Some Classic Canadian Punk Bands

Rob Brent ~ Guitarist with London, Ontario (later Toronto) punk band The Demics. The Demics recorded the classic song "New York City" on their fist ep "Talk's Cheap" in 1979 which became a surprise hit in Canada. They later rerecorded it on a subsequent album in 1980 getting an American release and becoming a mid-size hit there as well. By that time Brent had left and been replaced by Steve Koch as the Demics moved from London to Toronto. Following the usual turmoil the band soon broke up without any more releases. The DEmics may have been a one-hit-wonder but it was quite a hit; "New York City" is one of the most beloved songs of the Canadian early punk era and was chosen as the greatest Canadian single of all time by Chart Magazine in 1996 as first "Talk's Cheap" and later a full album were released.

THE DEMICS ~ "TALK'S CHEAP" (full ep);


THE DEMICS ~ "NEW YORK CITY";


Brian Goble ~ Bassist with The Skulls, one of Vancouver's first punk bands. After they broke up singer Joey Shithead went on to form DOA while Goble became singer and singer with The Subhumans. He would later rejoin DOA in the 1990's ~ 57;
THE SUBHUMANS "FUCK YOU";


THE SUBHUMANS ~ "TWO BIT WHORE";


DOA ~ "WORLD WAR 3";


JEFF DEPEW ~ Drummer for London Ontario punk band 63 Monroe. A band of the early eighties who scored a minor hit with a goofy run through of the Herman's Hermits song "Henry VIII". That wasn't really an accurate taste of the band's sound which was a much heavier and louder New York Dolls type of Glam-Trash Punk. 63 Monroe put out a few albums locally throughout the 80's but never left London. Various members also had a side band named Osterberg, which as you might assume started out as a Stooges cover band before later turning to originals. I actually booked them a few times in the 2000's and they were a rock solid live band. 63 Monroe also did a session at CIUT a few years back. A version of 63 Monroe, including Depew, was playing as late as a couple of weeks ago when they did a benefit for a Christmas Toy Drive in London.

63 MONROE ~ "HENRY VIII";


63 MONROE ~ "GIVE 'EM UP";


Glen Kimberley ~ 50 ~ Drummer for Toronto rockabilly bands The Millwinders, The Tin Eddies, The Swingin' Blackjack

THE MILLWINDERS ~ "HIGH HEELED HOT ROD";


THE MILLWINDERS ~ "EACH DAY";


THE MILLWINDERS ~ "TOO LATE";


THE TIN EDDIES ~ "BLUE MOON OF KENTUCKY";

Some more 1950's & 60's Figures Pass On

Ian McLagan, 69, English keyboardist with 1960's ultimate Mods; The Small Faces and later The Faces, later played with Chuck Berry, Jackson Browne, Joe Cocker, Bob Dylan, Melissa Etheridge, Bonnie Raitt, Paul Westerberg, Izzy Stradlin, Frank Black, Nikki Sudden, John Mayer, Bruce Springsteen, Mick Taylor Lucinda Williams and Billy Bragg ~ 69

THE SMALL FACES ~ "SHA-LA-LA-LA-LEE";


THE SMALL FACES ~ "HERE COME THE NICE";


THE SMALL FACES w/ PP ARNOLD ~ "TIN SOLDIER";


THE FACES ~ "MAYBE I'M AMAZED";


Alvin Stardust/Shane Fenton ~ British 1970's Glam Rocker best known for his over-the-top Gene Vincent look and hit's like "My Coo Ca Choo", the UK Singles Chart-topper "Jealous Mind", and "I Feel Like Buddy Holly". Previously known in the 1960's as Shane Fenton and The Fentones having hits with "I'm A Moody Guy" and "It's All Over Now" after the original Shane Fenton unexpectedly died. Stardust/Fenton's real name was Bernard Jewry ~ 72

SHANE FENTON & THE FENTONES w/ BILLY FURY ~ "MAGIC";


ALVIN STARDUST ~ "MY COO CA CHOO";


Cherry Wainer ~ South African/British Jazz & Rock keyboardist w/Lord Rockingham's XI and with husband drummer Don Storey as well as solo

LORD ROCKINGHAM'S XI ~ "HOOTS MON";


CHERRY WAINER ~ "TAKE FIVE" & "GOT MY MOJO WORKING";


CHERRY WAINER & DON STOREY ~ "PETER GUNN";


Dave Appell ~ Pianist and arranger for Cameo/Parkways records in the 1950's & 60's for Charlie Gracie, Dee Dee Sharp, The Orlons, Chubby Checker, Bobby Rydell, The Dovells and John Zacherle as well as his one band The Applejacks, previously worked with swing bands including Jimmy Lunceford, Earl Fatha Hines, Benny Carter, later with Tony Orlando ~ 92

JIMMY LUNCEFORD ~


CHARLIE GRACIE ~ "BUTTERFLY";


CHARLIE GRACIE ~ "COOL BABY";


Rosetta Hightower ~ Singer with 1960's R&B vocal group The Orlons ("The Wah Watutsi") and backup group for Dee Dee Sharp ("Mashed Potato Time" and "Gravy (for My Mashed Potatoes") ~ 70

THE ORLONS ~ "WAH WATUTSI";


THE ORLONS ~ "SOUTH STREET";


DEE DEE SHARP ~ "MASHED POTATO TIME";


Jimmy Ruffin ~ R&B singer with Motown Records biggest hit was "What Becomes Of The broken Hearted" in 1967. Brother of Temptations singer David Ruffin and was briefly in The Temptations as well ~

JIMMY RUFFIN ~ "WHAT BECOMES OF THE BROKEN HEARTED";

Some 1960's & 70's Rockers

Paul Revere; Leader and keyboard player for Paul Revere and The Raiders, the first of the great Garage/Frat Rock bands to come out of the Pacific Northeast which would later include The Kingsmen, Sonics, Wailers and Frantics. Originally formed in Idaho as an instrumental band called The Downbeats by Revere (full name Paul Revere Dick) they changed their name and sound when Revere added singer Mark Lindsey. They would also adopt a flashy stage persona including dressing up in revolutionary war garb (forty years before the Tea Party, and less angry) and Revere's organ souped up to resemble the front of a Hot Rod Edsel. They would have hits with versions of "Louie Louie" (later also done by The Kingsmen and The Sonics), "Stepping Stone" (later covered by The Monkees, Sex Pistols and Minor Threat), "Just Like Me" and "Kicks", possibly the greatest anti-drug song ever.

PAUL REVERE & THE RAIDERS ~ "KICKS";
PAUL REVERE & THE RAIDERS ~ "LOUIE LOUIE";


PAUL REVERE & THE RAIDERS ~ "UPS AND DOWNS";


PAUL REVERE & THE RAIDERS ~ "THE GREAT AIRPLANE STRIKE";


Jack Bruce ~ Scottish Bassist, Singer and Harpist with 1960's classic power trio Cream ("Sunshine Of Your Love", "White Room", "I Feel Free", "Tales Of Brave Ulysses", "Crossroads", "Badge", "Strange Brew", although Cream is remembered as Eric Clapton's showcase most of the vocals and much of the songwriting was actually done by Bruce. He had previously played with The Graham Bond Organization, Alexis Korner, John Mayall and Manfred Mann. He would later play with Leslie West and Corky Laing from Mountain, John McLaughlin, Frank Zappa, Mick Taylor, Carla Bley, Cozy Powell, Gary Moore, Robin Tower, Ringo Starr, Peter Frampton, Rory Gallagher, The Golden Palominos, Bernie Worrell, Vernon Reid ~ 71

CREAM ~ "STRANGE BREW";


CREAM ~ "CROSSROADS"


CREAM ~ "SUNSHINE OF YOUR LOVE";


Bob Montgomery ~ Songwriter w Buddy Holly's first band, Bob & Buddy; wrote "Heartbeat" (later covered by The Knack), "Love's Made A Fool Of You" (covered by Bibby Fuller and Matchbox) and "Back In Baby's Arms" (done by Patsy Cline and Emmylou Harris) and "Misty Blue" by Eddy Arnold ~ 77

BUDDY HOLLY & THE CRICKETS ~ "HEARTBEAT";


THE BOBBY FULLER 4 ~ "LOVE'S MADE A FOOL OF YOU";


THE KNACK ~ "HEARTBEAT";


MATCHBOX ~ "LOVE'S MADE A FOOL OF YOU";


Michele "Shele" Pinizzotto ~ 66 ~ Guitarist with early 1970's American all-woman hard rock band Birtha

BIRTHA ~ "TOO MUCH WOMAN FOR A HENPECKED MAN";


BIRTHA ~ "FREE SPIRIT";


John Holt ~ Jamaican singer for Ska band The Paragons and songwriter "The Tide Is High" (later covered by Blondie) ~ 67

THE PARAGONS ~ "TIDE IS HIGH";


BLONDIE ~ "TIDE IS HIGH";


Clive Jones ~ Sax and Flute player with 1960's British Psyche/Metal Band Black Widow ~ 67

BLACK WIDOW ~ "COME TO THE SABBAT";


Jake Hooker ~ Israeli-born American pop musician (Arrows), co-writer ("I Love Rock 'n' Roll") and producer ~ 61

THE ARROWS ~ "I LOVE ROCK & ROLL";


JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS ~ "I LOVE ROCK & ROLL";


RAPHAEL RAVENSCROFT ~ British sax player, best known for playing on Gerry Rafferty's 1978 hit "Baker Street" and Pink Floyd's "The Final Cut" also Abba, Marvin Gaye, America, Maxine Nightingale,Daft Punk, Kim Carnes, Mike Oldfield, Chris Rea, Robert Plant, Brand X, Hazel O'Connor, and Bonnie Tyler. ~ 60

GERRY RAFFERTY ~ "BAKER STREET";


Acker Bilk ~ British 1950's & 60's Trad Jazz clarinet player ("Stranger On The Shore") ~ 85

ACKER BILK ~ "STRANGER ON THE SHORE";

Some Jazz Figures Pass On

Gerald Wilson ~ American jazz trumpetist, band leader and arranger from the 1940's on. Played with Duke Ellington, Sarah Vaughan, Ray Charles, Julie London, Dizzy Gillespie, Ella Fitzgerald, Benny Carter, Lionel Hampton, Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington, Nancy Wilson, Clark Terry, Richard Grove Holmes, Joe Pass, Roy Ayers, Wynton Marsalis ~ 96

GERALD WILSON ~ "MILESTONES";


Joe Sample ~ American jazz pianist/composer with Fusion bands The Modern Jazz Sextet and The Crusaders, also played with Miles Davis, George Benson, Jimmy Witherspoon, B. B. King, Eric Clapton, Steely Dan, The Supremes, Joni Mitchell, Marvin Gaye, Tina Turner, B. B. King, Joe Cocker, Minnie Riperton and Anita Baker., and songwriter ("One Day I'll Fly Away", "Street Life") ~ 75

THE CRUSADERS ON DON KIRSHNER'S ROCK CONCERT;


Kenny Wheeler ~ Canadian Jazz trumpet player and band leader from the 1960's on w/ Anthony Braxton, Keith Jarrett, Derek Bailey, Bill Frisell, Lee Konitz, John Dankworth ~ 84 KENNY WHEELER GROUP ~ "EVERYBODY'S SONG BUT MY OWN";


Milton Cardona ~ Puerto Rican Jazz conga jazz player ~ 69

Jackie Cain ~ Vocalist with 1950's Jazz/Pop vocal duo Jackie and Roy ~ 86

JACKIE AND ROY ~ "THE WORD"

Cosimo Matassa and Bob Crewe

This past week two important songwriters, producers and record label owners of the 1950's and sixties died.

