How is Larry Tamblyn related to Russ Tamblyn? Standells co-founder and keyboardist dies at 82

Larry Tamblyn, the younger brother of actor Russ Tamblyn and co-founder of the garage-rock cult favorite Standells, died on Friday, March 21, at the age of 82. His nephew, Dennis Tamblyn, posted the news on Facebook the same day.

“My uncle Larry Tamblyn passed away today. I have very fond memories of him and his family over the years… He lived an incredible life. He was in a band called The Standells, whose hit song ‘Dirty Water' is still played to this day whenever the Red Sox or the Bruins win a home game. They also played on an episode of The Munsters…,” the post read.

“A few years ago, The Standells played at Hotel Congress here in Tucson, Ariz., and Larry stayed with me… It was so great to hang out with him and catch up. He was still making music well into his later years. You will be missed, Uncle Larry."

However, the post is currently unavailable for an unknown reason. The cause of death has not yet been disclosed.

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Larry Tamblyn started the band The Standells

Born in Los Angeles on February 5, 1943, Larry hails from a prominent family. He is the uncle of actress Amber Tamblyn and the brother of Twin Peaks actor Russ Tamblyn. Before forming the rock group Larry Tamblyn and The Standells in 1962 with Tony Valentino, Jody Rich, and Benny King, Larry performed as a solo artist throughout the 1950s.

According to Variety's report from March 24, Larry Tamblyn founded the group with Valentino and Rich shortly after graduating from Polytechnic High School in Sun Valley, California. During an April 29, 2014, interview with Vice, he reflected on the band’s formation, stating:

“We formed this group. I came up with the name Standells because we were hitting a lot of booking agents and doing a lot of standing around, and that’s how the name arrived.”

During the same interview, he reflected on the early days and remarked:

“We finally found a booking agency and the first major gig they got us was at the Oasis Club in Hawaii. It was me, Tony, Jody, and a 15-year-old kid named Benny King... The Standells alternated with a complete Japanese floor show that had comedians, musicians, dancers..”

Further sharing some incidents of their early days, he added:

“Tony and I roomed together and Jody and Benny roomed together, and we used to bring girls up there all the time—but the problem was is we found out we had another tenant there—a rat… And he’d always make his appearance when we had girls over, and I’m not exaggerating—he’d always come right out when the girls were there—and they’d scream and run out of the apartment…”

Although drummer Dick Dodd sang lead on Dirty Water, Larry Tamblyn was the group's lead singer for a few years after its founding. According to Tech Web Sound, the band released their first 45, You'll Be Mine Someday/Girl In My Heart, in 1963. A year later, they signed with Liberty Label and changed their name to The Standells.

In 1964, Dick Dodd became the band's lead vocalist after several other members departed. Among the group's well-known releases are Try It, Can't Help But Love You, and their biggest hit, Dirty Water, which peaked at number 11 on the Billboard charts.

According to a report from the UK daily Metro on March 23, Larry Tamblyn reformed the band in 2009. In 2014, they began their first national tour since the 1960s. The band's last album, Bump, was released in 2013.

Besides their appearances in Ben Casey, The Bing Crosby Show, and The Munsters in 1965, the Standells also starred in low-budget films such as Riot on Sunset Strip (1967) and Get Yourself a College Girl (1964). In 2023, Larry's brother Russ introduced him to the California Music Hall of Fame.

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Meanwhile, Russ hasn’t said anything about his brother’s demise yet.