Mike Motor X Anderson of The Viletones & Secrets

Details are short at the moment but it just announced on Saturday Nov.24 that Mike Anderson (AKA Motor X) drummer for one of Toronto's classic punk bands The Viletones and the Secrets was found dead. The Viletones were probably the most notorious denizens of the Canadian Punk scene in late 1970's Toronto. After a short and violent career in which they managed to find time between drunken brawls to record an album with a few classic songs such as "Screaming Fist", "Danger Boy" and "Possibilities". Later the chronically unstable Viletones quit out from under manic singer Steve Leckie (AKA Nazi Dog) and formed a new band, The Secrets, who would also record a good album and appear in the "Last Pogo" film before they two broke up. Motor X would then go on to play in Arson and The G-Rays.

THE VILETONES ~ "THE LAST GUY";


THE VILETONES ~ "DANGER BOY";


THE VILETONES ~ "REBEL";


A SHORT DOCUMENTARY ABOUT THE CRASH & BURN CLUB AND THE 1978 & 79 TORONTO PUNK SCENE;

Jo Dunne of "We've Got A Fuzzbox And We're Gonna Use It" and a few other post punks

Nothing says the 1980's quite like the hairstyles of U.K girl group "We've Got A Fuzzbox And We're Gonna Use It" (AKA known as "Fuzzbox" for those who get tired of excessive typing) which range from the ludicrous to the ridiculous. However there was no denying the infectious glee and innocence of their actual music.

"FUZZBOX" ~ "LOVE IS THE SLUG";


Like Bow Wow Wow, The Go-Go's, Bangles, and Toronto's B-Girls they are a reminder that setting aside the archetypal anger of hardcore the most important ingredient of Punk and New Wave was innocence and good old fashioned fun. Rock and Roll all night and party every day indeed. Just as it was in the 1960's Surf and Garage Rock and 1950's Rockabilly. As it always should be. Before soulless corporations and humourless political activists suck all the fun out of things of course.

"FUZZBOX" ~ "RULES AND REGULATIONS"


Fuzzbox were a group of wildly upbeat post punk girls from England who bounced on the scene with hair explosions, cheerleader ready songs, pounding drums and of course a fuzzbox. Which they did in fact use. Jo Dunne was their guitarist. She died this week of cancer this week at 43. Which also tells you just how young they were back in the 1980's.

FUZZBOX & THE NIGHTINGALES ~ "ROCKIN WITH RITA";


If the over the top perkiness of girl bands like Fuzzbox, Go-Go's, Bangles etc. seem a little too undignified for today's riot grrls keep in mind that in the 1980's the very idea of girls playing actual rock and roll (as opposed to just singing) was still a radical one. Of course eventually a major record label got a hold of them and softened their sound to a more Bananarama type pop which got them a few top 40 hits. But the first few singles are still great fun.

FUZZBOX REUNION REPORT ON BBC;



Mike Scaccia; Guitarist for Ministry on their classic 1990's "Psalm 69" album and such songs as "Jesus Built my Hotrod" and "N.W.O.", collapsed and died on stage in Texas on December 22 aged 47. He started out in Thrash Metal band Rigor Mortis in 1983, then moved to Ministry in 1992. Ministry's "Psalm 69" and the accompanying videos and and Lollapalooza tour did much to take Industrial Music (or a club ready version of it) to the mainstream. He also played in Ministry side projects like The Revolting Cocks, Buck Satan and Lard.

MINISTRY ~ "JESUS BUILT MY HOTROD";


MINISTRY ~ "N.W.O.";


Tony Sly; singer of 1990's California post hardcore band with a similarly awkward moniker "No Use For A Name" also died in July at age 41. No Use For A Name had actually had a series of different members over the years but Sly had been singer since 1989 and after Sly's death they announced that they would end the band. Sly had also recorded with Lagwagon as well.

NO USE FOR A NAME ~ "SOULMATE";


Sven Gali were a Toronto band of the late 1980's and early 1990's who started off as a Hair Metal Band before doing a quick chango when Grunge hit. It never really took of course which is kind of too bad since they were better than your average hair band. Guitarist Dee Cernile died this year.

SVEN GALI ~ "UNDER THE INFLUENCE";


Not post punk but from but from pre-punk Psyche/Space Rock bands that I couldn't find room anywhere else for;

Ed Cassidy ~ Drummer for late sixties Psyche Band Spirit. Cassidy was an oddity in the late sixties in being fully twenty years older than the rest of the scene, i fact he was actually the father-in-law of Spirit guitarist Randy California. Partly to hide his age Cassidy shaved his head making him stand out even more. ~ 89
SPIRIT;


Huw Lloyd-Langton ~ Guitarist for venerable UK Psyche/Space Rock band Hawkwind ~ 61
HAWKWIND ~ "SILVER MACHINE";


And in the "I can't believe I forgot to post this" department. Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys! I know I played some stuff on my radio show when this was announced but apparently I forgot to post anything. Ooops my bad.
At this point it's easy to forget that in the beginning they were so viciously attacked on all sides. The hysterical attacks by the Legion of Decency types were predictable enough (and also hysterically funny at this point) but they were also attacked by women's groups (for sexism, natch) and by leftists for "racism" and "appropriating black culture". Like that's possible. Serious music critics dismissed them as a joke at first (understandable) but by their second album they had developed a distinctive style of densely produced mixes that could not be denied. They also managed to combine their laddish persona with some good work on some serious issues like the Environment and Free Tibet that any punk should envy. So there.
So here's some extra Beasties to make amends;

BEASTIE BOYS ~ "FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHT TO PARTY";


BEASTIE BOYS ~ "SABOTAGE";


BEASTIE BOYS ~ "SO WATCHA WANT";


BEASTIE BOYS ~ "SURE SHOT";


BEASTIE BOYS ~ "HEY LADIES";


BTW people forget that the Beasties actually started out as a New York City punk band, but they did in fact release one punk ep "Pollywog Stew" and a single;

BEASTIE BOYS ~ "ODE TO...";

Nick Curran and some recent Rock n Roll pioneer deaths

Nick Curran was not a Rock and Roll pioneer, in fact he was only 35 when he dies of cancer on October 6. But he did play with the original spirit and style. Besides his solo work he managed to also do some scorching guitar work with Ronnie Dawson, Kim Lenz and the Fabulous Thunderbirds.

NICK CURRAN ~ "TRAIN KEPT A ROLLIN";


KIM LENZ ~ "ZOMBIE FOR YOUR LOVE":


Another great guitarist, Mikey Baker, 1950's & 60' Rock & Roll and R&B guitarist and singer, both solo for the Savoy, King and Atlantic Record labels and with Sylvia Robinson as Mikey & Sylvia. He also played with The Drifters, Ray Charles, Ivory Joe Hunter, Ruth Brown, Big Joe Turner, Louis Jordan, Coleman Hawkins and Sam "The Man" Taylor. Baker was hugely influential on blues and rockabilly guitarists in the 1960's in Britain and Europe where he toured extensively, later moving to France. ~ 87

MIKEY BAKER ~ "SPINNIN' ROCK BOOGIE";


MICKEY BAKER ~ "WHISTLE STOP";


MICKEY BAKER & COLEMAN HAWKINS;


Jon Lord ~ Keyboardist for 1960's and 1970's Hard Rock heavy weights Deep Purple ("Smoke on the Water", "Space Truckin'", "Hush") ~ 71
DEEP PURPLE ~ "SMOKE ON THE WATER";


Larry Reinhardt ~ American rock guitarist with 1960's Proto Heavy Metal Band Iron Butterfly ~ 63 also Lee Dorman Iron Butterfly bassist ~ 70


