Ric Parnell, who famously portrayed Mick Shrimpton as the drummer of Spinal Tap in the mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap, as well as a key member of early Progressive  Rock band Atomic Rooster, has died. He was 70 years old. Having a nearly 15 year career in rock at the time, Ric rose to prominence in 1984 when he appeared in This Is Spinal Tap, directed by Rob Reiner. His character was one of a long line of unfortunate drummers who all perish from freak accidents, his own fate being spontaneous combustion. He then appeared as Mick’s twin brother Ric in his memorable role. Ric continued to appear, record and tour with Spinal Tap for a time after the film, including their 1992 smash album Break Like The Wind. Ric also played drums on solo albums for Radio Birdman’s Deniz Tek, broke the news via a social media post on Sunday (May 1). He wrote: “Ric Parnell died early this morning.

“From day one, meeting him, I found him to be engaging, warm, and delightfully funny. We hit it off as pals immediately. He had a cheerful spirit that made you feel good, just being around him.

“Ric’s amazing history in the music world is well known. I had the great good fortune to work with Ric on three albums. Studio time was casual, fun, and scattered with stories and humor. Ric never actually prepared for a session, but would come up with the beat and the arrangement on the spot. He would say ‘How does this next song go?’ I’d play it to him on a guitar, and he’d think about it for a minute. Then he would say ‘Right! Got something.’ Then he would nail it in one or two takes, and it was as perfect as it gets.

“Ric was one of a kind. He lives on in his music, and in our hearts.”

RIP Ric Parnell.