Former Outlaws guitarist Freddie Salem has died at the age of 70 after battling cancer.
The news was confirmed by a post on the Facebook page of his most recent project, Freddie Salem and Lonewolf: “This morning, the heavens parted for the arrival of a legend. Rock on high, Freddie Salem. Until we meet again.”
“It’s with a heavy heart that we have to tell Outlaws fans about the passing of our former guitarist Freddie Salem,” the Outlaws added on social media. “Freddie passed from complications due to cancer and will be remembered for his outgoing personality and passion for music. …He was an electric performer and beloved musician and he will be missed.”
Salem was born on May 15, 1954. After a brief stint in the Chambers Brothers Band, he joined the Outlaws in 1977 and appeared on the group’s next four albums: 1978’s Playin’ to Win, 1979’s In the Eye of the Storm, 1980’s Ghost Riders and 1982’s Los Hombres Malo. He can also be heard on the 1978 live album Bringin’ It Back Alive.
“I definitely brought a harder rock edge to the band,” Salem told Road to Jacksonville. “At the time, I believe they were ready for the change. I never forgot that [singer and guitarist] Billy [Jones] and [guitarist] Hughie [Thomasson] were the nucleus of the Outlaws. We couldn’t change that but just enhance it with a more aggressive approach. It paid off.”
After releasing the solo album Cat Dance in 1982, Salem left the Outlaws in 1983. “Things had unraveled after seven years of touring and recording,” he explained. “Our record label had dropped the band, Billy, Harvey [and] Monte were gone and things deteriorated from there. I did not want to see the band go backwards.”
Salem went on to build a long resume as a session musician and producer, in addition to being a venue owner and manager. When asked by Road to Jacksonville what advice he would give a young guitarist, he said, “Go to medical or law school. It’s a [tough] road out there. I see it daily.”
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