The Stax Records musician passed away on Monday (21Sep15) at Methodist South Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.

Cauley and his The Bar-Kays bandmates were Redding's backing group on an ill-fated 1967 tour, when the twin engine plane they were using to travel to gigs crashed in icy waters in Lake Monona, near Madison, Wisconsin.

He and The Bar-Kays bassist James Alexander, who had to take a different flight on that fateful day due to a lack of space, went on to rebuild the group and continue recording for Stax Records, working with artists like Isaac Hayes and The Staple Singers. Cauley left the band in 1971 and went solo, later taking on the role of choir director at his local Calvary Longview United Methodist Church in Tennessee.

He and The Bar-Kays were inducted into the Official Rhythm & Blues Music Hall of Fame in Clarksdale, Mississippi in June (15).