Sharon Jones and some 1950's & 60's R&B And Jazz Singers

Sharon Jones ~ 60 ~ American singer (Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings) was probably the best traditional soul singer of the modern era. She had had a long battle with cancer which had seemed to be in remission and at the time of her death she was in a popular car TV ad

SHARON JONES ~ "100 Nights";


SHARON JONES & THE DAP KINGS ~ "STRANGER TO MY HAPPINESS";


SHARON JONES ~ "MIDNIGHT RIDER";


Prince Buster ~ 78 ~ Jamaican ska musician ("One Step Beyond" (later covered by Madness), "Al Capone", "Madness")

PRINCE BUSTER ~ "AL CAPONE";
PRINCE BUSTER ~ "ONE STEP BEYOND";


PRINCE BUSTER ~ "WASH WASH";


Joni Sledge ~ 60 ~ American singer w/1970's R&B/Disco group Sister Sledge ("We Are Family")

SISTERS SLEDGE ~ "WE ARE FAMILY";


SISTERS SLEDGE ~ "HE'S THE GREATEST DANCER";


Clyde Stubblefield ~ 73 ~ American R&B drummer w/James Brown

JAMES BROWN


JAMES BROWN ~ "I GOT THE FEELING";


Joan Marie Johnson ~ 72 ~ Singer w/1960's Girl Group the Dixie Cups ("Chapel Of Love", "Iko Iko");
THE DIXIE CUPS ~ "CHAPEL OF LOVE";


THE DIXIE CUPS ~ "IKO IKO";


Diz Russell, 83, American singer w/1950's & 60's Doo-Wop groups The Regals and The Orioles ("It's Too Soon To Know", "Baby Please Don't Go", "Crying In The Chapel", "It's Gonna Be A Lonely Christmas")

THE ORIOLES ~ "CRYING IN THE CHAPEL";


Ernestine Anderson, 87, American Jazz, Blues and R&B pianist and vocalist from the 1940's on, sang with Johnny Otis, Lionel Hampton, Gigi Gryce, Quincy Jones later solo ERNESTINE ANDERSON ~ "MOANIN'";


Shelly Moore ~ 84 ~ British born American Big Band Jazz singer from the 1950's & 60's w/Vic Lewis, Ramsey Lewis, Ray McKinney and Plas Johnson, recorded on Argo Records

SHELLY MOORE ~ "WHEN THE LIGHTS ARE LOW";



Joe Ligon, 80, American gospel singer (Mighty Clouds of Joy)

THE MIGHTY CLOUDS OF JOY ~ "WALK AROUND HEAVEN";


Clifford Curry ~ 79 ~ American 1960's R&B singer ("She Shot a Hole in My Soul")
CLIFFORD CURRY ~ "SHE SHOT A HOLE IN MY HEART";


Shirley Bunnie Foy ~ 80 ~ 1960's and 70's American Jazz, Gospel and R&B singer w/Archie Shepp, Art Blakey, Milt Jackson, The Dell-Tones

ARCHIE SHEPP & BUNNIE FOY ~ "SEA OF FACES";

Some More Figures From The 1950's & 60's

Leonard Cohen ~ 82 ~ Montreal singer/songwriter/poet/novelist from the 1960's onward "Hallelujah", "Suzanne", "First We Take Manhattan", "The Future", "Bird On A Wire", "Everybody Knows";

LEONARD COHEN ~ "HALLELUJAH";


LEONARD COHEN ~ "FIRST WE TAKE MANHATTAN";


LEONARD COHEN ~ "THE FUTURE";


Rick Parfit ~ 68 ~ British singer/guitarist w 1960's & 70's band Status Quo ("Pictures Of Matchstick Men", "Rockin' All Over The World") and Bandaid ("We Are The World");

STATUS QUO ~ "PICTURES OF MATCHSTICK MEN";


STATUS QUO ~ "THE WANDERER";


Valerie Gell ~ 72 ~ UK Singer/guitarist with 1960's all-girl Mersey Beat band the Liverbirds

THE LIVERBIRDS ~ "WHY DO YOU HANG AROUND WITH ME";


THE LIVERBIRDS ~ "PEANUTBUTTER";


Buck Ormsby ~ 75 ~ Bassist with 1960's Seattle Garage Punks The Fabulous Wailers ("Louie Louie" & "Tall Cool One", "Out Of Our Tree")

THE WAILERS ~ "TALL COOL ONE";


ROCKIN' ROBIN ROBERTS & THE WAILERS ~ "LOUIE LOUIE";


Rex DeLong ~ Guitarist w/1960's Surf Band The Rumblers ("Boss");
THE RUMBLERS ~ "BOSS";


Joe Clay ~ 78 ~ American 1950's Rockabilly singer/guitarist did "Ducktail", "Doggone It", "16 Chicks", "Get On The Right Track" (later covered by the Polecats)

JOE CLAY ~ "DUCKTAIL";


JOE CLAY ~ "16 CHICKS";


Martin Stone ~ 69 ~ British 1960's & 70's guitarist w/The Action, Savoy Brown Blues Band, Snakefinger, Chilli Willi and the Red Hot Peppers, Pink Fairies, the The 101ers, Wreckless Eric, Marianne Faithful.

THE ACTION ~ "I'LL KEEP ON HOLDING ON";


THE ACTION ~ "SHADOWS & REFLECTIONS";


THE PINK FAIRIES;


Jim Lowe ~ 93 ~ American 1950's pop/country singer songwriter "The Green Door", "The Gambler's Guitar" (also covered by Rusty Draper), "Four Walls" (also covered by Jim Reeves), "Mabellene", "Blue Suede Shoes"

JIM LOWE ~ "THE GAMBLER'S GUITAR";


JIM LOWE ~ MAYBELLENE";


JIM LOWE ~ "THE GREEN DOOR";


Bobby Vee ~ 73 ~ 1950's American pop singer ("Take Good Care Of My Baby" & "The Night Has 1000 Eyes")

BOBBY VEE ~ "TAKE GOOD CARE OF MY BABY";


BOBBY VEE ~ "THE NIGHT HAS 1000 EYES";


Jean Shepard ~ 82 ~ American Country singer from the 1950's to the 70's ("A Dear John Letter", "Slippin' Away", "Second Fiddle To An Old Guitar", "Beautiful Lies")

JEAN SHEPARD ~ "SECOND FIDDLE TO AN OLD GUITAR";


JEAN SHEPARD ~ "IF YOU CAN WALK AWAY";


JEAN SHEPARD ~ "BEAUTIFUL LIES";


Fred Hellerman ~ 89 ~ American folk singer w/The Weavers "Goodnight Irene", "Kisses Sweeter than Wine", "The Wreck of the John B" (aka "Sloop John B"), "Rock Island Line", "The Midnight Special", "Pay Me My Money Down", "Darling Corey" and "Wimoweh")

THE WEAVERS;


Kay Starr ~ 94 ~ American pop and jazz singer from the 1940's & 1950's ("Rock & Roll Waltz", "It's A Good Day", "Wheel Of Fortune")

KAY STARR ~ "IT'S A GOOD DAY" & "WHEEL OF FORTUNE";


KAY STARR & BRENDA LEE ~ "AROUND THE WORLD";


Jean Jacques Perry ~ 87 ~ French 1960's Electronic Pop Moog player/composer w/Perry & Kingsley and Mr Ondioline

JEAN JACQUES PERRY;

Alan Vega & Suicide And Some Other Punk & New Wave Figures

Even in the Artsy New York Punk scene of the mid-to-late 1970's Suicide were an oddity. While every other band was guitar based, Suicide were keyboard based. As played by Martin Rev on what was originally a cheap broken-down 1960's vintage Farfisa organ and various guitar effects pedals which produced a collection of bleeps, hisses, farts, metronomic bleats and feedback that basically sounded like Giorgio Moroder playing Space Invaders in a washing machine.

SUICIDE ~ "GHOST RIDER";


What prevented this from being an obscure art project was vocalist Alan Vega. On top of this cacophony Vega sang a collection of shrieks and moans while encased in black leather and sporting a greasy pompadour and a sneering pout like Gene Vincent on acid. His song lyrics were cribbed from comic books, rockabilly, sci-fi b movies and biker flicks with titles like "Ghost Rider", "Rocket USA" or "Frankie Teardrop". Vega also played up the outlaw biker image by onstage antics like swinging a bike chain and charging into the audience to pick fights with the hecklers the band often attracted. Starting in 1970, nobody knew quite what to make of them. Vega and Rev strongly identified with early punks like The Stooges, New York Dolls and Patti Smith who they often played with, to often confused audiences.

SUICIDE ~ "CHEREE";


Their first album "Suicide" came out in 1977, during the era of the first classic era of punk to largely bewildered critics who had little to compare it to. Earlier or contemporary bands like The Silver Apples, Lothar & The Hand People, Cabaret Voltaire, Kraftwerk or Throbbing Gristle were either forgotten or obscure for even the most Bohemian hipsters. A second album produced by Ric Okasek of the Cars was slightly slicker and less noisy. There would even be an attempt in a dance club single in "Dream Baby Dream" which shockingly failed to chart.

SUICIDE ~ "DREAM BABY DREAM";


Aside from a number of albums consisting of live tracks, demos and remixes that that was the end for Suicide. However by 1980 Alan Vega had moved on to a solo career with albums of weird, minimalist rockabilly and others of moody electropop. There would be a Suicide reunion on the late 80's. Vega also focused on art and metal sculpture.

ALAN VEGA ~ "JUKE BOX BABE";


Billy Miller ~ Singer for 1980's & 1990's garage punk band The A-Bones and later co-founder of Norton Records, the premier label for re-issuing classic 1950's & 1960's trashy Rockabilly, Surf, Garage, Blues and R&B. Later branched out into new releases of contemporary trashy R&R Punk groups and veterans like Andre Williams, The Sonics, Bloodshot Bill, Hasil Adkins

THE A-BONES ~ "BABY DOLL";


The Clean were a leaders of the Post-Pink New Wave in New Zealand. Led by guitarist David Kilgour and singer/bassist Peter Gutteridge the Clean had an angular and jangly sound similar to the Soft Boys or XTC. Their impact was lessened by their inability to tour due to Gutteridge's drug problems however and broke up in 1980. Gutteridge would go on to similar bands the Chills, Snapper, The Great Unwashed and The Puddle and solo albums. He had recently made his first trip out of New Zealand.

