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Well-known singer and songwriter Bruce Arnold, who was the founder of the rock band Orpheus, recently passed away at the age of 76.
Deadline reported that Arnold’s death was confirmed by his family but the cause was not revealed. A tribute post was shared on his Facebook page featuring a picture of him with the caption:
“Bruce Oliver Arnold 1946-2022”
Arnold’s friend, fellow bandmate, and Worcesterite, Howie Hersh, stated that Bruce was unwell for a few days and passed away several days ago, but his family kept matters private before disclosing it to everyone.
Bruce Arnold founded Orpheus in the late 1960s
Bruce Arnold founded Orpheus in 1967 and it became popular during the 70s. Most of the members were from the folk scene and had played in psychedelic bands that were experts in Bosstown sound. But the band’s genre was close to Sunshine Pop, which was popular on AM radio during the 60s.
The original band members were Stephen Martin, Jack McKennes, Eric “Snake” Gulliksen, Harry Sandler, Robert Emmet Dunlap, and Kathi Taylor. Jack and Eric were previously members of the pop-folk group the Minuteman, and Jack and Bruce formed the duo the Villagers before they joined together along with Harry for Orpheus.
The band’s material was mostly written by Bruce and Eric and they managed to deliver three LPs for MGM in the late 60s, titled Brown Arms in Houston and Can’t Find the Time. Their tunes and songwriting were similar to bands like the Fifth Dimension, the Association, and the Letterman.
The band released four albums and six singles after being signed to MGM Records and Bell Records. They also played with some popular acts like Who, Led Zeppelin, Blood, Sweat & Tears, and Janis Joplin. While speaking to the Marin Independent Journal in 2012, Bruce Arnold said:
“But Orpheus didn’t sound like the music being made by the hip groups. We were off on our own tangent.”
The band’s final album was released in 1971 and Arnold was still a member. The songwriting and vocals were of Steve Martin, who also wrote some material on the band’s MGM recordings.
A compilation titled The Best of Orpheus was released in 1995 and it featured their LPs alongside some material that was not released initially.
Local Worcester music veteran Walter Crockett said that Bruce’s voice was legendary, smooth, and blended well with other voices.
Netizens pay tribute on Twitter
Bruce Arnold gained recognition over the years for his work with Orpheus. Twitter was flooded with tributes when people heard about his demise:
Arnold is survived by his wife Judy Arnold, sons John Mark Arnold, Oliver Arnold and Gray Ainsworth, daughter Erin Fish, brother Les Arnold Jr., and other family members.
