Lakeside and the music world lost Fred Alexander, Jr. on June 14, 2026. He was 72 years-old.
I had the pleasure of performing with him for 49 years.
Fred, or “Lil Fred” as I called him, was a master drummer and percussionist. He joined our Funk Band Lakeside in 1977, right before our first hit single; “It’s All The Way Live.”
He was the backbone and heart of the group throughout Lakeside’s hit-making career.
Known for playing drums on stage barefoot, this became his trademark.
Because Lakeside had two members named Fred, we called Fred Alexander Little Fred because Fred Lewis was bigger.
Over the years, I started spelling his nick-name like Li’l Abner, based off of the comicstrip character, and I didn’t realize that “Lil Fred” was actually the first of the hundreds of rappers and hip-hop artists to use that spelling.
Not only was “Lil Fred” a great drummer, he was a good songwriter as well.
He will be greatly missed.
Our Lakeside family mourns and understands how important Lil Fred” was to everything Lakeside.
We love him and will continue to honor him and his contribution to our success. R.I.P.
