MEAWW.COM / NEWS / CELEBRITY NEWS

How did Rickie Lee Reynolds die? Black Oak Arkansas guitarist dead at 72

Rickie Lee Reynolds' health had deteriorated over time leading to kidney failure. cardiac arrest and brain damage

Rickie Lee Reynolds, famed guitarist and founding member of Black Oak Arkansas, has died at the age of 72. He passed away at a hospital on Sunday morning, September 5, 2021. The news of his tragic death was confirmed by the late musician's son. He further added that he hopes everyone will hold Reynolds' musical memories close to their hearts. Mourning his death, Twitter user Josh Decker shared a poignant message, "I am gutted. Rickie Lee Reynolds from Black Oak Arkansas has passed away. To say this man changed the world and made it better for those around him is an egregious understatement. Rickie, this kid from Nebraska will never forget your friendship. Thank you for everything."

The band Black Oak Arkansas was founded by Rickie Lee Reynolds and vocalist Ronnie Smith, along with guitarists Harvey Jett, Stanley Knight, drummer Wayne Evans, and bassist Pat Daugherty. In the '70s decade, they doled out successful hits like 'Uncle Lijiah', 'Lord Have Mercy on My Soul', 'When Electricity Came to Arkansas', and others. They also had their fair share of controversies as the last song was opposed by fundamental Christians who thought it contained hidden Satanic messages. Singer and founding member Ronnie Smith was later replaced by James Mangrum, who went on to become their long-term frontman. 

READ MORE

Vinne Paul, co-founder, and drummer of the band Pantera dies at 54

The Sweet's Steve Priest dies at 72, heartbroken fans thank the legend for bringing joy into their lives

How did Rickie Lee Reynolds die?

According to Reynolds' son, the guitarist was suffering from prolonged health complications from COVID-19 and eventually succumbed to the same. A day before, his daughter Amber Lee posted a heartbreaking update on Facebook about his COVID-19 diagnosis. She wrote —

"All of my heart goes out to my father Rickie Lee Reynolds right now. For those who are unaware, he has been hospitalized for a while now, with Covid. Soon after, the doctors had found that he was suffering from kidney failure. As of today they had begun dialysis, but his blood pressure had dropped too low in order for them to retain it for long. This morning he suffered from cardiac arrest, in which they performed CPR and shocked him twice to bring back his heart beat. At this moment, he is heavily sedated and unconscious. There has been no viable verbal or physical response from him today other than a response of fighting the tubes in his lungs. The nurses say that they are also unsure if cardiac arrest might have done some damage to the brain, but they are unable to move him into MRI until his condition stabilizes further. This is all that I know right now, but I think telling everyone might bring out some positive energy that he desperately needs right now. For anyone that knows and cares for this amazing man, please be with me in sending all of our best energy to him. May he push past all of this damage and live to spend many more days with all of us."

Initially playing as The Knowbody Else, Reynolds' band changed its name to Black Oak Arkansas later to honor his hometown when he and his bandmates moved to California. "We didn't name the band after just the people in the town. We named the band after the town. No matter who you are or what you do, there's a certain point in life when you are at the pivot point from what you were to what you are. The city of Black Oak was a pivoting point for us. Whether they liked us or not, that was the pivot in our history," Reynolds had shared in a 2018 interview with Arkansas Democrat Gazette. 

He also shared once about his days of struggle with the band. "When we wanted to begin enjoying life, we were left high & dry. We all lost our homes, cars, publishing and almost lost our band name. It got blamed on bad investments. All I know is some of us had to pawn our Gold albums to feed our families," he recalled. Though he had left the band once, many former members returned and regrouped later to continue their legacy. The band stayed active till Reynolds' death and now its future remains uncertain.