Dewey Martin | Country-rock drummer, 68

Dewey Martin, 68, the drummer who helped found the pioneering country-rock band Buffalo Springfield with Neil Young and Stephen Stills, has died.

Mr. Martin was found dead Feb. 1 by a roommate in his Van Nuys, Calif., apartment, longtime friend Lisa Lenes said. She said that Mr. Martin had had health problems in recent years and that she believed he died of natural causes.

Mr. Martin, along with Young, Stills, singer-songwriter-guitarist Richie Furay, and bassist Bruce Palmer, formed Buffalo Springfield in Los Angeles in 1966 and quickly became one of the hottest live acts on the West Coast, helped in part by the grinning, blond Mr. Martin.

A self-titled album included the hit "For What It's Worth," a solemn observation of 1960s turmoil. They would later produce such classics as "Bluebird" and "Rock and Roll Woman," and Mr. Martin's husky vocals were featured at the start of another Springfield favorite, Young's "Broken Arrow."

The band broke up in 1968 amid tension between Young and Stills. - AP