Drummer Gilson Lavis, who played with Squeeze during the band’s most popular and successful period, has passed away. According to a social media post for former Squeeze keyboardist Jools Holland, Lavis died on Tuesday, November 5, at his home in Lincolnshire, U.K.
Lavis joined Squeeze in 1976 before the band had released any music. He remained with the group until 1992. Lavis later joined Holland’s big band, Jools Holland’s Rhythm & Blues Orchestra, and played with that outfit until he retired from music in late 2024.
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In announcing Lavis’ death, Holland wrote, “I’m very sad to report that Gilson Lavis my dear friend and long-standing drummer passed away at his home in Lincolnshire last night. On behalf of my Orchestra, Squeeze, the many musicians who have worked with and befriended Gilson over the years and all the people he has supported through the AA fellowship, I send our love and sympathy to Nikki and Gilson, his dear wife and son.”
Lavis’ final performance with Holland’s Rhythm & Blues Orchestra took place at the Royal Albert Hall in London on November 30, 2024. After the show, Jools wrote on his socials, “Thank you to everyone who came out to our milestone and emotional shows at the [Royal Albert Hall]. Which marked our last on stage performances with our drummer, nuclear reactor and dear friend [Gilson Lavis]. For nearly 50 years we have shared a stage, toured the world and made a lifetime of memories. Thank you Gilson, happy retirement. Look forward to reading your book.”
More About Gilson Lavis
Lavis played drums and percussion on all of Squeeze’s recordings from the band’s 1977 debut EP, Packet of Three, through the 1991 studio album Play.
Among the well-known songs on which Gilson is featured are “Take Me, I’m Yours,” “Up the Junction,” “Goodbye Girl,” “Cool for Cats,” “Pulling Mussels (from the Shell),” “Another Nail in My Heart,” “If I Didn’t Love You,” “Tempted,” “Is That Love,” “Black Coffee in Bed,” “Hourglass,” and “853-5937.”
“Hourglass” and “853-5937” were Squeeze’s only Top-40 hits in the U.S. They peaked, respectively, at No. 15 and No. 32 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1987 and ’88.
Gilson also contributed to recordings by a variety of other well-known musicians, including Van Morrison, Ray Davies, and Graham Parker. Most recently, he appeared on Holland’s collaborative swing album with Rod Stewart, Swing Fever, which was released in 2024.
Lavis also regularly appeared on the long-running U.K. performance series Later… with Jools Holland, since Holland’s Rhythm & Blues Orchestra served as the show’s house band.
In addition, Gilson was an accomplished artist, who drew and painted portraits of a variety of famous musicians and pop-culture figures. You can check out some of his artwork at Lavis’ Instagram page.
(Photo by Andy Sheppard/Redferns via Getty Images)