Larry Tamblyn, The Standells co-founder and Russ Tamblyn’s brother, dies at 82 as family honors rock icon

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Larry Tamblyn, a founding member of the legendary garage rock band The Standells and brother of famed 'West Side Story' actor Russ Tamblyn, has died at 82. 

His death was confirmed by his nephew, Dennis Tamblyn, in a heartfelt Facebook post on Friday, March 21. 

Larry, born in Los Angeles, was part of a family of stars, like his brother Russ and niece Amber Tamblyn, known for her roles in 'The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants' and 'Joan of Arcadia'.

This comes just days after David Johansen, frontman of the New York Dolls, died at 75 on Friday, February 28.

Larry Tamblyn's family pays tribute to rock legend's 'incredible life'

In a heartfelt Facebook post, Dennis Tamblyn, the nephew of Larry Tamblyn, announced the singer's death writing, "My uncle Larry Tamblyn passed away today. I have very fond memories of him and his family over the years."

He continued, "He lived an incredible life. He was in a band called The Standells, whose hit song Dirty Water is still played to this day whenever the Red Sox or The Bruins win a home game. They also played on an episode of The Munsters." 

Dennis also shared a personal memory, saying, "A few years ago, The Standells played at Hotel Congress here in Tucson and Larry stayed with me. It was so great to hang out with him and catch up. He was still making music well into his later years. You will be missed, Uncle Larry."

In addition to his work with The Standells, Larry had a solo music career in the 1950s before forming the rock band Larry Tamblyn and The Standells in 1962 with Tony Valentino, Jody Rich, and Benny King.

The band’s biggest hit was 'Dirty Water', released in 1966. The song has since become an anthem for Boston, often played after Boston Red Sox games. The late music legend was also the uncle of actress Amber Tamblyn.

Larry Tamblyn's fans and friends share heartfelt messages

In addition to the tribute from his family, Larry Tamblyn was also honored with heartfelt messages online. A Facebook friend of Larry shared, "I received sad news today that my Facebook friend, Larry Tamblyn passed away yesterday. Although I never met Larry, we messaged for years and shared many values about democracy and freedom."

The friend added, "Larry was the founder of the Standells of "Dirty Water" fame, and was the younger brother of the great actor, Russ Tamblyn. Larry wrote an excellent autobiography, "From Squeaky Clean to Dirty Water." My heartfelt condolences to Larry's family and brother, Russ. RIP Mr. Tamblyn."

A fan wrote on Facebook, "I'm sorry to hear about the passing of Larry Tamblyn. As a founding member of The Standells, he played a significant role in shaping the sound of garage rock and left a lasting legacy in the music world. His contributions to the band and the genre will be remembered by fans and musicians alike."

A user shared, "My condolences to the family of Larry Tamblyn. May him Rest in Paradise."

Another said, "He was on an episode of the Munsters, along with the other members of the group."

A comment read, "“Dirty Water” has been a fixture of Boston teams. May he rest in power."

One wrote, "May God grant him eternal rest."

Larry Tamblyn on how The Standells got its name

In an old interview with Classic Bands, Larry shared how The Standells were inspired by The Beatles’ style, as per RadarOnline.

He explained, "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.”

He added, “When they started to break here, we had the long hair, and we were doing the same schtick at this club called The Peppermint West. They had a big sign out in front saying Beatlemania. That was us.”

Larry concluded by revealing, “Believe it or not, I got the name from when we first formed we were just a bunch of young guys and didn't have any work lined up. We spent a lot of time standing around booking agents' offices, trying to get work. You know, stand, standing, Standells. That's how the name came about.”

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