Johnny Perez ~ Drummer for 1960's Texas garage band The Sir Douglas Quintet ("She's about a mover" ~ 69
THE SIR DOUGLAS QUINTET ~ "SHE'S ABOUT A MOVER";


BB Cunningham ~ Singer/Keyboardist with 1960's Garage Band The Hombres ("Let it out (Let it all hang out))" and Jerry Lee Lewis ~ 70

Eddie Bertrand ~ Guitarist w/ 1960's Surf band The Bel Airs ("Mr Moto")
THE BEL AIRS ~ "MR. MOTO";


Big Jim Sullivan ~ British session guitarist from the 1960's on. Played with; Dave Berry's 1964 hit "The Crying Game", Alexis Korner's and Blues Incorporated's, P.J. Proby's 1964 hit "Hold Me", Billy Fury, Frank Ifield, Adam Faith, Frankie Vaughan, Helen Shapiro, Freddie and the Dreamers, Cilla Black, Tom Jones, Shirley Bassey, Dusty Springfield, Georgie Fame, Bobby Darin, Little Richard, Dell Shannon, The Walker Brothers, Donovan, David Bowie, Engelbert Humperdinck, Benny Hill, The New Seekers, Thunderclap Newman, Long John Baldry, Marmalade, Small Faces, The Tremeloes. He was also the resident guitarist at TV shows "Top of the Pops" and "Ready Steady Go!" ~ 71
DAVE BERRY ~ "THE CRYING GAME";


BILLY FURY ~ "NOTHING SHAKING BUT THE LEAVES ON THE TREES";


THE WALKER BROS ~ "BABY YOU DON'T HAVE TO TELL ME" & "THE SUN AIN'T GONNA SHINE ANYMORE";


Bill Dees ~ Guitarist and songwriter with Rot Orbison in their original band "The Five Bops", co-wrote "Pretty Woman" and "It's Over", worked on the Orbison movie "The Fastest Gun Alive". Also worked with Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, Skeeter Davis, Glen Campbell, Billy Joe Royal, Frank Ifield, Mark Dinning and Gene Pitney ~ 73

ROY ORBISON ~ "OH, PRETTY WOMAN";


ROY ORBISON ~ "IT'S OVER";


Eddie "Guitar" Burns ~ Detroit blues musician from the 1950's on who recorded with Chess, Checker, Red Bird and Delmark Records ~ 84

JIMMY McCRACKLIN; 1950's California R&B pianist/singer with hits like "The Walk" on Chess Records ~ 91
JIMMY MCCRACKLIN & RY COODER ~ "THE WALK";


Maurice Davis, 71, American trumpeter (The Funk Brothers)
Bob Babbitt, 74, American bass guitarist (The Funk Brothers)

~ The Funk Brothers were of course the house band for Motown Records. Babbitt was not the main bassist for Motown though, that was the legendary James Jamerson.

SMOKEY ROBINSON & THE MIRACLES ~ "GOING TO A GO-GO";


Bill Tillman, 65, American saxophonist (Blood, Sweat & Tears),
BLOOD SWEAT AND TEARS ~ "AND WHEN I DIE";


James "Sugar Boy" Crawford ~ New Orleans R&B songwriter. Wrote "Iko Iko" hit by The Dixie Cups ~ 77
THE DIXIE CUPS ~ "IKO IKO";


Herb Reed ~ Singer with 1950's Doo Wop group The Platters ~ 83
THE PLATTERS ~ "ONLY YOU";


Cleve Duncan ~ Singer with 1950's Doo-Wop group the Penguins ("Earth Angel" & "Pledge of Love") and The Viceroys and The Radiants as well as backup singer w/ Frank Zappa ~ 77
THE PENGUINS ~ "EARTH ANGEL";


Vincent Carrella ~ Singer with Doo Wop group Randy & The Radiants did the original version of "Denise" later covered by Blondie as "Denis"

Inez Andrews ~ Singer with 1950's Gospel Group The Caravans ~ 83

THE CARAVANS WITH REV JAMES CLEVELAND;


Marva Whitney; Singer with James Brown's band, as well as solo, known as "Soul Sister" ~ 68

MARVA WHITNEY ~ "IT'S MY THING";


Major Harris ~ Singer w/R&B Vocal Group The Delfonics ("Didn't I blow you mind this time" & "La La La Means I Love You") ~ 65
THE DELFONICS ~ "DIDN'T I BLOW YOUR MIND THIS TIME";


Dave Brubeck ~ Jazz Pianist who introduced new poly-rhythms to jazz from the Mid-East and was one of the leaders of the West Coast Cool Jazz sound of the late 1950's and early 1960's with sax players Paul Desmond and Gerry Mulligan and trumpet player Chet Baker. ~ 91

DAVE BRUBECK ~ "TAKE 5";


DAVE BRUBECK ~ "TAKE THE A-TRAIN";


Ted Curson ~ American Jazz trumpet player w/Charles Mingus ~ 77
CHARLES MINGUS SEXTET ~ "TAKE THE A TRAIN";


John Tchicai ~ Black Danish born Jazz Sax Free Jazz Sax Player, w/Albert Ayler, John Coltrane and Archie Shepp ~ 72
ALBERT AYLER ~ "ANGELS";


David S. Ware ~ Free Jazz sax player w/Cecil Taylor and later with his own Quartet ~ 62

Frode Thingnæs ~ Norwegian Jazz Trombonist, composer and Jazz Pioneer who recorded the first jazz album in Norway ~ 72

Pete La Roca ~ American Jazz drummer w/ John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Marian McPartland, Art Farmer, Freddie Hubbard, Mose Allison and Chic Corea as well as with his own bands. Retired and became a lawyer, later suing after one of his solo albums was released under Corea's name instead of his own. ~ 74

Jose Curbelo ~ Cuban-born American Big Band Jazz musician and manager from 1939 to the 1970's, played with Xavier Cugat and Titi Puente ~ 95

Terry Callier ~ Jazz/Folk singer guitarist from the 1960's on. Also songwriter for 1960's psyche band H.P. Lovecraft and R&R band The Dells ~ 67

HP LOVECRAFT ~ "THE WHITE SHIP";


Scott McKenzie ~ American singer ("San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)") and songwriter ("Kokomo" covered by The Beach Boys) ~ 73
SCOTT MCKENZIE ~ "SAN FRANSISCO";


Mary Jane Johnson ~ 90's 1940's & 50's C&W & Rockabilly singer

MARY JANE JOHNSON ~ "I'LL NEVER TELL";




Mike Auldridge ~ Dobro player with Bluegrass The Seldom Scene from the 1960's on. Previously played with Cliff Waldron's Band, later played with Emmy Lou Harris and Lyle Lovett ~ 73

THE SELDOM SCENE ~ "LAY DOWN SALLY";


Martin Fay ~ Fiddler & Bones player with Irish Folk Band The Chieftains ~ 76
THE CHIEFTAINS & VAN MORRISON ~ "STAR OF THE COUNTRY";


Doc Watson. A blind Folk & Old Time Country singer & guitarist from the 1950's on. Father of guitarist Merle Watson;

Doc Watson ~ "Deep River blues";


Rollin Sullivan ~ Country singer with 1940's & 50's Country duo Lonzo & Oscar ~ 93

LONZO & OSCAR ~ "MOVIN' ON";


Kitty Wells ~ Country singer from the 1940's to the 1960's (It wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels", "I can't stop loving you") ~ 92
KITTY WELLS ~ "IT WASN'T GOD WHO MADE HONKY TONK ANGELS";


Louis Nunely ~ Singer with 1950's & 60' vocal group The Anita Kerr Singers (who sang backups for Brenda Lee, Perry Como, Pat Boone, Rosemary Clooney, Bobby Vinton, Roy Orbison, Willie Nelson, Floyd Cramer, Al Hirt, Ann-Margret, Red Foley, Jim Reeves, Eddy Arnold, Faron Young, Chet Atkins, Rod McKuen, and Webb Pierce. In 1999 he joined the current gospel version of The Jordanaires ~ 81

