Robbie McIntosh (drummer)

Robbie McIntosh
McIntosh in 1974
McIntosh in 1974
Background information
Born
Robert Broderick James McIntosh

(1950-05-06)6 May 1950
Dundee, Scotland
Died22 September 1974(1974-09-22) (aged 24)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
InstrumentDrums
Years active1965–1974
Formerly of

Robert Broderick James McIntosh (6 May 1950 – 22 September 1974[1]) was a Scottish drummer from Dundee who was a founder-member of the Average White Band (AWB)[2].

Early life

His father was Bonar Sullivan, better known as Bonar Colleano, an American-born actor (whose family were circus entertainers from Australia with Aborigini and Irish roots[3]), who had a successful career in films, especially in the UK.[4] Colleano was not married to Robbie's mother, as he got her pregnant while he was filming near an army base in Dundee,[3] and thus he was given his mothers surname.

McIntosh was raised in Broughty Ferry and later in West End.[3] He was raised by his grandmother and aunt.[3] He started drumming as a teenager while attending Harris Academy.[5]

Career

By the time he was fifteen or sixteen, McIntosh was gigging in clubs.[3][5] He had been a member of the late 1960s bands the Senate with Alex Ligertwood, and Mal and the Primitives,[6] followed by Brian Auger's Oblivion Express, appearing on the band's early albums Oblivion Express (1971), Better Land (1971) and Second Wind (1972).[7] He also recorded two tracks that appear on the Herbie Mann album London Underground (1973).

In late 1971, McIntosh joined Average White Band, with Alan Gorrie, Michael Rosen (who soon left), Molly Duncan, Onnie McIntyre, and Roger Ball.[2] Despite forming in London, all of its members are Scottish. A year later, he and McIntyre recorded the drums and guitar on "My Ding-a-Ling" for Chuck Berry.[8]

McIntosh (top right) with the Average White Band in 1974.

The Average White Band are best known for their 1974 instrumental "Pick Up the Pieces", which was recorded and released before McIntosh's death, however initially failed to crack the UK charts; a month after McIntosh died, the bands second album, AWB, which featured the song, was released in America, where it topped the charts, and soon after had a resurgence in Britain, peaking at number six.[9][10] Gorrie recalled: "I remember the day when we got the news that the single and album were both number 1 on the Billboard Chart. We were stationed in a mansion called MACH 2, by the water in Long Island, which belonged to Ahmet Ertegun, the head of Atlantic Records. We all lived there and had a room set up with all our gear where we wrote the bulk of Cut The Cake. It was a weird moment to celebrate this success, considering that Robbie had died only five months previously. So it was a slightly hollow feeling."[11]

Personal life

At the time of his death, McIntosh was married to Edith St. Louis, who was nicknamed "Didi", whose parents were part of the Windrush generation.[4] They had one son, Brandon.[12]

Death

McIntosh died of an accidental heroin overdose[13] at a party following a concert at the Troubadour in Los Angeles. According to a contemporary report in Time,[14] McIntosh and fellow band member Alan Gorrie took what they thought was cocaine, but was in fact heroin laced with morphine. Gorrie was saved by the intervention of fellow party-goer Cher, who kept him conscious long enough to recover. The party host, Kenneth Moss, a 30-year-old millionaire who founded the short-lived airline Freelandia, was subsequently indicted for murder by a grand jury.[15] Moss pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to 120 days in jail and four years' probation.[16]

McIntosh is buried in Barnhill Cemetery, Dundee. His replacement as drummer in the AWB was Steve Ferrone, previously of Bloodstone, who had replaced McIntosh before in Brian Auger's Oblivion Express.[17]

In January 1975, the band played a benefit show for McIntosh's widow, Edith, at the Marquee Club in London.[18] According to Edith, she was so traumatised by his death, she moved to Spain in order to immserse herself in a new culture and language, saying "I didn’t want to speak English again, I went to a country where I didn’t understand anyone, and no one understood me", but eventually moved back to Dundee.[4]

In 2024, Edith released the book Pick Up The Pieces, an autobiography about her grief and the celebration of McIntosh's life.[4]

Discography

With Brian Auger's Oblivion Express[19]

  • A Better Land (1971)
  • Brian Auger's Oblivion Express (1971)
  • Second Wind (1972)

With Chuck Berry[19]

With Average White Band[19]

With Herbie Mann[19]

References

  1. ↑ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/22199395/robert_bj-mcintosh/photo#view-photo=263483885 Image of gravestone; records date of death in Los Angeles. Date of death often cited as 23rd UK time)
  2. 1 2 "Robert (Robbie) McIntosh from The Gazetteer for Scotland". www.scottish-places.info. Retrieved 21 June 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Robbie McIntosh". Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Remembering Dundee's Average White Band drummer Robbie". The Courier (Dundee). 9 August 2024.
  5. 1 2 "4 July 2021 // Robbie McIntosh". #ABHM. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  6. ↑ Wilson, Lorraine (2013). Take it to the Bridge: Dundee's Rock and Pop History. Black & White Publishing. ISBN 9781845026400.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  7. ↑ Myers, Mark (30 October 2023). "Brian Auger: Complete Oblivion Express". Retrieved 21 June 2026.
  8. ↑ Strong, Martin C. (2000). The Great Rock Discography (5th ed.). Edinburgh: Mojo Books. pp. 36–37. ISBN 1-84195-017-3.
  9. ↑ "AVERAGE WHITE BAND". Official Charts. Archived from the original on 14 December 2025. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  10. ↑ Top Pop Singles: 1955-2008 - Joel Whitburn / retrieved 28 July 2026
  11. ↑ "'Truly great': Robbie McIntosh was the Dundee drummer who helped Average White Band conquer US". The Courier. 26 January 2022. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  12. ↑ Dundee, Retro (22 September 2010). "RETRO DUNDEE: ROBBIE McINTOSH ON DRUMS - 1950-1974". RETRO DUNDEE. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  13. ↑ Tobler, John (1992). NME Rock 'N' Roll Years (1st ed.). London: Reed International Books Ltd. p. 272. CN 5585.
  14. ↑ "Cher". Time. 17 March 1975. Archived from the original on 6 February 2009.
  15. ↑ "Whiz Kid Indicted," Deseret News, 21 February 1975, p. 2A
  16. ↑ "Ex-Stock Whiz Gets Jail Term in Drug Death". The Charleston Daily Mail. Charleston, West Virginia. Associated Press. 9 January 1976. p. 2. Retrieved 10 June 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ↑ Roberts, David (1998). Guinness Rockopedia (1st ed.). London: Guinness Publishing Ltd. p. 24. ISBN 0-85112-072-5.
  18. ↑ NME Rock 'N' Roll Years - John Tobler, page 272 / retrieved 28 July 2026
  19. 1 2 3 4 "Robbie McIntosh — Biography, Discography, Albums & Expert Reviews". AllMusic. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
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