Tim Bachman, guitarist and co-founder of Canadian rock band Bachman-Turner Overdrive, has died at the age of 71. The news was announced on Friday by Bachman’s son Ryder, who wrote in a Facebook post: “My father passed away this afternoon. Thank you everyone for the kind words. Grateful that I got to spend some time with him at the end. Grab your loved ones and hug them tight, you never know how long you have left.”
In a previous post, Ryder revealed that he received a call last Wednesday from the care unit where his father was staying, urging him to pay his respects after doctors determined that “his whole was riddled with cancer [Tim’s] Brain.”
Tim Bachman, along with his brothers, singer/guitarist Randy Bachman and drummer Robin Bachman, formed the group commonly referred to as BTO in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1973. The latter died in January this year at the age of 69. Tim performed on the band’s eponymous album and their groundbreaking second collection. Bachmann Turner Overdrive IIwhich was released in December of that year and featured two of the band’s most popular and heaviest hits, “Let It Ride” and the Billboard Hot 100 No. 12 hit “Takin’ Care of Business,” which featured Tim singing backing vocals to play the second lead guitar.
However, his run in the fraternal band would be short-lived as he left in early 1974 shortly after the release of the second album, ostensibly due to singer Randy’s strict rules prohibiting drugs, alcohol and premarital sex on the streets. He was replaced by Blair Thornton, who played on the band’s third album in 1974 Not fragilewhich contained the #1 single “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet” and “Roll on Down the Highway”.
After a series of line-up changes – including the departure of singer Randy in 1977 – BTO reunited in 1983 with Randy and Tim taking the lead, with younger brother Robbie declining to attend. They let go Bachman Turner Overdrive in September 1984 and a live album from her stint as the opening act for Van Halen before Randy left in 1986, which was also the last year of Tim Bachman’s run with the group. The group reformed again in 1988, with Randy Bachman again taking the lead, along with Robbie on drums but without Tim Bachman.
On Sunday, Ryder Bachman continued to pay tribute to his father, writing: “The last words he said were, ‘I love you Paxton, share the music’ and so this afternoon I will honor father by sharing songs, from which he has played a few million times on stage; Come down and sing it with me, I bet you know the words.”
See Ryder Bachman’s post below.