FATS DOMINO ~ "AIN'T THAT A SHAME";


Comsimo Matassa was a New Orleans record producer who started his own J&M Studios in the back of his family's food market in 1945 while he was only eighteen, moving to a larger Cosimo Studios a decade later. His timing was impeccable as he became a force in the New Orleans R&B sound producing classic hit records by Little Richard, Fats Domino, Smiley Lewis, Lee Dorsey, Dr John and Jimmy Clanton. Cosimo's records were noted for their focus on boogie-woogie rythms, barrelhouse piano and a horn section dubbed The New Orleans sound. Unlike other producers of the era such as Sam Phillips of Sun Records, Ahmet Ertegan and Jerry Wexler of Atlantic, Jim Stewart and Estelle Axton of Stax, George Goldner of Red Bird or the Chess Brothers, Matassa stuck with production and running his studio rather than starting his own label. The hits dried up in the sixties and Matassa retired from the music business in the 1980's to run his family's Matassa Market. British rocker Dave Edmunds would have a bigger hit version of Smiley Lewis's classic "I Hear You Knockin" in 1970. Matassa would be inducted into both the Rock & Roll and Blues Halls Of Fame and be awarded a lifetime achievement Grammy Award. He was 88.

LITTLE RICHARD ~ "LONG TALL SALLY";


DAVE EDMUNDS ~ "I HEAR YOU KNOCKIN";


If Cosimo Matassa was similar to other second generation immigrant record producers of the early rock era such as Ahmet Ertegan and Jerry Wexler, Sid Nathan and The Chess Brothers, Bob Crewe was an all-American hustler. The New Jersey born Crewe was blond, blue-eyed, and boyish, looking more like a teen idol than a record mogul and that's what he originally tried to be. Actually he originally started out as an artist and studied at the Parson School of Design in New York but he got the music bug and served in World War Two as a big band singer in the USO while still twenty. After the war he attempted a solo singing career with notable lack of success, eventually he decided to try his hand at songwriting and production teaming up with pianist Frank Slay. The always cocky Crewe managed to sweet talk Benny Goodman's bother into giving them the front money to start a record label on the basis of a four song demo and scored an immediate R&B hit with "Silhouettes" by a black Doo-Wop group called the Rays in 1957 which was quickly covered by the white Toronto group The Diamonds becoming and even bigger crossover hit. This success got Crewe and Slay a gig with Swan Records where they scored hits with Freddy Cannon. Crewe and Slay continued to work as hired guns for other labels with hits with Ben E King, Dee Dee Sharp and Lesley Gore.

THE FOUR SEASONS ~ "WALK LIKE A MAN";


Crewe really made his fortune when he once again started another label, Topix Records, to recorded a young and unsigned act, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons with whom he scored a series of massive hits in the early sixties including "Big Girls Don't Cry" "Sherry" and "Walk Like A Man". Crewe got to see Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons get a second life through the hit Broadway musical and movie "Jersey Boys".

THE FOUR SEASONS ~ "BIG GIRLS DON'T CRY";


In 1965 Crewe started up yet another label with DynoVoice Records. This time it would not be one shot label built to quickly promote a single artist or song but rather a real business with a real roster of stars. Girl Group The Toys were Crewe's answer to Phil Spector and his lush "Wall Of Sound", they scored hits with the elaborate "Lover's Concerto" and "Can't Get Enough Of You Baby" which was later covered by garage rockers ? & The Mysterions.

THE TOYS ~ "LOVERS CONCERTO";


Aside I could resist adding; I once did an interview with ? wherein he insisted that he had actually wrote that song in spite of the undeniable fact that the Toys version was clearly recorded first. Then again ? also claimed he was regularly contacted by UFO's so whatever.

? & THE MYSTERIANS ~ "CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF YOU BABY";


Besides the Toys there were other lush Phil Specter wall-of-sound records from lesser known artists including Karyn Mann who's single "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" (which Crewe co-wrote) was not especially memorable until transplanted Anglo-American group The Walker Brother scored a massive hit with their even more lush version. Crewe even managed to finally score a moderate hit under his own name with a rather cheesy lounge instrumental called "Music To Watch Girls By" followed up with the theme from the Jane Fonda sci-fi movie "Barbarella".

THE WALKER BROTHERS ~ "THE SUN AIN'T GONNA SHINE ANYMORE";


From the more straight ahead rock & roll side there was Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels who scored a series of classic soul-garage rockers like "Jenny Take A Ride" (which Crewe co-wrote), "Sock It to Me" (ditto), "Devil With A Blue Dress" and "Little Latin Lupe Lou". Another Detroit garage band was The Rationals with a blistering cover of The Kinks "I Need You".

MITCH RYDER & THE DETROIT WHEELS ~ "CC RIDER/JENNY TAKE A RIDE";


Crewe wound down DynoVoice in 1968 as it became tougher for indie record to compete with the majors. After taking some time off he was back in the 1970's with disco hits by Disco Tex and his Sexolettes and LaBelle's "Lady Marmalade" (which he again co-wrote) and Frankie Valli. A near fatal car crash sent him into semi-retirement later in the decade. Crewe would return to his first love as an artist and sculpture and had his work praised by Andy Warhol. Crew died at age of 83

MITCH RYDER & THE DETROIT WHEELS ~ "SOCK IT TO ME";


THE RATIONALS ~ "LEAVING HERE" & "RESPECT";

Two CIUT Host/DJ's; Nik Beat and Reiner Schwartz

Two DJ's from CIUT died this past month. Reiner Schwartz was a fixture in the FM dial in Toronto from the time FM went on the air in the late sixties with CHUM FM. That's when CHUM FM was known for it's free-format mix of album long psychedelic tracks, free jazz, fusion and blues. Reiner later made his way to CFNY and became the last program director before they became "The Edge" and started sucking. He was coaxed out of retirement last year to come to CIUT where he hosted an open format show on Sunday afternoons. He was already in poor health and died of various complications. He was almost a parody of a classic FM DJ but in a good way; laidback, friendly, unpretentious and endlessly curious about music.

Nik Beat (real name Mike Beary) was a well known figure on the poetry and spoken word scene in Toronto, hosting "Howl" Tuesday nights on CIUT for twenty years. He championed local writers. poets, zinesters, spoken word artists and musicians who he had on his show over the years. He died suddenly of a stroke the night after doing his show and going to an after party with the Black Keys. He was 58.

I frankly barely knew him yet he when I got my show on CIUT in 2009 he was one of the first to send congrats. He will be missed on the scene. The show "Howl" will continue to air on CIUT Tuesdays with co-host Nancy Burris. Expect a tribute this week.

NIK BEAT AND LINDA MERCER LIVE ON CIUT 2009;

Two Notable Celtic Folk Musicians

Jean Redpath was a Scottish folk singer who learned hundreds of traditional Scottish folk songs while studying Medieval Studies at The University of Edinburgh before moving to America in 1961 where she joined the folk scene and played with the likes of Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Ramblin Jack Elliott, and Pete Seeger. She was quickly signed to Elektra Records and began recording albums in 1962. With her scholarly Redpath also became artist-in-residence at Wesleyan University in Connecticut in 1972 until 1976 when she began a mammoth project to record the entire works of Robbie Burns set to music working with composer Serge Hovey. The project was proposed to run for twenty two volumes but was scrapped after seven volumes and 323 songs when Hovey died in 1989. Redpath continued to tour, record and lecture at Universities and was awarded an MBE for her work. She died of cancer at 77.

JEAN REDPATH ON PETE SEEGER'S 1960's TV SHOW;


JEAN REDPATH ~ "SONNY'S DREAM";


Buddy MacMaster was a master of Celtic fiddle music in Nova Scotia. He was actually born in Timmons, Ontario from a Gaelic speaking family who moved to Cape Breton, Nova Scotia in 1928 when he was four. He learned tradtional Scottish fiddle playing and was a semi-professional musician by the time he was twelve although he got a full time job working on the railways until he retired in 1988. He played regularly on the CBC and was widely respected as a master fiddler and was even invited to Scotland to teach. He was also the father of well known fiddler Natalie MacMaster, together they opned for the White Stripes when they played in Nova Scotia in 2007. He died at 89.

BUDDY & NATALIE MACMASTER;

Three Bassists; Tommy Ramone, Charlie Haden and Billy Rath

Although they wouldn't appear to have much in common Tommy Ramone and Charlie Haden, who both died last week, both played in two highly influential underground bands who would inspire entire genres.

THE RAMONES ~ "JUDY IS A PUNK" 1974;


At this point The Ramones need no introduction; whether or not they actually invented punk (they didn't) they were certainly instrumental in popularizing it to a generation on both sides of the Atlantic. The previous punk bands of the American scene were either artsy (Television, Patti Smith, Suicide, Richard Hell, Pere Ubu, Velvet Underground) or Glam-Trash (Stooges, New York Dolls) or retro (Robert Gordon, Flaming Groovies, Mink DeVille), or Power Pop (Blondie), but the Ramones were so decidedly working class that were able connect with kids in a way none of the others did.

THE RAMONES LIVE 1977;


The Ramones would be cited as a seminal influence on bands outside the New York scene to places like London (where the Sex Pistols, Motorhead, Vibrators, Damned and Clash would be fans), to Canada (Teenage Head, Diodes, Demics, Viletones, DOA) to Australia, Japan, Latin America and The Philippines. In spite of the fact that they never had any chart action and little airplay. Tommy played drums and co-produced their first three albums from 1974 to 78; "The Ramones", "Leave Home", and "Rocket to Russia", as well as the live album "It's Alive". Exhausted by the heavy tour schedule he quit the band in 1978 to be replaced by Marky Ramone. Tommy would remain to produce their fourth album "Road To Ruin". He would later return to co-produce their eighth album "Too Tough To Die".

THE RAMONES ~ "GLAD TO SEE YOU GO";


Besides the Ramones he also produced records in the 1980s he produced the Replacements album "Tim", as well as Redd Kross's "Neurotica". In 2006 he formed bluegrass duo Uncle Monk with former Simplistics singer Claudia Tienan who recorded one album. I had them on my radio show once in 2007 playing live and got him to sign my mandolin. He died of cancer aged 65.

THE RAMONES ~ "PIN HEAD" 1977;


As Tommy Ramone ended his career with old time country music jazz bassist Charlie Haden started there. Haden sang with his family as The Haden Family on their radio show starting when he was two years old, later taking up the bass. He discovered jazz as a teenager moving to Los Angeles eventually playing with Art Pepper and Paul Bley before ultimately joining sax player Ornette Coleman for the recording of the 1959 album "The Shape Of Jazz To Come" and the followup 1960 album "Free Jazz". These albums kicked and gave a name to the free jazz genre that had been forming around players like John Coltrane and Eric Dolphy for a few years. Free Jazz became a powerful force in underground jazz through the 1960's leading to players like Albert Ayler and Pharaoh Sanders and being particularly influential in Europe.



