Former DAVID LEE ROTH Keyboardist BRETT TUGGLE Passes At Age 70 - "His Musicality Is Legendary And He Had A Voice Of An Angel"
June 21, 2022, 2 years ago
Word has come down that on June 19th, keyboardist Brett Tuggle - best known in rock circles for his work with David Lee Roth and Fleetwood Mac - passed awad due to brain cancer.
Tuggle's brother-in-law Brian O'Meara shared the news via a post on Facebook:
"Last Thursday, we lost my brother to prostate / bone cancer. Tonight, we lost my bother in law to brain cancer.
I met Brett Tuggle when he was 15 and I was 19. It was 1967. He was playing Chopin on the piano. I was blown away. This was a month after my first band, The Daniel’s, and broken up by the Viet Nam War and I was looking for a new band. I knew at that moment he was a rare talent. We put a band together called the US Male. Brett and I made music together for several years with a bunch of other super talented musicians.
Brett and I married the DiSalle sisters, Jody DiSalle O'Meara and Paula Disalle-Leeds, making us brothers in law.
After I retired from the music business, Brett Tuggle continued to play for the last five decades. The list of the bands he was with is a long, impressive one. The last 15 years with Fleetwood Mac, Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks. For ten years prior to The Mac, Tuggs played with David Lee Roth. Rick Springfield before that.
Brett and I stayed close thru the years. We considered ourselves as brothers. His musicality is legendary and he had a voice of an angel.
The planet will miss your creativity, joyful spirit and bringing all of us together thru your music. I have a tear in my eye tonight for losing two brothers in a week."
Tuggle was keyboard player for David Lee Roth on the 1986 - 1987 Eat 'Em And Smile tour, the 1988 Skyscraper tour, the 1991 A Little Ain't Enough tour where he also has several co-writes on that album, and up to the 1994 Your Filthy Little Mouth tour. He continued to perform on various occasions with Roth until some point in 1996 - 1997.
All of us at BraveWords send our condolences to Brett Tuggle's family and friends.