Argent, The Zombies & The Kinks star Jim Rodford dies

Argent founder Jim Rodford has died, aged 76.
The bassist, who also played for The Kinks and The Zombies, died at his home in St. Albans, England on Saturday (20Jan18).
Rod Argent, who was Rodford’s cousin, shared the sad news on The Zombies’ Facebook page, revealing that the musician died after “a fall on the stairs”.
“Jim was not only a magnificent bass player, but also from the first inextricably bound to the story of The Zombies,” he shared. “An enormous enabler for us. To the end, Jim’s life was dedicated to music. He was unfailingly committed to local music – an ever-present member of the local scene in St. Albans, where he had spent his whole life.”
Rodford co-founded The Zombies with Argent in the early 1960s and became a member of Argent in 1969. He replaced bassist John Dalton in The Kinks in 1978 and spent 18 years with the band.
“It is with deep sadness that we have learned that Jim Rodford passed away – he toured and recorded with the Kinks for many years and will be greatly missed. He was much loved by all of us,” The Kinks tweeted following the news.
Rodford returned to The Zombies in the late 1990s and was still performing with the classic rockers this month – his last gig with the band was at the 30A Songwriters Festival in Florida on 14 January (18).