Mott the Hoople Drummer Dale Griffin Dies at 67

17 January 2016

Drummer Terence Dale “Buffin” Griffin, a founding member of Mott the Hoople, has passed away at the age of 67 following a struggle with Alzheimer’s disease.

Griffin’s passing has been confirmed by associates at Angel Air Records, who shared the news on Facebook with a post referring to him as “one of the nicest, friendly and talented men I have ever known” and saying he “died peacefully in his sleep” on 17 January.

“All he ever wanted was for his beloved Mott the Hoople to reform and it was his determination that achieved that very feat in 2009,” adds the post. “Sadly by then, he was too ill to perform at the five sold-out dates though he did join the band for encores.”

Griffin discussed his illness in 2010, sharing his struggle with a series of frank quotes that included the painful admission that he’d occasionally felt abandoned by old friends who weren’t sure how to handle his deteriorating condition;

“Many old friends now avoid me as they do not know what to say, which is really hurtful,” said Griffin. “I just wish they would realize that, inside, I am still the same old Buffin I always was. We have to make people aware of this horrible disease. The main thing is to get the word out. There are still a lot of people who think that Alzheimer’s is just people getting old and that it’s no bother, no bad thing. But I think it is a big deal – when you live with it, it can be pretty grim at times.”