Rickie Lee Reynolds Cause of Death Tragic: Musician Suffers Severe Health Condition Aside From COVID-19

By Ashley Malone

The world of rock music is mourning the death of Rickie Lee Reynolds, popularly known for being the guitarist of the band "Black Oak Arkansas." The musician died on Sunday at the age of 72.

According to Variety, Reynolds' daughter, Amber Lee, took to her Facebook account to confirm the news of his tragic passing.

"Unfortunately, this morning he [Reynolds] suffered another cardiac arrest, which they were unable to resuscitate him from. We are all heartbroken by this massive loss, and the whole world feels colder and more empty without his presence among us." The guitarist's daughter wrote.

The outlet stated that the musician was previously hospitalized because of COVID-19, in which kidney failure and cardiac arrest followed afterwards.

"Black Oak Arkansas"

Reynolds was one of the founding members of "Black Oak Arkansas." Bandmates include Ronnie Smith, Stanley Knight, Harvey Jett, Wayne Evans, and Pat Daugherty. The band was named after their hometown.

As their career boosted, the band decided to replace Smith with Jim Mangrum as the frontman; the former became their stage manager.

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The group is popularly known for their authentic sound, a mixture of rock, country blues, and gospel. They are widely famous during the 1960s to 1970s as they received numerous nods, including three gold-certified records.

Songs that dominated at the time include "Up," "Hot Rod," and their ever-controversial "When Electricity Came to Arkansas," which was heavily criticized by Christians because of apparent Satanic messages.

The late guitarist left the band in 1977, but he came back in 1984 and had taken different stages across the country ever since.

Before Reynolds' death, he performed at an outdoor show with Jim Dandy in Illinois a few weeks ago.

Fans, Fellow Musicians Pay Tribute To Rickie Lee Reynolds

Rock music fans and other musicians took to social media following the sudden passing of Reynolds.

"I am gutted. Rickie Lee Reynolds from Black Oak Arkansas has passed away. To say this man changed the world and made it better for those around him is an egregious understatement. Rickie, this kid from Nebraska will never forget your friendship. Thank you for everything." Josh Decker, lead singer of the band "The Rewind," wrote.

Being from Arkansas, I grew up listening to their music, of course, and eventually met Jim. Never saw Rickie Lee Reynolds perform, unfortunately, but his playing will always be a part of my love of music . https://t.co/HeciBl9ifZ
— Ethan Nahté (@EthanNaht1) September 5, 2021

"R.I.P. Rickie Lee Reynolds. Coolest thing when I would go on the road with BOA was rooming with him and he would ask if I wanted to hear a rock story. My answer every time was "always" and he would break the greatest stories. Dude lived a hell of a life and will be missed." Singer and guitarist Joecephus wrote.