Bush Tetras drummer Dimitri Papadopoulos, better known as Dee Pop, has died. He was 65.
Born in 1956, Dee Pop has cited Buddy Rich, Gene Krupa, Ringo Starr, Charlie Watts, and Keith Moon as some of his heroes growing up, but it was Tommy Ramone who would influence him to start playing despite not having any formal training. “I did all the usual things aspiring young drummers would do, like play on all the pots and pans in the kitchen and beat endlessly on my school desk with pencils and rulers,” he wrote. “From as early as I can remember I’ve always been infatuated with the drums and music.”
Dee Pop was best known as a member of the American post-punk band Bush Tetras, which he joined in 1979. Though the band did not achieve mainstream success, they were an influential part of the New York no wave scene as well as college radio in the early 1980s. In addition to playing with Bush Tetras, he also played with The Clash, Richard Lloyd, Can’s Michael Karoli, The Gun Club, Jayne County, and more.
In a statement, Pop’s surviving bandmates Cynthia Sley and Pat Place said:
It is with great sadness we report Dee Pop, drummer for Bush Tetras since 1979, passed away in his sleep last night. Dee Pop was a quintessential New Yorker, growing up in Forest Hills Queens and living in New York ever since. He was not only Bush Tetras drummer, but also our archivist, owning an original copy of every Bush Tetras release and t-shirt and also maintaining the band’s masters. In addition to Bush Tetras, Dee Pop played with Richard Lloyd, Michael Karoli (Can), The Gun Club, Jayne County, and The Shams, William Parker, Eddie Gale, Roy Campbell, Freedomland, Hanuman Sextet, Radio I-Ching and 1000 Yard Stare. Dee Pop is survived by his son Charlie and daughter Nicole. He will be sorely missed by his bandmates and the many people he touched throughout his life. Rest in peace, Dee.