the fuselage. Deals and discounts in Womens Active Shoes & Sneakers you dont want to miss. "Lord knows, it just really touched me to be there. He then played some trumpet and sang elegiac renditions of Redding's "Try A Little Tenderness" and "(Sittin On) The Dock of the Bay.". At the same time, the mostly underage band became a favorite at late-night clubs like the Hippodrome, adding their flashy step and dance moves into a repertoire of R&B songs. Can you control your erections? Cauley's eldest daughter, Chekita Cauley-Campbell, said her father died late Monday at Methodist South Hospital. 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. When he was a senior, he would be picked up at high school on a Friday, travel and play with Redding on the weekends and then come back to school the next week. She said some of the band members needed permission slips from their parents to travel with the band. Ben Cauley was born on October 3, 1947 in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. Since the crash, Cauley has played with numerous bands, including a reconstituted Bar-Kays, Isaac Hayes, and the Muscle Schoals Band. 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Able to hold on to a seat cushion, Cauley was the only survivor. His death was first reported by The Commercial Appeal. 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 sang Reddings (Sittin On) The Dock of the Bay as part of a ceremony at the Monona Terrace on the banks of the lake. "Phalon looked out the window -- what he saw, I don't know -- but he just said, 'Oh no!' Deals and discounts in Cookware you dont want to miss. Yall bad. He asked what we were doing? 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On December 10, on their commute to Madison, Wisconsin, at 3:28 in the afternoon, the planecarrying Otis Redding, his partner, and the majority of the Bar-Kayscrashed into the Wiicawac Bay (formerly Squaw Bay) area of Lake Monona, on the outskirts of Madison. Dressed in a black suit, Cauley spoke of how he was "honored" to be there to remember his friends. On September 9, 2008, Attorney B.J. 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. The trumpeter Ben Cauley was a member of the Stax group the Bar-Kays and the only survivor of the 1967 plane crash that killed most of his bandmates along with 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. 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