Gary Corbett, a keyboardist who played with Cinderella and KISS, has died after a battle with cancer. He passed away on July 14th, the same day longtime Cinderella guitarist Jeff LaBar died.
The news was confirmed in a post on Corbett’s Facebook page, which also stated that July 15th was his birthday.
“It is with great sadness and the heaviest of hearts that the Cohen/Corbett family needs to let everyone know that after a hard fought battle with cancer, Gary Corbett passed away last night,” the post reads. “Those who knew Gary know that we and the world of music have all lost a very talented, funny, kind and gentle soul. The pain cuts so deeply that our hearts are bleeding.”
Corbett was diagnosed with lung cancer earlier this year, and the cancer had spread to his brain and his hip, according to a GoFundMe that was started to support costs for treatment.
Cinderella frontman Tom Keifer took to Twitter to express his condolences on behalf of the band, of which Corbett was a longtime touring member:
“Late [Wednesday] night, while we were still trying to process the sad news of losing Jeff, we got word that our long time keyboard player Gary Corbett lost his battle with cancer. Gary was a talented musician and good hearted friend. He toured with CINDERELLA on and off for many years. Our deepest condolences go out to Gary’s wife Lenora and his family and loved ones. RIP Gary.”
According to Corbett’s biography on his official website, the keyboardist grew up in Brooklyn, New York, in the 1960s and ’70s and began playing piano at the age of four. He toured with KISS as an off-stage member from 1987 through 1992, while also working with Cinderella.
He played on Cinderella’s Wayne’s World track “Hot and Bothered” and toured with the band sporadically throughout the 2000s. Among his other achievements is a co-writing credit for Cyndi Lauper’s 1983 hit single “She Bop.”
See Keifer’s Twitter post and revisit some of Corbett’s career highlights below.
Sadly we’ve lost another… pic.twitter.com/dgslxMaXaO
— Tom Keifer (@TomKeiferMusic) July 16, 2021