RED FOLEY & THE ANITA KERR SINGERS w/ SPEEDY HAWORTH ~ "HEARTS OF STONE";


THE ANITA KERR SINGERS (W/MARTY ROBBINS INTRO) ~ "SOMEBODY STOLE MY GAL";

Dorthy McQuire ~ Singer with 1940's & 50's Pop Vocal group The McQuire Sisters ~ 84
THE MCQUIRE SISTERS ~ "SUGAR TIME";

A Few Australian New Wave figure pass on

Alan Nevin; keyboardist from The Sports, a Joe Jackson/Elvis Costello/Graham Parker type New Wave band from Australia who had a number of hits down under and couple of hits in North America in the early 1980's, including a cover of Jackie DeShannon's "When you walk in the room" Died this past week;

THE SPORTS ~ "WHO LISTENS TO THE RADIO":




THE SPORTS ~ "WHEN YOU WALK IN THE ROOM";


Greg Ham; Sax, flute and keyboardist with Men at Work, ubiquitous band in the early to mid 1980's MTV era with several hits like "Who can it be now", "Down under" "Be good Johnny", and "It's a mistake";

MEN AT WORK ~ "WHO CAN IT BE NOW";




MEN AT WORK ~ "DOWN UNDER";



And while we're at it there's Peter Jones ~ British drummer of New Zealand Band Crowded House ~ 49
CROWDED HOUSE ~ "DON'T DREAM IT'S OVER";

And Chrissy Amphlett, 53, singer for The Divinyls> They had been a part of the Aussie scene for some time but it was their guilty pleasure hit (admit it, you listened) "I Touch Myself" which really gave them their 15 minutes of fame.
>
THE DIVINYLS ~ "I TOUCH MYSELF";

So; what were white people listening to before Rock and Roll anyway?

And in case you were wondering what white people listened to in the pre-Rock and Roll post WW2 era of the late forties and early fifties...well if you were cool and lived in a big city then you listened to jazz. Especially the Cool Jazz of Dave Brubeck, Mile Davis, Chet Baker and Gerry Mulligan. If you were a bit older and weren't worried about drugs then there were a few BeBop fans, if you were even older then there was still some swing hanging around. If you were young and political you listened to folk like Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, The Weavers and the Kingston Trio. If you were young but not political there were the collegiate type vocal quartets like the Four Freshmen, Four Lads, Four Preps, Crewcuts and The Lettermen. Whose names all imply their College Frat roots. And if you were working class and loving in the south or west you listened to Honkytonk Country, Western Swing, Bluegrass or White Gospel.


( Note; very few white people, no matter how cool, listened to the blues or black gospel in the 1940's and 50's other than a few young musicians and critics)


Speaking of bluegrass; Earl Scruggs, one of the classic bluegrass pickers just died at 86.


Bluegrass great Earl Scruggs, who played banjo with the classic Bill Monroe and his Blue Sky Boys band from 1945 till 1948 when after a tiff with the notoriously hard assed Monroe he left with fiddle player Lester Flatt to form the Foggy Mountain Boys. Monroe never forgave them. Flatt and Scruggs would become his only real rivals for classic bluegrass and even today Scruggs pioneering three fingered style is still considered the only legit way to play for bluegrass pickers. The Foggy Mountian Boys would breakup in 1969 with most of the band staying with Flatt and and Scruggs would go on to a long respected solo career. In the film "Oh Brother where are thou" the band formed by Clooney and co. is called The Soggy Bottom Boys by way of tribute. Flatt died in 1979.


Earl Scruggs & Lester Flatt Breakdown;



Foggy Mountain Boys ~ "Foggy Mountain Breakdown";





Also dying recently is Everett Lily, one of the Lily Brothers & Don Stover, an important Bluegrass band of the late fifties.

Short Doc about the Lily Brothers & Don Stover;



Another bluegrass picker; Doug Dillard, played with The Dillards and later with Gene Clark and The Byrds;

The Dillards on the Andy Griffith show;




Andy Griffith died recently as well. Known mostly for his wholesome sitcoms, Griffith was also a respected folk musician.
Doc Watson ~ "Deep River blues";


Kitty Wells, a more mainstream Nashville country of the 1950's and 60's with numerous hits including the classic "It wasn't God who made Honky Tonk Angels" and "I can't stop loving you" died at 92.

KITTY WELLS ~ "MAKING BELIEVE";


KITTY WELLS & CURLY HOLT ~ "ONE BY ONE" (with intro by Webb Pierce and Grandpa Jones in the background);


Rollin Sullivan ~ Country singer with 1940's & 50's Country duo Lonzo & Oscar, regulars on the Grand Ole Opry ~ 93

LONZO & OSCAR ~ "MOVIN' ON";


Or if you were Celtic there was The Dubliners, one of the classic Irish folk groups from 1962 on, along with the even older Chieftains. Which is not technically pre Rock and Roll. However for most people on Ireland, Newfoundland, Cape Breton Isle of Man or the Scottish Highlands it might as well have been. The old ways still held firm there for a while yet. Founding member "Banjo Barney" McKenna, who sang and played banjo and mandolin, and who had previously been in the Chieftains, died this week at age 72.

The Dubliners ~ "Whiskey in the jar";






OK that's all well and good but what if you weren't cool enough to be listening to jazz, political enough to be listening to folk or white trash enough to be listening to country or white gospel? Well then the pickings get pretty slim indeed. There is always classical music of course, if you were an educated snob. Then there is the world of whiter-than-white post war pop best exemplified by these three who also just died;


Russell Arms ~ Early 1950's pre-R&R pop singer, appeared as a regular on the TV show "Your Hit Parade" which featured weekly covers of top 40 hits. Once R&R hit this sort of approach became impossible and "Your Hit Parade" was edged out by shows with actual R&R singers hosted by Alan Feed, Dewey Phillps and Dick Clark ~ 92


Russell Arms covers "Moments to remember" in 1955 (originally done by Toronto vocal group The Four Lads);




Russell Arms and Gisele MacKenzie ~ "Man and woman";




Russell Arms ~ "Papa loves mambo" originally by Perry Como;




Nick Noble (real name Nick Valkan); one of the pre-rock white pop singers who would be put out of work when rock hit. Noble actually manged to have a few more hits though as an easy listening and even country singer ~ 85

Nick Nobel ~ "Moonlight swim";




Marion Marlowe ~ Pop singer who scored some hits in the early fifties and was a regular on the Arthur Godfrey Show. After she was dropped by her record label she was fired by Godfrey in 1955, later moving to Broadway ~ 83


Marion Marlowe "Lover";



Dorthy McQuire ~ Singer with 1940's & 50's Pop Vocal group The McQuire Sisters ~ 84
THE MCQUIRE SISTERS ~ "SUGAR TIME" (ON THE PERRY COMO SHOW);



Yikes!
Not everything that happened in the 1950's was cool you know.

RIPs to Micheal Davis of the MC5 and some other classic rockers

Michael Davis ~ Bassist for the classic late 1960's proto-punk band The MC, later joined with Ex Stooge Ron Asheton in The New Order (not the other one). There is literally not a punk, garage or grunge band alive or dead that has not been influenced by the MC5. Nuff said ~ 68

THE MC5 ~ "KICK OUT THE JAMS";



THE MC5 ~ "MOTOR CITY'S BURNING"; <



Levon Helm; Drummer with The Band and The Hawks from the 1950's on. Starting off as a backing band for Ronnie Hawkins on Roulette Records before Hawkins moved to Toronto. Helm later moved to Canada as well and rejoined Hawkins new all-Canadian group renamed The Band as they went on to play with Bob Dylan on his classic folk-rock records, still later the Band would go on to a solo career in the late 1960's and 70's with several classic albums. After the Band broke up Helm would continue with a solo career as well as acting, including a role as the father in "Coal Miner's Daughter". He had been battling cancer for years and died at age 72.

