We are so, so sorry to be the bearer of sad tidings, but we have to report that former Dictator drummer Rich Teeter has passed away. More details as they unfold. Rich was one of the truly nice guys. R.I.P buddy.
UPDATE: In Appreciation of Richie Teeter
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I can’t even tell you how much this bums me out. He was a GREAT Dictator. I never got the chance to see him in person, but I did get the chance to fan-girl all over him via telephone not so long ago. I so, so wish I could do it again. Rest in peace, Rich!
Karen? I will msg you privately, but this was such a shock and so sudden. Only Friday, he spoke to all of us and thought he had beaten this…it is a tremendous loss leaving us with many memories….and broken hearts.
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R.I.P. DFFD…….
Brokenhearted. DFFD
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Hello All- I’m Rich’s niece and I wanted to thank you for remembering him.
I went to Amityville H S with Rich we were both drummers in the only two rock bands and we would do H S talent shows and go on back to back. Rich’s band won ABC’s radio Big Break with Steppin Wolf hosting the event. We would all hang out in Rich’s room where everything and I mean everything was painted black for his black light posters. I tried to catch up to him at Sam Ash in Carle Place but he changed to Huntingtons store. I am greatful for having known him. Play on up there Rich you are in good company up there.”
My name is Dave Sobell who commented above about the black light and Amityville H S. I meamt to post my name.
The name of his H S band was Tomorrow Midnight.
I was told that he had to skip the HS band’s big concert to play in the ABC contest causing his to get a F in band which my grandpa thought was unjust because he was doing something band related.
Yes that is how rock music was frowned upon back then. It was considered the root of all evil. Just as it was with big band swing and the 50’s rock an roll in their generations. Boy have things changed now they are holywood stars. I am wondering if Dee Snider will do a tribute song tonight for Rich. I would love to go.
hey dave it’s lou,,didn’t we have a lot of fun with richie ? the thing i remember most is the parties and jam sessions. too bad we were too stoned to tape it all…ha ha ….lou g
Hey there Lou, I saw your post and tried to send a reply on Flicker after googling your name but my account needs 24hrs to re-establish so I’m doubly happy to hear from you. Yes they were the best remembered time of my life. Nothing ever compared to the fun we had then. And everything was changing in society right before our eyes to boot. My email is hligan3@aol.com. I will send my number back to you. I will be at Noe 1 studio in North Bellmore 2-4pm today. Yesterdaydidnt get out of there till 5:00. So if you can email I will get back early this evening. Thanks Lou it is fantastic to hear from you.
Hello Dave,
Found the notice doing a search for Rich’s name and am very saddened to hear.
I replaced Rich as the Drummer in Tomorrow Midnight when Rich took over key boards in about 1967. However, he didn’t give up drumming entirly back then. We did do several songs with two drummers, one of which was a 20 minutes of dualing drummers.Rather unique back then. And, we were one of the first L.I bands to use a light show and pirotecnics. Do you remember the opening of our act for that senior tallent show ?
And yes, we were the last band to win the ABC Big Break held at the Staler Hilton with Steppen Wolf. Got a recording contract, that ABC/Paramont reneged on, so a Lawer got us at least union scale for the sudio time. However that ABC deal did lead to other gigs. We also played Hunter College with Canned Heat and other concerts and Clubs on the Island, the City and NJ. And I think the Burner Senior High prom we played at the Top of the Fair resturant at the old worlds fair grounds in Queens may have been the same prom as Jerry Seinfleds.
Rich bought my old Ludwigs for a practice set when I dropped out of the band to go to Basic Training in ’72.
I miss Rich’s crazy, hard-driving style, that often lead to long arguments about arrangments and who should do what and when. Mostly between he and Kev Barbano. And how he and Kev would make up and then gang up to jokingly bust chops on poor Billy.
And his near constant head toss to keep his very straight hair out of his eyes.
Great, great times brother – RIP. Your back together now, so give Elise a kiss from me.
