Robbie Bachman, the drummer and co-founder of ’70s rock group Bachman-Turner Overdrive, has died. Bachman’s older brother Randy Bachman—who fronted and played guitar in the band—announced the news on his official Twitter account yesterday (January 12). “Another sad departure,” he wrote. “The pounding beat behind BTO, my little brother Robbie has joined Mum, Dad & brother Gary on the other side. Maybe Jeff Beck needs a drummer! He was an integral cog in our rock ‘n’ roll machine and we rocked the world together.”
Bachman-Turner Overdrive, often abbreviated as BTO, formed in the early ’70s in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The earliest lineup included founding members Robbie, Randy, and Tim Bachman, as well as and bassist/vocalist Fred Turner. They released their self-titled debut album in 1973, followed by Bachman-Turner Overdrive II later that year. Their sophomore LP featured one of BTO’s biggest hits, “Taking Care of Business.”
The group’s next album, 1974’s Not Fragile, which yielded “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet”—their most successful single in the U.S. BTO songs have been used in countless movie and television soundtracks over the years, including Will Ferrell’s The Campaign (“Taking Care of Business”) and Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (“Let It Ride”). Though Randy was the main songwriter in BTO, Robbie co-wrote a number of their tracks, including “Roll On Down the Highway,” which climbed to No. 14 on the U.S. charts.mIn 2014, BTO were inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.
