how did ben cauley survive plane crash

Cauley was playing with the Bar-Kays while still attending high school at Booker T. Washington High School in Memphis, his daughter said. Original founder of The Bar-Kays. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group, Just WHO was Tom Brady speaking to during furious phone call - as lip reading analysis reveals retired QB screams 'stop calling me', rages about 'sounding stupid' and demands to know 'what am I supposed to do? In a way, the experience seems to have been a catharsis, providing Cauley some measure of peace. Ben S. Cauley, Jr. was an American trumpet player, vocalist, songwriter, and founding member of the Stax recording group the Bar-Kays. Cauley was thrown into the freezing water. Cauley suffered a debilitating stroke in 1989, but eventually recovered fully, aside from occasional problems with slightly slurred speech. Ben Cauley, Sole Survivor of Otis Redding Plane Crash, Dies at 67, https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/25/arts/music/ben-cauley-sole-survivor-of-otis-redding-crash-dies-at-67.html. Another band member, bassist James Alexander, was on a different plane. He didn't really know he was there at that point. 12,066, This story has been shared 10,111 times. In the chaos, confusion and cold, he glimpsed some of his fellow passengers: Carl Cunningham surfaced for a moment without speaking; Ronnie Caldwell cried out for help. She said some of the band members needed permission slips from their parents to travel with the band. "Phalon looked out the window -- what he saw, I don't know -- but he just said, 'Oh no!' Ben Cauley was born on October 3, 1947 in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. Save up to 50% on Maternity Clothing when you shop now. ", On Cauley's first day home after months of rehab, he saw his trumpet lying on the couch. He was 67.. At 65, he still writes and records songs at his home and gigs with the Bo-Keys. In fact, Otis Redding took such a liking to the band that he chose them to be his touring back-up band in the summer of 1967. Besides Cauley-Campbell, Cauley is survived by daughters Shuronda Cauley-Oliver, Miriam Cauley-Crisp, Monica Cauley-Johnson and Kimberly Garrett; and sons Phalon Richmond and Ben Wells. He breathed music.. They created their signature song, Soul Finger., [Jim Stewart] came back and said, Whats that yall played? Cauley said. Although initially paralyzed, he relearned how to walk and talk (with occasional speech difficulty), and read and write. Somehow, in between blacking out and rising to the surface of the water, he'd gotten hold of a seat cushion, which was keeping him afloat. Like so many Stax stories, Ben Cauley's tale begins in South Memphis. Besides Cauley-Campbell, Cauley is survived by daughters Shuronda Cauley-Oliver, Miriam Cauley-Crisp, Monica Cauley-Johnson and Kimberly Garrett; and sons Phalon Richmond and Ben Wells. But, Cauley, who had a growing family, left the band in 1972. He'd raise his trumpet, close his eyes and with intensity signaled by the tightening of his brows send air flowing through his horn routinely causing goose Continued He came back to where we was and said, Man! 3. Shop our favorite Bath & Body finds at great prices. As the years passed, there was more sadness at Stax -- the company went bankrupt in 1975, and in 1989 they bulldozed the studio. Shop our favorite Women's Shoes finds at great prices. The small plane crashed nose first in Lake Monona on the way to Madison, Wisconsin. Trumpeter Ben Cauley, a member of the Stax Records group the Bar-Kays and the only survivor of the 1967 plane crash that killed most of his bandmates and Stax star Otis Redding, has died in Memphis. Miraculously, he survived. That summer of '67, the Bar-Kays started their work backing Redding with a 10-night stand at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, and then proceeded to tour the country. We give Mehr's story encore presentation today. After the crash, the pair rebuilt the Bar-Kays and backed Isaac Hayes on his landmark album, Hot Buttered Soul, according to the Memphis Music Hall of Fames website. But, as if scripted, on that third day, Cauley recovered dramatically enough to leave the intensive care unit. Amid the waves, he lost hold of the cushion, but then another cushion floated by and he grabbed onto it. "I kept asking, 'Are they alright?' Ben Cauley. Besides Cauley-Campbell, Cauley is survived by daughters Shuronda Cauley-Oliver, Miriam Cauley-Crisp, Monica Cauley-Johnson and Kimberly Garrett; and sons Phalon Richmond and Ben Wells. He didnt know how to swim, but he held on to a seat cushion, I couldnt swim, Cauley said, I didnt try.. Cauley-Campbell said Cauley toured with Hayes, and also played with Aretha Franklin, the Doobie Brothers and many others. He said, 'I'll take care of that, I'll pick you up in my plane on Fridays.'". It was around this same period that Stax's signature star, Otis Redding, caught the Bar-Kays in concert, and was taken by their sound. 'No one could play like him,' she said. ", He recalls turning toward Phalon Jones. Instead of playing the organ, Cauley shuffled up to the microphone and performed an impromptu trumpet solo. "Ben is a miracle," says his friend and fellow Stax Records alum, songwriter/producer David Porter. I couldn't talk. Did Ben Cauley survive the 1967 plane crash? He formed the Bar-Kays at Booker T. Washington High School with friends: James Alexander, Ronnie Caldwell, Carl Cunningham, Jimmy King, and Phalon Jones. Ben Cauley, the Bar-Kays' trumpet player is the only survivor of the crash that killed 8 passengers, including Otis Redding and the band's 3 other members. He said, Man, thats a hit. Able to hold on to a seat cushion, Cauley was the only survivor. She said some of the band members needed permission slips from their parents to travel with the band. Porter credits the popularity of Cauley's performances there with helping make the airport's later musical