Dick Dodd

Although his name may go unnoticed to the casual observer, Dick Dodd's life was anything but inconsequential. A pioneer of the surf-rock musical genre, having been a member of such noteworthy bands as the Bel-Airs and Eddie and the Showmen, Dodd forever secured his place in history books as the drummer and lead vocalist of the influential garage-rock band, The Standells. Dodd sang the lead on the band's best known song, 1965's "Dirty Water," which still receives regular airplay on classic rock radio stations. Although Dodd had difficulty finding steady employment after leaving The Standells in 1968, "Dirty Water" only grew in popularity, and has since become an anthem of several Boston sports teams, most notably the Red Sox. Dodd was still performing the song before live audiences up until the spring of 2013, when he abruptly announced on his website that he was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. The former mouseketeer-turned-rocker died quietly in his sleep on November 29, 2013 from the disease, leaving behind a rich and eventful legacy that will certainly etch the name Dickie Dodd into the annals of pop-cultural history for decades to come.