Haden would quit and rejoin Colman's quartet through the sixties as well as he battled drug addiction later joining Keith Jarrett's Trio and then forming another group with Don Cherry. Haden would form The Liberation Music Orchestra with Carla Bley (ex-wife of Paul) in the 1970's. The Liberation Music Orch was combined more structured with classical influences along with strong political themes based around the Spanish Civil War. Haden was once arrested in Portugal for introducing a song by dedicating it to Che Guevara. From the 1980's on Haden formed other bands and recorded albums that included string sections and folk music. He died of complications of polio he had as a child aged 76.



Billy Rath; Bassist for Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers



Speaking of bassists; Tim Williams ~ Bassist for L/A. Hardcore/Thrash band Suicidal Tendencies (although not an original member) ~ 30

SUICIDAL TENDENCIES ~ "INSTITUTIONALIZED";

Some 1960's Rockers Pass On

Gerry Goffin ~ 1960's songwriter worked with (and later married and divorced) Carole King. Starting in 1959 they became one of the prolific songwriting teams working out of the Brill Building in New York City writing hit songs like;

LITTLE EVA ~ "THE LOCOMOTION";


THE VISCOUNTS ~ "WHO PUT THE BOMP";


THE ANIMALS ~ "DON'T BRING ME DOWN";


GRAND FUNK RAILROAD ~ "THE LOCOMOTION";


"Take Good Care of My Baby" (a hit for Bobby Vee), "Halfway to Paradise" (Tony Orlando, Billy Fury), "The Loco-Motion" (Little Eva, and later Grand Funk Railroad), "Go Away Little Girl" (Steve Lawrence, and later Donny Osmond), "It Might as Well Rain Until September" (Carole King), "One Fine Day" (The Chiffons and later Carole King), "Up on the Roof" (The Drifters), "I'm into Something Good" (Herman's Hermits), "Don't Bring Me Down" (The Animals), "Oh No Not My Baby" (Maxine Brown, and later The Action, Rod Stewart, Aretha Franklin and The Partridge Family), "Goin' Back" (Dusty Springfield, The Byrds), "Wasn't Born To Follow" (also The Byrds, later covered by The Sadies), "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" (Aretha Franklin), and "Pleasant Valley Sunday", "Star Collector", "Porpoise Song" (all by The Monkees, the last covered by The Grapes Of Wrath and The Church) along with a bunch of other songs by The Monkees and Drifters.

THE MONKEES ~ "PLEASANT VALLEY SUNDAY";


THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY ~ "OH NO NOT MY BABY";


He also worked with other songwriters in the 1960's on songs like "Who Put The Bomp" (by Curtis Lee & The Viscounts and later Showaddywaddy and The Boppers)

After splitting from King, Goffin released a solo album in 1973, It Ain't Exactly Entertainment, but it was not successful, and he began working with other composers, including Russ Titelman, Barry Goldberg, and then Michael Masser.[7] He and Masser won an Academy Award nomination in 1976 for the theme to the film Mahogany, sung by Diana Ross; and also wrote "Saving All My Love for You", a worldwide hit for Whitney Houston, "Tonight, I Celebrate My Love", and "Nothing's Gonna Change My Love for You". Goffin and Masser also received a Golden Globe nomination for "So Sad the Song" from the 1976 Gladys Knight film Pipe Dreams. He recorded another solo album in 1994 which included two collaborations with Bob Dylan. He later was an early booster for Kelly Clarkson. He died at 75

THE MONKEES ~ "STAR COLLECTOR";


THE MONKEES ~ "PORPOISE SONG";


Bobby Womack started out as a gospel singer in a group with his brothers as The Womack Brothers on Sam Cooke's SAR records in the mid 1960's. After recording a few singles ("Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray") they made the same journey Cooke himself made in moving to secular R&B under the name The Valentinos who would record the single "It's All Over Now" which was a moderate hit until it was covered by The Rolling Stones who had a major hit with it. Womack was at first angry at having his hit record undermined until Sam Cooke told him; "You'll feel differently once the royalty checks come in. This will be good for us." That turned out to be right as Womack would have to admit. He would later have solo hits with "Lookin' For a Love", "That's The Way I Feel About Cha", "Woman's Gotta Have It", "Harry Hippie", "Across 110th Street" and his 1980s hit "If You Think You're Lonely Now". Ironically he would also do covers of hits like Dylan's "All Along The Watch Tower" and John Phillips' "California Dreaming".

THE VALENTINOS ~ "IT'S ALL OVER NOW";


THE ROLLING STONES ~ "IT'S ALL OVER NOW";


BOBBY WOMACK ~ "CALIFORNIA DREAMING";


Answering the question "Can a white boy play the blues?", Johnny Winter was the whitest bluesman ever. Well, along with his brother Edgar, since they were both albinos. Beginning as teens in various garage bands in Texas as early as 1959 Johnny would later go solo and become a highly respected guitarist plying with Mike Bloomfield, Al Kooper, Willie Dixon, Big Walter Horton, Janis Joplin, Rick Derringer and eventually producing an album for Muddy Waters. He also battled drug addiction over the years which he eventually beat. Winter continued to play up to his death at 70.

JOHNNY WINTER, MUDDY WATERS, JOHN LEE HOOKER & FOGHAT ~ "I JUST WANNA MAKE LOVE TO YOU";


JOHNNY WINTER ~ "JUMPING JACK FLASH";


Lee Dresser ~ 50's & 60's ~ American R&R singer/guitar w/the The Krazy Kats "Beat Out My Love" (later covered by the Cramps)

LEE DRESSER & THE KRAZY KATS ~ "BEAT OUT MY LOVE";


George Hamilton IV, not to be confused with the actor, was a country and folk singer of the 1960's who scored a number of hits the biggest of which was "Abaline". Later in the decade he adopted folk music and recorded popular albums of Canadian music including hit versions of Gordon Lightfoot songs, even though he was actually not Canadian.

GEORGE HAMILTON IV ~ "ABILINE" & "FORT WORTH DALLAS OF HOUSTON";


Idris Muhammad ~ American jazz drummer w/Fats Domino, Pharaoh Sanders, Ahmad Jamal, Grover Washington jr, Hank Crawford, Johnny Griffon, Gene Ammons ~ 74

PHARAOH SANDERS;


AHMAD JAMAL ~ "DARN THAT DREAM";


Manny Roth ~ Owner of 1960's New York nightclub Cafe Wha?, a folk & comedy club where Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Bruce Springsteen, The Velvet Underground, Paul Butterfield, Peter, Paul & Mary, Woody Allen, Lenny Bruce, Joan Rivers, Bill Cosby, Richard Pryor started. Also the uncle of Van Halen singer David Lee Roth ~ 95

THE VELVET UNDERGROUND & NICO ~ "SYMPHONY OF SOUND";


THE VELVET UNDERGROUND & THE EXPLODING PLASTIC INEVITABLE;


PAUL BUTTERFIELD BLUES BAND ~ "BORN UNDER A BAD SIGN";

Herb Jeffries; Pioneering Black Western Star Dies At 100

Herb Jeffries had a unique (not to mention very long) career in two completely different genres; Big Band Jazz singer with Duke Ellington, Earl Fatha Hines, Sidney Bechet and Erskine Tate from the early 1930's Jeffries took an odd career shift in 1937. Taking note of the success of Gene Autry, Jeffries teamed up with black film-maker Spencer Williams to make a series of western musicals with a all black casts. These played well in the black theatre circuit are considered the first successful black westerns. Jeffries is remembered as a pioneer of black films (Mario Van Peebles included a clip of him at the end of his modern western "Posse") but he is rarely mentioned in most film histories probably due to most of his films being seen as trivial B Movies, although he did get a star on the walk of fame. After getting some renewed interest he came out of retirement in 1995 at the age of 85 to record an album of country/western songs. He died in May 2014 at the age of 100.

HERB JEFFRIES w/ DUKE ELLINGTON ~ "FLAMINGO";


HERB JEFFRIES & THE FOUR TUNES ~ "I'M A HAPPY COWBOY";


HERB JEFFRIES & THE FOUR TUNES ~ "GOT THE PAYDAY BLUES";

Some Canadian Punk & New Wave Figures Pass

Nash The Slash; All good punks know that prog-rock sucked, and was in fact one of the reasons why punk happened. However in Toronto at least there was one exception, Nash The Slash and FM. They were an artsy prog-rock band with influences from the reasonably cool side of prog (like King Crimson) who were considered acceptable by most punks. This was partly due to Nash's "Mummy wearing a tuxedo" persona (although he did not start out that way) but also due to FM's reasonably non-pretentious air and their willingness to be part of the scene at all. Unlike the British Progs who ran screaming from punk. Nash (whose real name was Jeff Plewman)was even supposed to play the legendary "Last Pogo" concert which was recorded and filmed, he is even listed on the concert listings. Unfortunately he injured his hand and could not play. It helped that FM was formed in 1976, concurrent with punk, and like the punks had to struggle to find places to play at all in Toronto's (and Canada's) live and radio scene at the time which was focused on tired cover bands. FM recorded one album, "Black Noise" and scored an appearance on TVO (an Ontario version of PBS best known for children's programing like "The Polka-Dot Door" and revivals of classic B&W movies) before breaking up and sending Nash off to an eccentric solo career in which he would play literally every instrument, even on stage. He recorded several solo albums with moderate success in Canada and Britain where he was cited as an influence by Gary Numan and John Foxx's Ultravox. These alternated with FM reunions and shows in which he played soundtracks to silent horror films like "Nosferatu". Off stage he was a nice polite balding middle aged guy with glasses. One of the first shows I went to was actually an FM show at the Copa Klub, which is now long gone.

FM ~ "PHASORS ON STUN" (ON TVO 1976);


FM ~ "BLACK NOISE"


Another not-quite-punk-but-still-kinda-punk band of the late 1970's Toronto scene was The Dishes. One of the first bands on the Toronto scene, the Dishes were definitely of the early Roxy Music art school genre (also openly gay) that many these days don't consider punk at all but at the time they were an important part of the scene, for a lot of the same reasons as FM; lack of places to play, lack of record company support, lack of radio airplay, media hostility and willingness to support other such bands. They recorded an album, played a lot of gigs, managed to appear on TVO and then broke up and missed playing the iconic Last Pogo. After they broke up drummer Steven Davey formed another band called the Everglades in which he sang. They actually did play the Last Pogo and appear on the long out of print album, but not the movie. Then they broke up too and he went on to be a music writer for the Toronto Star. Later he moved on to Food Critic for Now Magazine he died suddenly this past week.

