Roderick MacLeod, a Grammy-nominated musician, has passed away at the age of 70 following an accident where he was struck by a car in Rhode Island on Dec. 6 while walking his dog, the Hopkinton Police Department said in a news release.
Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame Remembers Roderick MacLeod as a ‘Guiding Light’
MacLeod received his Grammy nomination as a member of the band Roomful of Blues in the 1980s, and was inducted into the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame in 2012.
The Hall of Fame remembered him with a sweet tribute on Facebook following news of his passing.
“It is with great sadness that the Board of Directors of the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame notes the passing of 2012 inductee Rory MacLeod,” the post said. “He was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a member of Roomful of Blues. In addition to his time as bassist with Roomful, Rory enjoyed a career of more than fifty years in a wide varitey of settings including his work as the original bassist for the first solo outings of Duke Robillard (class of 2014); extensive recording credits with Paul Geremia (class of 2013); as a member and producer of Jack Smith & The Rockabilly Planet; and many others. He also released one single in 1993 and an album in 1995 as a solo artist. Along the way he taught guitar and banjo in addition to upright bass. In recent years, MacLeod had become a guiding light in the roots music community as a performer and educator alongside his wife and musical partner, fiddler Sandol Astrausky, serving as Teaching Associates at Brown University and directors of Old-Time String Band”
Tributes Pour In For Roderick MacLeod
Roomful of Blues: “Roomful of Blues would like to extend our deepest condolences to Rory Macleod’s family, friends and all of his fans. We would like to acknowledge his diverse musical contributions as well as being a wonderful and gentle soul.There are no words for such an immense loss. RIP dear friend.”
Musician Doug James (via WJAR): “He was just always upbeat and cheerful. He was a good addition to anything he did. Few people play that well on everything, and he did.”
Musician Jack Moore (via WPRI): “What a resume. What a life. It’s that energy that just caught you. And that was the magic, you know?”