Paul FitzPatrick
Former drummer of Tomorrow midnight.
hi paul it’s lou gabrielson/ you were a fantastic drummer and those were great times when we were young and into the music. i caught you and kev a few times when you both were playing with the guys. i was with dave sobell and bob poole. after that we all pretty much went our own ways. we all hung out at the daisy in 1973 when kiss showed up and made amityville rock. well i still live here and i’m retired from brunswick hospital. be well paul and ray peres would love to hear from you…lou gabrielson.
I would be very interested to know what your Ludwig’s looked like. Can you please contact me thru Sal? Thanks,
Hi Paul, I would be very interested in knowing what your Ludwigs looked like.
And, yes, he spoke of Elise daily.
amanda are you cliffs or elanie’s daughter ?
Alane’s daughter, and Alex is her son. Cliff has no biological children, nor did Rich.
oh ok. i remember your mother. i loved being with your uncles. we had so much fun as teens. and your grandfather was the best teacher in amityville. he even taught my uncles. we would have sleepovers and rich would play us new music all night. he had the coolest bedroom with the day glow posters. then his father would make us french toast in the morning. rich was the sweetest guy in the world and cliff is just like him. your grandfather once bought one of the old school buses and turn it into a moble home.one of the funniest thing rich and i would do is we would go to a buger place and in the parking lot we would fill our mouths with milk shakes and go next to a car full of girls and make like we were throwing up.
I am not Alane, but thanks for the memories.
yes i know your her daughter. your mom was a real cute girl. i have some pics i think on facebook of rich with us in my backyard. we are standing by a tree.
My sister and I thank you so much. Rock in Peace Rich
He taught me how to play drums. Thats all I can say. The man. RIP Richie Teeter take it away.
Ad Cole
RIP
DFFD
he was a truly good guy,great drummer and singer-i was lucky to have worked with him 3 times over the years -dictators,vhf and a few years back in my band the planets drumming and singing his ass off
The Planets show…at Don Hills, which he dedicated to Liam, Chris and myself…”He sings, he drums and…he smokes…” New Rose…he sang to everything and we’re gonna miss that. About two or three words was enough to make him break into a random song, and he knew tons. Amazing voice, great range…
good one he did seem to know every rock song ever often said “you dont know that song ? it goes like this” he wrote a song “kerry please’ in his vhf days never a finer pop rock tune than that one
Got the VHF stuff and yeah, all great! Multi-talented…
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absolutely horrible news. life is way too short. thank you andy and richie for the absolutely sublime sleeping with the tv on.
I can only say Thank you to Rich for all that he gave to me. He was my first kiss in 1977 and 17 years later the first flight to NY and The first man to treat me like a Queen. He took me to Radio City Music Hall for my birthday
Dec 1993 and I was so in awe of all the amazing things he did for me that special weekend. The Statue of Liberty and just being the sweet man he was, a date to see The Three Musketeers and pizza. He introduced me to Broadway taking me, my daughter and 2 other friends to see, in March 1994, Phantom of The Opera. A few years ago we reconnected via e-mail and he burned a copy of Phantom for me because he knew how much it meant to me.I always give him credit for my desire to travel and so many of my first important events. The first man to remember my birthday and make sure there were roses at my door. My daughter told me once that of the boyfriends I had she liked Rich the most because he treated her like he really liked her. Even after we stopped seeing each other I aked him if he could help get Mia a drum kit and he really came through for me and brought it to our home and set it up for Christmas. Rich was always a sweet man and I am happy that he was a part of my life.
Our relationship didn’t work out as I had hoped but it was ok that it didn’t because today I would not just be sad I would be devastated. Rich treated me so much like a lady that maybe no one could ever live up to that, It wasn’t always rosy, by far, but he really knew how to treat a woman.
This picture by the way, is mine. I am happy you are using it here, though. I think I sent it for his bday a couple yrs back.
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TWO weeks and struggling to accept the fact that we will not hear his voice again. My 14 yr old posted this on the day…Today the closest thing I’ve ever had to a father died. Rich “Ritchie” Teeter had been struggling with Stage IV oesophageal cancer for four months (when he found out) when he died this morning around 10:00 of an infection as a by-product of chemotherapy devouring his immune system. Love you, Rich
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