Robbie Bachman, the drummer for the iconic Canadian rock band Bachman-Turner Overdrive, has sadly passed away at the age of 69. The news was shared on social media by his brother and bandmate, Randy Bachman, who did not disclose the cause of death. In his heartfelt tribute, Randy wrote, “The pounding beat of BTO has left us. He was an integral cog in our rock ‘n roll machine and we rocked the world together.”
Born and raised in Winnipeg, the Bachman brothers began playing music together since childhood. Robbie first worked with his older brother Randy in the group Brave Belt, which the elder Bachman founded in the early 1970s after departing the Guess Who. The brothers, along with Tim Bachman on guitar and Fred Turner on bass, formed Bachman-Turner Overdrive in 1973, a union that would produce a string of chart-topping hits. Their unique blend of grinding guitar riffs and catchy melodies captured the hearts of millions, with You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet and Takin’ Care Of Business topping the charts.
The band’s popularity extended beyond musical borders, with even renowned author Stephen King adopting the pen name Richard Bachman as a tribute to BTO. Randy Bachman left the group in the mid-1970s, and although the remaining members were given permission to continue performing under the name BTO, the band’s allure began to wane, leading to their eventual breakup in 1980.
Robbie Bachman with his band
Over the following decades, the band experienced sporadic reunions and legal skirmishes, as Randy Bachman and Robbie Bachman fought over royalties and rights to their name. The brothers rarely performed together after the early 1990s, with Robbie once describing Randy’s behavior as “belittling” to the other band members, likening them to the fictional parody group Spinal Tap. In recent years, Robbie Bachman had gone into semi-retirement.
Bachman-Turner Overdrive’s contributions to Canadian music were formally recognized when they were inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 2014. As the world mourns the loss of Robbie Bachman’s rhythmic heartbeat, his legacy as a vital component of the band’s signature sound will continue to resound in the annals of rock music.
