Friends and Former Bandmates React to the Death of Rick Pinette

I learned last evening from my friend Joe Royland's post on Facebook, that we lost a local music legend this week. Rick Pinette best known as the leader and singer of the band Oak has passed. According to his hometown newspaper the Berlin Daily Sun, Pinette died unexpectedly on Sunday, March 20. He was 63. My earliest memory of Oak was hearing them on the radio. When I was 13 years old in 1980, I was riding my Schwinn 10 speed on Murray Street in Augusta. I brought along a portable AM/FM radio so I could crank some tunes on the adventure. It was a Saturday morning. Most of the time I was tuned to WBLM, but on Saturdays I was locked on WIGY for American Top 40 with Casey Kasem. I remember Casey coming on and introducing King of the Hill by a band from Maine called Oak. Very cool! I thought they sounded a lot like Styx, who had a hit with Babe that year. That's my memory in honor of Rick Pinette, here are some more local reactions to his death starting with Joe Royland's post.

My good friend Oak drummer, Danny Caron

Maine Musician (and UMA classmate of mine) Dean Richardson

Bill O'Neil former record store owner and music archivist in Scarborough

Maine Musician, Robin Thompson

WBLM would like to extend our sincerest condolences of love and light to Rick's wife Cheryl, his family and friends. Rest in Peace.