Ric Parnell, also known as Mick Shrimpton, a drummer for the fictional band "Spinal Tap" in the classic 1984 documentary "This Is Spinal Tap," passed away at age 70.
His bandmate, Harry Shearer, took to social media to announce the tragic news.
"Ric Parnell, our drummer in This is Spinal Tap, passed away today. No one ever rocked harder," the musician wrote on Twitter.
As of this writing, the drummer's cause of death remains a mystery as no reports have circulated regarding how he died.
Parnel rose to fame because of his role as Mick Shrimpton in the "mockumentary." Despite their band being fictional, they, later on, tested their concept after making the movie.
Aside from the drummer, other band members include Michael McKean as David St. Hubbins, Shearer as Derek Smalls, and Christopher Guest as Nigel Tufnel.
They also had a successful run, leading them to be a musical guest on "Saturday Night Live" in 1984.
The group reunited to create an album titled "Break Like the Wind," and they went on tour in the early 1990s and 2001.
They later performed in several shows and for other musicians as they became an opening act for "Iron Butterfly."
In the movie "Spinal Tap," former drummers became a running joke as all of their previous drummers suddenly died.
Parnell's character appeared okay throughout the movie, but he also died of combustion in the end.
For a reunion set in 2019's Tribeca Film Festival, the band performed and introduced Parnell as "Ric Shrimpton," as his original character in the movie had passed away.
According to Variety, Parnell is a true musician. He was born Richard J. Parnell in London.
His father, Jack Parnell, was a talented musician as he also was a drummer and bandleader.
Before landing a role in the movie, Parnell was popularly known for playing in groups like Atomic Rooster and Horse in the 1970s.
He later joined three Italian groups, but he declined the offer to join the 80s band Journey and Whitesnake.
Aside from his accomplishments above, Parnell also contributed to the song "Mickey" by Toni Basil. He previously collaborated with Michael Des Barres, Ravi Shankar, Jon Anderson, and Wayne Kramer.
He spent his last years living in Missoula, Montana, where he co-hosted a radio show titled "Spontaneous Combustion."
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