Sib Hashian, ex-Boston drummer...dead
John Thomas “Sib” Hashian, the drummer who played on Boston‘s first two bestselling LPs, has died at the age of 67, according to TMZ.
Word of Hashian’s death first arrived from a variety of sources inside the Legends of Rock cruise, which found him playing Boston hits alongside fellow ex-band member Barry Goudreau, part of a roster of performers that included Lou Gramm, former Beach Boy David Marks and ex-Kansas singer John Elefante.
According to reports, Hashian collapsed while performing on the ship. Hashian’s son confirmed those details with TMZ. Medics on board administered CPR and attempted to resuscitate Hashian with a defibrillator, but their efforts were unsuccessful. Elefante — who had earlier shared the news of Hashian’s collapse and asked fans for prayers — later shared an update simply stating “Sib didn’t make it.”
Hashian’s somewhat complicated history with Boston started during sessions for the first LP, when band leader Tom Scholz hired him to replace original drummer Jim Masdea in an effort to placate the group’s label while adding minimal polish to the demos he’d painstakingly recorded in pursuit of a record deal. Hashian returned for the follow-up effort, 1978’s Don’t Look Back, but departed during the making of their next release, 1986’s Third Stage, and was replaced by Masdea.
After leaving Boston, Hashian remained on good terms with a number of his former bandmates. Although he sued Scholz in the ’80s (and ultimately settled out of court), he continued to work with other veterans of the group, drumming on guitarist Barry Goudreau’s solo LP and periodically gigging with bassist Fran Sheehan and singer Brad Delp.
As his recorded output slowed, Hashian pursued a variety of projects outside the industry, discovering an entrepreneurial streak and dabbling in acting. He found himself on the fringes of the spotlight again later in life courtesy of his daughter Lauren, whose own budding career in music — and long-term relationship with actor Dwayne Johnson — drew attention and led to a brief appearance on the reality competition series R U the Girl.
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