RIP Trini Lopez

Trini Lopez Succumbs to COVID-19 at 83

Famous singer, and actor, Trini Lopez, passed away at a Rancho Mirage hospital in California on Tuesday, August 11, 2020 due to COVID-19 complications. He was 83. Although Lopez had no wife or children, his legacy remains through his numerous contributions to the entertainment industry.

The announcement was made by his business partner, Joe Chavira, who recently helped him complete “If By Now.” It was a song written to support food banks during the ongoing pandemic. Noting the irony, Chavira is quoted saying “and here he is dying of something he was trying to fight” to the Associated Press. A tweet posted by David Grohl of the Foo Fighters stated “Today the world sadly lost yet another legend, Trini Lopez. Trini not only left a beautiful music legacy of his own, but also unknowingly helped shape the sound of the Foo Fighters.”
​
Trini Lopez’ Music

Trini Lopez’ career began when he was 15 with the creation of his first band. His group Big Beats was signed to Columbia prior to him going solo with King Records during the late 1950s. It wasn’t until 1963, during his residency at PJ’s in Los Angeles, where Frank Sinatra discovered him and signed Lopez to Reprise Records.

Lopez is best known for “If I Had a Hammer” and “Lemon Tree.” Although the songs were covers from different artists, his renditions fared better on the Billboard’s charts. In 2014 Lopez attributed his success to “making his songs danceable.” By combining American folk music with Latin and Rockabilly beats, Lopez was able to connect with his listeners in a way that other artists couldn’t. “Discotheques back in those days were not only playing my songs, they were playing my album all the way through” Lopez told The Classic Rock Music Reporter during an interview in 2014.

---

Never miss a thing and join our mailing list today.

We've got big plans and we want to share them with you! Hit that subscribe button so we can send you all the latest and greatest of Ashcraft Studios news, announcements, and promotions. 
​
Ashcraft Studios respects your privacy. That's why we will never share  your information to anyone else. We just want to share our awesome stuff with you! 

---

Stay Connected. Follow us on Social Media.

Author

Rebecca Lennex is the Promotional Director for Ashcraft Studios. A jack of many trades, her passions include writing, music, and art.  When she’s not working for the Ashcrafts she’s working on her own online pursuits. All non-work related hours go to her husband, four children, and fur baby australian shepherd. ​

Tags: trini lopez, covid-19, joe chavira, david grohl, foo fighters, if i had a hammer, lemon tree, american folk music, latin beats, rockabilly