Former Scorpions drummer James Kottak dies aged 61

nme.com:

Scorpions, has died aged 61.The news was announced by his daughter Tobi, who told TMZ that her father died yesterday morning (January 9) in his birthplace of Louisville, Kentucky.

Currently, no cause of death has been shared.The musician was most famed for his work with the German hard rock group Scorpions, for which he took on the role of drummer for 20 years.Joining the band in 1996, he appeared on all of their albums from 1999’s ‘Eye II Eye’ to 2015’s ‘Return to Forever’.

He was kicked out of the band for alcoholism in 2016 and later replaced by Motörhead’s Mikkey Dee, who remains in the line-up.Before joining the band, Kottak was an original member of the band Kingdom Come in the ‘80s.

He rejoined the band a couple of years after he was dismissed from Scorpions and remained in the group up until his passing.