Preston Hubbard has died aged 63.
The former Fabulous Thunderbirds and Room Full Of Blues bassist was found dead at his home in St Louis, Missouri yesterday.
He was well-known in the blues community for his other work with Bonnie Raitt, The Vaughan Brothers, Duke Robillard, Etta James, Professor Longhair and The Blues Brothers.
Hubbard suffered a long battle with drug and alcohol addiction in the years since his exit from The Fabulous Thunderbirds in 1995, though he later adopted a cleaner lifestyle.
Guitarist Joanne Shaw Taylor led tributes to the late blues bassist, describing him as “A true hero of mine, supporter and friend.”
She adds: “I grew up watching him play with the T-Birds. When I was 19 a demo of mine fell into his hands and he made the effort to get in touch with me personally. He offered a lot of praise, guidance and support and only because he wanted to.
“He came out when he could if I was playing in St Louis to support me. I’m not quite sure what’s happened, but I know that my world is not the same place moving forward.”
Fabulous Thunderbirds launch their album Strong Like That on August 26. They’ll commence their US tour this week.