makeover possible. He was just a real humble, debonair gentleman, Cauley-Campbell said. While he has long been known as the sole survivor of the crash that killed Redding just as his career was peaking, Cauley was a survivor in many other ways. Mr. Cauley had various health problems in recent years, including a stroke he suffered in 1989, but he continued to perform. "They had given him three days to live after his stroke," says Cauley's daughter Chekita. He had struggled with health issues for years, including a stroke he suffered in 1989, but he persevered through all of it and continued to play his trumpet. Trumpeter Ben Cauley, a member of the Stax Records group the Bar-Kays and the only survivor of the 1967 plane crash that killed most of his bandmates and Stax star Otis Redding, has died in. The best seat in the house! Shop the best selection of deals on Beauty now. And that year, Cauley faced another brush with death when he suffered an aneurysm and massive stroke. The group was originally named the Imperials, and later changed to the Bar-Kays in the mid-1960s. Cauley started attending LeMoyne College in 1965, before becoming a professional musician.[1]. (Dec. 10), Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. While he has long been known as the sole survivor of the crash that killed Redding, Cauley was a survivor in many other ways. Learn how and when to remove this template message, Official Rhythm & Blues Music Hall of Fame. His death was first reported by The Commercial Appeal. Terms of Use He died on September 21, 2015 in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. To encourage thoughtful and respectful conversations, first and last names will appear with each submission to CBC/Radio-Canada's online communities (except in children and youth-oriented communities). Madison Police Inspector John Harrington was quoted as saying that a person without insulated SCUBA gear "wouldn't live longer than 20 or so minutes" in the icy water.[4]. Year of Crash: 1967; Ben Cauley suffered hypothermia and shock following a plane crash that claimed the lives of four members of Bar-Kays and Ottis Redding, a legendary soul singer, in 1967. Able to hold on to a seat cushion, Cauley was the only survivor. His music was really his life. He really loved his music. On December 8, 1967, Otis Redding and the Bar-Kays flew in Redding's twin engine Beechcraft H18 plane to Nashville, Tennessee, for three weekend gigs. Box 500 Station A Toronto, ON Canada, M5W 1E6. Cauley died in 2015. After the crash, the pair rebuilt the Bar-Kays and backed Isaac Hayes on his landmark album, "Hot Buttered Soul," according to the Memphis Music Hall of Fame's website. Several hundred people came and listened, and bathed him in appreciative applause. The Bar-Kays joined the Stax studio by 1966, and were signed on to Stax's subsidiary Volt Records in the beginning of 1967. Cauley's eldest daughter, Chekita Cauley-Campbell, said her father died late Monday at Methodist South Hospital. "No one could play like him," she said. Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox, A daily briefing on what matters in the music industry. Mike Maple/The Commercial Appeal, via Associated Press. Related news. He had the beat: Cauley's eldest daughter, Chekita Cauley-Campbell, said her father died late Monday at Methodist South Hospital. He had struggled with health issues for years, including a stroke in 1989, but he persevered and continued to play his trumpet. Follow the link to order a copy.https://amzn.to/2LAuUicThis is an affiliate link. ADVERTISEMENT The plane was found nose-down about 48 feet below the surface. On June 6, 2015, Cauley was on hand to be inducted into the Official Rhythm & Blues Music Hall of Fame in Clarksdale, Mississippi, along with the other Bar-Kays. 42,781, This story has been shared 14,281 times. The Bar-Kays had an immediate Top 20 hit in the spring of 1967 with Soul Finger, an instrumental that begins with the melody from Mary Had a Little Lamb before segueing into the gritty soul music Stax was known for. He managed to unfasten his seatbelt, and grab a cushion. "He was just laying there with his eyes open. His death was first reported by The Commercial Appeal. The plane had gone into Lake Monona, on the banks of Madison, at a sharp 35-degree angle. After the crash, Mr. Cauley and Mr. Alexander rebuilt the Bar-Kays. Cauley was separated from the plane and thrown out of an opening in the fuselage. Save up to 50% on Swimwear when you shop now. He could jam: Musicians Derek Huston, Marc Franklin, Cauley and Joe Restivo of the Bo-Keys open for Cyndi Lauper at The Club Nokia in LA in 2011. "I had to see it. ", In the wake of the accident, the entire Stax family was shaken to its core. Comments on this story are moderated according to our Submission Guidelines. He had struggled with health issues for years, including a stroke he suffered in 1989, but he persevered through all of it and continued to play his trumpet. He was a well-known session musician, and Cauley-Campbell said she often recognized the sound of his trumpet on records because it was so different from anyone elses playing. They were descending so rapidly that Ben Cauley struggled to breathe. Sitemap, Your California Privacy Rights He learned to play trumpet when at school, and formed a band with guitarist Jimmy King, saxophonist Phalon Jones, drummer Carl Cunningham, keyboardist Ronnie Caldwell, and bassist James Alexander. According to Jet magazine, which interviewed Cauley and the authorities who assisted in the rescue attempt, the rescue divers could not be in the water for more than 15 minutes at a time due to the freezing temperature of the water. ', Drama on set! In 1989, Cauley suffered a massive stroke and aneurysm. After the crash, the pair rebuilt the Bar-Kays and backed Isaac Hayes on his landmark album, Hot Buttered Soul, according to the Memphis Music Hall of Fame's website. 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