Ray Appleton

{{Short description|American jazz drummer (1941–2015)}}{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Ray Appleton

| birth_name = Otis Ray Appleton

| alias = "Killer" Ray Appleton

| birth_date = August 23, 1941

| birth_place = Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.

| death_date = October 7, 2015 (aged 74)

| genre = Jazz

| instruments = Drums

}}

Otis Ray Appleton (August 23, 1941 – October 7, 2015) was an American jazz drummer.

Early life

Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, his interest in drums began when visiting the local fire department to hear their "Drum and Bugle Corps" practice. He played in school bands, but hearing Freddie Hubbard and James Spaulding led to a serious interest in jazz.

Career

Appleton toured and recorded with John Coltrane, Freddie Hubbard, Wes Montgomery and others. Due to a car accident and diabetes, he lost part of his left leg in 1997.{{cite web|last=Murph |first=John |url=http://jazztimes.com/articles/87248-kiiler-ray-appleton-once-upon-a-time-in-the-midwest |title=Jazz Departments: "KiIler" Ray Appleton: Once Upon a Time in the Midwest - By John Murph — Jazz Articles |publisher=Jazztimes.com |date= |accessdate=2015-10-17}} He reportedly received his nickname "killer" from bassist Larry Ridley and became a person of note in Indianapolis's jazz community.{{cite book |author=David Leander Williams |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uPN0AgAAQBAJ&pg=PA145 |title=Indianapolis Jazz: The Masters, Legends and Legacy of Indiana Avenue |publisher=The History Press |year=2014 |isbn=978-1-62619-403-8 |pages=145–146}}

Personal life

Appleton died of congestive heart failure on October 7, 2015, at age 74.{{cite web|last=Long |first=Kyle |url=http://www.nuvo.net/ACulturalManifesto/archives/2015/10/14/remembering-killer-ray |title=Remembering Killer Ray | A Cultural Manifesto | NUVO News | Indianapolis, IN |publisher=Nuvo.net |date= 14 October 2015|accessdate=2015-10-17}}