Dino Danelli, drummer of The Rascals, Bulldog, Fotomaker and Little Steven & The Disciples Of Soul, is dead at 78, of various ailments, including congestive heart failure, heart disease and dementia.
Born in 1944, Robert Bottinelli (Dino's real name), gravitated to the drums as a child, and left home at age 12-13, living on the streets of Manhattan, eventually moving into one of the dressing rooms at the Metropole club in Time Square, where he was befriended by Gene Krupa, Cozy Cole, and other well known drummers, who gave him drum equipment and pointers and helped Dino begin his career as a working drummer. Dino sometimes worked three gigs a day around the city, and eventually moved to New Orleans, where he worked with a rockabilly band for two years, returning to NYC, where he was hired by a lounge singer. In that band, he worked with keyboard player/singer Felix Cavaliere, and with him, formed The Rascals with singer Eddie Brigati and guitarist Gene Cornish. The rest is history. The Rascals were a hit-making machine from 1965-71.
Dino worked later with the abovementioned bands throughout the years, and participated with the other Rascals in a reunion from 2012-13 that ended acrimoniously. Dino also worked as a commercial artist to make a living. Art was his life. I had the opportunity to get to know Dino in 1887-88.
Born in 1944, Robert Bottinelli (Dino's real name), gravitated to the drums as a child, and left home at age 12-13, living on the streets of Manhattan, eventually moving into one of the dressing rooms at the Metropole club in Time Square, where he was befriended by Gene Krupa, Cozy Cole, and other well known drummers, who gave him drum equipment and pointers and helped Dino begin his career as a working drummer. Dino sometimes worked three gigs a day around the city, and eventually moved to New Orleans, where he worked with a rockabilly band for two years, returning to NYC, where he was hired by a lounge singer. In that band, he worked with keyboard player/singer Felix Cavaliere, and with him, formed The Rascals with singer Eddie Brigati and guitarist Gene Cornish. The rest is history. The Rascals were a hit-making machine from 1965-71.
Dino worked later with the abovementioned bands throughout the years, and participated with the other Rascals in a reunion from 2012-13 that ended acrimoniously. Dino also worked as a commercial artist to make a living. Art was his life. I had the opportunity to get to know Dino in 1887-88.