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Danny Hatton McBride

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Boston University

Danny McBride Obituary

McBride, Danny Hatton
After spending an afternoon playing music with his friends and then dinner and a movie with his wife Susan, Danny McBride died in his sleep in the early morning of July 23rd.
Danny played guitar and sung with over 75 name artists over the past 50 years. His work as the lead guitarist for ShaNaNa was seen on their TV show and in the movie GREASE. He also performed with the bands The Rockin' Ramrods, and Rainface. He was a graduate of Boston University and had appeared on TV and in several films as an actor.
Preceded in death by his son Derek and his daughter Bonnie. Danny is survived by his wife, Susan, his daughter, Holly, his parents, Fran and Dan, his sister, Linda Willis, his nephew, Alec Willis and his brother-in-law, Jeffrey Willis.
A memorial will be held on Weds, July 29 at 2pm at Gates, Kingsley & Gates, Canoga Park, 818-348-3354.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by Los Angeles Times on Jul. 28, 2009.

Memories and Condolences
for Danny McBride

24 Entries

Karen O'Hara

July 24, 2021

Dirty Dan You were a stand out to my family in Grease & made my family smile every time we watched it. Thankyou & RIP cool dude

David Webster

July 22, 2020

I remember Danny going to his house as kids in scouts. His mother was a scout mom. After our meeting going to his room and he would play his guitar. Being three years older than me he was fun to be with. I remover him with fondness and his friendship.

jessica shapiro

July 28, 2010

Danny and i was pen pals for over a year and i still have the postcard and christmas card he sent me. he was a great guy i do miss him

Verna King

January 18, 2010

Danny was the morning talk show host on KATZ-FM when we owned the station. He was unique and could always ask the "tough" questions. I will miss him! My condolences to Susan and his family.
Verna King (Campbell, CA)

Verna King

January 18, 2010

Danny was the morning talk show host on KATZ-FM when we owned the station. He was unique and could always ask the "tough" questions. I will miss him! My condolences to Susan and his family.

Robert Hungerson

January 13, 2010

I have amazing memories of Danny and Sha na na. I saw them in Toronto in 1977, the day Elvis died. Danny and the boys were a class act and still to this day has been the best concert I ever attended. RIP young Sir, RIP.

Rick West

November 22, 2009

Danny was a wonderful guitarist and friend ... he replaced Chris Donald after Chris' untimely death. Chris was my next door neighbor and therefore I was befriended by all members of Sha Na Na, and this included Dan. I remember when the band played at the University Of Maryland and Danny could not have been kinder to me ... also welcoming me into the fold.

karen mclaughlin

November 12, 2009

i knew danny from high school. he was 2 years ahead of me. my sister susan knew his sister linda.
just recently november 11 i had a dream where i saw and talked to him .
it was on an oceanside cliff where we spoke of the other side and related topics. it was quite a revealing dream in that in school we never actually met but i would see him every day thinking he was so handsome. i found this dream profoundly exhilerating.
so strange it seemed that i dreamed of him, where as we never really knew each other.

Steve Peterson

November 11, 2009

I just yesterday was informed of Danny's passing. I am so sorry and my sympathies go out to the McBride family and to Danny's friends and colleagues. I had the privilege of playing with Danny years back in the Boston area, as he did a short stint with our band "Spinning Wheel" before moving on to "higher ground". Steve Peterson, Wells ME / Boston MA.

Mark (Davis) Friedman

October 31, 2009

I add my condolences to the family of Danny McBride. I only learned of his passing just the other day, and was very sad to hear it. I first met him while I was working at a radio station in Palm Springs in 1980. He came in to record a commercial, and I engineered the session. We talked a bit before and after the session, and it was fun to hear about the behind-the-scenes goings on during the taping of Sha Na Na's t-v show...not knowing he was about to leave the group. Fast forward some four years, and I was working for a traffic reporting service in L-A. We were anticipating a lot of traffic problems during the 1984 Olympics and we hired some extra people to help our coverage, and Danny was brought in as an extra anchorperson. I worked with him a couple of times in studio as the producer, and on the weekends, I was one of the reporters in our planes while he anchored in studio. While there wasn't much traffic to speak of, it was still a wonderful experience to work with him. May those of you in his family be comforted with the memories of the wonderful times you shared, and the equally wonderful entertainment he gave us...I know that I will be.

susan klimes

October 9, 2009

My condolences to his family- I was about 7 or 8 when the Shan Na Na show was on tv. R.I.P., Danny

robert anderson

August 18, 2009

I grew up in Reading, Mass. in the 40'S,50'S, AND 60'S. I just heard about Danny passing on several days ago. It brought back many great memories of our early days as kids growing in a small town. Our families knew each other by attending the 1st Baptist Church on Woburn st. in Reading. Although we have all moved on to different places, we will never forget those great years. I still have dreams about those days. Linda and I were the same age, and Dan and my brother Terry were the same age. I remember spending great times together as families and friends. Thank you for Sha Na Na, so We can see Dan forever.

Tracey C

August 16, 2009

I just found out about the death of Mr. McBride - Heaven's gained another good musician to jam with Elvis, Buddy Holly, Stevie Ray Vaughan and so many others. The world lost another good man. My best wishes to his family and friends. He will be missed.

