Trini Lopez, the late singer and guitarist who had hits with “If I Had a Hammer” and “Lemon Tree” and starred in the classic war movie The Dirty Dozen, left an indelible mark on the Foo Fighters.
The world lost “yet another legend,” Dave Grohl wrote as news of Lopez’s passage spread through news outlets.
The all-rounder “not only left a wonderful musical legacy of his own, but also unknowingly helped the sound of the Foo Fighters of the day,” the post read on the official Foos social channels.
“Every album we’ve ever made, from the first to the last, was recorded with my red Trini Lopez signature guitar from 1967. It’s the sound of our band, and my most appreciated possession since the day I bought it in 1992, ”Continues the tribute. ‘Thank you, Trini for all your contributions. You will be missed by many, remembered by all. RIP Trini Lopez. ”
Lopez apparently died Tuesday (August 11) in Palm Springs, after a battle with the novel coronavirus. He was 83.
The Dallas resident and son of Mexican immigrants was signed by Frank Sinatra on his label Reprise Records, and he recorded more than 60 albums during his lifetime.
Lopez’s version of “If I Had a Hammer”, written by Pete Seeger and Lee Hays, reached in 1963 no. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, and his track “Lemon Tree”, written by Will Holt, reached no. 20 in 1965.
He also portrayed a convict named Pedro Jimenez in The Dirty Dozen, and worked with the Gibson Guitar Corp. to design a pair of signature guitars.
Read below the message from Foo Fighters to Lopez.