THE BAND ~ "I SHALL BE RELEASED";



Buggs Henderson, guitarist with the Nuggets era Texas garage band Mouse and Traps, best know for their blatant Dylan rip off "A public execution" as well as the excellent "Maid of Sugar Maid of spice" died of cancer last week at 68. He stared out with an R&B group called the Sensors and in later years recorded as a solo blues guy.

MOUSE ANT THE TRAPS ~ "MAID OF SUGAR MAID OF SPICE;




Freddie Milano ~ Singer with Dion and The Belmonts, one of the greatest white Doo Wop groups with hits lke "Runaround Sue", "Lovers who wander", "A teenager in love" ~ 72

DION & THE BELMONTS ~ "RUNAROUND SUE";




JERRY "BOOGIE" MCCLAIN ~ "TWIST 62";





Donald Duck Dunn; Bassist with Booker T & The MG's, the classic house band for virtually all the classic Soul and R&B hits put out by Stax Records in the 1960's. Hits by the likes of Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Rufus Thomas, Carla Thomas, William Bell, Eddie Floyd, Albert King, as well as several instrumental hits by the MG's themselves. Later worked with Wilson Pickett, Muddy Waters, Freddie King, Neil Young, Joe Walsh and Jerry Lee Lewis. Still later he played on Tom Petty and Stevie Nicks "Stop dragging my heart around". Appeared in the "Blues Brothers" movie as himself backing up the Brothers as well as Cab Calloway.

Booker T & The MG's ~ "Green Onions";


Herb Reed ~ Singer with 1950's Doo Wop group The Platters ~ 83

The Platters ~ "The Great Pretender" & "Only You";



Lloyd Brevett ~ Jamaican double bassist (The Skatalites) ~ 80

Chris Ethridge ~ Bassist with Gram Parson's International Submarine Band and The Flying Burrito Brothers. Also played with The Byrds and Emmylou Harris ~

The Flying Burrito Brothers ~ "Older Guys";


Robin Gibb ~ Singer with the Bee Gees, best remembered for their disco hits but originally known for a series of lush 1960's pop hits such as "To love somebody", "I started a joke" ~ 62 The Bee Gees ~ "I started a joke";




Vince Lovegrove ~ Co-lead singer (with Bon Scott) in 1960's Australian group The Valentines. The group broke up after a drugs bust and Lovegrove went on to be a producer and manager while Scott would later join AC/DC ~ 65

THE VALENTINES ~ "BUILD ME UP BUTTERCUP";




Richie Teeter ~ Drummer with late 1970's New York punk band The Dictators, later with 1980's hair band shockers Twisted Sister ~ 61


THE DICTATORS ~ "SEARCH AND DESTROY";



TWISTED SISTER ~ "WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT";


Ronnie Montrose with 1970's hard rock band Montrose along with singer Sammy Hagar before Sammy went solo became a total twat. Ronnie later went solo ~ 66


MONTROSE ~ "BAD MOTOR SCOOTER";





Mike Hossack, one of many drummers of the 1970's stadium rockers Doobie Brothers most of whom were not brothers and none of whom were named "Doobie" ~ 65


THE DOOBIE BROTHERS ~ "CHINA GROVE";

Davy Jones and the Monkees

Exhibit a) The Monkees ~ "Porpoise song";



For years the Monkees were known and despised as the first manufactured band. The Pre Fab Four. By the time Davy Jones died this week many were willing to acknowledge that they had many classic songs. Although there are still misconceptions bout them, I heard one newscaster compare them to Milli Vinnili.

Exhibit b) The Monkees ~ "She hangs out";




This is unfair, The Monkees actually sang all their songs and Vinilli did not. It is also not exactly true that they were non-musicians who could not really play and did not write any songs. In fact they all had musical experience. Mike Nesmith and Peter Tork were fixtures on the L.A. folk scene, albeit unsigned. In fact Nesmith was an accomplished songwriter and Tork a talented musician who could play any number of stringed or keyed instrument well. He was actually a close friend of the then also unsigned Stephen Stills who also auditioned for the Monkees and if neither hadn't gotten the gig it's likely the Tork would have ended up in the The Buffalo Springfield with Stills. Dolenz was also part of the folk scene as part of a singing duo with his sister, previously he had actually played drums in a garage band. Davy Jones had no rock experience and played no instrument but he had played Broadway as part of the stage show of the play "Oliver" and had recorded a couple of pop singles which had made the lower reaches of the charts, he even had his own fan club.

Exhibit c) The Monkees ~ "Look out; Here comes tomorrow";




It is true that they contributed little creatively to the first two albums (besides the vocals) other than a couple of Nesmith songs and little rhythm guitar by Tork or Nesmith. However by the third album ("Headquarters") they had taken over their music careers and insisted on choosing and playing their own materiel. They also toured live in concert. If after the third album they chose to make use of the excellent songwriters and top flight session players that their budget could allow for, well who can blame them?

Exhibit d) The Monkees ~ "No time";




It's worth pointing out that in the early rock and roll era many artists relied on songwriters, session players and producers for much if not all of their materiel; including the likes of Elvis, Patsy Cline, Jim Reeves, Billie Holliday and any number of Motown acts. And I've never heard anyone say; "Big deal, they didn't actually write those songs you know".


Exhibit e) The Monkees ~ "What am I doing hanging round?";




A sampling of the songwriters and session guys they used would include;

Session players;
Glen Cambell, Neil Young, Clarence White, Buddy Miles, Jack Nitzsche, Charlie McCoy, Danny Kortchmar, Doug Dillard, Shorty Rogers, James Burton, Plas Johnson, Al Casey, Jimmy Bryant, Stephen Stills, Hall Blaine, Larry Knetchell

Songwriters;
Gerry Goffin & Carol King, Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil, Boyce & Hart, Lieber & Stoller, Neil Diamond, Jeff Barry, Neil Sedaka, Harry Nilson, Andy Kim, Paul Williams, John Stewart


Personally I wouldn't have turned them down either. It is still a fact that some of their best songs were in fact written by the band itself (usually by Nesmith) and some were also produced by them. It's a;so a fact that Mickey had one of the great voices of his era, a string distinct tenor, while Davy had a less unique but still distinct voice.


Exhibit f) The Monkees ~ "Mary Mary";




In an attempt to take further control and shed their pop image it was actually their own idea to make use of the brand new technology of the Moog Synth for a couple of songs, and make the ultra psych classic "Head" which was a pretty gutsy move. Naturally their careers never recovered. Now it's a classic of 1960's weirdness.


Exhibit g) The Monkees ~ "Last train to Clarksville";



Yes I used to watch their TV show after school when I was a kid and loved them, but I honestly think there is more than pure retro nostalgia going on here. A great song well sung and played is still a great song, and any band that can claim even one classic song is worth knowing. And the Monkees had more than their share. That's more than can really be said for prefab rivals like The Partridge Family, Sean Cassidy, Bobby Sherman or even the beloved Josie & The Pussycats.

If you don't believe me you can ask some of of the bands who covered them, including;

The Paul Butterfield Blues Band ~ "Mary Mary"
The Palace Guard ~ "Saturday's child"
The Coasters ~ "DW Washburn"
The Sex Pistols ~ "Stepping stone"
Minor Threat ~ "Stepping stone"
The Cardboard Brains ~ "Stepping stone"
The Grapes of Wrath ~ "Porpoise song"
The Church ~ "Porpoise song"
The Forgotten Rebels ~ "Look out here comes tomorrow"
The Bicycles ~ "Cuddly Toy"

Note; I know that Paul Revere & The Raiders also did "Stepping Stone" but they actually recorded it a few months before the Monkees, although the Monkees' version would be the bigger hit.