August 5, 2009

Dear Susan, Holly, Fran, Dan, and Linda,

Because Danny always had such a warm, ready smile...because he could laugh and make us laugh so easily...it's so sad, and inconceivable, really, that he isn't with us any more. For those of you so close to him, it must be a terrible loss. My thoughts are with you.

For those of us who had once been very close to Danny, but lost touch in the last several years, it's a sadness mixed with regret. I'm so mad at myself for not keeping in touch.

But what memories:

From Miss Bickford's class in Pearl Street School straight through to senior year, we were in all the same classes together. We were in that Science Museum group that Fred has mentioned; partly because of the Invisible Woman with impossibly perfect plastic breasts, but also because of the Dunkin Donuts on the way home.

We filmed Washington Crossing the Delaware in his back yard on Elliott Street. Did our Latin homework in the dining room of that house. Looked through countless National Geographics there (before there was even Playboy). Listened to Fran play Flight of the Bumblebee on the piano. What a beautiful looking woman, with those big brown eyes.

Dan Sr. drove us to Little League practice at Joshua Eaton School. I still remember that Ford.

Senior year, senior play: Danny, Susan, Sandy Berry, Larry Watson, Audrey Neuringer, Sue Pike, Kathy Paynter, David Hoyt, Susan Briggs, Bettina Paulson, Brian Eastman and me.

College years following Dan around on his Boston gigs.

Then Sha Na Na at Radio City Music Hall, my wife and I meeting Danny backstage, then reminiscing late into the night.

So many memories. Karen, you are so right. We were all blessed to have those years in Reading, in those innocent times.

It certainly marked Danny, didn't it. All through his life, he kept an open innocence. We can see it in the Muses Muse postings. We can hear an appreciation of it in the voices here.

Oh, Danny Boy, we miss you so.

Warm regards,

Richard Holt

Karen ("Vogue") Stefanini

August 2, 2009

Dear Susan and Family,
We were very saddened to learn of Danny's passing in an e-mail to classmates from Rosie Palmer. He was a wonderful classmate at RMHS and will always be remembered for his warmth as well as talent. My husband Phil remembers with fondness meeting you and Danny at a couple of the class reunions. He was amazed at the genuine caring and love between all of our classmates. We were all blessed to have spent our high school years in such a wonderful town. Phil and I are going to make a donation to RMHS Class of '63 Treasury in Danny's memory as well as in memory of all of our other beloved classmates who have passed away.
Sincerely and with much love,
Karen ("Vogue") and Phil Stefanini
Back Bay Boston

Fred (Terry) Anderson

August 1, 2009

To Susan and Holly, Fran & Dan: My deepest sympathies - When I learned from FaceBook and Google that Danny had died a week ago I couldn't believe it. We commuted together to The Museum of Science's Science Explorers Saturdays in high school (enjoyed one of the first Dunkin Donuts near North Station) and both attended BU's School of Public Communication. I was proud to have a friend in Sha Na Na (he invited me to several TV tapings when I was in CA on business). The Dirty Dan on TV was the same fun-loving guy I grew up with. I tried to track him down recently -- I wish we had stayed in touch. I'll be praying for all of you.

Jodi Krangle

July 31, 2009

Danny was a huge contributor to the success of The Muse's Muse in its earlier days. He gave of himself selflessly and without reservation. I remember meeting him when I was visiting the area and laughing a *lot* while we had sushi ... He was a great man and he'll be sorely missed. My condolences and deepest sympathies to you and Holly, Susan - and everyone his life touched. I know that was a lot of people.

David Webster

July 31, 2009

My sympathy to the McBride family. As a younster I remember being in Danny's bedroom watching him play his guitar and singing. Danny was fun to be with. We were in scouts together. I enjoyed watching him work later on TV. He will be in my prayers along with his family.
Formely of Reading, Mass.

David Cumming

July 29, 2009

Dear Susan and Holly:

My condolences to you both, and to the entire family, as well as friends.
Danny and I had a lot of fun going through RMHS together, and I will miss him. We didn't see a lot of Danny here on the east coast, but he knew he was always welcomed here, as we would be if we ventured out to the West Coast.

May you have great memories of Danny,

sincerest best wishes

Dave Cumming
RMHS Class of 63,

jessica arce

July 29, 2009

to the mcbride famly sorry to hear about danny's death i was a pen pal of danny's back in 2003/2004 though geing a fan of sha na na and i also am a clse friend of Lennie Baker's. i am here fpr you all. and i sincerely mean that.

Cat West

July 29, 2009

God bless you Danny, I appreciate the talent and humor you shared with us over all these years. You've been a great dad, husband and friend. Thank you for everything you've done for all of us. You will be sorely missed.

Maura Swanson

July 29, 2009

Dear Holly and Susan, I was always so happy to be at any school event that Danny attended because he always had such a great sense of humor. But he also had tremendous insight into what was nonsense and what was relevant. You couldn't speak with Danny without laughing, but also learning. He radiated with love for Holly and Susan. His humanity, his gratitude, his excitement, his intelligence - just some of the many qualities he had, which I will deeply miss.

Marc Bloom

July 28, 2009

My thoughts and prayers are with you at your time of grief. May your hearts soon be filled with the wonderful memories of Danny.

Jim Wiseman

July 28, 2009

My thoughts to the families of Danny. It brings a smile to remember his jovial attitude and his laugh was always real. He will be remembered and missed by all those he knew in Reading and around the country. I'm very glad our paths crossed all those many years ago.

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