David Z, the Minneapolis musician and producer widely known for his work with Prince, has died at age 78, according to Stereogum and the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.
Born David Rivkin, he died Sunday at a hospital in Burbank, California, his younger brother Bobby Z told the Star-Tribune. Bobby Z, the former drummer in Prince’s band the Revolution, said the cause of death was complications from an infection.
Rivkin grew up in Minneapolis and began his career playing guitar on local singles in the 1960s. In the early 1970s, he worked as a staff songwriter at A&M, where he collaborated with Gram Parsons and played on recordings by artists including Billy Preston.
He later helped Prince record the demo that led to a Warner Bros. deal in 1976, and went on to engineer several Prince projects. He also played on and helped arrange the 1986 hit “Kiss,” worked with Lipps Inc. on “Funkytown,” and produced records for acts tied to the Minneapolis scene as well as hits for Fine Young Cannibals and Jody Watley, according to Stereogum.
