Rod Dibble, bar pianist at the Alley in Oakland, dies at 85

Rod Dibble, the hands at the keys of one of the last piano bars in Oakland, has died, ending a half-century run at the Alley, a dimly-lit dive on Grand Avenue.

“I’ll never retire,” Dibble told The Chronicle’s Peter Hartlaub, in a 2011 interview. “I’ll be very happy to die right behind this piano here.” He was good for his word right up until he fell and broke his hip two years ago. After that he could no longer maneuver his way through the bar and behind the piano.

He made a determined comeback earlier this year and the regulars rejoiced, packing the bar. For two hours he played and everybody sang along to the favorites like “The Oakland Song.