James Kottak

James Kottak was born in 1962. He was a drummer who played with many artists over the years; his first recordings were with the group Kingdom Come. Kottak was their drummer from the beginning, playing on their first two albums. He next moved on to playing on Michael Lee Firkins self-titled release and followed that up with a project with L.A. Blues Authority. Kottak also performed with the Michael Schenker Group that same year. In 1997, he was part of a band called Cage, playing drums for their self-titled album. By 1999, he was recording with the group Black Sheep. That same year, when longtime Scorpions drummer Herman Rarebell left that band, Kottak took up the sticks for them. He stayed with the Scorpions until 2016, and in 2018 he rejoined Kingdom Come. He also sang and played guitar with his own pop-punk group, Kottak, also known as KrunK. James Kottak died on January 9, 2024, at the age of 61. ~ Gary Hill