(April 27, 2021) We are sad to report tonight the death of longtime Bar-Kays keyboardist Mark Bubby Bynum.
As the Bar-Kays posted on their Twitter account: “We are sad to announce the passing of our keyboard player and beloved brother Mark Bubba Bynum of The Barkays. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family. Rest in Power Brother. We Love you Bubba. Mr. Unforgettable Dream.”
The Bar-Kays have a past filled with both triumph and tragedy, first achieving fame as a stalwart Memphis band that served as Otis Redding’s backing band and scored a huge 1967 hit with “Soul Finger.” But months after that hit, four members of the band died in the same tragic plane crash that killed Redding.
The band re-formed with new members and continued to serve an essential role at Stax, working on dozens of albums, including Isaac Hayes’ classic Hot Buttered Soul.
After the Stax years, the Bar-Kays had a second run at fame as a funk band that topped the charts in the late 70s and early 80s with such hits as “Hit and Run” and “Freak Show On The Dance Floor.” The group has continued to perform in various incarnations ever since, and was inducted into the Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame in 2015.
Bynum was an essential part of the stage show for the Bar-Kays, and also served for a period working the rap star MC Hammer. He will be missed.
