Renowned guitarist, singer and actor Trini Lopez passed away yesterday on the 11th of August due to complications from COVID-19 in Palm Springs, California. Trini Lopez was 83 years old never married till his death. Trini Lopez was mentored by Buddy Holly and Frank Sinatra and designed two instruments for the Gibson Guitar Corporation. Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters was among those paying tribute - “Today the world sadly lost yet another legend, Trini Lopez. Trini not only left a beautiful musical legacy of his own, but also unknowingly helped shape the sound of the Foo Fighters from day one. Every album we have ever made, from the first to the latest, was recorded with my red 1967 Trini Lopez signature guitar. It is the sound of our band, and my most prized possession from the day I bought it in 1992. Thank you, Trini for all of your contributions. You will be missed by many, remembered by all. RIP Trini Lopez.” 
 
Born in Dallas to Mexican parents in 1937, Lopez formed his first band at the age of 15. He was spotted by Holly, who recommended him to his producer Norman Petty. Moving west, Lopez got a regular gig playing at PJ's nightclub in west Hollywood. There, he caught the eye of Sinatra, who signed him to his record label and encouraged him to act. His debut live album, Trini Lopez at PJ's, was released in 1963 and featured his version of Pete Seeger's If I Had A Hammer. The song made it to number three in the US and number four in the UK, and sold more than a million copies. 
 
Trini Lopez was also an established actor, his first film role was in Marriage on the Rocks (1965), in which he made a cameo appearance in a nightclub scene; Lopez's soundtrack song, "Sinner Man", became a hit single. He was one of leads in The Dirty Dozen, he appeared as himself in The Phynx, and played the title role in Claudio Guzman's Antonio. He made two appearances on the television program Adam-12. In 1977, he played the role of Julio Ramirez in “The Mystery of the Silent Scream” which was part of The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries TV series.