Hall & Oates Bassist Tom 'T-Bone' Wolk Dies
By PopEater Staff Posted Mar 2nd 2010 06:26AM
Tom 'T-Bone' Wolk, the man who thumped away at the bass for Daryl Hall and John Oates for years, has passed away at the age of 58. According to Hall & Oates' manager, Wolk suffered what's believed to be a heart attack on Sunday night, hours after wrapping up a studio session with Hall.
A working musician to the bone, Wolk had a vast career not just with Hall & Oates, but across the music spectrum. His recording credits include everyone from Bette Midler to Billy Joel to younger artists like Avril Lavigne. He also played on several recordings by Elvis Costello.
"Daryl used to refer to him as the ampersand in Hall & Oates," said manager Jonathan Wolfson. In a statement, a heartbroken Hall said, "It's not if I will go on, but how." He went on to say, "T-Bone was one of the most sensitive and good human beings that I have ever known."
In recent years, Wolk's title changed in the Hall & Oates camp from plain old bassist to music director.
From 1986 to 1992, he also served as the bass player for the 'Saturday Night Live' house band, during the days when G.E. Smith led the group.
Wolk was set to appear alongside Hall & Oates on 'Late Night With Jimmy Fallon' on Monday night before his passing.
Wolk joked on his Web site that he was "that guy with the hat" at Hall & Oates concerts.