Preston Ritter
{{Use American English|date=September 2023}}
{{short description|American drummer (1949ā2015)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| image = Preston Ritter (cropped).png
| caption = Ritter in 1966
| birth_name = Preston James (Hord) Ritter
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1949|4|24}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2015|3|30|1949|4|24}}
| death_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S.
| genre = Psychedelic rock
| occupation = Drummer, music teacher
| years_active = 1960sā2015
| past_member_of = The Electric Prunes
| image_caption =
}}
Preston James Ritter (April 24, 1949 ā March 30, 2015){{cite news|url=http://ultimateclassicrock.com/preston-ritter-dies/|author=Dave Lifton|title=Preston Ritter, Electric Prunes Drummer, Dies at 65|date=March 31, 2015|publisher=Ultimate Classic Rock}} was an American drummer.
Career
At age seventeen, he joined The Electric Prunes in 1966, and played on their debut studio album, The Electric Prunes, and two hit singles, including I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night). Ritter was ultimately replaced by Michael Weakley during recording of the band's second album, Underground, in 1967. Ritter was left uncredited on Underground. Ritter was a member of the Electric Prunes during their prime, and appeared with them on American Bandstand, Where the Action Is, The Mike Douglas Show and The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.
He was later involved with Linda Ronstadt, The Beach Boys, and Dobie Gray.{{Cite web |date=July 4, 2015 |title=Preston Ritter's Page |url=http://home.earthlink.net/~prestonr/ |access-date=July 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150704023330/http://home.earthlink.net/~prestonr/ |archive-date=July 4, 2015 }} He worked as a DJ, police officer and private investigator before becoming a Christian missionary in Korea, where he taught theology. In later years he returned to Los Angeles, and taught and wrote books on drumming.
Death
Ritter has two daughters, Hannah and Larissa. After several years of dialysis for kidney problems, including two kidney transplants, he died in Los Angeles on March 30, 2015, at age 65.
Discography
- The Electric Prunes (1967)
- Underground (1967)
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- The Electric Prunes
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20150704023330/http://home.earthlink.net/~prestonr/ Preston Ritter home page]
- [https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/144439720/preston-ritter Preston Ritter] at Find a Grave
Category:Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)
Category:American male drummers
Category:American music educators
Category:The Electric Prunes members
{{The Electric Prunes}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Ritter, Preston}}
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