THE CLEAN ~ "SHE GOES SHE GOES";


THE CLEAN ~ "BEATNIK";


THE CLEAN ~ "TALLY HO!";


THE CLEAN ~ "ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN";


THE GREAT UNWASHED ~ "NECK OF THE WOODS";


Pete Burns ~ 57 ~ Singer with British New Wave band Dead Or Alive ("You Spin Me Round");

DEAD OR ALIVE ~ "YOU SPIN ME ROUND";


DEAD OR ALIVE ~ "THAT'S THE WAY (I LIKE IT)";

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Micky Fitz ~ 57 ~ British 1980's punk singer w/The Business ("Harry May")

THE BUSINESS ~ "HARRY MAY";


Hagen Liebing ~ 55 ~ Bassist w/German punk band Die Ärzte

DIE ARTZE ~ "M&F";

Some Figures From The Toronto Punk & New Wave

Tony Vincent (AKA Tony Torcher) ~ Drummer with 1970's & 80's Toronto Punk Bands The Ugly, The Viletones and Screaming Sam

THE VILETONES ~ "THE LAST GUY IN TOWN";


THE VILETONES ~ "REBEL";


Jonathan Davies ~ Drummer for Toronto Post-Punk bands The Kinetic Ideals, Breeding Ground and National Velvet

THE KINETIC IDEALS ~ "THESE THINGS";


THE KINETIC IDEALS ~ "THIS FACE";


BREEDING GROUND ~ "THIS TIME TOMORROW";


NATIONAL VELVET ~ "FLESH UNDER SKIN";


NATIONAL VELVET ~ "SEX GORILLA";


Gillian Hanna ~ 34 ~ Guitarist with The Flairs and Bif Naked

THE FLAIRS ~ "18 & LIFE";


Rusty ~ Singer with 1990's Hard Rock band Jack Damage

JACK DAMAGE ~ "FUBAR";


JACK DAMAGE ~ "KISSING THE TRAIN";


Tyler Rex - 20's - Singer/bassist with Toronto Hardcore band the Antics

THE ANTICS ~ "DEAD CITY";


Also; While clearly not from a Punk or New Wave band, Brian Rading ~ 69 ~ Canadian bassist w/ 1970's pop band Five Man Electrical Band ("Signs") and 1960's Garage band The Staccatos

THE STACCATOS ~ "BUTCHERS & BAKERS";


FIVE MAN ELECTRICAL BAND ~ "SIGNS";

Scotty Moore & Some Important Session Guys From The 1960's & 70's

Scotty Moore may not have been the best R&R guitarist but he was the first R&R guitarist. As guitarist on the classic hits Elvis Presley recorded for Sun Records in the 1950's, Moore essentially codified the basic Rockabilly guitar sound. He later became a production manager and occasional session player for Sam Phillips but made few other recordings aside from an unsuccessful solo album and a few guest shots. He was 84.

ELVIS PRESLEY w/ SCOTTY MOORE & BILL BLACK ~ "HOUND DOG":


ELVIS PRESLEY ~ "THAT'S ALL RIGHT MAMA";


ELVIS PRESLEY ~ "TRYING TO GET TO YOU";


ERIC CLAPTON & SCOTTY MOORE ~ "MYSTERY TRAIN";


Leon Russell ~ 74 ~ American Singer/songwriter/pianist from the 1960's onward. Wrote "Delta Lady", "A Song For You". Recorded w/The Beach Boys, Ike & Tina Turner, Rolling Stones, Frank Sinatra, Beach Boys, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Joe Cocker, Ventures, Gram Parsons, Byrds, Willie Nelson, Ray Charles, Elton John, Bobby Boris Pickett, Glen Campbell, Gary Lewis & Playboys, BB King, Freddie King, Dave Mason, Badfinger, Delaney & Bonnie, The Wrecking Crew and numerous solo albums

LEON RUSSELL ~ "ROLL OVER BEETHOVEN":


LEON RUSSELL ~ "JAMBALAYA";


Chips Moman ~ 79 ~ Memphis producer for Stax Records and elsewhere who worked with the Boxtops on their hits as well as with Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin ("Respect", "Do Right Woman"), Bobby Womack, Carla Thomas ("Gee Wiz"), Merrilee Rush, The Triumphs (w/ a young Al Green), Mark Lindsay (Paul Revere and the Raiders), Sandy Posey ("Born a Woman" and "Single Girl"), Joe Tex, Wilson Pickett, Herbie Mann, Roy Hamilton, Ronnie Milsap, Waylon Jennings ("Luchenbach Texas"), Tammy Wynette, BJ Thomas, Gary Stewart, Petula Clark and The Highwaymen, a country supergroup w/ Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson.
Also; Danny Smythe ~ 67 ~ Drummer with 1960's Memphis Blue Eyed Soul band The Box Tops ("The Letter", "Soul Deep")

THE BOXTOPS ~ "THE LETTER";


Produced Elvis Presley's 1969 album "From Elvis in Memphis" with hits "In the Ghetto", "Suspicious Minds" and "Kentucky Rain"

ELVIS PRESLEY ~ "IN THE GHETTO";


Also produced Dusty Springfield's 1969 "Dusty in Memphis" album

Wrote "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man" for Aretha Franklin, and "The Dark End of the Street", covered by James Carr, Gram Parsons, Percy Sledge, Linda Rondstadt, Ry Cooder, Diamanda Galas and the Commitments

ARETHA FRANKLIN ~ "RESPECT";


JAMES CARR ~ "DARK END OF THE STREET";
THE HIGHWAYMEN ~ "GOOD HEARTED WOMAN";


Mack Rice ~ 82 ~ American songwriter ("Mustang Sally", "Respect Yourself") and singer, complications of Alzheimer's disease

WILSON PICKETT ~ "MUSTANG SALLY";


THE STAPLE SINGERS ~ "RESPECT YOURSELF";


Wayne Jackson ~ 74 ~ American Sax player w/Stax Records R&B bands The Mar-Keys, The Memphis Horns
SLIM MOORE & THE BAR-KAYS ~ "HOW LONG";

Some Jazzmen

Sir Charles Thompson ~ 98 ~ American Jazz pianist from the 1940's onwards w/Coleman Hawkins/Howard McGhee, Charlie Parker, Dexter Gordon, Miles Davis, Lucky Millinder, Illinois Jacquet, Buck Clayton

COLEMAN HAWKINS w/ SIR CHARLES THOMPSON ~ "CENTERPIECE";


Don Francks ~ 84 ~ Canadian jazz vocalist w/Lenny Breau and actor ("La Femme Nikita", "Inspector Gadget", "I'm Not There")

TORONTO JAZZ;


Mike Pedicin ~ 98 ~ American Big Band Jazz bandleader from the 1940's on, had a hit with "Shake A Hand"

MIKE PEDICAN BAND ~ "SHAKE A HAND";


Gato Barbieri ~ 83 ~ Argentine Jazz Fusion saxophonist from the 1970's on

GATO BARBIERI ~ "EUROPA";


Buster Cooper ~ 87 ~ American trombonist at the Apollo Club & w/Lionel Hampton, Benny Goodman & Duke Ellington

BUSTER COOPER & LIONEL HAMPTON;


BUSTER COOPER & LIONEL HAMPTON;


Hannes Bauer ~ 61 ~ German Free Jazz trumpet and trombone player w/Peter Brotzman

PETER BROTZMAN QUARTET;


PETER BROTZMAN QUARTET;


Victor Bailey ~ 56 ~ American Bassist w/Weather Report and Sonny Rollins, Pharaoh Sanders, Micheal Brecker, Miriam Makeba, LL Cool J, Sting
WEATHER REPORT ~ "VOLCANO FOR HIRE";


Alphonse Mouzon ~ 68 ~ American jazz drummer w/Weather Report, Stevie Wonder, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Carlos Santana, Patrick Moraz, Betty Davis, Jaco Pastorius, Chubby Checker, Robert Plant and solo bandleader on Blue Note Records, later started his own Tenacious Records

ALPHONSE MOUZON & JACO PASTORIUS;


Paul Smoker ~ 75 ~ American jazz trumpeter w/Anthony Braxton

ANTHONY BRAXTON;


Fredrik Norén ~ 75 ~ Swedish jazz drummer w/Ben Webster, Dexter Gordon and many Scandinavian jazzmen from the 1960's on

FREDRICK NOREN ~ "DON'T DROP THE BOP";


Joe Temperley ~ 86 ~ Scottish Jazz saxophonist w/Duke Ellington, Woody Herman, Buddy Rich, Joe Henderson, Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orch and Clark Terry. Played on soundtracks for "Cotton Club", "Biloxi Blues", "Brighton Beach Memoirs", "When Harry Met Sally", and "Tune In Tomorrow"

JOE TEMPERELEY ~ "TRY A LITTLE TENDERENESS";


Bobby Hutcherson ~ 75 ~ American jazz vibe player from the 1960's on. Recorded with Blue Note, Landmark Atlantic and Verve Records, played with Joe Henderson, Lee Morgan, Chick Corea, McCoy Tyner, Joey Defrancesco, David Sanborn

BOBBY HUTCHERSON & HAROLD LAND HERZOG;


Bobby Wellins ~ 80 ~ Scottish Jazz saxophonist from the 1950's onward

BOBBY WELLINS ~ "MOON RAY";


King Bhumibol Adulyadej ~ King of Thailand from 1946 to his death in 2016, making him at the time the world longest serving monarch (Queen Elizabeth did not take the throne until 1952). The normally quiet and retiring King was a huge fan of Dixieland and Big Band Jazz and played the saxophone including sitting in with visiting players like Benny Goodman, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Stan Getz, Lionel Hampton, and Benny Carter. He also composed over 40 songs (not all of them Jazz) and did some recordings. Being a King probably helped but unlike some other royal musicians he was actually considered a good player and some of his compositions have been recorded by the likes of Claude Bolling, Les Brown and Preservation Hall Jazz Band. His brother and predecessor King Ananada also played the clarinet and the two did much to encourage a Jazz scene in Thailand which would also lead to a rock and soul scene in the late 60's which was second in Asia only to Japan's.

KING BHUMBIBOL ~ "HOW HIGH THE MOON";

THE SUPER, FANTASTIC, DYNAMITE, STORY OF K-TEL!!!

Any history of Rock & Roll will list the great record labels; Sun, Chess, Stax, Atlantic, Motown, Paramount, Black Patti, Factory. But the label with the highest visibility and biggest sales in the 1970's was a Canadian discount label with no artists of it's own run by a Winnipeg salesman with no music experience at all, Phil Kives who died last week at 87.

If you grew up in the 1970's and early-to-mid 80's it's a pretty sure bet your first album (aside from Disney stories and nursery rhymes) was from K-Tell records. Oh; You can deny it and claim your first record was something objectively cool like the Velvet Underground, Black Sabbath, Gene Vincent or Hank Williams but you know you're lying.

K-Tel was as efficient as it was unavoidable, kind of like the Borg. Their jam-packed compilation albums with their tacky multi-coloured covers were jam-packed with randomly assembled top forty hits and given subtle titles like "22 Fantastic Hits!", "20 Dynamite Explosive Hits!" or "20 Super-Duper Show-Stopping Hits!". What really made them standout was the was the saturation coverage given via their trade-mark TV and radio ads with their rapid-fire announcers.



