Larry Tamblyn, 1943 – 2025

Actor and musician (The Standells) Larry Tamblyn, 82, died on March 21. The younger brother of actor Russ Tamblyn, Larry (vocals and keyboards) co-founded The Standells in 1962; their biggest hit was 1967’s “Dirty Water.” The group performed in such movies and TV shows as The Munsters, Get Yourself a College Girl, Riot on Sunset Strip, Ben Casey, Follow the Boys, and Zebra in the Kitchen. Tamblyn recalled of his rock days to Gary James, “We were one of the first groups to have long hair in 1963. We had seen photos of The Beatles in London before they became big here and we grew our hair out. Some teen magazine actually came out and interviewed us. I wish I had that article. They billed us as ‘The Standells: America's Answer to The Beatles.’” He also recalled playing on the same bill as The Doors: “Everybody was talking and all of a sudden it got dead quiet. Everybody turned around and Jim Morrison had walked into the room. But it wasn't due to his aura. It was due to the odor from his clothes. He wore this leather suit which he never got out of.”