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Mothers of Invention drummer Black dies

Associated Press

LONDON — Jimmy Carl Black, who went from drummer in Frank Zappa's avant-garde Mothers of Invention to doughnut shop worker and house painter, has died at age 70.

Mr. Black died Saturday of cancer in Siegsdorf, Germany, said Roddie Gilliard, a British musician who performed with him.

Mr. Black had Cheyenne ancestry; his greatest fame came from a line ad-libbed on the Mothers of Invention's third album, "We're Only In It for the Money," which made fun of hippies.

"Hi, boys and girls," he said. "I'm Jimmy Carl Black and I'm the Indian of the group."

In 1964, Mr. Black was playing in a Los Angeles band called the Soul Giants when it recruited Zappa as lead guitarist.

Zappa took over, changed the group's name and, according to Mr. Black, boasted that "if you guys learn my music, I'll make you rich and famous."

"He took care of half of that promise, because I'm damn sure I didn't get rich," Mr. Black recalled.