What is James Kottak?
{{Infobox musical artist | name = James Kottak | image = James Kottak (cropped).jpg | alt = | caption = Kottak performing in 2014 | alias = | birth_date = {{Birth date|1962|12|26|mf=y}} | birth_place = [[Louisville, Kentucky]], U.S. | death_date = {{nowrap|{{Death date and age|2024|1|9|1962|12|26|mf=y}}}} | death_place = Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. | origin = | genre = [[Hard rock]], [[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]] | occupation = Drummer | years_active = | current_member_of = | past_member_of = {{hlist|[[Scorpions (band)|Scorpions]]|[[Kingdom Come (German band)|Kingdom Come]]|[[Kottak]]|[[Montrose (band)|Montrose]]|[[Warrant (American band)|Warrant]]|[[Buster Brown (band)|Buster Brown]]|[[Wild Horses (American rock band)|Wild Horses]]|[[McAuley Schenker Group]]<!-- he wasn't a full-time member of Dio, only a live member for a short time -->}} }} '''James Kottak''' (December 26, 1962 – January 9, 2024) was an American drummer. He was best known for his work with the German [[hard rock]] band [[Scorpions (band)|Scorpions]], which he joined in 1996. At the time of his firing from the band in 2016, he was their longest-serving drummer. Kottak was also an original member of [[Kingdom Come (German band)|Kingdom Come]]. He had his own band [[Kottak]], formerly known as KrunK. Other bands Kottak played for were [[Montrose (band)|Montrose]], [[Warrant (American band)|Warrant]], [[Wild Horses (American rock band)|Wild Horses]], the [[McAuley Schenker Group]], and [[Buster Brown (band)|Buster Brown]]. On January 9, 2024, Kottak was found dead in his bathroom at his home in [[Louisville, Kentucky]] of [[cardiac arrest]] at the age of 61.<ref name=death>{{cite news|url=https://www.wecb.fm/james-kottak-former-scorpions-drummer-dies-at-61/|title=James Kottak, former Scorpions drummer, dies at 61|publisher=WECB|date=January 10, 2024|accessdate=January 10, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tmz.com/202