THE DISHES ~ "TWILIGHT ZONE";


THE DISHES ~ "MONOPOLIES ARE MADE AT NIGHT";


Richard Carstens ~ Singer/Guitarist with 1980's & 90's Indie Bands Madhouse, Wammee and Granny as well as solo ~ 54

THE WAMMEE ~ "WALKIN SIDE WAYS";


MADHOUSE ~ "MISERY";


Dave Gregg ~ Guitarist with Canadian Punk band D.O.A. ~ 54

DOA ~ "WORLD WAR 3";


DOA ~ "THE PRISONER";


David Finkelman ~ 30's ~ Guitarist w/Alberta Noise Metal band Energetic Action

ENERGETIC ACTION ~ "DICIPLINE";


Doug Queen ~ Accordionist with Country Rock Band Jughead, best known for "The Hockey Song" ~ 49
JUGHEAD ~ "THE HOCKEY SONG";

The People Who Died - 2014 Edition

Alberta Adams ~ Blues singer from the 1950's on, recorded with Chess, Savoy Records ~ 97

Victor Agnello ~ Drummer with American Thrash Metal band Lääz Rockit ~ 50

Johnny Allen ~ Soul music composer/arranger with Issac Hayes ("Shaft") ~ 96

Johnny Ray Allen ~ American roots rock bassist The Subdudes ~ 56

Dave Appell ~ Pianist and arranger for Cameo/Parkways records in the 1950's & 60's for Charlie Gracie, Dee Dee Sharp, The Orlons, Chubby Checker, Bobby Rydell, The Dovells and John Zacherle as well as his one band The Applejacks, previously worked with swing bands including Jimmy Lunceford, Earl Fatha Hines, Benny Carter, later with Tony Orlando ~ 92

Lester Armistead ~ American bluegrass musician ~ 71

Angèle Arsenault ~ Acadian Singer/Songwriter ~ 74

Vic Ash ~ English 1950's & 60's jazz saxophonist and clarinetist played with Cab Calloway, Frank Sinatra, Hoagy Carmicheal, Kenny Baker ~ 84

Gil Askey ~ American/Australian R&B Pianist/Composer/Arranger with Motown, got Oscar Nomination for Diana Ross' Billie Holliday biopic "Lady Sings The Blues" ~ 89

Jonathan Athon ~ Bassist for American matal band Black Tusk ~ 32

Mike Atta ~ Guitarist w/1970's & 80's California Hardcore band Middle Class ~

Simone Battle ~ American singer (G.R.L. and American Idol contestant ~ 25

Nik Beat ~ (real name Micheal Beary) Toronto poet, spoken word artist, musician and CIUT radio host ~ 58

Ronnie Bedford ~ American jazz drummer with Pee Wee Russell ~ 83

Fanny Beecher ~ Rockabilly guitarist with Bill Haley's Comets ~ 91

Mark Bell ~ British musician and house music producer (LFO) ~ 43

Al Belletto ~ American Jazz sax and clarinet player w/Woody Herman, Louis Prima & Wing Malone from the 1950's & 60's ~ 86

Malik Bendjelloul ~ Swedish Academy Award-winning documentary film director (Searching for Sugar Man) ~ 36

Joe Bethancourt ~ American Folk singer/guitarist/banjoist/harpist/lutist ~ 68

Kerrie Biddell ~ Australian jazz and session singer, backup singer w/ Dusty Springfield ~ 67

Big Bank Hank ~ American rapper w/ 1980's group The Sugarhill Gang ~ 57

Acker Bilk ~ British 1950's & 60's Trad Jazz clarinet player "Stranger On The Shore" ~ 85

John Blake, Jr. ~ American jazz violinist w/ Grover Washington jr, McCoy Tyner ~ 67

Maggie Boyle ~ Anglo-Irish folk singer ~ 57

Rob Brent ~ Guitarist for London/Toronto 1970's punk band The Demics ("New York City")

Agustín Briolini ~ Argentinian rock singer ~ 23

Dave Brockie ~ Singer with Shock/Gore Metal Band Gwar ~ 50

Jack Bruce ~ Singer, Bassist and Harpist with classic sixties power trio Cream, also The Graham Bond Organization ~ 71

Gary Burger ~ Singer with 1960's American/German Garage Band The Monks ~ 70

Mike Burney ~ Aaxophonist with British Progrock band Wizzard ~ 70

Mick Burt, British drummer w/Rockney band Chas & Dave ~

Andre Bush ~ American jazz guitarist (Nnenna Freelon) ~ 45

Jackie Cain ~ Vocalist with 1950's Jazz/Pop vocal duo Jackie and Roy ~ 86

Roy Campbell Jr. ~ Free Jazz trumpet player, solo and played with Don Cherry,Yo La Tengo, William Parker, Peter Brotzmann, Matthew Shipp ~ 61

Milton Cardona ~ Puerto Rican Jazz conga jazz player ~ 69

Joe Carr ~ Texas Bluegrass and Western Swing guitarist, mandolinist and ukelele player from the 1970's on ~ 63

Richard Carstens ~ Toronto Singer/guitarist with indie bands Madhouse, The Wammee, Granny & solo ~ 54

Bob Casale ~ Guitarist for American New Wave icons Devo ~ 61

Buddy Catlett ~ American Jazz bassist w/Louis Armstrong, Bill Coleman, Freddie Hubbard, Coleman Hawkins, Junior Mance, Johnny Griffin, Eddie Lockjaw Davis ~ 81

Gustavo Cerati ~ Argentine singer and musician w/ New Wave Latin Band Soda Stereo ~ 55

Roy Cicala ~ American record producer and engineer, worked Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Aerosmith, John Lennon, Bruce Springsteen, Patti Smith, David Bowie ~ 74

Lee Black Childers ~ New York Photographer of 1960's Andy Warhol and 1970's Punk Rock scenes ~ 68

Jessica Cleaves ~ American 1970's R&B singer w/The Friends of Distinction, Earth, Wind & Fire ~ 65

Joe Cocker ~ British R&B singer from the 1960's ("With A Little Help From my Friends", "You Are So Beautiful", "Up Where We Belong") ~ 70

Michael Coleman ~ Chicago blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter ~ 58

Little Joe Cook ~ Singer w/1950's Doo Wop Group Little Joe & The Thrillers ("Do The Slop" & "Peanuts" also sang with The Evening Stars and The Sherries ~ 91

Dave Cooper ~ 60 ~ Toronto guitarist w/Tom Cochran, Ian Thomas, Hott Roxx, Garnett Ford, Pulsar, Klaatu, MacKenzie Bros

Jerry Corbitt ~ Guitarist with 1960's Folk Rock band The Youngbloods ("Come Together")

Glenn Cornick ~ Guitarist w/UK 1970's Prog-Rock band Jethro Tull ~ 67

Paul Craft ~ Nashville country songwriter for Mark Chesnutt, Ray Stevens, Linda Ronstadt, Bobby Bare, The Eagles, Seldom Scene ~ 76

Bob Crewe ~ American songwriter ("The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine (Anymore)", "Lady Marmalade") and record producer (The Four Seasons, Mitch Ryder, The Toys), owner of DynoVoice Records ~ 82

Pierre Cullaz ~ French modern jazz guitarist and cellist ~ 78

Jason Curley ~ Bassist w/ Australian stoner rock band Tumbleweed ~ 42

Dick Dale ~ Pop singer and sax player with Lawrence Welk, (not related to legendary surf guitarist Dick Dale) ~ 88

Steven Davey ~ Drummer w/1970's Toronto Art Punks The Dishes, later singer with The Everglades, still later music writer with the Toronto Star and food critic with Now Magazine ~ 64

Scott Day (AKA Scott Montana) ~ 30's ~ Drummer with Toronto late 80's Glam Metal band Blackglama

Rod de'Ath ~ Welsh drummer with 1960's blues rock band Killing Floor and Rory Gallagher ~ 64

Buddy DeFranco, 91, American jazz clarinet player from the swing to bebop eras, played with Gene Krupa, Charlie Barnet, Art Tatum, Oscar Peterson, Sonny Clark as well as leading his own bands, took over leadership of Glenn Miller's Orch in the 1960's ~ 91

Penny DeHaven ~ 1970's Country Singer & Hee Haw cast member ~ 65

George Donaldson ~ Scottish singer/Guitarist & Flutist with Celtic Thunder ~ 46

Allan Douglass ~ UK record producer for Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton ~ 80

Arthur Doyle ~ American Jazz sax player and flutist ~ 69

Lee Dresser ~ 50's & 60's ~ American R&R singer/guitar w/the The Krazy Kats "Beat Out My Love" (later covered by the Cramps) Kenny Drew jr ~ American jazz pianist ~ 56

Mundo Earwood ~ American 1970's & 80's country music singer-songwriter ~ 61

DJ Eazy Rock ~ 1990's Hip Hop & Dance DJ w/Rob Base ("It Takes Two") ~ 46

Val Eddy ~ American jazz musician, singer and band leader ~ 88

Joe Evans ~ American Jazz Saxman, played with Jay McShann, Charlie Parker, Don Redman, Louis Armstrong, Mary Lou Williams, Coleman Hawkins, Fats Navarro, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Ben Thigpen, Cab Calloway, Billie Holiday, Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, Lionel Hampton and Ivory Joe Hunter ~ 97

Phil Everly ~ American singer and musician with The Everly Brothers w/hits, "Cathy's Clown", "When Will I Be Loved", "Wake Up Little Suzi" ~ 74

Christian Falk ~ Singer and bassist w/Swedish alt-band Imperiet ~ 52

Glen Feick AKA Anus Bird ~ Singer with 1990's Toronto Hardcore band Dirty Bird

Lionel Ferbos ~ New Orleans Jazz Trumpet player from the 1930's on. Played with Mamie Smith and appeared in the 1978 movie "Pretty Baby" ~ 103

David Finkelman ~ 30's ~ Guitarist w/Alberta Noise Metal band Energetic Action

King Fleming ~ Jazz/R&B pianist and band leader from the 1940's, 50's & 60's. Played with Wynonie Harris on Apollo, Johnny Alston and His Orchestra, Oliver "King" Perry's Pied Pipers ~ 91

Med Flory ~ American 1970's Jazz saxophonist with Supersax ~ 87

Buren Fowler ~ American rock and roll guitarist (Drivin' N Cryin', R.E.M.) ~ 54

Joe Frazier ~ Singer with 1960's folk trio The Chad Mitchell Trio ~ 77

Dennis Frederiksen ~ American rock singer (Angel, Le Roux, Toto) ~ 62

John Fry ~ American record producer, founder of Ardent Studios, producer for Big Star ~ 69

Irving Fuller ~ 86 ~ North Caolina R&B sax player & bandleader with the Chorvettes

Ed Gagliardi ~ Bass guitarist with Foreigner "I Wanna Know What Love Is", "Juke Box Hero", "Urgent" ~ 62

PJ Galligan ~ Guitarist for 1980's Hardcore Punk band The Angry Samoans

Jim Galloway ~ Scottish-born Canadian jazz clarinet and saxophone player ~ 78

Brian Goble ~ Singer and bassist for classic Vancouver Punk bands The Subhumans, DOA and The Skulls ~ 57