I wonder why there are five Canadian bands there? Maybe the show played longer here in reruns.

Exhibit h) The Monkees ~ "Star collector";

RIP to Etta James, Johnny Otis (and more early rockers)

The past week two iconic figures of the early years of R&B and R&R died; a pioneer of the classic beat and the last of the classic Divas;

Etta James w/BB King, Paul Butterfield and Dr. John ~ "Something's got a hold on me" (1970's TV appearance) ;



Etta James was the last of the great Divas of the latter part of the post-war era that included Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughn, Koko Taylor, Big Mama Thorton and Ella Fitzgerald. Big, strong women with big strong vices who sang the blues, gospel and jazz with majestic sorrow and pride that would lead later singers like Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight and Janis Joplin to take it to the mainstream in the 1960's. Etta was among the bluesiest of the bunch but also versatile enough to cover sweet ballads with string sections and belting blues with equal aplomb.

Born in Los Angeles in 1938, Etta's mother was 14 and her father unknown, although she always suspected it was the famous pool player Minnesota Fats. She began singing in her teens and formed a Doo-Wop group which was discovered by Johnny Otis who renamed them The Peaches which also became her nickname. She recorded her first hit "Dance with me Henry" when she was 15 for Modern Records in 1955 only to see a cover version by white singer Georgia Gibbs become a bigger hit on the white pop charts. In 1960 she moved to Chess Records where she would have her biggest hits including "At last", "Tell Mama" and "I'd rather go blind".

Etta James ~ "I'd rather go blind" (2001);




She had a slew of other hits into the 1970's and was also a major touring artist who won six Grammys until her career was sidetracked for a decade do to drug problems, especially heroin. She would spend much of the late 1970's and 1980's in and out of rehab and sometimes even getting arrested for various drug related offenses. She also had serious health issues as well with diabetes, weight problems and eventually leukemia and Alzheimer's. She would still find the time to occasionally perform including a dramatic version of "At last" on "Dancing with the stars" in 2009. She was portrayed by Beyonce in the 2008 movie "Capitol Records" and was not happy with the portrayal, although it helped to introducer to a new generation. Beyonce would also sing "At last" at the Obama inauguration when Etta was too ill to appear. It was the leukemia that would eventually kill her just mere days before her 74th birthday.


Etta James ~ "At last" performed on "Dancing with the stars" in 2009, her last major appearance;




Johnny Otis ~ (real name Ioannis Alexandres Veliote) 1950's R&B singer/band leader who played piano and drums. As his real name shows he was Greek but with his dark complexion he passed for mulatto and most of his legion of mostly black fans assumed he was. After playing in the 1940's with swing bands led by Harlan Leonard, Wynonie Harris and Charles Brown he formed his own band and wrote the classic hit "Willie and the hand jive" in 1958 which inspired Bo Diddly with it's distinctive beat and was hugely influential. Also had hits with "Harlem Nocturne'" in 1946, and produced and/or co-wrote such records as Big Mama Thorton's original version of "Hound Dog", "Roll With Me, Henry" for Etta James and "Every Beat of My Heart", first recorded by The Royals in the 1952 but later a hit for Gladys Knight. As a band leader and A&R man for King Records Otis discovered singers like Jackie Wilson, Hank Ballard, Little Willie John, Mel Walker,Little Ester Phillips and the Robins (later the Coasters) sax man Big Jay McNeely. As a session man he backed Johnny Guitar Watson. Otis hosted his own TV show in Los Angeles in the 1950's. His son, Shuggie Otis also had a career as an R&B band leader in the 1960's & 70's. In the 1960's he later also entered politics and ran for California State Assembly as a Democrat and lost then becoming chief of staff to another assemblyman. He was also a church pastor. He died just three weeks after his 90th birthday.

Johnny Otis ~ "Willie and the hand jive";



A episode of "The Johnny Otis Show' from the 1950's w/ Lionel Hampton;




Little Eddie King ~ 1960's Chicago blues singer/guitarist worked with Willie Dixon, Sonny Boy Williamson, Little Mack Simmons, Luther Allison, Magic Sam, Junior Wells, Detroit Junior and Freddie King as well as solo ~ 73


Billy Strange ~ 1960's composer. Wrote "Limbo Rock" later done by The Champs, Routers, Ventures and Chubby Checker, Arthur Lyman, The Knickerbockers and Chet Atkins and Hank Snow. Also teamed up with Mac Davis and wrote several hit songs for Elvis Presley, including "A Little Less Conversation". He acted as writer,arranger, producer and guitarist for Nancy Sinatra for hits including "Something stupid". Also played as session guitarist for the Beach Boys on the hit "Sloop John B" as well as for Jan & Dean, The Ventures, Willie Nelson, The Everly Brothers, Wanda Jackson, Randy Newman, and Nat King Cole ~ 81

The Beach Boys ~ "Sloop John B");




The Champs ~ "Limbo Rock";



Louisiana Red ~ Blues singer/guitarist from the 1949 when he recorded for Chess Records right up to last year. Also played with John Lee Hooker. Moved to Germany in 1981.

Louisiana Red ~ "Alabama train";




Red Holloway ~ Jazz sax player w/Etta James,Dexter Gordon Willie Dixon, Junior Parker, Lloyd Price, and John Mayall.
In the 1950s he played in the Chicago area with Billie Holiday, Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, Ben Webster, Jimmy Rushing, Arthur Prysock, Eddie Vinson, Sonny Rollins, Red Rodney, Lester Young, Joe Williams, Redd Foxx, B.B. King, Bobby Bland and Aretha Franklin. During this period, he also toured with Sonny Stitt, Memphis Slim and Lionel Hampton and later the young George Benson. He became a member of the house bands for Chance and Vee Jay Records ~ 84


Al Urban ~ 1950's rockabilly singer ("Lookin for money"), later a country songwriter w/ hits for Charlie Rich ~ 76

Al Urban ~ "Lookin' for money";



Larry Butler Nashville pianist and producer died at 69; he (played on "Hello Darlin"), as well as Johnny Cash, Roger Miller, Dolly Parton, Tammy Wynette, Loretta Lynn and others. Became a producer for Kenny Rogers, Charlie Rich, Mac Davis, Debbie Boone and John Denver ~ 69

Conway Twitty ~ "Hello Darlin'";




Jimmy Little ~ Australian Aboriginal country/gospel singer from the 1950's on. Also an evangelist and actor ~ 75

Jimmy Little ~ "Telephone to glory";




And finally one politician who actually made a difference to Canadian music and radio; Pierre Juneau, 89, Canadian broadcasting executive and head of The CRTC and the National Film Board who brought in the famous CanCon rules forcing Canadian Radio Stations to actually play some Canadian artists. Before Juneau they didn't have to, and usually played as little Canadian music as possible. After Juneau that changed. This also forced record labels to open branches in Canada and sign Canadian artists instead of their having to go south of the border. It also meant that labels in Canada could have a shot at the airways as well. Right wingers were upset at this "government interference" then and they still are. They complained that Canadians were too mediocre and their records not good enough to play or sell. They hysterically predicted that audiences would tune out if they actually had to listen to Canadian music. That radio stations and record labels would go out of business. The results were immediate and speak for themselves. When Much Music went on the air twenty years later the CanCon regs would also applied to them, but by then it didn't matter. There was clearly enough good Canadian talent to go around. In his one attempt to run for office (as a Liberal) he was defeated. No matter, he did good.