Compilation albums were nothing new of course, in the late sixties oldies collections of first era Rock & Roll, Doo-Wop, Rockabilly, Surf and Country helped kickstart the Rock & Roll revival of the 1970's. But K-Tel was different in focusing not on oldies but instead on artists and hits which had been recently on the charts and compiling them in bulk, usually twenty songs or so an album. K-Tel was also unique in mixing completely different genres of music regardless of jaw-droppingly unsuited they might be to each other. Thus it was quite possible to find Kiss, Grand Funk or Rush and a few mainstream New Wavers such as Blondie, The Cars or The Knack alongside disco hits, drippy ballads, cheesy bubblegum and and the most cloying over-wrought shmaltz from Neil Diamond, Vikki Lawrence, Cher or Barbara Streisand. Therefore it was usually possible for pretty much anybody to find something acceptable. No serious music fan would waste their time with K-Tel of course but for kids too young too have enough spending money to do any shopping, or those living too far out in the suburbs or in small towns to away from cool record stores they were like a cheap starter's kit.

Besides the high profile collections of random Rock, Pop and Disco, K-Tel also specialized in specific Country & Western collections which often had some legitimately great songs from the likes of Johnny Cash or Johnny Horton along with older, lesser known honky-tonkers like Cowboy Copas and Hawkshaw Hawkins. K-Tel also put out some good comps focused on Surf and other instrumentals which would have been largely out of print.



Perhaps K-Tel's best loved comps, and the ones most likely to still show up in used vinyl stores, were their collections of Rock, Pop and Country novelty hits with ever-subtle titles like "Goofy Greats", "Wacky Hits" and "Kooky Kountry". Most of these songs were one-hit-wonders or non-album tracks which were long out of print. These songs were dismissed by rock journalists as trash and forgotten by radio but most of these songs are still good fun and some are actually pretty good.



K-Tel never became respected label but it was a massively successful one. And it was a Canadian one. Founder Phil Kives was a Winnipeg based businessman who specialized in cheaply made qimicky home products like the "Veg-O-Matic" or the "Pocket Fisherman". Kives sold these products by using in-your-face, low-budget TV and radio ads with blaring announcers that have since become a common plague on TV but were brash and new at the time. In 1965 Kives decided to adapt those proven marketing tactics to the music business. He wasn't the first businessman to jump into music with no prior experience. The classic blues label Paramount Records was started by a Wisconsin furniture company which made gramophones who decided they might as well make records to go with them. Phil and Leonard Chess had been bar owners while Dot Records Randy Wood owned a furniture and appliance store, King Record's Syd Nathan was a xxx and Roulette Records Morris Levy ran a number of businesses with mob connections. Where K-Tel differed was in not having and actual artists of their own, instead Kives kept his overhead low by simply using licensed previously released material and spending money on saturation ad coverage. K-Tel crammed their albums with as many tracks as they could fit on an album which did not help their sound quality but they were sold at a budget price so they were still a good bargain. Eventually K-Tel actually recorded some of their own artists including the successful "Hooked On Classics" and "Mini Pops" series.

Besides records and tapes K-Tel came up with some odd record related gimmicks which became briefly popular like automatic record filer which flipped each album in sequence. I had one and we all thought it was pretty cool, at least at until it kept breaking. Besides it actually took up more space than simply filing the albums the old fashioned way and it wouldn't take double albums, let alone gate-folds. There was also a version for 8-Tracks because why not? Less successful were the automatic record cleaners which we we fondly referred to as the "record eater".



Although K-Tel is firmly associated with the 1970's and early 80's they have actually continued on till the present day focusing on licensing their library of oldies for use in soundtracks and commercials. While T-Tel went international the company still kept offices in Winnipeg. Phil Kives died last week at age 87.

It's Time For Death To Take A Holiday

Seriously; April was like a weird horror movie;
Prince ~ 57 ~ Iconic American singer/guitarist/composer/producer. Combining influences from 1970's funk & disco, jazz-fusion and 1960's psyche-rock and pop he had a series of massively successful hits starting in the 1980's ("Purple Rain", "Little Red Corvette", "1999", "Raspberry Beret" "Kiss"). He also composed for movies such as "Purple Rain" and "Under The Cherry Moon" (both of which he starred in as well) and "Batman". Most of these can not be found on Youtube as he would not allow them to be licensed.

PRINCE ~ "LET'S GO CRAZY";


PRINCE ~ "PURPLE RAIN";


Prince also wrote and/or produced for a diverse number of artists including Morris Day & The Time ("Jungle Love"), The Bangles ("Manic Monday"), Sinaed O'Connor ("Nothing Compares To You"), Shelia E ("Glamorous Life"), Tom Jones ("Kiss")

SINEAD O'CONNOR ~ "NOTHING COMPARES TO YOU";


MORRIS DAY & THE TIME ~ "JUNGLE LOVE";


THE BANGLES ~ "MANIC MONDAY";


JIMMY SCOTT ~ "NOTHING COMPARES TO YOU";


Lonnie Mack ~ 74 ~ Memphis based Blues, Rock and R&B guitarist and singer, known for his flying-V guitar, fat sound and use of the wammy bar.

LONNIE MACK ~ "WHY";


LONNIE MACK ~ "STOP";


Richard Lyons ~ 57 ~ Sound collage artist with influential American avant garde group Negativeland. Known for their use of complex sound colleges made up of densely edited found sounds from various media sources along with intentionally cheesy music and vocals. They were also known for their frequent legal problems including bans for the song "Christianity Is Stupid", lawsuits from U2's record label and DJ Casey Kasem over "U2" and a crippling lawsuit from their own record label SST.

NEGATIVELAND ~ "CHRISTIANITY IS STUPID";


NEGATIVELAND ~ "U2";


Billy Paul ~ 81 ~ 1970's R&B singer ("Me and Mrs. Jones"), part of The Philadelphia Sound

BILLY PAUL ~ "ME & MRS JONES";


Lord Tanamo ~ Pioneering Jamaican/Canadian Ska singer w/The Skatalites and solo from the 1960's on

LORD TANAMO ~ "I'M IN THE MOOD FOR SKA";


Papa Wemba ~ 66 ~ Congolese Rumba singer

PAPA WEMBA ~ "YOLELE";


Pete Zorn ~ 65 ~ American multi-insturmentalist musician (Steeleye Span, Richard Thompson, Driver, The Albion Band)

RICHARD THOMPSON ~ "I HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE";


Doug Raney ~ 59 ~ American jazz guitarist from the 1970's on

DOUG RANEY;


Maxine Willan ~ Australia born Toronto Jazz pianist w/The Toronto Speakeasies and solo

Merle Haggard, Ralph Stanley And Other Country Singers

Merle Haggard ~ 79 ~ was one of the stars of the 1960's California based American Outlaw Country movement which included Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson, David Allen Coe and Jessi Colter.

MERLE HAGGARD ~ "SING ME BACK HOME";


His family had migrated from Oklahoma during the Dust Bowl and Haggard had mant brushed with the law including a spell in San Quentin Prison where he saw Johnny Cash perform and was inspired to become a musician himself. Released in 1960 he began recording in 1962 and would go on to score 37 number one hits from 1966 to 1987 including classics like "Okie from Muskogee", "The Fightin' Side of Me", "Carolyn", "Momma Tried", "If We Make It Through December", "Sing Me Back Home" and "Pancho & Lefty" (with Willie Nelson) which chronicled the white working class. He also produced an aclaimed tribute album to Bob Wills and was supposed to produce Gram Parson's first solo album but backed out. Parsons would record a version of "Sing Me Back Home". Haggard won Grammy Awards in 1984, 1998, and 1999. MERLE HAGGARD ~ "MAMMA TRIED";


MERLE HAGGARD ~ "OKIE FROM MUSKOGEE";


Ralph Stanley ~ 89 ~ Virginia born banjo player and singer with The Stanley Brothers and The Clinch Mountain Boys from the 1940's onward "Man Of Constant Sorrow", "Pretty Polly" (covered by The Byrds & The Sadies), "Little Glass Of Wine" (also covered by The Sadies) and "O'Death". The Stanley Bros were a major influence on The Everly Bros. Was still working up to a couple years ago and was part of the "Oh Brother Where Art Thou" soundtrack

THE STANLEY BROS ~ "WORRIED MAN BLUES";


THE STANLEY BROS ~ "HOW MOUNTAIN GIRLS CAN LOVE";


THE STANLEY BROS ~ "RANK STRANGER";


Guy Clark ~ 74 ~ Grammy winning Country singer/songwriter, songs covered by Jerry Jeff Walker, Jimmy Buffett, Lyle Lovett, Ricky Skaggs, Steve Wariner, and Rodney Crowell, Johnny Cash, David Allan Coe, Vince Gill, Ricky Skaggs, Brad Paisley, John Denver, Alan Jackson, Rodney Crowell, The Highwaymen, and Kenny Chesney, recoded with Emmylou Harris

GUY CLARK ~ "COUNTRY MORNING MUSIC";


GUY CLARK ~ "BLUEBIRD WINE";


SONNY JAMES ~ 87 ~ American country singer-songwriter with numerous hits from the 1950's to the 1980's with ballads like "Young Love" and covers of songs like "Running Bear", "Only The Lonely", "Lovesick Blues" and "Abilene", later a producer for Marie Osmond.

SONNY JAMES ~ "YOUNG LOVE";


SONNY JAMES ~ "RUNNING BEAR"


Bonnie Brown ~ 77 ~ American country singer w/1950's band The Browns ("The Bells")

THE BROWNS ~ "THREE BELLS";


THE BROWNS ~ "I HEARD THE BLUEBIRDS SING";


Dave Swarbrick ~ 75 ~ British fiddler singer-songwriter w/Fairport Convention

FAIRPORT CONVENTION ~


James King ~ 58 ~ Virginia Bluegrass singer/songwriter known as The Bluegrass Storyteller

JAMES KING ~ "LEAVING";

Some Figures From The 1950's & 60's

GEORGE MARTIN (90);
Known as "The Fifth Beatle" Martin was record producer for them on all their recordings. Martin had been known for recording comedy acts including Peter Cook & Dudley Moore but he had also been recording Skiffle bands like The Vipers and was actively looking for a R&R combo when he was assigned to the Beatles by EMI with whom he would work for the rest of their careers. Martin is credited with introducing them to more sophisticated recording techniques and arrangements. He would also work with a number of other bands like Billy J Kramer & The Dakotas, Shane Fenton & The Fentones, Gerry & The Pacemakers, Cila Black and the young Gary Glitter in his pre-glam years. Martin would later work with America, Ultravox, Jeff Beck, Cheap Trick, UFO, Elton John, Neil Sedaka and Celine Dion.

