LONDON, UK. (THECOUNT) — Legendary Cream and Blind Faith drummer Ginger Baker has been admitted to a hospital and is “critically ill,” according to a statement released by his family on Wednesday.
Baker, who just turned 80, has experienced a number of health setbacks in recent years.
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In 2016, he underwent open heart surgery and injured himself in a fall while in recovery. Baker also suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease from years of heavy smoking, as well as from chronic back pain due to degenerative osteoarthritis, reports https://ConsequenceOfSound.
“Please keep him in your prayers tonight,” the family wrote in the brief statement posted to Baker’s official Twitter account on Wednesday afternoon.
In 2005, Baker reunited with Clapton and Bruce for a series of Cream reunion shows in London and New York City.
Baker achieved superstar status during his tenure in Cream alongside Eric Clapton and Jack Bruce. The band only existed for three years between 1966 and 1968, but is widely considered one of the most influential acts in rock history. In particular, Baker is credited for incorporating African rhythms, opting for two bass drums instead of the standard lone kick bass drum, and using basic drum rudiments, like his signature flam triplet, to create a thundering, driving style. Cream have sold 15 million records worldwide and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.
Following the demise of Cream, Baker teamed up with Clapton, Steve Winwood, and Ric Grech to form Blind Faith, but the collaboration was short-lived. Baker later launched his own jazz-rock fusion group Ginger Baker’s Air Force, and collaborated extensively with Fela Kuti.
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Geo quick facts: London, the capital of England and the United Kingdom, is a 21st-century city with history stretching back to Roman times. At its centre stand the imposing Houses of Parliament, the iconic ‘Big Ben’ clock tower and Westminster Abbey, site of British monarch coronations. Across the Thames River, the London Eye observation wheel provides panoramic views of the South Bank cultural complex, and the entire city.