The people who died - 2012 edition

Willie Ackerman ~ American drummer (Willie Nelson, Loretta Lynn, Louis Armstrong) ~ 73

Marc Abrahamian ~ Guitarist w/ Starship ~ 46

Dave Alexander ~ AKA Omar Sharriff, Omar Hakim Khayam Blues singer/pianist from 1968 on ~ 73

Mike Anderson (AKA Motor X) drummer for one of Toronto's most notorious 1970's classic punk bands The Viletones and later the Secrets and Arson.

Inez Andrews ~ Singer with 1950's Gospel Group The Caravans ~ 83


Tom Ardolino ~ Drummer for NRBQ ~ 56


Russell Arms ~ Early 1950's pop singer, appeared as a regular on the TV show "Your Hit Parade" which featured weekly covers of top 40 hits ~ 92

Mike Auldridge ~ Dobro player with Bluegrass The Seldom Scene from the 1960's on. Previously played with Cliff Waldron's Band, later played with Emmy Lou Harris and Lyle Lovett ~ 73

Bob Babbitt, 74, American bass guitarist for Motown house band The Funk Brothers ~ 74

Don Bagley ~ American jazz bassist and composer ~ 84

Mickey Baker ~ American 1950's R&B and Rock & Roll guitarist. Recorded for Savoy, King and Atlantic Records both solo and as half of Mickey & Sylvia. Also played with; The Drifters, Ray Charles, Ivory Joe Hunter, Ruth Brown, Big Joe Turner, Louis Jordan, Coleman Hawkins and Sam The Man Taylor. Hugely influential with blues and rockabilly guitarists in Europe where he later moved. ~ 87

Ian Bargh ~ Scottish-born Canadian jazz pianist ~ 76

Selwyn Baptiste ~ Trinidadian steel drum pioneer ~ 75

Fontella Bass ~ Gospel, R&B and Jazz singer from the 1960's & 1970's with hits on Chess like "Rescue Me", "You'll Never Know", "I Can't Rest", later recorded with The Art Ensemble of Chicago" ~ 72

Johnnie Bassett, 76, American blues musician ~ 76

Lionel Batiste ~ American jazz musician (Treme Brass Band) ~ 81

Sean Bergin ~ South African jazz sax and flutist ~ 64

Jose Roberto Bertrami, 66, Brazilian pianist and keyboardist (Azymuth) ~ 66

Eddie Bertrand ~ Guitarist with 1960's Surf band The Bel Airs ("Mr. Moto")

Faruq Z. Bey ~ American jazz saxophonist ~ 70

Bob Birch ~ American bass and sax player with Elton John ~ 56

Zach Booher ~ American musician (While We're Up) ~ 22

Lloyd Brevett ~ Jamaican double bassist (The Skatalites) ~ 80

Chuck Brown ~ American R&B singer and musician ~ 75

Dave Brubeck ~ Jazz Pianist who introduced new poly-rhythms to jazz from the Mid-East and was one of the leaders of the West Coast Cool Jazz sound of the late 1950's and early 1960's with sax players Paul Desmond and Gerry Mulligan and trumpet player Chet Baker. ~ 91

Michael Burks ~ American R&B guitarist with Johnny Taylor ~ 54

Eddie "Guitar" Burns ~ Detroit blues musician from the 1950's on who recorded with Chess, Checker, Red Bird and Delmark Records ~ 84

Joel Burrows ~ Guitarist with Oregon Subpop Records Punk band The Thermals

Larry Butler ~ Nashville session pianist w/ Conway Twitty (played on "Hello Darlin"), as well as Johnny Cash, Roger Miller, Dolly Parton, Tammy Wynette, Loretta Lynn and others. Became a producer for Kenny Rogers, Charlie Rich, Mac Davis, Debbie Boone and John Denver ~ 69


Vincent Carrella ~ Singer with Doo Wop group Randy & The Radiants (Denise)

Ernie Carson ~ Dixieland cornet player and pianist ~ 74


Ed Cassidy ~ Drummer for late 1960's Psyche Band Spirit ~ 89

Jimmy Castor ~ R&B sax player and singer from the 1960's and 70's w/hits like "Troglodyte (caveman)", 'The Bertha Butt Boogie" and "Soul serenade". Also backed keyboardist Baby Cortez. He started out as a Doo-Wop singer and briefly replaced Frankie Lymon in the Teenagers. ~ 71


Dee Cernile ~ Guitarist for Toronto hair metal turned grunge band Sven Galli ~ 46


Teddy Charles ~ Jazz drummer and vibes player from the 1050's on. Played with Miles Davis. ~ 87


Jodie Christian ~ Chigago bebop jazz pianist played w/Stan Getz, Dexter Gordon, Gene Ammons. Co-Founder of of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) ~ 80

Maria Cole ~ American jazz singer, widow of Nat King Cole ~ 89

Charlie Collins ~ American country musician; in Roy Acuff's Smokey Mountain Boys ~ 78


Ray Collins ~ Singer with 1960's Doo-Wop group The Tigers and later in Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention ~ 73 Don Cornelius ~ Host of 1970;s & 1990's TV show "Soul Train" ~ 75


Gary Cornell ~ lead singer of Australian hard rock group Pyramid of the Coyote ~ 34


Gary Cox ~ American musician for 1980's Power Pop group Artful Dodger ~ 59

Lol Coxhill ~ English jazz saxophonist, after short illness ~ 79

James "Sugar Boy" Crawford" ~ American R & B singer and songwriter, wrote the original version of "Iko Iko" later covered by the Dixie Cups ~ 77

BB Cunningham ~ Singer/Keyboardist/drummer with 1960's Garage Band The Hombres ("Let it out (Let it all hang out)"), Ronnie & Daytonas ("GTO") and Jerry Lee Lewis ~ 70

Jose Curbelo ~ Cuban-born American Big Band Jazz musician and manager from 1939 to the 1970's, played with Xavier Cugat and Titi Puente ~ 95

Marcel Curuchet ~ Uruguayan keyboardist (No Te Va Gustar) ~ 40

Cynthia Dall ~ Zine writer and photographer Singer/guitarist with 1990's American Lo-Fi pop band Smog and later solo ~ 41


Hal David ~ American songwriter (Raindrops keep falling on my head) ~ 91

Carl Davis ~ American record producer ("Duke of Earl", "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher") ~ 77

Maurice Davis ~ American trumpeter (The Funk Brothers) ~ 71

Michael Davis ~ Bassist for the classic late 1960's Detroit proto punk band The MC5 ~ 68


Keith Deen ~ Singer with American Thrash Metal band Holy Terror ~ 56 Bill Dees ~ Guitarist and songwriter with Rot Orbison in their original band "The Five Bops", co-wrote "Pretty Woman" and "It's Over", worked on the Orbison movie "The Fastest Gun Alive". Also worked with Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, Skeeter Davis, Glen Campbell, Billy Joe Royal, Frank Ifield, Mark Dinning and Gene Pitney ~ 73

Doug Dillard ~ American bluegrass musician with The Dillards also played with Gene Clark and actor (The Andy Griffith Show) ~ 75

Lee Dorman ~ Iron Butterfly bassist ~ 70

Bill Doss ~ American rock singer and guitarist (The Olivia Tremor Control, The Apples in Stereo) ~ 43

Cleve Duncan ~ Singer with 1950's Doo-Wop group The Penguins ("In The Still Of The Night") ~ 72
Micheal Dunford ~ Guitarist w/1960's British groups The Yardbirds and Renaissance ~ 58

Donald "Duck" Dunn ~ American bass guitarist (The Blues Brothers, Booker T. & the M.G.'s) ~ 70

Frank Dycus ~ American songwriter w/George Jones, George Strait, ("Gonna Get a Life", "I Don't Need Your Rockin' Chair", "Unwound") ~ 72