THE BEATLES ~ "PENNY LANE";


BILLY J KRAMER & THE DAKOTAS ~ "FROM A WINDOW";


GERRY & THE PACEMAKERS ~ "I LIKE IT":


PAUL KANTER (74) & SIGNE TROLY ANDERSON (74);
Kanter was a singer/guitarist/songwriter and founding member of Jefferson Airplane, the iconic band of the San Francisco Psychedelic scene of the 1967 Summer Of Love. The Airplane were not the first Psychedelic band, The Charlatans and the Greatful Dead claimed that honour, but the Airplane were the first band of the scene to score serious international hits with the still classic "White Rabbit" and "Somebody To Love" off the album "Surrealistic Pillow".
Paul Kanter was one of the founding members although at first the band's leader was singer Marty Balin. One their first album, 1966's "Takes Off" the Airplane were a typical folk-rock band of the time, not as inventive or distinctive as The Byrds but solid enough. They also lacked a charismatic frontman. Balin and female singer Signe Troly Anderson had good looks and a strong tenors and but lacked the larger-than-life persona of a great frontman. That problem would soon be found when rival band The Great Society broke up and freeing up their singer (and former model) Grace Slick to replace Signe Anderson who had gotten pregnant and decided to retire from band life for motherhood. Slick would also bring two songs from her previous band, the afore mentioned "White Rabbit" and "Somebody To Love", along with a soaring ice queen voice and stunning looks.

JEFFERSON AIRPLANE ~ "WHITE RABBIT";


Kanter may not have appeared essential to the early airplane's sound. Balin had started the band and Kanter's rhythm guitar lacked the flash of Jorma Kauconen's leads or Jack Cassidy's rumbling bass. But Kanter contributed to the songwriting and after a few years Balin became dissatisfied with the band's direction and started to absent himself, eventually stalking out entirely leaving Kanter in charge. The Airplane became more focused on Kanter's favored themes of politics and science fiction. This led to later hit songs like "Volunteers", "Mexico" and "Have You Seen The Saucers".

JEFFERSON AIRPLANE ~ "WHITE RABBIT" & "SOMEBODY TO LOVE";


By the 1970's the band had changed their name to Jefferson Starship and they continued to score hits through the decade. Eventually Kaukonen and Cassidy left followed by Slick but Kanter continued to slog away for a time as the last original mamber before he too packed it in and went off to a low key solo career. A version of the band would carry on into the eighties, even luring back Grace Slick for a time and managed to score a couple of surprise hits in the late eighties with a bland ballad "Sara" and the much despised "We Built This City On Rock & Roll", a song on most people's lists of the worst top ten hits (and videos) of all time.

JEFFERSON AIRPLANE ~ "THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS LIFE";


DAN HICKS ~ 74;
The Charlatans were the fist San Fransico Psyche bands to get attention with their combination of Folk-Rock, Garage and Psyche along with their Victorian/Cowboy/Art Nouveau/Thrift Shop image in both their clothes and poster art. They didn't really score any major hits but they were a popular live act in California and Nevada from 1964 to 1966. Dan Hicks was not an original member but he joined in 1967 as a drummer then moving to guitar, vocals and songwriting. He left in 1968 with to form his own folk group Dan Hicks & Hot Licks which me would maintain on and off until recently.

THE CHARLATANS ~ "32/20 Blues";


Keith Emerson ~ 71 ~ Keyboardist with British 1960's & 70's Prog-Rock bands The Nice and Emerson, Lake & Palmer

THE NICE ~ "HANG ON TO A DREAM";


THE NICE ~ "AMERICA";


Gilli Smyth ~ 83 ~ Singer with 1960's Psychedelic Rock band Gong
GONG ~ "I NEVER GLID BEFORE";


GONG ~ "WITCH'S SONG/I'M YOUR PUSSY";


GONG ~ "DYNAMITE";


GONG ~ "DREAMING";


Teddy Rooney ~ 66 ~ Bassist w/Los Angeles 1960's Psychedelic Garage Band American The Yellow Payges

THE YELLOW PAYGES ~ "COPY THE BOUNCING BALL";


Gary Loizzo ~ 71 ~ Singer/guitarist with 1960's Pop band the American Breed

THE AMERICAN BREED ~ "BEND ME SHAPE ME":


Andy Thunderclap Newman ~ 73 ~ British singer of one-hit-wonder "Something In The Air" (1969) written & produced by Pete Townsend, guitarist Jimmy McCullagh later played in Wings

THUNDERCLAP NEWMAN ~ "SOMETHING IN THE AIR";


Sverre Kjelsberg ~ 69 ~ Singer and bassist with 1960's Norwegian rock band The Pussycats

THE PUSSYCATS ~ "GONNA SEND YOU BACK TO GEORGIA";


Tommy Brown ~ 84 ~ American 1950's R&B singer with The Griffin Brothers

THE GRIFFIN BROS & TOMMY BROWN ~ "WEAPIN' & MOANIN";


Lee Andrews ~ 79 ~ American doo-wop singer w/Lee Andrews & the Hearts ("Teardrops", "Long Lonely Nights" and "Try the Impossible")

LEE ANDREWS & THE HEARTS ~ "LONG LONELY NIGHTS";


Carlo Mastrangelo ~ 77 ~ American Doo-Wop singer w/Dion & The Belmonts

DION & THE BELMONTS ~ "A TEENAGER IN LOVE";


DION & THE BELMONTS ~ "I WONDER WHY";


Jack Hammer ~ 90 ~ American 1950's R&R performer and songwriter ("Great Balls Of Fire", "Fujiyama Mama" (for Wanda Jackson), "Rock & Roll Cal" (for Louis Jordan) as well as solo. Joined the Platters in the 60's.

JERRY LEE LEWIS ~ "GREAT BALLS OF FIRE";


WANDA JACKSON ~ "FUJIYAMA MAMA";


Dorothy Schwartz ~ 89 ~ American singer w/ 1950's Pop vocal group The Chordettes ("Mr Sandman" & "Lollipop")

THE CHORDETTES ~ "LOLLIPOP" & "MR SANDMAN"


Gogi Grant, 91, American pop singer ("The Wayward Wind")

GOGI GRANT ~ "IT'S A WONDERFUL THING TO BE LOVED";


L. C. Ulmer ~ 87 ~ American Delta blues singer/guitarist from the 1950's onward but did not actually record until 2011

L.C. ULMER ~ "CC RIDER";

Some Punk & Post Punk Figures

John Stabb ~ 54 ~ Singer w/1980's Washington DC Hardcore band Government Issue, one of the early bands on Discord Records, Later with Emma Peel, Brace and Stabb as well a spoken word artist.

GOVT ISSUE ~ "TIME TO ESCAPE";


GOVT ISSUE;


John Berry ~ 52 ~ Guitarist with the Beastie Boys in their original Hardcore days

THE BEASTIE BOYS ~ "EGG RAID ON MOJO";


Vi Subversa ~ 80 ~ British musician with Anarchist Punk band Poison Girls from 1976 to the 1990's. Aligned with label-mates Crass, Subversa was notable for standing out in the youth culture of punk by being a chubby middle-aged housewife.

POISON GIRLS ~ "STATE CONTROL";


POISON GIRLS ~ "ANOTHER HERO";


Marlane Marder ~ Guitarist with Swiss 1980's All-Girl Punk bands LiliPUT later known as Kleenex

LILIPUT ~ "BOATSONG";


LILIPUT ~ "TURK/SPLIT";


Andrew Loomis ~ Drummer with 1980's & 1990's garage punks Dead Moon

DEAD MOON ~ "DOA";


Brandon Farrell ~ Bassist with Virginia Hardcore bands Municipal Waste, Direct Control, Government Warning and Wasted Time, owner of No Way Out Records

MUNICIPAL WASTE ~ "THE FATAL FEAST";


Ross Shapiro ~ Singer/Guitarist with 1990's Athens, Georgia indie band The Glands

THE GLANDS ~ "WHEN I LAUGH";


Thomas Fekete ~ 27 ~ American guitarist w/Florida Indie-Rock band Surfer Blood

SURFER BLOOD ~ "I CAN'T EXPLAIN";


Jody Taylor ~ 43 ~ Vocalist with Vancouver 1990's Hardcore bands Strain and Kersey

STRAIN;


Heiko Schrepel ~ 39 ~ Bassist w/California Punk bands The US Bombs, Screw 32, One Man Army, The Revolts

THE US BOMBS ~ "WE ARE THE PROBLEM";


THE US BOMBS;


Micheal Montano ~ 46 ~ Bassist w/San Francisco Hardcore/Crust band Filth

FILTH;


FILTH ~ "SCARRED FOR LIFE";


Nick Menza ~ Drummer with Megadeth and later with Orphaned to Hatred, Deltanaut and OHM

MEGADETH ~ "SWEATING BULLETS";

White Line Fever

In the week of Feb.13 & 14 there were a series completely unrelated car crashes leading to the deaths of members of two bands.

Saturday Feb.13 British indie band Viola Beach were on tour in Sweden when their van skidded off a bridge killing all four members of the band Kris Leonard (guitar and vocals), River Reeves (guitar), Tomas Lowe (bass), and Jack Dakin (drums)plus their manager Craig Tarry.

VIOLA BEACH ~ "GET TO DANCING";


That same day American hardrock band Counterflux were on their way to a gig in Dayton Ohio when they were in a two car wreck killing three of five members of the band, Kyle Canter, Earl Miller II, Devin Bachmann and a friend. Their driver had earlier been charged with DUI and alcohol is believed to have been involved, however in this case it was the other driver (also killed) who was at fault.

COUNTERFLUX ~ "ASSASSIN";


The next day Toronto Metal band Cauldron crashed their van while on tour in Texas fortunately all member survived although guitarist Ian Chains suffered serious back injuries and their van was totaled forcing them to cancel the rest of their tour.

