James Kottak, who had been the drummer for Scorpions for two decades, died on Tuesday (9/1) at the age of 61. He had departed from the band in September 2016 due to his alcohol addiction, being replaced by Mikkey Dee, former member of Motorhead.
The daughter of James Kottak, Tobi, confirmed her father’s death to TMZ. Shortly after, the German rock band, the legendary Scorpions, bid farewell to their “brother,” as they referred to the artist.
“Very sad news… our dear friend and drummer for 20 years, James Kottak, passed away at the age of 61… James was a wonderful person, a great musician, and a tender family man,” stated the members of Scorpions in a post.
They described Kottak as a “brother” who will be truly missed. The post concluded with “Rock ‘n Roll forever, rest in peace James.”
Very sad news… our dear friend & Drummer for 20yrs James Kottak has passed at the age of 61. James was a wonderful human being, a great musician & loving family man. He was our „Brother from another Mother“ & will be truly missed. Rock‘n Roll Forever
RIP James
📸 Marc Theis pic.twitter.com/QoGMOo1rfi— Scorpions (@scorpions) January 9, 2024
James Kottak passed away in the morning in Louisville, according to his daughter. So far, no further details about the circumstances of the drummer’s death have been disclosed.
James Kottak became a member of Scorpions in 1996 and remained with the band until 2016, making him their longest-serving drummer. He was also a founding member of Kingdom Come, playing drums with them from 1987 to 1989 and again from 2018 until today. Additionally, he had his own band, Kottak, formerly known as KrunK.