Studio drummer Ricky Lawson, 59, who collaborated with musicians including Michael Jackson, Eric Clapton, Phil Collins and Whitney Houston, died at a suburban Los Angeles hospital from a brain aneurysm, according to Billboard.
According to the article, Lawson's uncle Paul Riser of Detroit said he was removed from life support 10 days after the aneurysm diagnosis and died around 7 p.m. on Monday.
Having grown up in Detroit, Lawson learned to play drums at age 16 and got into the music business before graduating at Cooley High School. He was recognized as one of the nation's best studio musicians during the 1980s.
His drumming is featured on Houston's "I Will Always Love You." He won a Grammy in 1986 for his R&B instrumental performance on the song "And You Know That" by his band Yellowjackets. He also performed with Al Jarreau, George Benson, Bette Midler, Quincy Jones among others.
According to the article, he became aware of his illness during a December 13 performance. He became disoriented and was later diagnosed with an aneurysm.
Fellow drummer Questlove of the Roots had mentioned Lawson prior to his death in a tweet. He called Lawson "the master" and said he was "praying for his recovery."
Drummer Sheila E. mentioned the drummer in a tweet following his death saying, "We lost a great man, drummer, father, brother and son. mr Ricky Lawson. He passed away yesterday. Please pray for his family. we will miss u."
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