The People Who Died ~ 2016 edition

Colonel Abrams ~ 67 ~ American R&B singer/songwriter ("Trapped")

Mose Allison ~ 89 ~ American jazz pianist, singer and songwriter ("Young Man Blues")

Ernestine Anderson, 87, American Jazz, Blues and R&B vocalist from the 1940's on, sang with Johnny Otis, Lionel Hampton, Gigi Gryce, Quincy Jones later solo

Letty Anderson ~ Toronto bassist w/Sebastian Angello

Pete Anderson ~ 70 ~ Pioneering Latvian Rockabilly singer from the 1960's on

Signe Toly Anderson ~ 74 ~ Original singer with Jefferson Airplane on their first album

Lee Andrews ~ 79 ~ American doo-wop singer w/Lee Andrews & the Hearts ("Teardrops", "Long Lonely Nights" and "Try the Impossible"), father of Roots drummer and bandleader Questlove

Rene Angelil ~ 73 ~ Manager/Husband of Celine Dion

David Antin ~ 84 ~ American poet, spoken word artist, art critic and performance artist

Gary Apollo (AKA Sperrazza) ~ Publisher of Shakin' Street Magazine

Alfredo "Chocolate" Armenteros ~ 87 ~ Cuban Latin Jazz trumpeter

Don Armstrong ~ Toronto DJ at the 1980's Silver Crown Club

Joe Ascione ~ 54 ~ American Jazz & Pop drummer with Cab Calloway, Donald Fagen, Della Reese, David Grisman, Al Hirt, Dr. John, Phoebe Snow, Jon Hendricks, Dick Hyman and Joey DeFrancesco

James Atkins ~ 49 ~ American rock bassist w/ Seattle Hammerbox

Dave Bailey ~ Canadian road manager, sound-man for Bob Segarini & Goddo

Victor Bailey ~ 56 ~ American Bassist w/Weather Report and Sonny Rollins, Pharaoh Sanders, Micheal Brecker, Miriam Makeba, LL Cool J, Sting, Madonna, Lady Gaga

Koyo Bala ~ 32 ~ South African singer

Devin Bachman ~ Singer w/Ohio Hard Rock band CounterFlux

Jimmy Bain ~ 68 ~ Scottish bassist w/1970's & 80's hard rock & metal bands Rainbow and Dio

David Baker ~ 83 ~ American Jazz trombonist/cellist and composer from the 1950's onward

Lenny Baker ~ 69 ~ Sax Player and singer with Danny & The Juniors ("At The Hop") and Sha-Na-Na, appeared in Grease.

Gato Barbieri ~ 83 ~ Argentine Jazz Fusion saxophonist from the 1970's on

Allan Barnes ~ 67 ~ American jazz and R&B saxophonist with 1970's R&B group The Blackbyrds ("Walking In Rhythm")

Barrelhouse Chuck ~ 68 ~ American blues pianist & singer w/Calvin Fuzz Jones, Willie "Big Eyes" Smith, Kim Wilson, Mud Morganfield

Hannes Bauer ~ 61 ~ German Free Jazz trumpet and trombone player w/Peter Brotzman

Peter Behrens ~ 68 ~ German drummer w/1980's New Wave band Trio

John Bellome ~ 88 ~ Owner of London, Ontario music store

John Berry ~ 52 ~ Bassist with the Beastie Boys in their original Hardcore Days

John Berry ~ American singer-songwriter and guitarist w/Indie Rock band Idaho

King Bhumibol Adulyadej ~ King of Thailand from 1946 to his death in 2016, making him at the time the world longest serving monarch (Queen Elizabeth did not take the throne until 1952). He was a huge fan of Dixieland and Big Band Jazz and played the saxophone including sitting in with visiting players like Benny Goodman, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Stan Getz, Lionel Hampton, and Benny Carter. He also composed over 40 songs (not all of them Jazz) and did some recordings. Some of his compositions have been recorded by the likes of Claude Bolling, Les Brown and Preservation Hall Jazz Band.

Bob Bissonnette ~ 35 ~ Quebec hockey player and singer

Black (real name Colin Vercombe) ~ 54 ~ British 1980's pop singer ("It's A Wonderful Life")

Merritone Blake ~ 75 ~ Jamaican music producer and sound system engineer

Paul Bley ~ 83 ~ Ottawa based Free Jazz pianist, played with Ornette Coleman, Lester Young, Ben Webster, Sonny Rollins, Charles Mingus, Chet Baker, Jimmy Giuffre, Charlie Haden, Paul Motian, Lee Konitz, Pat Metheny, Jaco Pastorious, Charlie Parker

Pierre Boulez ~ 90 ~ Avant Garde Classical composer and pioneer of Electronic, Serial and Chance Music from the 1940's onward. Influential on John Cage, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Phillip Glass, Glen Branca, one of the first to play the Ondes Martenot, an early electronic keyboard instrument.

David Bowie ~ 69 ~ English singer-songwriter ("Space Oddity", "Ziggy Stardust", "Rebel Rebel", "Heroes", "Young Americans" etc, etc, icon of Glam Rock from the early 1970's onward

Jim Boyd ~ 60 ~ American singer-songwriter

Brad Rusty Bakewell ~ Singer for 1990's Toronto Glam-Metal bands Jack Damage and Runs In Yr Hoses

Leo Brennan ~ 90 ~ Irish musician and club owner, father of members of Clannad

Robbie Brennan ~ Irish drummer w/ Gary Moore's Skid Row, Phill Lynott's Grand Slam and Clannad

Bonnie Brown ~ 77 ~ American country singer w/1950's band The Browns ("The Bells")

Paul Brown ~ American Jazz bassist w/Dexter Gordon, Junior Cook, Frank Sinatra, Sarah Vaughan, Nina Simone, Betty Carter and Anthony Braxton

Tommy Brown ~ 84 ~ American 1950's R&B singer with The Griffin Brothers

Irma Bule ~ 29 ~ Indonesian pop singer, bitten on stage by a cobra used in her act

Jon Bunch ~ 45 ~ Singer with California Post Hardcore bands Sense Field, Further Seems Forever, War Generation, Lucky Scars, Reason To Believe, and Fields Forever

Pete Burns ~ 57 ~ British singer w/1980's Techno New Wave pop band Dead Or Alive ("You Spin Me Right Round")

Prince Buster ~ 78 ~ Jamaican ska musician ("One Step Beyond", "Al Capone", "Madness")

Steve Byrd ~ 61 ~ English guitarist (Gillan, Kim Wilde)

Denis Čabrić ~ 49 ~ Bosnian bassist w/Yugoslavian rock band Regina

Nick Caldwell ~ 71 ~ American R&B singer w/The Whispers

Lecresia Campbell ~ 53 ~ American gospel singer

Lucila Campos ~ 78 ~ Peruvian singer

Rey Caney ~ 89 ~ Cuban singer/guitarist from the 1950's onward

Kyle Canter ~ 23 ~ Guitarist w/ Ohio Hard Rock band CounterFlux

Charmian Carr ~ 73 ~ American actress and singer (The Sound of Music)

Micheal Casswell ~ 52 ~ British session guitarist w/Brian May, Cozy Powell, Steve Hackett, Limahl, Joe Bonamassa, Wang Chung, Go West

Geneviève Castrée ~ 34 ~ Quebec singer/guitarist w/indie rock bands Woelv and Ô PAON, also comic artist

John Chilton ~ 83 ~ British Jazz Trumpeter; played with Buck Clayton, Ben Webster, Bill Coleman, Peggy Seeger, Ewan McColl, Swingin' Blue Jeans

Guy Clark ~ 74 ~ Grammy winning Country singer/songwriter, songs covered by Jerry Jeff Walker, Jimmy Buffett, Lyle Lovett, Ricky Skaggs, Steve Wariner, and Rodney Crowell, Johnny Cash, David Allan Coe, Vince Gill, Ricky Skaggs, Brad Paisley, John Denver, Alan Jackson, Rodney Crowell, The Highwaymen, and Kenny Chesney, recoded with Emmylou Harris

Joe Clay ~ 78 ~ American 1950's Rockabilly singer/guitarist did "Ducktail", "Doggone It", "16 Chicks", "Get On The Right Track" (later covered by the Polecats)

Otis Clay ~ 73 ~ American R&B, Soul and Gospel singer ("Tryin' to Live My Life Without You", "The Only Way Is Up")

Brian Cober ~ Toronto Blues singer/songwriter

Breathless Dan Coffee ~ British Rockabilly/Teddyboy promoter, collector and writer from the 1970 revival onward.

Leonard Cohen ~ 82 ~ Montreal singer/songwriter/poet/novelist from the 1960's onward "Hallelujah", "Suzanne", "First We Take Manhattan", "The Future"

Daryl Coley ~ 60 ~ American gospel singer

Ray Columbus ~ 74 ~ New Zealand 1960's rock singer (Ray Columbus & the Invaders)

Tony Conrad ~ 76 ~ New York Avant Garde composer who started out as a guitarist with 1960's Garage band The Primitives along with Lou Reed and John Cale. Was a member of Theatre of Eternal Music, nicknamed The Dream Syndicate, which included John Cale, Angus MacLise, La Monte Young, and Marian Zazeela, who pioneered the use of feedback and sustained sound drones that would influence the Velvet Underground. Later became part of the Avant Garde scene with Phillip Glass, Steve Reich, Glen Branca and Lukas Foss and composed soundtracks to art films.

Buster Cooper ~ 87 ~ American trombonist at the Apollo Club & w/Lionel Hampton, Benny Goodman & Duke Ellington

Jerry Corbetta ~ 68 ~ Singer/Keyboardist w/1970's rock band Sugarloaf

Attrell Cordes ~ 46 ~ American rhythm and blues singer w/P.M. Dawn

Connie Crothers ~ 75 ~ American jazz pianist with Max Roach

Clifford Curry ~ 79 ~ American 1960's R&B singer ("She Shot a Hole in My Soul")

Jack Dakin ~ Drummer for UK Indie Band Viola Beach

Jonathan Davies ~ Drummer for Toronto Post-Punk bands The Kenetic Ideals and National Velvet

Dennis Davis ~ American drummer (David Bowie, Stevie Wonder)

Phife Dawg ~ 45 ~ American rapper with A Tribe Called Quest

Nora Dean ~ 72 ~ Jamaican Reggae and Gospel singer

Rex DeLong ~ Guitarist w/1960's Surf Band The Rumblers ("Boss")

Harald Devold ~ 51 ~ Norwegian jazz sax player

Andrew Dorff ~ 40 ~ American songwriter ("My Eyes", "Save It for a Rainy Day", "Somebody's Heartbreak")

Joe Dowell ~ 76 ~ American 1960's pop singer ("Wooden Heart")

Padraig Duggan ~ 67 ~ Singer with Irish folk band with Clannad, The Duggans

Lucille Dumont ~ 97 ~ Quebecois pop singer from the 1930's onward

Wayne Duncan ~ 72 ~ Bassist w/1970's Australian rock band Daddy Cool

Holly Dunn ~ 59 ~ American 1980's country music singer-songwriter ("Daddy's Hands", "Are You Ever Gonna Love Me", "You Really Had Me Going")

Adrian Chainsaw Eagan ~ 57 ~ Singer/Guitarist w/Toronto 1980's punk & post-punk band Brat, The Idles, Tex Chainsaw and The Delrayos

Ben Edmonds ~ 65 ~ American rock journalist and editor (Creem, 1971–1975), as talent scout for EMI discovered Mink DeVille

