Richard “Rich” Armstrong of Lydia Pense & Cold Blood band passed away today. Read on to know how did Rich Armstrong die, what happened to him, and what was the cause of his sudden death.
Tributes have emerged for Rich Armstrong who was a highly versatile multi-instrumentalist and musician. He played trumpet, guitar, and percussion instruments, and also lead the vocals on several occasions.
Who was Rich Armstrong?
Rich Armstrong was the most famous multi-instrumentalist in the Bay Area. He jumped between guitar, trumpet, percussion, and vocals easily. The highly talented musician was a native of Santa Clara, California, and an alumnus of Adrian C. Wilcox High School.
He studied Music Performance at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and received his BA in Trumpet Performance at San Francisco State University. He also founded “The 415s,” which received the award “Best of the Bay” by San Francisco Magazine.
Armstrong was also a regular contributing member of SF’s famed Jazz Mafia and was the founding member of the Crossroads Live Music Experience. He worked with Josh Groban, Lydia Benz & Cold Blood, Lyrics, Train, and Tony! Tony!.
He toured and performed across several venues with the likes of Done!, Thomas Dolby and Bose Scaggs throughout his prolific career. Armstrong had also been a musical director for 15 years with Michael Schacht.
Here’s the last telecasted performance of Rich Armstrong:
“Superstar” – Kimberlye Gold & Rich Armstrong – 8/20/20
How did Rich Armstrong die?
Rich Armstrong died on Friday, October 7, 2022, in a sudden and unexpected manner at his home. His age is unknown at the time of writing but he was a young man.
The tragic news of Rich Armstrong’s death was announced by the official Lydia Pense & Cold Blood’s Facebook page.
“We are heartbroken to share the news that our trumpet player Rich Armstrong passed away today. We are all in shock. Rich was an incredibly talented musician and a great friend. Our hearts go out to his family,” their post stated.
Rich had been a longtime member of the group and played with them frequently.
Rich Armstrong’s Sudden Death: What was the cause?
Rich Armstrong passed away this past Friday in a sudden and unexpected manner. However, his cause of death is unknown at the time of writing. It isn’t released to the public yet.
We’re trying to reach the family of Rich Armstrong in an attempt to figure out the cause of his untimely death. We’ll update this post later with the latest information. Make sure you stay tuned to get more updates.
Rich Armstrong Funeral Details and Tributes
The arrangements for Richard “Rich” Armstrong are pending at the moment. His family hasn’t shared an official statement on Rich Armstrong’s death and obituary yet. We’ll add his visitation and funeral details later.
Tributes have emerged for the late multi-instrumentalist and musician following his sudden demise.
“Rich Armstrong it was great to have shared the stage with you on earth. I’ll see you when my turn comes up. My condolences to his family and friends in the Bay Area.🙏🏼💐🎶,” wrote Homero Chavez, Rich’s former bandmate.
Several other fans and friends have paid tribute to Rich Armstrong.
“Oh no!! I am so sorry. He was incredible at your Yoshis show last week. This is just heartbreaking. My condolences to you, your bandmates, and his family. May he rest in peace,” wrote a fan under Cold Blood’s post.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family. May God let the departed soul rest in peace.