Paul Wheatbread obit

’60s pop music hitmaker dead at 80: ‘Poured his heart into every performance’

 

He was not on the list.

Paul Wheatbread, the drummer for the 1960s hit-making pop group Gary Puckett and the Union Gap, has died.

 

He was 80.

 

A GoFundMe set up by his family shared the news that he died on July 6.

“Music was the heartbeat of Paul’s life,” the post read. “A gifted drummer from an early age, he played with seven bands, including The Hard Times, before finding success with Gary Puckett & The Union Gap. He later spent several years performing with Flash Cadillac & The Continental Kids, doing what he loved most — sharing his gift of music with audiences everywhere. Whether he was on stage or behind the drums, Paul poured his heart into every performance.”

The GoFundMe was initially set up to help pay for Wheatbread’s care. It said that he was moving into hospice care as he dealt with kidney failure and Alzheimer’s.

The Scene reported that Wheatbread was “a part of San Diego’s music community for six decades,” and was a key player in helping Gary Puckett & The Union Gap come up with a string of hits in the 1960s including “Woman, Woman,” “Over You,” and Don’t Give In.”

The site also noted that Wheatbread had success with The Hard Times in the mid-1960s with the hit song “Fortune Teller.”

The GoFundMe said that the cost of fulfilling Wheatbread’s final wishes of being buried next to his grandparents, parents, sister and brother is more than the family can afford.

“Every gift, no matter the amount, brings us one step closer to giving Paul the peaceful resting place he wanted and supporting the woman who loved him for a lifetime,” it read. “Thank you for your kindness, your prayers, and your generosity. Thank you for helping us celebrate a life filled with music, love, laughter, and cherished memories. We will carry Paul’s rhythm in our hearts forever.”

A part of San Diego’s music community for six decades, Wheatbread was a key player in Gary Puckett & The Union Gap during their initial run, with a string of classics to their credit, including “Woman, Woman” (#4, 1967), “Over You” (#7, 1968) and “Don’t Give In” (#15, 1969). With the band, Wheatbread was a regular on national TV during this era, including a memorable episode of The Ed Sullivan Show (May 12, 1968) which featured the band performing both Young Girl” (#2, 1968) and “Lady Willpower” (#2, 1968), as well as a Jack Benny TV Special, New Look (December 03, 1969), which saw Nancy Sinatra join the band for a duet on Blood Sweat & Tears song, “Spinning Wheel.”

Wheatbread’s chart run actually both pre-dated and continued after his Union Gap membership. He was also a member of The Hard Times, who were regulars on ABC-TV’s mid 1960’s teen dance show, Where The Action Is. They released an album, Blew Mind, and scored a minor hit single with a version of “Fortune Teller” (#97, 1966). Post Puckett, Wheatbread joined Flash Cadillac & The Continental Kids in 1976, just in time for their single, “Did You Boogie (With Your Baby)” (#29, 1976), with the band briefly visible in film classic, Apocalypse Now (1979), performing the 1950’s standard, “Suzie Q.”

Amongst the other groups Wheatbread has performed with are Crosswinds, Steer Crazy, CoastRiders, and The Fabulous Pelicans.

A fundraiser concert is in the works, with details tba.