Anna Gordy Gaye ~ Soul songwriter and record company exec with Motown and later her own Anna Records. Sister of Barry Gordy and wife of Marvin Gaye ~ 92

Eric Gentry ~ Singer with American Alt-Rock Band A Feast For Kings ~ 21

Shane Gibson ~ Guitarist with American Nu Metal Band Korn ~ 35

HR Giger ~ Swiss artist, designed the sets and monsters for the "Alien" movies as well as for a Dead Kennedys lp which was the subject of court action ~ 74

Tommy Gill ~ American jazz pianist ~ 49

Paul Goddard ~ Bassist w/1970's Southern Rock Band The Atlanta Rhythm Section) ~ 68

Gerry Goffin ~ 1960's Brill Building songwriter worked with Carole King, wrote; "Take Good Care of My Baby" (a hit for Bobby Vee), "Halfway to Paradise" (Tony Orlando, Billy Fury), "The Loco-Motion" (Little Eva, and later Grand Funk Railroad), "Go Away Little Girl" (Steve Lawrence, and later Donny Osmond), "It Might as Well Rain Until September" (Carole King), "One Fine Day" (The Chiffons), "Up on the Roof" (The Drifters), "I'm into Something Good" (Herman's Hermits), "Don't Bring Me Down" (The Animals), "Oh No Not My Baby" (Maxine Brown, and later Rod Stewart), "Goin' Back" (Dusty Springfield, The Byrds), "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" (Aretha Franklin), and "Pleasant Valley Sunday" (The Monkees), "Who Put The Bomp" (Curtis Lee), "Saving All My Love For You" (Whitney Houston) ~ 75

Johnnie Gray ~ British jazz musician ~ 94

Bobby Gregg ~ American session drummer (Bob Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel) ~ 78

Dave Gregg ~ Guitarist with Canadian Punk band D.O.A. ~ 54

James Grey ~ Keyboardist with Blue Rodeo and Vital Sines

John Gustafson ~ English singer and bassist w/ Ian Gillan Band, Roxy Music, The Big Three ~ 72

Peter Gutteridge ~ Singer and guitarist for New Zealand post-punk bands The Clean, The Chills, Snapper ~ 53

Charlie Haden ~ Free Jazz bassist with Ornette Coleman, Keith Jarrett and his own Liberation Music Orchestra with singer Carla Bley ~ 76

Shin Hae-chul ~ South Korean pop singer (N.EX.T) ~ 46

George Hamilton IV ~ American 1960's country music singer ("Abilene", "Forth Worth, Dallas Or Houston"), later branched into folk music with covers of Candian songs by Gordon Lightfoot ~ 77

Georges Hamel ~ Quebec country singer ~ 66

Al Harewood ~ Jazz drummer with Dexter Gordon, Stanley Turrentine & Ike Quebec ~ 90

Tim Hauser ~ American singer with Jazz Vocal group The Manhattan Transfer ~ 72

Wayne Henderson ~ American Soul Jazz trombonist with The Jazz Crusaders ~ 74

Larry Henley ~ American pop singer (The Newbeats) and songwriter ("Wind Beneath My Wings") ~ 77

Alice Herz-Sommer ~ Czech-British pianist, world's oldest Holocaust survivor, subject of Oscar winning documentary "The Lady in Number 6" ~ 110

Rosetta Hightower ~ Singer with 1960's R&B vocal group The Orlons ("The Wah Watutsi") and backup group for Dee Dee Sharp ("Mashed Potato Time" and "Gravy (for My Mashed Potatoes") ~ 70

Fred Ho ~ American Jazz Sax player, composer, music critic and political activist ~ 56

Teenie Hodges ~ American R&B guitarist (Hi Rhythm Section) and songwriter ("Take Me to the River", "Love and Happiness") ~ 68

Kelly Holland ~ Singer with 1990's Southern Rock band Cry For Love ~ 52

John Holt ~ Jamaican Ska singer and songwriter with The Paragons, wrote "Tide In High" later covered by Blondie ~ 67

Jake Hooker ~ Israeli-born American pop musician (Arrows), co-writer ("I Love Rock 'n' Roll" later covered by Joan Jett ~ 61

Josh Hunter ~ Musician with Calgary Indie-Pop band Zachariah And The Prophets ~ 21

Jadiel ~ Puerto Rican reggaeton singer ~ 28

Jimi Jamison ~ Singer w/1980's pop band Survivor ("Eye Of The Tiger") and bands Target and Cobra ~ 63

Lois Johnson ~ American 1970's country music singer ~ 72

Barbara Jones ~ Jamaican reggae/gospel singer ~ 62

Buddy Jones ~ American bluegrass musician ~ 77

Clive Jones ~ Sax and flute player for British 1960's Psyche-Metal band Black Widow ~ 65

Ronny Jordan ~ British modern jazz guitarist ~ 51

Dennis Kamakahi ~ Grammy Award winning Hawaiian Guitarist ~ 61

Dalire Kaneohe ~ American hula dancer, first Miss Aloha Hula winner ~ 64

Patrik Karlsson ~ Swedish bassist with Swedish 1960's & 70's Rock/Pop Band Sven-Ingvars ~ 53

Casey Kasam ~ American radio DJ and TV host of "American Top Thirty", also the voice of Scooby Doo's Shaggy ~ 82

Jim Keays ~ Australian Singer/Harpist for Psyche band The Masters Apprentices ~ 67

David Kennedy ~ Drummer with 1980's Toronto band Evelynne Pig

Bobby Keys ~ Sax player with The Rolling Stones, John Lennon, Joe Cocker and solo ~ 70

Millie Kirkham ~ 1950's & 60's Nashville backup singer with Elvis Presley, Patsy Cline, Ferlin Huskey, Jordinaires, Wanda Jackson, Pat Boone ~ 91

Frankie Knuckles ~ 1990's DJ & Producer, worked with Pet Shop Boys, Lisa Stansfield, Luther Vandross, Chaka Kahn, Whitney Houston, Toni Braxton, Diana Ross, Micheal Jackson, Janet Jackson ~ 59

Maria Kolokouri ~ Greek rock singer w/Astarte ~ 37

Gert Krawinkel ~ Guitarist with 1980's German New Wave group Trio ("Da Da Da") ~ 61

Hank LoConti ~ Rock and roll music venue owner of The Agora in Cleavland ~ 85

Joe Lala ~ Drummer with Manassas, Bee Gees, Whitney Houston, CSNY, Blues Image ~ 66

David Lamb ~ Singer/guitarist with American Folk/Rock Band Brown Bird ~ 35

Willie Lara ~ Trinidadian parang musician ~ 84

Freddie "Fingers" Lee ~ British 1960's rock guitarist, played on recordings with Gene Vincent, Screaming Lord Sutch and Marty Wilde ~ 76

Selim Lemouchi ~ Guitarist and songwriter for Dutch Metal Band (The Devil's Blood ~ 34

Willie Lewis ~ American Rockabilly singer and owner of Rock-A-Billy Records label ~ 70's

Arthur Louis ~ American-born British reggae singer ("Knockin' on Heaven's Door") ~ 64

Buddy MacMaster ~ Canadian Celtic fiddler from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, father of Natalie MacMaster ~ 89

Lee McBee ~ American Blues singer & harmonica player from the 1970's & 80's w/Bonnie Raitt, Jimmy Rogers, Doug Sahm, Johnny Winter and Mike Morgan & The Crawl ~ 63

Jason McCash ~ Bassist with American Doom Metal Band Gates Of Slumber ~ 38

Paddy McGuigan ~ Irish singer/songwriter with The Barleycom ~ 74

Ian McLagan, 69, English keyboardist with 1960's Mods The Small Faces and The Faces, later played with Chuck Berry, Jackson Browne, Joe Cocker, Bob Dylan, Melissa Etheridge, Bonnie Raitt, Paul Westerberg, Izzy Stradlin, Frank Black, Nikki Sudden, John Mayer, Bruce Springsteen, Mick Taylor Lucinda Williams and Billy Bragg ~ 69

Colin McQuillan ~ Vocalist w/Belfast Street-Punk/Oi band Runnin' Riot ~

Paul Mancuso (AKA Cuzo) ~ Bassist with Toronto Irish Punk band The Mahones

Johnny Mann ~ American Pop Songwriter ("Up Up And Away"), also Alvin & The Chipmunks ~ 85

Jan Manschott ~ Drummer with Dutch hard rock band Normaal ~ 66

Andrea Marongiu ~ British-Italian drummer w/ dance band Crystal Fighters

Bongani Masuku ~ South African singer with Johnny Clegg & Jaluka ~ 50

Cosimo Matassa ~ New Orleans record producer from the 1940's to the 60's, produced Little Richard, Fats Domino, Lee Dorsey, Dr John ~ 84

Bill Merritt ~ Bassist with 1970's rock folk-rock and country-rock bands Mood Jga Jga, Fabulous George and the Zodiacs, Be Bop Beluga, Rocky Rolletti and Prairie Dog, later co-founder of The Winnipeg Folk Festival ~ 66

Bob Montgomery ~ Songwriter w Buddy Holly's first band, Bob & Buddy; wrote "Heartbeat" (later covered by The Knack), "Love's Made A Fool Of You" (covered by Bibby Fuller) and "Back In Baby's Arms" done by Patsy Cline and "Misty Blue" by Eddy Arnold ~ 77

Carlos Emilio Morales ~ Cuban jazz guitarist ~ 75

Jonny Morelli ~ Italian metal drummer ~ 30

Ralph Morman ~ American vocalist w/The Joe Perry Project, BUX, Savoy Brown ~ 65

Idris Muhammad ~ American jazz drummer w/Fats Domino, Pharaoh Sanders, Ahmad Jamal, Grover Washington jr, Hank Crawford, Johnny Griffon, Gene Ammons ~ 74

Charles Nabess ~ Canadian Métis rock guitarist and fiddler ~ 67

Nash The Slash ~ Canadian Prog-Rock Violinist/Mondolinist solo and with FM, known for his persona of bandages and tuxedo ~ 67

Jimmy C. Newman ~ American country & cajun singer from the 1950's & 60's ("A Fallen Star" & "Alligator Man") ~ 86

Paul Santino Nabor ~ Paranda/Punta Rock musician from Belize ~ 86

Frances Nero ~ American soul and jazz singer with Motwon ~ 71

Isaiah "Ikey" Owens ~ Keyboardist with The Mars Volta, TV On The Radio, Jack White, Mastadon, Shuggie Otis ~ 38

Clive Palmer ~ Banjoist with British folk band The Incredible String Band ~ 71

Rick Parashar ~ American record producer (Pearl Jam, Temple of the Dog, Alice in Chains, Blind Melon, Unwritten Law, Nickleback, Bon Jovi, 3 Doors Down, Melissa Etheridge) ~ 50

Armando Peraza ~ Cuban-born American Latin jazz percussionist w/Santana, Stan Kenton, George Shearing ~ 89

Michele "Shele" Pinizzotto ~ 66 ~ Guitarist with early 1970's American all-woman hard rock band Birtha