Keith Emerson ~ 71 ~ Keyboardist with British 1960's & 70's Prog-Rock bands The Nice and Emerson, Lake & Palmer

David Enthoven ~ 2 ~ British music manager (Robbie Williams, T. Rex, Roxy Music) and record label founder (E.G. Records)

Damião Experiença ~ 81 ~ Brazilian singer and musician

Billy Faier ~ 85 ~ American Folk banjo player from the 1940's on, record fed with John Sebastian

Brandon Farrell ~ Bassist with Virginia Thrash bands Municipal Waste, Direct Control, Government Warning and Wasted Time, owner of No Way Out Records

Joey Feek ~ 40 ~ American country singer (Joey + Rory)

Thomas Fekete ~ 27 ~ American guitarist w/Florida Indie-Rock band Surfer Blood

Irving Fields ~ 101 ~ American Lounge Jazz pianist/composer from the 1950's on played with Dinah Shore, Illona Massey

Mark Fisher ~ 57 ~ British keyboardist and producer w/ 1980's UK pop band Matt Bianco

Micky Fitz ~ 57 ~ British 1980's punk singer w/The Business ("Harry May")

Tommy Flannigan ~ Toronto bassist, sound man and club booker

Pete Fountain ~ 86 ~ New Orleans Jazz clarinetist from the 1950's onward w/Brenda Lee, Stan Kenton, Al Hirt

Shirley Bunnie Foy ~ 80 ~ 1960's and 70's American Jazz, Gospel and R&B singer w/Archie Shepp, Art Blakey, Milt Jackson, The Dell-Tones

Don Francks ~ 84 ~ Canadian jazz vocalist and actor ("La Femme Nikita", "Inspector Gadget", "I'm Not There")

Steve French ~ 56 ~ American gospel singer (Kingdom Heirs)

Glen Frey ~ 67 ~ Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist with 1970's Country Rock band The Eagles

Juan Gabriel ~ 66 ~ Top selling Mexican pop singer

Hernán Gamboa ~ 69 ~ Venezuelan singer/guitarist with Latin Folk band Serenata Guayanesa

Bruce Geduldig ~ 63 ~ Video Maker and keyboardist with San Francisco Art-Punk band Tuxedomoon

Rudy Van Gelder ~ 91 ~ Recording engineer with Jazz labels Impulse, Prestige, Savoy, CTI and Vox. Recorded John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Sonny Rollins, Art Blakey, Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard, Wayne Shorter, Horace Silver and Cecil Taylor

Nadine Gelineau ~ 56 ~ Ottawa and Montreal radio DJ and promoter

Valerie Gell ~ 72 ~ UK Singer/guitarist with 1960's all-girl Mersey Beat band the Liverbirds

Keith Gemmell ~ 68 ~ British sax and flute player with 1970's British Art Rock and Prog Rock Bands Audience, Stackridge, Pasadena Roof Orchestra

Craig Gill, 44, British rock drummer (Inspiral Carpets)

Mic Gillette ~ 65 ~ Trumpet & trombone player with The Tower Of Power

Paul Gordon ~ 52 ~ American guitarist w/New Radicals, The B-52's

Gogi Grant ~ 91 ~ American 1950's pop singer ("The Wayward Wind")

Mark Gray ~ 64 ~ American country singer and songwriter

Ray Griff ~ 75 ~ Canadian country music singer ("If I Let Her Come In") and songwriter ("Canadian Pacific")

Dale Griffin ~ 67 ~ Drummer for British Glam Rock group Mott The Hoople ("All The Young Dudes"

Piotr Grudziński ~ 40 ~ Guitarist with Polish Prog rock band Riverside

Bill Guest ~ Singer w/Gladys Knight & The Pips ("I Heard It Through The Grapevine")

Peter Gutteridge ~ New Zealand singer/guitarist with New Wave bands The Clean, The Chills, Snapper, The Great Unwashed and The Puddle

Daasebre Gyamenah ~ 37 ~ Ghanaian high-life singer

Merle Haggard ~ 79 ~ American Outlaw country music singer/songwriter ("Okie from Muskogee", "The Fightin' Side of Me", "Carolyn"), Grammy winner (1984, 1998, 1999)

Bill Ham ~ 79 ~ Manager of ZZ Top

Jack Hammer ~ 90 ~ American 1950's R&R performer and songwriter ("Great Balls Of Fire", "Fujiyama Mama" (for Wanda Jackson), "Rock & Roll Cal" (for Louis Jordan) as well as solo. Joined the Platters in the 60's.

Gillian Hanna ~ 34 ~ Guitarist with The Flairs and Bif Naked


Herbert Hardesty ~ 91 ~ New Orleans Jazz and R&B trumpet and trombone player from the 1940's onward w/Fats Domino, Dave Bartholomew, Lloyd Price, Shirley & Lee, Smiley Lewis, T-Bone Walker, Big Joe Turner, Little Richard, Chick Webb

Sommerville Harding ~ Toronto comedic folk singer/songwriter

Buddy Harman ~ 79 ~ Nashville drummer w/Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, George Jones, Roger Miller, Tammy Wynette, Everly Bros, Ray Price

Eddie Harsch ~ 59 ~ Canadian keyboarist & bassist w/The Black Crowes, Detroit Cobras, James Cotton, Bulldog, Magpie Salute

Jimmie Haskell, 79, American composer and arranger w/Ricky Nelson, Grass Roots and Blondie ("Autoamerican")

William Hawkins ~ 76 ~ Canadian folk singer/songwriter and poet

Leon Haywood ~ 74 ~ American funk and soul singer

Leonard Haze ~ 61 ~ American drummer with Heavy Metal band Y&T

Fred Hellerman ~ 89 ~ American folk singer w/The Weavers "Goodnight Irene", "Kisses Sweeter than Wine", "The Wreck of the John B" (aka "Sloop John B"), "Rock Island Line", "The Midnight Special", "Pay Me My Money Down", "Darling Corey" and "Wimoweh")

Dan Hicks ~ 74 ~ Americ an 1960's Folk and Country Rock singer/guitarist w/Dan Hicks and Hot Licks and drummer with Psyche band The Charlatans ("Codine")

Radim Hladík ~ 69 ~ Guitarist w/1960s Czech Prog-Rock bands The Matadors and Blue Effect

Aaron Huffman ~ 43 ~ Bassist w/Seattle Indie Rock band Harvey Danger

Long John Hunter ~ 84 ~ Texas R&B and Blues singer/guitarist from the 1950's onward

Bobby Hutcherson ~ 75 ~ American jazz vibe player from the 1960's on. Recorded with Blue Note, Landmark Atlantic and Verve Records, played with Joe Henderson, Lee Morgan, Chick Corea, McCoy Tyner, Joey Defrancesco, David Sanborn

Pete Huttlinger ~ 54 ~ American guitarist (John Denver, LeAnn Rimes)

Wayne Jackson ~ 74 ~ American Sax player w/Stax Records R&B bands The Mar-Keys, The Memphis Horns

James Jamerson Jr ~ 58 ~ American bass player with 1980's Disco band Chanson, son of Motown bassist

Sonny James ~ 87 ~ American country singer-songwriter ("Young Love")

Andy Dog Johnson ~ 57 ~ Singer with British Punk band Camera 3, later artist who designed cover art for his brother's band The The

Joan Marie Johnson ~ 72 ~ Singer w/1960's Girl Group the Dixie Cups ("Chapel Of Love", "Iko Iko")

Kacey Jones, 66, American singer-songwriter ("I'm the One Mama Warned You About")

Marshall Jones ~ Bassist with 1970's Funk band The Ohio Players

Sharon Jones ~ 60 ~ American singer (Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings)

Kitty Kallen ~ 94 ~ American 1940's Big Band singer w/Jack Teagarden & Harry James and solo pop singer ("Little Things Mean a Lot")

Candye Kane ~ 54 ~ American blues singer-songwriter and pornographic actress

Paul Kanter ~ 74 ~ Guitarist with Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship

Bap Kennedy ~ 54 ~ Irish singer/songwriter w/Energy Orchard, Steve Earle, Van Morrison, Shane MacGowan and Mark Knopfler

Brad Kent ~ Vancouver Guitarist for Punk bands DOA, Subhumans, Pointed Sticks, Victorian Pork, JP5

James King ~ 57 ~ American bluegrass musician

Tomohiko Kira ~ 56 ~ Japanese guitarist with Prog Rock band Zabadak

Carlton Kitto ~ 74 ~ Indian jazz guitarist w/Larry Coryell, Charlie Byrd

Philip Kives ~ 87 ~ Canadian founder of K-Tell Records

Sverre Kjelsberg ~ 69 ~ Bassist with 1960's Norwegian rock band The Pussycats

Bob Krasnow ~ 82 ~ American record label executive w/Blue Thumb & Elektra Records, co-founder of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Julius La Rosa ~ 86 ~ American 1950's pop singer

Greg Lake ~ 69 ~ British bassist with Prog-Rock bands King Crimson and Emerson Lake & Palmer

Werner Lämmerhirt ~ 67 ~ German folk-pop singer-songwriter and guitarist

Trần Lập ~ 42 ~ Vietnamese rock singer

Sam Leach ~ 81 ~ British concert promoter and talent agent for The Beatles

Jade Lemons ~ American singer/guitarist with Hard Rock band Injected

Chris Leonard ~ Singer/Guitarist w/UK Indie Band Viola Beach

Kelly Levasseur ~ 41 ~ Winnipeg singer/songwriter

Joe Ligon ~ 80 ~ American gospel singer with 1960's group the Mighty Clouds of Joy

Olle Ljungström ~ 54 ~ Swedish singer and guitarist

Gary Loizzo ~ 70 ~ Singer with 1960's Pop group The American Breed ("Bend Me Break Me"), later Grammy Award winning engineer with Styx

Andrew Loomis ~ Drummer with Seattle 1980's & 90's Punk band Dead Moon

Jim Lowe ~ 93 ~ American 1950's pop/country singer songwriter "The Green Door", "The Gambler's Guitar" (also covered by Rusty Draper), "Four Walls" (also covered by Jim Reeves), "Mabellene", "Blue Suede Shoes"

Tomas Lowe ~ Bassist w/UK Indie Band Viola Beach

Gary Loizzo ~ 71 ~ Singer/guitarist with 1960's Pop band the American Breed

Richard Lyons ~ 57 ~ Sound collage artist with influencial American avant garde group Negativeland

Maggie MacDonald ~ 63 ~ Scottish Gaelic folk singer solo and with folk group Cliar

Lonnie Mack ~ 74 ~ Blues, Rock and R&B guitarist and singer, known for his flying-V guitar, fat sound and use of the wammy bar.