Jimmy Ellis ~ Singer for 1970's disco group The Trammps ("Disco Inferno") ~ 74


Martin Fay ~ Fiddler and Bones player with Irish folk band The Chieftains ~ 76

Von Freeman ~ American hard bop jazz tenor saxophonist ~ 88

Dennis Flemion ~ American rock musician (The Frogs) ~ 57

Robbie France ~ British drummer in Skunk Anansie and UFO ~ 52


Bob French ~ Jazz drummer w/ The Tuxedo Jazz Band, also played with Earl King, Dave Bartholomew and Fats Domino ~ 74 Bridie Gallagher ~ Irish 1950's pop singer; known as "The Girl From Donegal" first international Irish pop star ~ 87

Robin Gibb ~ British singer and songwriter (Bee Gees) ~ 62

Rodgers Grant ~ Jazz sax pianist and composer from the 1950's on. Played with Mongo Santamaria on hits like "Yeh Yeh", later covered by Georgie Fame in Britain and much later Johnny Favorite in Canada. Also worked wit Esther Phillips. ~ 76

Andy Griffith ~ American actor (The Andy Griffith Show, Matlock) and folk and country musician ~ 86

Greg Ham ~ Sax and keyboard singer for Australian New Wave Pop group Men At Work ~ 58


Marvin Hamlisch ~ American composer (The Way We Were, A Chorus Line) and arranger (The Sting) ~ 68

Bugs Henderson ~ American blues and rock guitarist with 1960's garage band Mouse and the Traps ~ 68


Ossie Hibbert ~ Jamaican musician, heart attack ~ 62

Red Holloway ~ Jazz sax player w/Etta James,Dexter Gordon Willie Dixon, Junior Parker, Lloyd Price, and John Mayall. In the 1950s he played in the Chicago area with Billie Holiday, Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, Ben Webster, Jimmy Rushing, Arthur Prysock, Eddie Vinson, Sonny Rollins, Red Rodney, Lester Young, Joe Williams, Redd Foxx, B.B. King, Bobby Bland and Aretha Franklin. During this period, he also toured with Sonny Stitt, Memphis Slim and Lionel Hampton and later the young George Benson. He became a member of the house bands for Chance and Vee Jay Records ~ 84


Larry Hoppen ~ American singer and musician (Orleans) ~ 61

Mary Jane Johnson ~ 1940's & 50's C&W singer

Davy Jones ~ Singer with The Monkees, star of popular 1960's sitcom and sang on several hits including "Day Dream Believer", "Look out here comes tomorrow" and "Daddy's song" ~ 66


Jimmy Jones ~ American pop singer ("Handy Man", "Good Timin") ~ 82

Peter Jones ~ British drummer (Crowded House) ~ 49

Homer Joy ~ American songwriter ("Streets of Bakersfield" for Buck Owens)~ 67

Pierre Juneau ~ Former head of the CRTC and National Film Board, creator of the Canadian Content rules (CanCon) ~ 83


Major Harris ~ Singer w/ Sould Group The Delfonics ("Didn't I Blow Your Mind This Time" & "La La La Means I Love You" ~ 65

Little Eddie King ~ 1960's Chicago blues singer/guitarist worked with Willie Dixon, Sonny Boy Williamson, Little Mack Simmons, Luther Allison, Magic Sam, Junior Wells, Detroit Junior and Freddie King as well as solo ~ 73


Dick Kniss ~ American bassist w/ Peter Paul & Mary, John Denver ~ 74



László Komár ~ Hungarian rock and roll singer from the 1960's & 70's ~ 67

Pete La Roca ~ American Jazz drummer w/ John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Marian McPartland, Art Farmer, Freddie Hubbard, Mose Allison and Chic Corea as well as with his own bands. Retired and became a lawyer, later suing after one of his solo albums was released under Corea's name instead of his own. ~ 74

Byard Lancaster ~ American jazz and blues multi-instrumentalist w/ McCoy Tyner, Sun Ra, Johnny Copeland, Memphis Slim ~ 70

Huw Lloyd-Langton ~ Guitarist for UK Psyche/Space Rock band Hawkwind ~ 61

John Levy ~ American jazz double-bassist w/ George Shearing, Ben Webster, Errol Garner, Milt Jackson, and Billie Holiday. Later manager for Shearing and others ~ 99


Tonmi Lillman ~ Drummer for Finnish metal band Lordi ~ 38


Everett Lilly ~ American bluegrass mandolinist with The Lilly Brothers ~ 87

Jimmy Little ~ Australian Aboriginal country/gospel singer from the 1950's on. Also an evangelist and actor ~ 75


Jon Lord ~ Keyboardist for 1970's hard rock group Deep Purple ~ 71

Andrew Love ~ American saxophonist with The Memphis Horns, house band for Stax Records on most of their recordings from the 1960's & 70's ~ 72


Vince Lovegrove ~ Co-lead singer (with Bon Scott) in 1960's Australian group The Valentines. The group broke up after a drugs bust and Lovegrove went on to be a producer and manager while Scott would later join AC/DC ~ 65



Eris Lowen ~ Part of singer/songwriter duo Lowen and Navarro who wrote a number of songs for various artists including "We belong" for Pat Benatar which they also recorded. ~ 60


Mitch Lucker ~ Singer with California Metal Band Suicide Silence ~ 28 Jerry "Boogie" McCain ~ Blues singer and harmonica player from the 1950's & 60's, recorded for Trumpet, OKeh, Rex, Columbia, Excello, and Jewel Records. A favourite of The Fabulous Thunderbirds who recorded with him and covered some of his songs ~ 81



Johnny McCauley ~ Irish 1960's folk singer whose songs were also covered by Christy Moore ~ 86


Mark McConnell ~ American drummer (Sebastian Bach, Blackfoot)

JIMMY McCRACKLIN; 1950's California R&B pianist/singer with hits like "The Walk" on Chess Records ~ 91

Kathi McDonald ~ American 1970's R&B singer w/The Rolling Stones & Long John Baldry ~ 64

John McIntire ~ Manager for The Grateful Dead ~ 70


Scott McKenzie ~ American singer ("San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)") and songwriter ("Kokomo" covered by The Beach Boys) ~ 73 Hal McKusick ~ American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist and flautist w/Bill Evans ~ 87


Marion Marlowe ~ Pre-Rock era pop singer from the early fifties, later on broadway ~ 83


John Marshall ~ UK jazz, blues and folk guitarist, played with Ray Charles & Aretha Franklin ~ 71 Lou Martin ~ Northern Irish keyboardist with Rory Gallagher ~ 63

Mike Melovin ~ Jazz pianist from 1960's on, worked with Milt Jackson, Bill Henderson, Charlie Haden, Herb Ellis and Plas Johnson, Peggy Lee and later Tom Waits ~ 74


Fred Milano ~ American doo-wop singer w/The Belmonts, Dion and the Belmonts ~ 72


Ronnie Montrose ~ Guitarist for 1970's & 80's hard rock band Montrose w/singer Sammy Hagar before Sammy went solo and then on to Van Halen. Ronnie also had a solo career ~ 66


Frazier Mohawk ~ American record producer (Buffalo Springfield, The Byrds) ~ 71

Erik Moseholm ~ Danish Jazz Bassist w/Eric Dolphy, Don Byas ~ 82

John Napier ~ (AKA Wee Wee) Member of Industrial Bands Nitzer Ebb, Ethel Meatplow and E Coli ~

Jim Nevin ~ Keyboardist for early 1980's Australian New Wave band The Sports


Jason Noble ~ American rock guitarist (Rodan, Rachel's, Shipping News) ~ 40

Nick Noble (real name Nick Valkan); one of the pre-rock white pop singers who would be put out of work when rock hit. Noble actually manged to have a few more hits though as an easy listening and even country singer ~ 85


