Larry Tamblyn death: Founding member of The Standells and brother of actor Russ Tamblyn dies at 82

Independent

23-03-2025

Larry Tamblyn, one of the founding members of Sixties rock band The Standells, has died at the age of 82.
He was the younger brother of Golden Globe-winning Twin Peaks actor Russ Tamblyn, 90.
The musician's nephew, Dennis Tamblyn, announced that he died on Friday, March 21, in a post on Facebook.
'My uncle Larry Tamblyn passed away today. I have very fond memories of him and his family over the years,' Dennis wrote.
'He lived an incredible life. He was in a band called The Standells, whose hit song 'Dirty Water' is still played to this day whenever the Red Sox or the Bruins win a home game. They also played on an episode of The Munsters,' he continued.
'A few years ago, The Standells played at Hotel Congress here in Tucson, Ariz., and Larry stayed with me," Dennis added. 'It was so great to hang out with him and catch up. He was still making music well into his later years. You will be missed, Uncle Larry.'
No cause of death has been shared at this time.
Tamblyn was born in Los Angeles on February 5, 1943. His niece, Russ's daughter, is General Hospital actor Amber Tamblyn.
The Standells were formed in 1962 by Tamblyn, who was the lead vocalist and keyboard player, guitarist Tony Valentino, bass guitarist Jody Rich, and drummer Benny King (aka Hernandez).
In 1966, they recorded their hit 'Dirty Water,' which as Dennis mentioned in his Facebook tribute, is played following every Boston Red Sox and Boston Bruins home win. It peaked at number 11 on the Billboard music charts.
After taking a decades-long break to pursue solo careers, Larry got The Standells back together in 2009 with bassist John Fleck, guitarist Paul Downing and drummer Greg Burnham.
In 2014, they embarked on their first national tour since the 1960s, following the release of their final album, Bump, in 2013.
In December 2023, Larry was inducted into the California Music Hall of Fame by his brother Russ.
A neighbor of Larry's paid tribute to the singer on X after his death: 'My friend and neighbor, Larry Tamblyn, passed away this morning … It was totally surreal that a member of the 60s garage punk band my 80s garage band used to cover, moved just around the corner from me in rural GA.'