Jason Mackenroth ~ 47 ~ Drummer with the Rollins Band

Gayle McCormick ~ 67 ~ Singer with 1960's American Pop band Smith ("Baby It's You")

Hugh McDonald ~ 62 ~ Australian singer/guitarist w/folk rock band Redgum

Fred McFarlane ~ American 1990's pop songwriter/Producer ("Show Me Love", "Don't Wanna Go Home")

Jordon McKenzie ~ Singer/Multi-Instrumentalist w/Montreal Folk-Pop group Elfin Saddle

Sean McKeough ~ 41 ~ Co-Founder of Punk and Metal summer tour Riot-Fest

Ursula Mamlok ~ 93 ~ German avant garde composer

David Mancuso ~ 72 ~ American DJ and founder of The Loft

Mandoza ~ 38 ~ South African kwaito musician

George Mantalis ~ 81 ~ American pop singer w/ 1950's Doo Wop group group The Four Coins "Shangri La", "Try Your Luck", "I Want A Little Girl"

Marlane Marder ~ Guitarist with Swiss 1980's All-Girl Punk bands LiliPUT later known as Kleenex

Micki Marlo ~ 88 ~ American 1950's pop singer and model

George Martin ~ 90 ~ Known as "The Fifth Beatle" Martin was record producer for them on all their recordings. Martin had been known for recording comedy acts including Peter Cook & Dudley Moore and Skiffle bands like The Vipers. He would also worked with a number of other bands like Billy J Kramer & The Dakotas, Shane Fenton & The Fentones, Gerry & The Pacemakers, Cila Black and the young Gary Glitter in his pre-glam years. Martin would later work with America, Ultravox, Jeff Beck, Cheap Trick, UFO, Elton John, Neil Sedaka and Celine Dion.

Ricci Martin ~ 62 ~ American pop singer, recorded with Brian Wilson, son of Dean Martin

Carlo Mastrangelo ~ 77 ~ American Doo-Wop singer w/ Dion & The Belmonts

Ireng Maulana ~ 71 ~ Indonesian jazz guitarist

Henry McCullough ~ 72 ~ Northern Irish guitarist w/Spooky Tooth, Wings, The Grease Band

Getatchew Mekurya ~ 81 ~ Ethiopian jazz saxophonist

Gilberto Mendes ~ 93 ~ Brazilian Avant Garde composer

Louis Meyers ~ 60 ~ American festival organizer, co-founder of South by Southwest, director of Folk Alliance International

George Michael ~ 53 ~ British singer/songwriter w/Wham! ("Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go") and solo ("Careless Whisper", "Last Christmas", "Faith", "I Want Your Sex") (real name; Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou)

Earl Miller ~ Guitarist w/Ohio Hard Rock band CounterFlux

Billy Miller ~ Singer w/1980's & 90's Garage Punk band The A-Bones and co-founder of Norton Records

Lawrence Minors ~ 73 ~ Bermudian calypso bassist

Chips Moman ~ 79 ~ Memphis based record producer and songwriter for Stax Records and elsewhere, worked with Elvis Presley ("In The Ghetto" "Suspicious Minds"), Bobby Womack, Carla Thomas, the Box Tops ("The Letter"), Aretha Franklin ("Respect", "Do Right Woman"), Dusty Springfield ("Dusty In Memphis"), BJ Thomas, Waylon Jennings "Luchenbach Texas"), Willie Nelson ("Always On My Mind"), Gary Stewart, Tammy Wynette, Ronnie Milsap, Petula Clark and The Highwaymen, a country supergroup w/ Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson

Micheal Montano ~ 46 ~ Bassist w/San Francisco Hardcore/Crust band Filth

Scotty Moore ~ 84 ~ Guitarist on Elvis Presley's 1950's Sun Records hits

Shelly Moore ~ 84 ~ British born American Big Band Jazz singer from the 1950's & 60's w/Vic Lewis, Ramsey Lewis, Ray McKinney and Plas Johnson, recorded on Argo Records

Mariano Mores ~ 98 ~ Argentine tango composer and pianist

John Morthland ~ 68 ~ American rock journalist and editor with "Rolling Stone" & "Creem"

Alphonse Mouzon ~ 68 ~ American jazz drummer w/Weather Report, Stevie Wonder, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Carlos Santana, Patrick Moraz, Betty Davis, Jaco Pastorius, Chubby Checker, Robert Plant and solo bandleader on Blue Note Records, later started his own Tenacious Records

Janusz Muniak ~ 74 ~ Polish jazz saxophonist from the 1970's on

Ras Munya ~ 55 ~ Zimbabwean reggae bassist

Johnny "Lips" Murphy ~ 72 ~ Irish trumpeter and actor ("The Commitments")

Frank Murray ~ 66 ~ Irish band manager w/Thin Lizzy, The Pogues

Asami Nagakiya ~ 30 ~ Japanese calypso steel pan player

Emilio Navaira ~ 53 ~ American country and Tejano singer ("Life Is Good")

Andy Thunderclap Newman ~ 73 ~ British singer of one-hit-wonder "Something In The Air" (1969) written & produced by Pete Townsend

Josefin Nilsson ~ 46 ~ Swedish pop singer

Marni Nixon ~ 86 ~ American Pop singer on Broadway and in Hollywood musicals including "The King and I", "West Side Story" and "My Fair Lady"

Nomoreloss ~ Nigerian pop singer and songwriter

Fredrik Norén ~ 75 ~ Swedish jazz drummer w/Ben Webster, Dexter Gordon and many Scandinavian jazzmen from the 1960's on

Leif Nylén ~ 77 ~ Drummer with 1970's Swedish Prog Rock band Blå Tåget

Hod O'Brien ~ American 1960's & 70's Jazz pianist w/Chet Baker, Archie Shepp, Zoot Simms

Fergus O'Farrell ~ Irish singer/songwriter with 1990's band Interference, wrote songs in Oscar winning movie and musical "Once"

Pauline Oliveros ~ 84 ~ Pioneering American avant garde electronic composer and accordionist

Buck Ormsby ~ 75 ~ Bassist with 1960's Seattle Garage Punks The Fabulous Wailers ("Louie Louie" & "Out Of Our Tree")

Ahuva Ozeri ~ 68 ~ Israeli folk singer

Rick Parfit ~ 68 ~ British singer/guitarist w 1960's & 70's band Status Quo ("Pictures Of Matchstick Men", "Rockin All Over The World") and Bandaid ("We Are The World")

Billy Paul ~ 81 ~ 1970's R&B singer ("Me and Mrs. Jones"), part of The Philadelphia Sound

Gary S. Paxton ~ 77 ~ American record producer ("Monster Mash", "Alley Oop") and singer-songwriter (Skip & Flip, The Hollywood Argyles)

Kira Payne ~ 50 ~ Toronto Jazz saxophonist w/Bobby Herriot Orchestra, Jim Galloway Orch

Larry Payton ~ American bassist with R&B 1960's & 70's bands Brass Construction and Dynamic Soul

Trisco Pearson ~ American R&B singer w/1980's R&B group Force MD's

Betsy Pecanins ~ 62 ~ American-born Mexican singer, songwriter and record producer

Mike Pedicin ~ 98 ~ American Big Band Jazz bandleader from the 1940's on, had a hit with "Shake A Hand"

Cauby Peixoto ~ 85 ~ Brazilian Latin Jazz singer from the 1950's onward

Jean Jacques Perry ~ 87 ~ French 1960's Electronic Pop Moog player/composer w/Perry & Kingsley and Mr Ondioline

Erik Petersen ~ 38 ~ American punk rock musician (Mischief Brew)

Zarkus Poussa ~ 40 ~ Finnish drummer w/Jazz/Funk band RinneRadio

Aurelian Preda ~ 46 ~ Romanian folk singer

Prince ~ 57 ~ (Full name Prince Rogers Nelson) Iconic American singer/guitarist/composer/producer ("Purple Rain", "Little Red Corvette") and actor ("Purple Rain").

Roland Prince ~ 69 ~ Antiguan jazz guitarist

Tavin Pumarejo ~ 84 ~ Puerto Rican actor, comedian and jíbaro singer

Curly Putman ~ 85 ~ Nashville songwriter ("Green, Green Grass of Home", "He Stopped Loving Her Today")

Harry Rabinowitz ~ 100 ~ British music composer (Reilly, Ace of Spies) and conductor (Chariots of Fire, Cats)

Brian Rading ~ 69 ~ Canadian bassist w/ 1970's pop band Five Man Electrical Band ("Signs") and 1960's band The Staccatos

Doug Raney ~ 59 ~ American jazz guitarist from the 1970's on

Gordon Ranney ~ 53 ~ Milwaukee rock bassist w/Prog Rock bands The Gomers and Zombeatles

Esma Redžepova ~ 73 ~ Macedonian Romani folk singer

River Reeves ~ Guitarist w/UK Indie Band Viola Beach

Tyler Rex - 20's - Singer/bassist with Toronto Hardcore band the Antics

George Reznik ~ 86 ~ Canadian jazz pianist

Mack Rice ~ 82 ~ American R&B songwriter "Mustang Sally", "Respect Yourself"

Jimmy Riley ~ 61 ~ Jamaican Reggae singer and Producer

Matt Roberts ~ 38 ~ American rock guitarist w/ 3 Doors Down

Teddy Rooney ~ 66 ~ Bassist w/Los Angeles 1960's Psychedelic Garage Band American The Yellow Payges

Diz Russell, 83, American singer w/1950's & 60's Doo-Wop groups The Regals and The Orioles ("It's Too Soon To Know", "Baby Please Don't Go", "It's Gonna Be A Lonely Christmas")

Leon Russell ~ 74 ~ American Singer/songwriter/pianist from the 1960's onward. Wrote "Delta Lady", "A Song For You". Recorded w/The Beach Boys, Ike & Tina Turner, Rolling Stones, Frank Sinatra, Beach Boys, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Joe Cocker, Ventures, Gram Parsons, Byrds, Willie Nelson, Ray Charles, Elton John, Bobby Boris Pickett, Glen Campbell, Gary Lewis & Playboys, Delaney & Bonnie

Rusty ~ Singer with 1990's Toronto Hard Rock band Jack Damage

Karel Růžička ~ 76 ~ Czech jazz pianist

Peter "Sab" Sabourin ~ 70's ~ Canadian rock singer/guitarist from the 1970's onward

Adam Sagan ~ 35 ~ Drummer wAmerican/Canadian Prog-Metal bands Circle II Circle, Into Eternity

Horacio Salgán ~ 100 ~ Argentine tango pianist/composer

Jit Samaroo ~ 65 ~ Trinidadian Steelpan musician and arranger

Scabs ~ 41 ~ American horror punk drummer w/Frankenstein Drag Queens from Planet 13