Hazy Osterwald ~ Swiss big band jazz leader ~ 90


Johnny Otis ~ (real name Ioannis Alexandres Veliote) 1950's R&B singer/band leader who played piano and drums. As his real name shows he was Greek but with his dark complexion he passed for mulatto and most of his legion of mostly black fans assumed he was. After playing in the 1940's with swing bands led by Harlan Leonard, Wynonie Harris and Charles Brown he formed his own band and wrote the classic hit "Willie and the hand jive" in 1958 which inspired Bo Diddly with it's distinctive beat and was hugely influential. Also had hits with "Harlem Nocturne'" in 1946, and produced and/or co-wrote such records as Big Mama Thorton's original version of "Hound Dog", "Roll With Me, Henry" for Etta James and "Every Beat of My Heart", first recorded by The Royals in the 1952 but later a hit for Gladys Knight. As a band leader and A&R man for King Records Otis discovered singers like Jackie Wilson, Hank Ballard, Little Willie John, Mel Walker,Little Ester Phillips and the Robins (later the Coasters) sax man Big Jay McNeely. As a session man he backed Johnny Guitar Watson. His son, Shuggie Otis also had a career as an R&B band leader in the 1960's & 70's. In the 1960's he later also entered politics and ran for California State Assembly as a Democrat and lost then becoming chief of staff to another assemblyman. He was also a church pastor. He died just three weeks after his 90th birthday.


Fritz Pauer ~ Austrian jazz pianist and composer ~ 68

David Peaston ~ American R&B singer, brother of Fontella Bass (who he recorded with), also worked with jazz man Lester Bowie ~ 54




Austin Peralta ~ Jazz Fusion Pianist ~ 22

Johnny Perez ~ Drummer for 1960's Texas garage band The Sir Douglas Quintet ("She's about a mover" ~ 69

Charles Pitts ~ American soul musician, guitarist for Isaac Hayes ~ 65

Dory Previn ~ Pop songwriter for Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Doris Day, Nancy Wilson, Dionne Warwick and dozens more. Also married to composer Andre Previn ~ 86


Mark Reale ~ Guitarist with American metal band Riot ~ 56


Herb Reed ~ Singer with 1950's Doo Wop group The Platters ~ 83

Larry Reinhardt ~ American rock guitarist w/Iron Butterfly ~ 63


Christopher Reimer ~ Canadian rock guitarist (Women, The Dodos) ~ 26

Jenni Rivera ~ American-born Mexican banda and norteño singer ~ 43 Zoran Romich ~ Croatian/Australian guitarist for Aussie alt-pop bane The Chocolate Starfish ~ 47


Mike Scaccia; Guitarist for Ministry on their classic 1990's "Psalm 69" album and such songs as "Jesus Built my Hotrod" and "N.W.O.", collapsed and died on stage in Texas on December 22 aged 47. He started out in Thrash Metal band Rigor Mortis in 1983, then moved to Ministry in 1992. Ministry's "Psalm 69" and the accompanying videos and and Lollapalooza tour did much to take Industrial Music (or a club ready version of it) to the mainstream. He also played in Ministry side projects like The Revolting Cocks, Buck Satan and Lard.

Enrique Sierra ~ Spanish musician, member of 1980's Spanish rock band Radio Futura ~ 54


Ravi Shankar ~ Indian sitar master who made the crossover to Western Rock audiences in the 1960's ~

Mickey Shine ~ American drummer w/1970's Country Rock band Clover, Elvis Costello's first band ("Watching The Detectives" & "Alison"), w/1980's band Burning Rome ("Once Over")

Steve Shortell ~ 50's ~ Sax player for Toronto punk bands The Sinisters and Busted Flush

Tony Sly ~ American punk rock singer and guitarist (No Use for a Name) ~ 41

Carrie Smith ~ American blues, jazz and gospel singer ~ 70

Joe South ~ American songwriter, wrote "Gone Gone Gone" for Gene Vincent, "Down in the Boondocks" for Billy Joe Royal and "I never promised you a Rose Garden for Lynn Anderson, and songs for Brook Benton, Elvis Presley, Paul Revere & The Raiders, Kitty Wells, Dottie Wells & others. Also played session guitar for Simon & Garfunkel and Bob Dylan ~ 72

Billy Strange ~ 1960's composer. Wrote "Limbo Rock" later done by The Champs, Routers, Ventures and Chubby Checker, Arthur Lyman, The Knickerbockers and Chet Atkins and Hank Snow. Also teamed up with Mac Davis and wrote several hit songs for Elvis Presley, including "A Little Less Conversation". He acted as writer,arranger, producer and guitarist for Nancy Sinatra for hits including "Something stupid". Also played as session guitarist for the Beach Boys on the hit "Sloop John B" as well as for Jan & Dean, The Ventures, Willie Nelson, The Everly Brothers, Wanda Jackson, Randy Newman, and Nat King Cole ~ 81


Big Jim Sullivan ~ British session guitarist from the 1960's on. Played with; Dave Berry's 1964 hit "The Crying Game", Alexis Korner's and Blues Incorporated's, P.J. Proby's 1964 hit "Hold Me", Billy Fury, Frank Ifield, Adam Faith, Frankie Vaughan, Helen Shapiro, Freddie and the Dreamers, Cilla Black, Tom Jones, Shirley Bassey, Dusty Springfield, Georgie Fame, Bobby Darin, Little Richard, Dell Shannon, The Walker Brothers, Donovan, David Bowie, Engelbert Humperdinck, Benny Hill, The New Seekers, Thunderclap Newman, Long John Baldry, Marmalade, Small Faces, The Tremeloes. He was also the resident guitarist at TV shows "Top of the Pops" and "Ready Steady Go!" ~ 71 Rollin Sullivan ~ 1940's & 50's Country music (Lonzo and Oscar) ~ 93

Donna Summer ~ American disco singer ("Bad Girls", "Hot Stuff", "Last Dance", "I Feel Love"), ~ 63

Stuart Swanlund ~ American guitarist (The Marshall Tucker Band), natural causes ~ 54

Richie Teeter ~ Drummer with late 1970's New York punk band The Dictators, later with 1980's hair band shockers Twisted Sister ~ 61


Frode Thingnæs ~ Norwegian Jazz Trombonist, composer and Jazz Pioneer who recorded the first jazz album in Norway ~ 72

Bill Tillman ~ American saxophonist (Blood, Sweat & Tears) ~ 65

Al Urban ~ 1950's rockabilly singer, later a country songwriter w/ hits for Charlie Rich ~ 76


Stig Vig ~ Singer w/Swedish punk/reggae band Dag Vag ~ 64


David Ware ~ Free Jazz sax player w/Cecil Taylor and later with his own Quartet ~ 62 Doc Watson ~ 89 ~ American folk and bluegrass singer guitarist ~ 89

Bob Welch ~ Guitarist in Fleetwood Mac in the early seventies during the transitional period between the blues group led by Peret Green and Jeremy Spencer and the late seventies hit machine led by Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham ~ 66

Kitty Wells ~ Country singer from the 1940's to the 1960's It ("Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels") ~ 92

Bob Weston ~ Guitarist/harmonica/banjo w/Fleetwood Mac on two albums in 1972/73 later with Steve Marriot and Murray Head and solo ~ 64

Marva Whitney; Singer with James Brown's band, as well as solo, known as "Soul Sister" ~ 68

Andy Williams ~ 1960's & 70's pop singer ("Moon River") ~ 84

Belita Woods ~ American funk singer (Brainstorm, Parliament-Funkadelic) ~ 63

Adam Yauch, 47, American musician (Beastie Boys)