Kingdom Come Drummer James Kottak Dead at 61

Some sad news has begun making the rounds today, as our friends over at Metal Sludge have reported that Kingdom Come drummer James Kottak passed away. He was 61 years old.

Kottak was a member of Kingdom Come from 1987 to 1989 and was featured in the band’s first two records, Kingdom Come and In Your Face. He eventually returned to the band roughly 30 years later when he rejoined back in 2018.

Throughout his career, Kottak also played with bands like Bob Brickley Band, Nut House, Mister Charlie, Buster Brown, Montrose, Wild Horses, the McAuley Schenker Group, Warrant, and Ashba. He also spent time behind the kit for another German powerhouse, Scorpions from 1996 to 2016. Over the years, Kottak also toured with some major acts, including a few gigs for Dio after Vinny Appice fell ill.

As a multi-talented musician, Kottak was also involved in projects that saw him step out from behind the drum kit. One such instance was his time singing lead vocals and playing guitar for the band Krunk during the mid-90s.

Sadly, like most of us, Kottak ran into some personal problems throughout his life. He made headlines back in 2014 after running afoul of the law in Dubai, for example. Like many rock stars, Kottak was also a recovering alcoholic.

We at MetalSucks want to wish our deepest condolences to Kottak’s family, friends, and former bandmates during this difficult time.