Sean Potts ~ Tin Whistle player with Irish Folk band The Chieftains ~ 83

Duffy Power ~ British 1960's R&B singer with Graham Bond and The Paramounts ~ 72

Ralph Pruitt ~ American 1960's & 70's R&B singer w/The Fantastic Four on Motown ~ 74

Gene Pyrz ~ Canadian actor and rockabilly singer ~ 56

Doug Queen ~ Accordionist with Toronto Country/Rock band Jughead ~ 49

Teddy Rakel ~ American jazz pianist ~ 88

Tommy Ramone ~ Real name Tommy Erdelyi, Drummer and later producer for iconic New York punk band The Ramones ("Rock & Roll Highschool", "Sheena Is A Punk Rocker", "Rockaway Beach", etc). Later formed a bluegrass duo called Uncle Monk ~ 65

Frankie Randall ~ American 1960's pop singer & actor ~ 76

Billy Rath ~ American bassist w/ Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers ~ 66

Zachariah Rathwell ~ Singer/Guitarist w/Calgary indie-pop band Zachariah & The Prophets ~ 23

Raphael Ravenscroft ~ British saxophonist, best known for Gerry Rafferty's 1978 "Baker Street" and Pink Floyd's "The Final Cut" ~ 60

Jean Redpath ~ Scottish-American folk singer from the 1960's on. Recorded seven volumes of Robbie Burns poems set to music. ~ 77

Frank Reed ~ Singer with 1970's Soul Group The Chi-Lights ~ 59

Wendy Rene ~ American soul singer on Stax Records ~ 67

Jair Rodrigues ~ Brazilian musician and singer ~ 75

Tony Rossini ~ Memphis Rock & Roll singer who recorded for Sun Records

Manny Roth ~ Owner of 1960's New York nightclub Cafe Wha?, a folk & comedy club where Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Bruce Springsteen, The Velvet Underground, Peter, Paul & Mary, Woody Allen, Lenny Bruce, Joan Rivers, Bill Cosby, Richard Pryor started. Also the uncle of Van Halen singer David Lee Roth ~ 95

Jimmy Ruffin ~ R&B singer with Motown, ("What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted") later with Chess. Brother of Temptations singer David Ruffin ~ 78

Bunny Rugs ~ Singer w/ Jamaican Reggae band Third World ~ 65

Masahide Sakuma ~ Keyboard player, bassist & guitarist with Japanese new wave band The Plastics and record producer ~ 61

Joe Sample ~ American jazz pianist/composer with Fusion bands The Modern Jazz Sextet and The Crusaders, also played with Miles Davis, George Benson, Jimmy Witherspoon, B. B. King, Eric Clapton, Steely Dan, The Supremes, Joni Mitchell, Marvin Gaye, Tina Turner, B. B. King, Joe Cocker, Minnie Riperton and Anita Baker., and songwriter ("One Day I'll Fly Away", "Street Life") ~ 75

Dave Sampson ~ English 1960's one-hit-wonder ("Sweet Dreams") ~ 73

Frankie Sardo ~ 1960's Pop singer ~ 77

Paulo Schrober ~ Guitarist for Brazilian Metal Band Almah ~ 40

Reiner Schwartz ~ Radio host at Toronto from the 1960's to the 80's at CHUM FM, CFNY and CIUT

Little Jimmy Scott ~ American Jazz singer from the 1950's & 60's; solo and w/Lionel Hampton and Charlie Parker did hit version of "Sweet Embraceable You" ~ 88

Rock Scully ~ American band manager (Grateful Dead) ~ 73

Dawn Sears ~ American country singer ~ 53

Pete Seeger ~ Iconic American Folk Singer and Folklorist, played with The New Lost City Ramblers, The Weavers and Woody Guthrie, later recorded literally dozens of solo albums. Wrote songs such as "Where Have All The Flowers Gone", "If I Had A Hammer" and "Turn Turn Turn" (later covered by The Byrds). Popularized songs like "We Shall Overcome" and "The Lion Speaks Tonight". Was also a leading civil rights activist from the 1940's on, was blacklisted by HUAC in the 1950's for over a decade. ~ 94

Renato Sellani ~ Italian jazz pianist and composer ~ 88

Kevin Sharp ~ American New Country singer ~ 43

James Alan Shelton ~ American bluegrass guitarist w/Ralph Stanley ~ 53

George Shuffler; Guitarist with Country/Bluegrass duos Stanley Bros, Bailey Bros ~ 88

Pete Shutler ~ Keyboardist & accordian player with British folk group The Yetties ~ 68

Horace Silver ~ Horace Silver American jazz pianist (Song for My Father, Blowin' the Blues Away) ~ 85

Tom Skeeter ~ Owner of Sound City Studios in Los Angeles in the late 60's, used by Neil Young, Dr. John, Spirit, Crazy Horse, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Leon Russell, Delaney & Bonnie, Joe Cocker, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (and his previous band Mudcrutch), Fleetwood Mac, Rick Springfield, Ronnie James Dio, Foreigner, The Black Crowes, Nirvana, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Metallica and Johnny Cash (Unchained, 1996) ~ 82

Rob Skipper ~ British rock musician with British indie band The Holloways ~ 28

Prince Philip Smart ~ Jamaican producer w/Lee Scratch Perry & King Tubby ~ 54

Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith ~ Western Swing/Honk-Tonk guitarist/banjoist from the 1940's, 50's & 60's. Did the original versions of "Guitar Boogie" & "Dueling Banjos" ~ 94

Eddie Smith ~ 60's ~ Singer with 1980's UK New Wave band the Gargoyles

Larry Smith ~ American record producer for Run–D.M.C. ~ 63

Bud Spangler ~ Detroiy jazz drummer with Stan Kenton, Stan Getz, later record producer and radio host ~ 75

MC Sparks ~ UK Garage artist ~

Tom Speer ~ Singer with Nashville Southern Gospel group the Speer Family from the 1950's onward

John Spinks ~ Singer and songwriter w/ UK 1980's Pop Band The Outfield ~ 60

Alvin Stardust (AKA Shane Fenton) ~ British rock singer from the 1960's & 70's. Real name Bernard Jewry but originally known as Shane Fenton having hits with "I'm A Moody Guy" and "Magic", in the 1970's was reborn as Glam Rocker Alvin Stardust with hits like "Coo Ca Choo" and "Jealous Mind" ~ 72

Wayne Static ~ Singer with American Nu-Metal band Static X ~ 48

Tyson Stevens ~ Singer-songwriter with Arizona Emo/Screamo Punk Band Scary Kids Scaring Kids ~ 29

Shelia Stewart ~ Scottish Folksinger and Folklorist, daughter of singer Belle Stewart ~ 77

Kathy Stobart ~ British jazz saxophonist and bandleader from the 1940's - 1970's ~ 89

Marlow Tackett ~ American country music singer ~ 69

Nick Talbot ~ Multi-Instrumentalist w/ UK band Gravenhurst and journalist ~ 37

Marty Thau ~ New York music producer, promoter and founder of Red Star Records. Manager of The New York Dolls, producer of Suicide, Fleshtones, Brian Setzer ~ 75

Tabby Thomas ~ Louisiana swamp blues singer ~ 84

Trebor Jay Tichenor ~ American Ragtime and Dixieland pianist & composer ~ 74

Samong Traisattha ~ Singer with Thai Death Metal band Surrender Divinity ~ 36

Jay Traynor ~ Original singer with 1960's rock vocal groups the Tokens, Jay and the Americans and the Mystics. Later became a manager and promoter ~ 70

Jerry Vale ~ 1950's Pop singer ~ 83

Cees Veerman ~ Singer/guitarist with Dutch 1960's Psyche-Pop band The Cats and The Mystic Four ~ 70

Luc De Vos ~ Singer/Guitarist with Belgian rock band Gork ~ 52

Dick Wagner ~ Guitarist for Alice Cooper, Lou Reed, Kiss Billy Joel, Peter Gabriel, Air Supply, BurtonCummings, Hall & Oates, Tim Curry and The Frost, wrote "Only Women Bleed" and "Welcome To My Nightmare" for Alice Cooper ~ 71

Cherry Wainer ~ South African/British Jazz & Rock keyboardist w/Lord Rockingham's XI

Gene Walker ~ American jazz and rock saxophonist ~ 76

Kenny Wheeler ~ Canadian Jazz trumpet player and band leader from the 1960's on w/ Anthony Braxton, Keith Jarrett, Derek Bailey, Bill Frisell, Lee Konitz, John Dankworth ~ 84

Duncan White (AKA King Grease) ~ 70's ~ Singer for 1970's Canadian band Greaseball Boogie and Shooter

Raffa Dean White ~ Drummer w/Toronto Blues/Reggae/Rock band Big Sugar ~ 55

Craig Whittaker ~ American jazz saxophonist ~ 55

Joe Wilder ~ American Jazz Trumpeter w/Jimmie Lunceford, Count Basie, Lucky Millinder, Noble Sissle, Dizzy Gillespie, Hank Jones, Gil Evans, Benny Goodman, Billie Holiday, Lena Horne, Johnny Mathis, Les Hite, Harry Belafonte, Tony Bennett and the Cosby Show and Malcolm X soundtracks ~ 92

Tim Williams ~ Bassist for L/A. Hardcore/Thrash band Suicidal Tendencies ~ 30

Gerald Wilson ~ American jazz trumpetist, band leader and arranger from the 1940's on. Played with Duke Ellington, Sarah Vaughan, Ray Charles, Julie London, Dizzy Gillespie, Ella Fitzgerald, Benny Carter, Lionel Hampton, Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington, Nancy Wilson, Clark Terry, Richard Grove Holmes, Joe Pass, Roy Ayers, Wynton Marsalis ~ 96

Tim Wilson ~ American Country Singer/Comic ~ 54

Jesse Winchester ~ Country/Folk singer/songwriter ~ 69

Johnny Winter ~ Texas blues/rock guitarist, brother of Edgar ~ 70

Merrill Womach ~ American gospel singer ~ 87

Bobby Womack ~ 1960's & 70's R&B/Gospel singer/songwriter. Originally with The Womack Brothers as a gospel group and then R&B group The Valentinos, recorded on Sam Cooke's SAR Records. Did the original version of "It's All Over Now" later covered in a hit version by the Rolling Stones. Later went solo and had hits with "Lookin' For a Love", "That's The Way I Feel About Cha", "Woman's Gotta Have It", "Harry Hippie", "Across 110th Street" and his 1980s hit "If You Think You're Lonely Now". ~ 70

Adrian Worrell ~ Co-Host of CIUT's "Vibe Collective" radio show

Herb Wong ~ American jazz producer for Palo Alto Records ~ 88

Akihiro Yokoyama ~ Bassist with Japanese Metal Band United ~ 49

Chip Young ~ American guitarist and record producer ~ 76

Joe Young ~ Guitarist w/ North Carolina Punk band Antiseen ~ 54

Robert Young ~ Scottish guitarist with Primal Scream ~ 49

Pete Seeger ~ RIP

When Pete Seeger died recently at age 94 it obviously came as no surprise, he was 94 after all. The tributes were lengthy and well deserved, Pete Seeger was one of the truly towering figures of 20th century music.