Heiko Schrepel ~ 39 ~ Bassist w/California Punk bands The US Bombs, Screw 32, One Man Army, The Revolts

Dorothy Schwartz ~ 89 ~ American singer w/ 1950's Pop vocal group The Chordettes ("Mr Sandman" & "Lollipop")

Jock Scot ~ 64 ~ Scottish poet and folk singer

Ross Shapiro ~ Singer/guitarist with 1990's Athens Georgia indie band The Glands

Jean Shepard ~ 82 ~ American Country singer from the 1950's to the 70's ("A Dear John Letter", "Slippin' Away", "Second Fiddle To An Old Guitar", "Beautiful Lies")

Micheal Sheppard ~ 59 ~ Los Angeles Punk and Industrial concert promoter and owner of Iridescence and Transparency Record labels

Shug ~ Singer with Scottish punk band The Snipes

Red Simpson ~ 81 ~ Arizona Honky Tonk singer/songwriter from the 1960's onward known for his trucking songs ("Roll Truck Roll", "Sam's Place")

Frank Sinatra Jr ~ 72 ~ American Pop singer

Amy van Singel ~ 67 ~ American music journalist and blues historians (Living Blues)

Ray Mary Singleton ~ 79 ~ Motown songwriter/producer w/Apollo, Rockwell ("Somebody's Watching Me")

Derek Smith ~ 85 ~ British jazz pianist w/Cleo Laine, Benny Goodman, Doc Severinsen, Burt Bacharach/Dionne Warwick and Steve Lawrence/Eydie Gorme, Dizzy Gillespie, Buddy DeFranco, Milt Hinton, and Clark Terry. Played on soundtracks Woody Allen’s "Hannah and Her Sisters", "Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989) Martin Scorsese's "The Age of Innocence"

Louis Smith ~ 85 ~ American jazz trumpeter w/Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Thad Jones, Billy Mitchell, Sonny Stitt, Count Basie, Cannonball Adderley, Percy Heath, Philly Joe Jones, Lou Donaldson, Donald Byrd, Kenny Dorham, Zoot Sims, Tommy Flanagan, Art Taylor

Paul Smoker ~ 71 ~ American Jazz trumpeter w/Anthony Braxton and solo

Danny Smythe ~ 67 ~ Drummer with 1960's Memphis Blue Eyed Soul band The Box Tops ("The Letter", "Soul Deep")

Gilli Smyth ~ 83 ~ Singer with 1960's Psychedelic Rock band Gong

Tamás Somló ~ 68 ~ Hungarian guitarist and singer with prog-rock bands Omega, Locomotiv GT

DJ Spank Spank ~ American electronic musician (Phuture)

John Stabb ~ 54 ~ Singer w/1980's Washington DC Hardcore band Government Issue, one of the early bands on Discord Records, Later with Brace and spoken word artist

Ralph Stanley ~ 89 ~ Virginia born banjo player and singer with The Stanley Brothers and The Clinch Mountain Boys from the 1940's onward "Man Of Constant Sorrow", "Pretty Polly" (covered by The Byrds & The Sadies), "Little Glass Of Wine" (also covered by The Sadies) and "O'Death"

Kay Starr ~ 94 ~ American pop and jazz singer from the 1940's & 1950's ("Rock & Roll Waltz", "It's A Good Day", "Wheel Of Fortune")

Louis Stewart ~ 72 ~ Irish jazz guitarist w/George Shearing

Robert Stigwood ~ 81 ~ Australian band manager (Bee Gees, Cream, John Leyton) and sometime partner with producer Joe Meek

Chris Stone ~ 81 ~ American Music Executive, Founder of the Record Plant studio

Martin Stone ~ 69 ~ British 1960's & 70's guitarist w/The Action, Savoy Brown Blues Band, Mighty Baby, Snakefinger, Chilli Willi and the Red Hot Peppers, Pink Fairies, the The 101ers, Wreckless Eric, Marianne Faithful. Vi Subversa ~ 80 ~ British musician with Anarchist Punk band Poison Girls from 1976 to the 1990's

Dave Swarbrick ~ 75 ~ British fiddler singer-songwriter w/Fairport Convention

Lord Tanamo ~ 82 ~ Jamaican/Toronto Ska singer and percussionist with the Skatalites and solo from the 1960's onward

Craig Tarry ~ Manager w/UK Indie Band Viola Beach

B. E. Taylor ~ 65 ~ American singer/guitarist with 1980's pop group BE Taylor Group

Betty Loo Taylor ~ 87 ~ American jazz pianist

Jody Taylor ~ 43 ~ Vocalist with Vancouver 1990's Hardcore bands Strain and Kersey

Mike Taylor ~ Vocalist with British 1970's & 80's Metal band Quartz

Jerome Teasley ~ 67 ~ American R&B and R&R drummer w/Motown Records, also played with Junior Walker and the All Stars,[Al Green, Jimi Hendrix, Wilson Pickett, Tina Turner, Bill Carr and Jazz saxophonist Sonny Stitt

Joe Temperley ~ 86 ~ Scottish Jazz saxophonist w/Duke Ellington, Woody Herman, Buddy Rich, Joe Henderson, Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orch and Clark Terry. Played on soundtracks for "Cotton Club", "Biloxi Blues", "Brighton Beach Memoirs", "When Harry Met Sally", and "Tune In Tomorrow"

Rod Temperton ~ 66 ~ English keyboardist with 1970's R&B band (Heatwave) and songwriter w/Micheal Jackson ("Rock with You", "Give Me the Night", "Thriller")

Toots Thielemans ~ 94 ~ Belgian jazz guitarist, whistler and harmonica player ("Midnight Cowboy Theme")

Lenny Thomas ~ Drummer for Philadelphia Punk band Sorry & The Sinatras

Charlie Thompson ~ 98 ~ American Jazz pianist from the 1940's onwards w/Coleman Hawkins/Howard McGhee, Charlie Parker, Dexter Gordon, Miles Davis, Lucky Millinder, Illinois Jacquet, Buck Clayton

Big John Thomas ~ 63 ~ Guitarist w/Welsh Hard Rock band Budgie

Shane Tommlinson ~ 33 ~ Gospel and Soul singer killed in Orlando night club shootings

Royal Torrence ~ 82 ~ American soul music singer (Little Royal and The Swingmasters), step-brother of James Brown

Pete Traynor ~ Toronto bassist and inventor who played bass in the 1960's w/Ronnie Hawkins, Johnny Rhythm and the Suedes (w/Robbie Robertson), Roy Hawkley and the Dynaflows and the Fabulous Fables. Later invented the Traynor Amp and founded Yorkville Sound company. Marcus Turner ~ 59 ~ New Zealand folk singer and television host

L. C. Ulmer ~ 87 ~ American blues singer/guitarist from the 1950's onward

Chayito Valdez ~ 71 ~ Mexican-born American folk singer and actress

Vanity ~ 57 ~ Canadian 1980's R&B singer Prince and Vanity 6

Naná Vasconcelos ~ 71 ~ Brazilian jazz percussionist and vocalist, eight-time Grammy Award winner

Bobby Vee ~ 73 ~ 1950's American pop singer ("Take Good Care Of My Baby" & "The Night Has 1000 Eyes")

Alan Vega ~ Singer with New York 1970's art-punk band Suicide and solo

La Velle ~ 72 ~ American jazz and gospel singer

Tony Vincent (AKA Tony Torcher) ~ Drummer w/Toronto 1970's punk bands The Ugly, The Viletones & Screaming Sam

Freddie Wadling ~ 64 ~ Swedish pop and punk singer, guitarist and pianist from the 1970's onward

Bob Walsh ~ 68 ~ Canadian blues singer and guitarist

Conor Walsh ~ Irish indie rock pianist

Rob Wasserman ~ 64 ~ American musician (David Grisman Quintet, Elvis Costello, Bruce Cockburn, Elvis Costello, Ani di Franco, Jerry Garcia, David Grisman, Rickie Lee Jones, Van Morrison, Aaron Neville, Lou Reed, Pete Seeger, Jules Shear, Studs Terkel, Bob Weir, Brian Wilson, Chris Whitley, Neil Young, Laurie Anderson, Oingo Boingo

Bunny Walters ~ 63 ~ New Zealand 1970's pop singer ("Brandy")

Häns’che Weiss ~ 65 ~ German jazz guitarist and composer

Bobby Wellins ~ 80 ~ Scottish Jazz saxophonist from the 1950's onward

Papa Wemba ~ 66 ~ Congolese Rumba singer

Maurice White ~ 74 ~ Singer/Percussionist with 1970's & 80's R&B band Earth Wind & Fire

Maxine Willan ~ Toronto Jazz pianist

Kim Williams ~ 68 ~ Nashville country songwriter w/Randy Travis, Joe Diffie, Reba McIntire, Garth Brooks

Cluade Williamson ~ 89 ~ American Jazz pianist w/ Teddy Edwards, Red Norvo, Charlie Barnet, June Christy, Max Roach, Art Pepper, Chet Baker

Ruby Wilson ~ 68 ~ American blues, soul and gospel singer

Mentor Williams ~ 70 ~ American songwriter and producer ("Drift Away", "When We Make Love")

Justin Winters ~ Bassist with New Jersey early 2000's Speedcore/Thrash band Acid Bum Trio

James Woolley ~ 49 ~ American keyboardist (Nine Inch Nails, 2wo)

Bernie Worrell ~ 72 ~ American R&B & Funk keyboardist w/George Clinton's Parliament Funkadelic, Bootsy Collins' Rubber Band later with Talking Heads,Sly & Robbie, Jack Bruce, Bill Laswell, Fela Kuti

Rick Wright ~ 57 ~ American country music guitarist w/Connie Smith

Glenn Yarbrough, ~ 86 ~ American folk singer ("Baby the Rain Must Fall", "It's Gonna Be Fine", "San Francisco Bay Blues")

Steve Young ~ 73 ~ Georgia Singer-Songwriter of the 1960's & 70's Outlaw Country movement, wrote "Seven Bridges Road" (later covered by The Eagles, Joan Baez and Dolly Parton) and songs by Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and Hank Williams Jr

Steven Young ~ British musician w/1980's Dance-Pop band Colourbox and MARRS as songwriter had a hit ("Pump Up the Volume") with MARRS

Mick Zane ~ 57 ~ Guitarist w/American 1980's metal band Malice

Jimmie Van Zant ~ 59 ~ American rock musician w/Lynnard Skynnard

Allan Zavod ~ 71 ~ Australian Jazz pianist, composer & conductor w/Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, George Benson, Eric Clapton, Jean-Luc Ponty and Frank Zappa

Sven Zetterberg ~ 64 ~ Swedish blues musician

Pete Zorn ~ 65 ~ American multi-insturmentalist musician (Steeleye Span, Richard Thompson, Driver, The Albion Band)