Chuck Ruff (musician)

Chuck Ruff
Background information
Born	(1951-05-25)May 25, 1951 Reno, Nevada, U.S.
Died	October 14, 2011(2011-10-14) (aged 60) San Francisco, California, U.S.
Genres	Rock
Years active	1963–2011
Labels	Epic, Capitol, Atlantic
Associated acts	Sawbuck, Edgar Winter, Sammy Hagar

Chuck Ruff (May 25, 1951 – October 14, 2011) was an American rock drummer well known for his work with Edgar Winter on the popular instrumental "Frankenstein".^[1]

Biography

Ruff was born in Reno, Nevada on May 25, 1951 and played in the rock group Sawbuck with Ronnie Montrose and Bill Church from 1968–1970. Ruff and Montrose later joined Edgar Winter with Dan Hartman to form The Edgar Winter Group in 1972. It was with this band that he had his biggest successes: first with the album They Only Come Out at Night (1973), featuring "Frankenstein" which reached No. 1 in the U.S. in May 1973, and the top 15 single "Free Ride", which reached No. 14 that same year. The album Shock Treatment, which featured the song "Easy Street", was also successful.

In 1977, Ruff joined Sammy Hagar and performed on the albums Street Machine (1979) and Danger Zone (1979), including the song "Bad Reputation" which is in the film Up the Academy.

In his later years, Ruff continued performing music in Reno, Nevada with the Chuck Ruff Group, The Max Volume Band (played drums on the 2007 album, "Illuminaughty") and his last project, Geezersläw. Chuck Ruff was an inspiration and friend to the Reno music community, as well as his fans around the world; he died in San Francisco, California on October 14, 2011 after a long illness.^[2] He was survived by two children.^[3]

Chuck Ruff played Gretsch Drums throughout his career.

Discography

• Sawbuck - Sawbuck (1972), Filmore Records
• They Only Come Out at Night - The Edgar Winter Group (1972), Epic Records
• Shock Treatment - The Edgar Winter Group (1974), Epic Records
• Jasmine Nightdreams - The Edgar Winter Group (1975), Blue Sky Records
• The Edgar Winter Group With Rick Derringer (1976), Blue Sky Records
• Johnny and Edgar Winter Live (1976), Blue Sky Records
• Street Machine - Sammy Hagar Band (1979), Capitol Records
• Danger Zone - Sammy Hagar Band (1979), Capitol Records
• Use It or Lose It - Michael Furlong Band (1984), Atlantic Records
• Adam Bomb - Adam Bomb (1985)
• Illuminaughty - The Max Volume Band, Tadzhiq Music Group (2007)

Filmography

• In Concert (1972)
• Kenny Rogers and the First Edition: Rollin' on the River (1973)
• Flipside (1973)
• Don Kirshner's Rock Concert (1974)
• The Midnight Special (1974)
• The Old Grey Whistle Test (1974)
• American Bandstand (1985)

References

External links

• Edgar Winter - Frankenstein - Live Studio Performance - 1973 on YouTube