On purely musical terms he was not especially note-worthy. His rather weedy voice and rudimentary guitar and banjo playing were not what made him important, it was his tireless work as a folklorist, civil rights leader and activist.

Born in Manhattan in 1919 of a middle-class family, his parents Charles and Constance were respected composers, musicologists and educators. Charles was also a pacifist who lost his job at University of California Berkley for his opposition to World War One, Pete's uncle Alan Seeger, a noted poet, died in that war. During the Roosevelt administration Charles got a job as an ethno-musicologist (a new discipline he helped pioneer) with the WPA as would John and Alan Lomax. Charles and Constance would divorce in 1932 and Charles would marry Ruth Crawford, a respected composer, and they would have four children, all of whom would become folk singers in their own lights.

THE WEAVERS


In spite of this background young Pete did not immediately take to music as a career, although he did learn how to play guitar, banjo, ukulele, and harmonica, he instead trained as a journalist and painter. By 1938 however he had dropped out of college as he was spending too much time on political activities. He had become a supporter of left-wing causes; civil-rights, anti-war, pro-union, anti-facist, anti-racist and a supporter of the loyalists in the Spanish Civil War. He had also become a friend to left-wing folk singers like Woody Guthrie, Cisco Huston, Josh White, Harry McClintock and Leadbelly. Throughout the 1930's and 40's Seeger would play many rallies and benefits for various causes and in 1936 he joined the Communist Party. He would leave the party in the aftermath of World War Two (during which he enlisted in the Navy and spent the war entertaining the troops) differing over the party's slavish devotion to Stalin. In spite of this falling out, during the 1950's McCarthy Red Scare Seeger would steadfastly refuse to denounce his old comrades when called up to the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) in 1955. His refusal to answer HUAC's questions earned him ten one year jail sentences for contempt of congress. After a long court battle this sentence was overturned on appeal in 1962, during this time his movements were greatly restricted and his passport was revoked. Worse he found himself largely banned from the radio and TV and had many shows cancelled.

PETE SEEGER W/ SONNY TERRY & BROWNIE McGEE ~ "ROCK ISLAND LINE";


By this time he had become a well known musical figure. He formed the Almanac Singers in 1941 with Lee Hays and Millard Lampell and a revolving cast that would include the likes of Woody Guthrie, Cisco Houston and Josh White. By 1950 the Almanacs had evolved into The Weavers including Seeger, Hays, Ronnie Gilbert and Fred Hellerman. The Weavers would become the first successful folk group scoring several major hits with songs like "Goodnight Irene" (a cover of a Leadbelly song), "So Long It's Been Good To Know You" (by Guthrie), "Sixteen Tons" (by Merle Travis), "On Top Of Old Smokey", "Kisses Sweeter Than Wine", "Turn, Turn, Turn" (later covered by The Byrds), "Kumbaya" and "Wimoweh (The Lion Sleeps Tonight)", a cover of a South African song by Solomon Linda later redone as a doo-wop song by The Tokens. Their "Live At Carnegie Hall" album was one of the biggest sellers of the 1950's. However the bans and blacklists as a result of HUAC effectively made it impossible to continue and Seeger left the group. The Weavers would struggle on for some time with various replacements but their place on the charts would be taken by the non-controversial Kingston Trio.

PETE SEEGER'S "RAINBOW QUEST" TV SHOW ~ GUESTS ROSCOE HOLCOMB & JEAN RICHIE:


In the late 1950's and early sixties the blacklisted Seeger made ends meet as a music teacher and writing a column for for "Sing Out!" magazine. But his lifeline came when Folkways Records signed him to a contract by which would record as many as five albums a year. Even with no radio airplay he would play the college and coffee house circuit as the early 60's folk revival led to a revival. Seeger would play a prominent role in the 60's folk scene and would champion such younger singers as Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Phil Ochs, Peter, Paul & Mary and Ramblin Jack Elliot as well as lesser known figures like The Hillmen (featuring future Byrd Chris Hillmen) and The Town Criers with future Jefferson Airplane founder Marty Balin. Equally important were older singers now being rediscovered such as Mississippi John Hurt, Sonny Terry & Brownie McGee, Skip James, Merle Travis, Roscoe Holcombe, Reverend Gary Davis, Cousin Emmy, Doc Watson and The Stanley Brothers.

PETE SEEGER'S "RAINBOW QUEST" TV SHOW WITH JOHNNY & JUNE CARTER CASH:


To promote folk music he started a new magazine, "Broadside" and hosted a syndicated TV show called "Rainbow Quest" which had most of the above singers as guests as well as younger singers like Johnny and June Cash, Donovan, Buffy St Marie, Tom Paxton and Judy Collins. Many of these shows are now available on DVD. He had earlier made a short documentary with Alan Lomax in 1947 which included Woody Guthrie, Sonny Terry & Brownie McGee and Texas Gladden.

HEAR YOUR BANJO PLAY ~ 1947;


Pete Seeger never gave up his commitment to civil rights and the anti-war movement. He would continue to play rallies and protest marches, sometimes getting arrested well into his 80's. He would popularize the old black hymn "We Shall Overcome" as a civil rights anthem. In 1967 he was famously banned from TV for playing the anti-war song "Waist Deep In Big Muddy" on "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Comedy Hour". After wide protest the network allowed him back on the show a year later. By the 1980's he would add the environment, anti-apartheid and farm-relief to his causes and he in fact played a Farm Aid benefit just a few months before his death joined onstage by Neil Young and Willie Nelson. Earlier in the year he had played at Occupy Wall street rallies. By that time he had recorded at least fifty albums both solo and with The Weavers.

PETE SEEGER'S "RAINBOW" QUEST TV SHOW WITH DONOVON AND RAVI SHANKAR:

A Few New Wave Figures Pass On

Scott Asheton; Drummer for Iggy & The Stooges and later The Sonic Rendezvous Band and Destroy All Monsters ~ 64;

THE STOOGES ~ "TV EYE" & "1970";
Bob Casale ~ Guitarist for American New Wave icons Devo ~ 61

DEVO ~ "WHIP IT";


DEVO ~ "SATISFACTION";


Marty Thau ~ New York music producer, promoter and founder of Red Star Records. Manager of The New York Dolls, producer of Suicide, Fleshtones, Brian Setzer ~ 75

SUICIDE ~ "DREAM BABY DREAM";


SUICIDE ~ "GHOST RIDER";


THE FLESHTONES ~ "SOUL CITY";


THE NEW YORK DOLLS ~ "PERSONALITY CRISIS";


RIP to Angry Samoans guitarist PJ Galligan

THE ANGRY SAMOANS;


RIP to Mike Atta of early So-Cal Hardcore Band Middle Class;

THE MIDDLE CLASS ~ "OUT OF VOGUE";


Colin McQuillan ~ Vocalist w/Belfast Street-Punk/Oi band Runnin' Riot ~

RUNNIN' RIOT ~ "ALCOHOLIC HEROES";


RUNNIN' RIOT ~ "JOHNNY REGGAE";


Joe Young ~ Guitarist w/ North Carolina Punk band Antiseen ~ 54
ANTISEEN ~ "WAR HERO";


Gert Krawinkel ~ Guitarist with 1980's German New Wave group Trio ("Da Da Da") ~ 61
TRIO ~ "DA DA DA";


Buren Fowler ~ American rock and roll guitarist (Drivin' N Cryin', R.E.M. Peter Buck Band) ~ 54

DRIVIN' N CRYIN' ~ "FLY ME COURAGEOUS";
)

DRIVIN' N CRYIN' ~ "TURN IT OR TURN IT OFF";
)

And You Thought You Were Metal

This just in; (originally posted here and here)

"Fan Murders Black Metal Singer for Allegedly Being a False Satanist
Monday, January 13th, 2014 at 10:30AM
By Axl Rosenberg

“Fucked up” does not even begin to cover this story.

I’m not familiar with the Thai black metal band Surrender of Divinity, although I know Grim Kim is a fan; in any case, their 36-year-old vocalist, Samong Traisattha, was murdered last Wednesday, January 8, according to The Bangkok Post. The murderer is believed to be a fan named Prakarn Harnphanbusakorn, who Samong Traisattha’s widow, Jaruvan Surapol, says came to the house Wednesday night “to have some shirts screen-printed and to have a drink.” She went to put their child to bed; when she came back to the living room, she found her husband lying on the floor, dead, in a pool of his own blood, and Prakarn gone.

And this would obviously be horrible in and of itself no matter what, but the story has a even more unsettling twist: while the police continue to search for Prakarn, a Facebook user calling himself ”Maleficent Meditation” is claiming credit for the murder, and authorities believe that it is, indeed, legitimate. The page includes some incredibly graphic photograph’s of Samong Traisattha’s corpse, a description of how Prakarn stabbed Samong thirty times while the vocalist begged for his life, as well as an explanation as to his motive for the murder:

“I have intended to end my life since I was 25. Because I’ll die eventually, I want to drag down those who tarnish Satanism with me. But I refrained from killing women and children…In my view, I have more respect for devoted Buddhists, Christians and Muslims than those who call themselves Satanists without knowing anything about it… If I did not kill him, I’m sure he would be murdered by someone else later… above all else, Satan is not a toy. Do not call yourself a Satanist if you do not believe in Satan!!!”

So, basically, this was a religious murder, no different from any other violent crime committed in the name of the believer’s supreme deity of choice. What an incredible waste of life.

Those of you who would like to see the explicit photos of Samong’s body can do so here and here (links redacted) it should go without saying that they are NSFW, and not for the faint of heart."

NOTE; I went to the Facebook page (which amazingly hasn't been deleted yet, nice to see Facebook has standards) a copied the rambling confession. It's below both as it was posted in the original Thai and as translated.

