Freddie Salem, renowned guitarist and vocalist for the Southern rock band The Outlaws during the late 1970s and 1980s, has passed away at the age of 70 due to cancer.
The news was shared through the Facebook page of his current band, Freddie Salem & Lonewolf. Though the exact date of his passing wasn’t disclosed, the message read: “This morning, the heavens parted for the arrival of a legend. Rock on high, Freddie Salem. Until we meet again.”
The Outlaws also paid tribute to Salem on their official Facebook page, stating, “Freddie passed from complications due to cancer and will be remembered for his outgoing personality and passion for music.”
Salem joined The Outlaws in 1977, replacing original guitarist Henry Paul and continuing the band’s iconic three-guitar lineup. With his signature Les Paul guitar, Salem made his first appearance on their 1978 live double album Bring It Back Alive (also known as Bring ‘Em Back Alive). This album featured his song “I Hope You Don’t Mind” and closed with an extended 20-minute version of the group’s classic “Green Grass and High Tides.” The album peaked in the Top 30 on the Billboard 200 and achieved gold status.
In 1978, The Outlaws toured with The Rolling Stones during the Some Girls tour, opening for Peter Tosh. Reflecting on his early days with the band, Salem said in a 2013 interview with Road to Jacksonville, “Billy [Jones] and Hughie [Thomasson] wanted to take the group to the next level musically and in terms of performance, and it all seemed to click when I arrived.”
Salem continued with The Outlaws for their next four studio albums: Playin’ to Win (1978), In the Eye of the Storm (1979), Ghost Riders (1980), and Los Hombres Malo (1982). All these albums charted in the top third of Billboard rankings, with Ghost Riders reaching No. 25 and earning gold status. Their cover of “(Ghost) Riders in the Sky” from that album became their highest-charting pop single, hitting No. 15 on the Mainstream Rock chart and just missing the Top 30 on the pop charts.
Though the band had hits before Salem’s arrival, such as “There Goes Another Love Song,” “Hurry Sundown,” and “Stick Around for Rock & Roll,” his contribution helped elevate their success during the Southern rock wave led by groups like The Allman Brothers Band and Lynyrd Skynyrd. The Outlaws also played a pivotal role in launching the career of Molly Hatchet, another Florida-based band, by frequently giving them opening spots during their tours.
During his time with The Outlaws, Salem co-wrote several tracks, including “White Horses,” “Long Gone,” “Devil’s Road,” and “Don’t Stop.” He left the band in 1983 after their contract with Arista Records ended.
Salem’s legacy lives on through his contributions to The Outlaws and Southern rock, remembered by fans and bandmates alike.
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