Scorpions mourn long-time drummer (61): moving statement released

American drummer and long-time member of the hard rock band Scorpions, James Kottak, died on Tuesday. His bandmates mourn.

Louisville – Former Scorpions drummer James Kottak died on Tuesday (January 9th) at the age of 61 in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. Scorpions manager Peter Lanz confirmed this to the German Press Agency on Wednesday. The circumstances of the death are currently unclear.

The US musician was part of the German hard rock band from 1996 to March 2016. With the Scorpions he recorded eight studio albums and several live albums, including an MTV Unplugged session. In spring 2016, after 20 years, he left the band to cure a long-term illness in a clinic. Ex-Motörhead drummer Mikkey Dee then took over as drummer and is still part of the band today.

The Scorpions mourn drummer James Kottak: “Brother from another mother”

The Scorpions, known for hits like “Wind of Change” and “Rock you like a Hurricane,” mourned the loss of their former bandmate and paid tribute to Kottak on their social media platforms and homepage. There the band wrote: “James was a wonderful person, a great musician and loving family man. He was our “brother from another mother” and will be missed very much. Rock 'n' roll forever.”

The band will be moving in 2024 Lead singer Klaus Meine go on an anniversary tour to celebrate 40 years of their album “Love at First Sting”. It was released in 1984 and made the band internationally famous. Five appearances are planned in Germany, including in FrankfurtHamburg and Cologne.

Late drummer James Kottak: He didn't just play with the Scorpions

In addition to the Scorpions, Kottak was also a drummer for other bands. These include the hard rock group Kingdom Come, the glam metal band Warrant, the English rock band The Cult and also his own punk rock group Kottak, named after him.

He was married to drummer Athena Lee, sister of rock musician Tommy Lee, from 1996 to 2010. The couple has three children together: sons Matthew and Miles and daughter Tobi. (jus with dpa)