รุกฆาต

สาเหตุที่ผมลงมือสังหารก็ไม่มีไรมากครับ ผมตั้งใจจะกระทำอัตวินิบาตกรรม (ฆ่าตัวตาย) ตอนอายุ 25 อยู่แล้ว ซึ่งไหนๆประเด็นหลักผมก็จะตายแล้ว เลยขอลงมือลากไอ้พวกที่นำแนวคิดของลัทธิซาตาน (Satanism) ไปแปดเปื้อนซะด้วยเลยสักศพสองศพ แล้วองค์ Satan ของจริง ก็มีสาส์นตอบกลับมาว่าเห็นชอบด้วย (ผมเป็นคนที่ทำสมาธิทุกวัน ทำสมาธิกำหนดลมหายใจ 30 - 60 นาที และเพ่งตัวเองหน้ากระจกอีก 30 - 60 นาที) แต่ผมละเว้นผู้หญิงและเด็กไว้ไม่ลงมือสังหาร แต่อย่างน้อยจะได้ให้มันรู้ซะบ้างว่าองค์ Satan ไม่ใช่ของเล่นที่พวกคุณจะเอาไปเล่นพร่ำเพร่อแล้ว Hail กันหน้าเวทีโดยที่ไม่ได้มีความศรัทธาอะไรกันจริง ซึ่งถ้าพวกคุณไม่ได้เชื่อในองค์ Satan และไม่ได้นับถือศาสนา นำองค์ Satan มาเป็น Symbol ลบหลู่ศาสนาอื่น พวกคุณก็เรียกตัวเองว่าเป็นอย่างอื่นไปก็ได้ ไม่ต้องดัดจริตมาเรียกตัวเองว่ามีแนวคิดแบบ Satanic แถมยังมาด่าองค์ Satan อีกว่า ผมไม่เชื่ออะไรในแม่งหรอก ตัวผมนี่แหละคือศรัทธาสูงสุด สวะ...... ด่าองค์ Satan ไม่พอ แล้วทำเป็นด่าศาสนาของคนนู้นคนนี้ ซึ่ง Satanist จริงๆ จะไม่ได้มีการด่ศาสนาอื่นพร่ำเพร่อไร้สาระแน่นอน เพราะในสายตาของผมคนพุทธ คริสต์ มุสลิม ที่ศรัทธาในแนวทางตัวเองอย่างแรงกล้าผมให้ความนับถือพวกนี้มากกว่าไอ้พวกที่หลอกตัวเองเรียก ตัวเองว่าเป็น Satanist แต่เสือกไม่ได้มีความรู้ห่าอะไรเลย มันเหมือนเป็นกระแสของพวกเด็กเห่อหมอยมากกว่า และผมเชื่อแน่ว่าถ้าผมไม่ได้เป็นคนลงมือฆ่า สักวันแม่งก็ต้องโดนคนพุทธ คนคริสต์ หรือคนมุสลิม เคร่งๆฆ่าตายอยู่ดีแน่นอนทั้งวง การลงมือสังหารครั้งนี้โดยตอนแรกผมตั้งใจว่าจะทำการสังหารสัก 20 - 30 ศพ แต่เนื่องด้วยสภาพการณ์ไม่สะดวก ตำรวจตั้งด่านกันเต็มเมือง แถมผมเป็นคนเดียวที่คิดวางแผนการณ์ลงมือสังหาร เลยสังหารเท่าที่จะกระทำได้ดีกว่า และเห็นในข่าวลงกันผิดๆ ว่าผมเป็นแฟนเพลงวง Surrender Of Divinity นี้ ผมขอตอบว่า ณ ปัจจุบันนี้ ผมไม่ได้เป็นแฟนเพลงไอ้วงแนวคิดสวะนี่เลย และอย่าเอากรณีนี้ไปเปรียบกับจอห์น เลนน่อนเลยครับต่างยังกับฟ้ากับเหว ฟังพวกวงกระแสทั่วไปที่เนื้อหาไม่ได้กล่าวถึงอะไรทางนี้ยังดีกว่าล้านเท่า และประเด็นที่ทางตำรวจตั้งไว้ว่าการฆ่านี้เกิดจากการกินเบียร์มึนเมาแล้วมีปากเสียงกัน ผมขอตอบว่าไม่ใช่ครับ เพราะผมตั้งใจที่จะไปฆ่ามันโดยเฉพาะอยู่แล้ว เตรียมมีดซ่อนไว้ด้านในเสื้อทหารไว้แล้วก่อนไป โดยทำฟอร์มว่าเอาเสื้อแจ๊คเก็ตไปให้ภรรยามันเพ้นท์ แล้วมันก็ชวนกินเบียร์ต่อ ซึ่งเข้าทางมากผมจะได้ยิ่งมีเวลารอตอนมันเผลอมากขึ้น และจะได้รอเวลาให้มันมืดด้วย และตอนระหว่างกินเบียร์กันนั้นก็ไม่ได้มีปากเสียงอะไรกันแต่อย่างใด อีกประเด็นที่มีโคตรมั่วเข้ามาว่าเรื่องค้ายากับชู้สาว ผมไม่เคยค้ายาเสพติดแต่อย่างใด และผมก็ไม่ได้มีแฟนมานานมากแล้วด้วยตั้งแต่ตอนต้นปี 2556 ปีที่แล้ว

ผมลงมือสังหาร ไอ้รัน แทงมันด้วยมีด ซึ่งข่าวบางเว็บลงผิดว่าผมแทงไปสามแผล แต่จริงๆ ผมซัดไปเกิน 30 ครั้งแน่ๆ และไม่ได้เป็นการปาดคอตอนเผลอด้านหลัง ผมยืนเผชิญหน้ามันควักมีดออกมาแล้วแทงที่คอรัวๆ เลยด้านหน้า ไม่มีปาด ไม่มีฟัน แทงทุกแผล และดูมันดิ้นรนกระเสือกกระสน คลานอย่างหมา ยกมือร้องขอชีวิต ตอนมันพูดว่า "อย่า" เสียงมันก็ออกมาแต่ลมแล้วพร้อมกับเลือดที่กระฉูดออกมา ตามคำที่มันพูด แต่ผมก็แทงมันซ้ำที่คอ ที่กระโหลก ซ้ำแล้วซ้ำอีก ซ้ำแล้วซ้ำอีก (บางครั้งมีดก็ติดกระโหลกก็ดึงออกยาก) ผมเพิ่งรู้ว่าการฆ่าคนด้วยมีดมันได้อรรถรส ความตื่นเต้น อารมณ์ มากกว่าการใช้ปืนยิงเยอะหลายสิบเท่า และพอทำเสร็จผมก็กลับมาทำสมาธิที่โรงแรมที่ผมเช่าไว้ต่อแบบสบาย และแน่นอนว่าผมไม่เสียใจในสิ่งที่ตัวเองทำลงไป

พวกเพื่อนของมันหรือครอบครัวมันอาจจะก่นด่าสาปแช่งผม แต่ผมว่าความตายเช่นนี้นี่แหละเหมาะสมกับคนปากดีเช่นมันแล้ว และเหนือสิ่งอื่นใด องค์ Satan ไม่ใช่ของเล่น ไม่เชื่อไม่ได้ศรัทธาอย่าเรียกตัวเองว่าเป็น Satanist !!!!! ผมไม่ใช่บุคคลประเภทโหด ไม่ได้เก๋า ไม่นักเลงโวยวายเสียงดัง แต่ความนิ่ง เลือดเย็น อำมหิต ผมมีแน่นอน

ชีวิตหลังความตายของผมนั้นผมคงไม่มีอะไรจะพูดมากนอกจากขอได้ไปอยู่ในดินแดนแห่งองค์ปีศาจ และจะใช้เวลาหลังความตายทำสมาธิต่อไป ไม่ว่าจะกี่สิบกี่ร้อยปี หรือกี่พันปี ตามเส้นทางของผม

อย่ากดคอมเม้นท์ หรือกดถูกใจสถานะนี้ผมแค่ต้องการชี้แจงเล็กๆเท่านั้น และขอบคุณที่อ่านจนจบ ขอทุกท่านไม่ว่าใครก็ตามที่อ่านข้อความนี้ จงยึดมั่นดำเนินเส้นทางของตนเองโดยไม่หลอกตัวเอง ทำในสิ่งที่ตัวคุณคิดว่าต้องทำ แล้วพบกันใหม่ถ้าเราได้อยู่มิติหลังความตายมิติเดียวกัน Hail Satan!!!

Why I killed them, it doesn't matter very much. I intend to do atwinibatkam (commit suicide) at age 25, charging the main points, I would be dead at all, they get to drag the damn concept of a cult of Satan (Satanism) to eight with two bodies, neither sleep really dead, there are still elements of Satan message notopklap that agreed with (I am a daily meditation meditation requires 30-60 minutes of breath and fastened themselves in front of the mirror. 30-60 minutes), but I can't ignore the women and children to death, but at least I know it will be what element to Satan, not the toys they are going to play well in front of the Messenger page without limit, then Hail a forum without having real faith. If you guys don't believe in Satan, and Satan is not a leading Islamist elements Symbol lu, another religion. You guys just get yourself into something else. Not pretentious and called themselves that there is a Satanic concept and the swearing, I don't believe that Satan element in driving maeng. I believe this is the most ordinary stuff ...... Swearing is not Satan enough elements to scold a person's religion, this guy really is a Satanist nun did not have another Messenger page ด่ศาสนา without limit, of course, ridiculous because in the eyes of the Muslim faith, Christianity, Buddhist, I like the way how raengkla I am to them, rather than their regards the damn fool yourself, get yourself a Satanist but have the cheek to not know what amount of rain. It's like a stream of children, they're sure to scramble more than pubic hair, and I said if I did not dare to kill him someday, a Buddhist who has been maeng. Christian people or Muslim people. Khreng killed all the bands, of course, so I hand this time carnage at first I intended to make death more 20-30 dead, but due to the inconvenient condition. Police set up a checkpoint at full city alone, I thought improved planning contributed to the killings at begin murdering one possible better and saw in the news that I am a music fan to trump the other band Of this Divinity Surrender I say at present. I am not a music fan-man band concept ordinary stuff here at all, and don't remove the this case to compare with John. He also differs with Bannon lane sky with them we hear a common flow content does not contain anything on this even better than a million times. And the area police issues this killing caused by ingestion of beer drunk, and then have a Brawler. I said yes, not because I intend to go kill it already. Preparation knives hidden inside a military shirt before. The form that took it to his jacket, then paint it was invited to eat the most beer per, which I will have more time to wait when it accidentally and are waiting for a time, it was dark, and now and then, between the same beer but didn't have what any other brawler. Another issue that has come to make the descent that the drug matter with sin, the girl. I never trade any drugs and I don't have a very long history with fans since the beginning the year 2556 (2013) last year.

I am a professional woman with a knife, he stabbed it runs damn news post some errors that I stab wounds to three, but really, I'm more than 30 times, hurl, though, and not as a finishing step, accidentally behind. I stood vis-à-vis it to gouge knife out and stabbed in the neck at the front, there are no rua finishing without all the Gore wound and see it struggling to crawl, grasping the dog now lives, request hand lifting it say "don't" sound it out, but the wind, along with krachut blood comes out as it said but I am betting it is repeated at the kralok again again (sometimes knives, titkra a dozen chances are difficult to pull off.) I just know that the murder with a knife, it has beautiful words. Excitement The mood over the use of guns was shot dozens of times and just done, I returned to my hotel where meditation is a rental, and of course, I do not regret the things themselves do.

It's their family, friends, or it could be a curse to curse me, but I dig out that death as well, such as foot-and-mouth man suits it, and above all. Satan was not part of the play. Do not believe do not believe do not call yourself a Satanist is not the kind of person I was very violent PC!!!!! Not loud, but not seasoned complain thugs stillness, of course, I had a ammahit cold blood.

Life after death of the hair that I have nothing to say but then I'd have to live in the land of demons and the element would take after death meditation. No matter how many hundred years or a thousand ten on my path.

Don't press them, this State is the element I just want to clarify a little, and thanks for reading until the end. All persons, regardless of whether anyone who read this message. You shall adhere to conduct his or her own path regardless of spoofing yourself. Do what you think needs to be done, and then we meet again if we have the same dimension after dimension Hail Satan!!!

Note that this was translated by Bing so it's a little clunky in places. Of course the fact that ”Maleficent Meditation" is clearly fucking nuts doesn't help. I also note that apparently the Thais spell "Hail Satan" using the Latin Script which seems oddly fitting.