Trini Lopez, the pop singer and guitarist who also acted in Robert Aldrich’s “The Dirty Dozen,” died Tuesday of complications from COVID-19.
Palm Springs Life magazine first reported his death; he was a longtime resident of the desert enclave. Filmmakers P. David Ebersole and Todd Hughes had recently completed a documentary about his life, which was featured in the magazine.
Born Trinidad Lopez III in Dallas, Texas, his parents were both from Mexico. Lopez started playing in bands at 15 and, after signing with Frank Sinatra’s Reprise Records, had a global smash with his first hit, a cover of “If I Had a Hammer,” from his debut album in 1963, followed by “Lemon Tree” in 1965.
He regularly performed in Las Vegas and had more hits with “I’m Comin’ Home, Cindy,” “Sally Was a Good Old Girl,” “Michael,” “Gonna Get Along Without Ya’ Now” and “The Bramble Bush.”
During the height of his popularity in the mid-1960s, he designed two guitars for the Gibson Guitar company which remain collector’s items among musicians.
Lopez also appeared on television in “Adam-12” and “The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries.”