Squeeze Drummer Gilson Lavis Dies At Age 74.

3 hours ago7 min read

The rhythm section of the British music scene felt a profound and irreplaceable loss this week with the passing of Gilson Lavis, the bedrock drummer for the iconic band Squeeze, who died at his Lincolnshire home at the age of 74. The news, broken in a heartfelt social media post by his longtime friend and collaborator Jools Holland, sent a wave of mourning through a community that knew Lavis not just as a musician but as the unshakable pulse behind some of the most literate and enduring pop songs to emerge from the UK.For those of us who collect the vinyl and trace the lineage of British rock, Lavis was the quintessential session man elevated to star status by sheer, unassailable consistency; his work on classics like 'Up the Junction' and 'Tempted' is a masterclass in restraint and feel, where every snare hit and cymbal wash served the narrative of the song, never his own ego. He was the engine room that allowed Difford and Tilbrook's sophisticated wordplay and melodic genius to soar, a partnership as vital as the interplay between The Kinks' Ray Davies and Mick Avory.His tenure with Squeeze, from their mid-70s pub rock beginnings through their chart-topping 80s heyday, defined an era, but his musical journey was a double album, with a second act as the powerful anchor for Jools Holland's sprawling Rhythm And Blues Orchestra, where his swing and deep groove provided the foundation for countless televised performances and tours. To lose Lavis is to lose a chapter of British musical history; he was the kind of musician other musicians speak of in reverent tones, the one you could always count on, the metronome with a soul. His sticks are silent now, but the backbeat he laid down—a perfect, timeless groove—will echo through every jukebox and radio play of 'Cool for Cats' for generations to come, a permanent fixture in the soundtrack of our lives.

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