Zakir Hussain, Tabla Virtuoso Who Joined Rock Greats, Dead at 73

Zakir Hussain, a virtuoso tabla player who collaborated with the likes of George Harrison, Van Morrison and the Grateful Dead’s Mickey Hart, died on Sunday at the age of 73.

In a statement, Hussain family noted his cause of death was idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

“His prolific work as a teacher, mentor and educator has left an indelible mark on countless musicians,” the family wrote. “He hoped to inspire the next generation to go further. He leaves behind an unparalleled legacy as a cultural ambassador and one of the greatest musicians of all time.”

Born in Mumbai, India on March 9, 1951, Zakir was raised in a musical household. His father, Alla Rakha, was also a revered tabla player, and he taught Hussain how to play the hand drum instrument when he was just 7 years old.

By 19, Hussain was such a prodigious talent that he became popular beyond traditional Indian audiences. In 1970, he headed to America, where he spent the next several years collaborating with some of rock’s biggest stars.

Who Did Zakir Hussain Work With?

Harrison recruited him to play on 1973’s Living in the Material World, though Hussaain initially hoped to play drums on the LP.

“George looked at me and said ‘You are here because you have something unique to offer. If you want to play drums, that’s fine. But then you will join the 5,000 other drummers who are waiting in line to play with me and you will have to work your way up to get here,’” Hussain recalled to The National in 2022. “That was the day I dropped the idea of wanting to be a rock drummer and focus on making my instrument speak all the languages of rhythm that exists on this planet. I can’t thank George enough for straightening me out.”

Six years later the musician was featured on Morrison’s 1979 LP Into the Music, performing on the songs “Bright Side of the Road” and “Steppin’ Out Queen”. Hussain’s further credits included work with Earth, Wind & Fire, jazz saxophonist John Handy and contributions to motion picture soundtracks, including those for Apocalypse Now (1979) and Little Buddha (1993).

Hussain also became good friends with Hart, the Grateful Dead’s drummer. The two musicians collaborated on a total of seven studio albums together, including 1991’s Planet Drum, which won a Grammy for Best Global Music Album in the first year of the category’s existence. In total, Hussain won four Grammys across his impactful career.