Some 70's & 80's Soul, R&B & Blues Figures

Anita Pointer - 74 - Singer with The Pointer Sisters

THE POINTER SISTERS ~ "SLOW HAND";


THE POINTER SISTERS ~ "FIRE";


THE POINTER SISTERS ~ "JUMP FOR MY LOVE";


THE POINTER SISTERS ~ "I'M SO EXITED";


Irene Cara - 63 - American singer ("Flashdance... What a Feeling") and actress ("Sparkle", "Fame", "Sister Sister", "City Heat"), Oscar winner (1983)

IRENE CARA ~ "WHAT A FEELING";


IRENE CARA ~ "OUT ON MY OWN";


Calvin Simon - 79 - Singer with 1970's American Funk band Parliament-Funkadelic

PARLIAMENT FUNKADELIC ~ "BRING BACK THE FUNK";


PARLIAMENT FUNKADELIC ~ "COSMIC SLOP";



Greg Webster - 84 - Drummer w/1970's R&B band the Ohio Players

THE OHIO PLAYERS ~ "ROLLERCOASTER OF LOVE";


THE OHIO PLAYERS ~ "FIRE";



Sidney Kirk - 78 - American Jazz and R&B pianist with Issac Hayes, Dionne Warwick, Albert King, Rufus Thomas & the Platters

ISSAC HAYES ~ "SHAFT";


William Hart - 77 - American singer/songwriter with 1970's R&B group The Delfonics ("La-La (Means I Love You)", "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)")

THE DELFONICS ~ "DIDN'T I BLOW YOUR MIND THIS TIME";


THE DELFONICS ~ "LA LA LA MEANS I LOVE YOU";


Sam Gooden - 87 - Singer with 1970's R&B group The Impressions

THE IMPRESSIONS ~ "IT'S ALL RIGHT";


THE IMPRESSION ~ "PEOPLE GET READY";


Betty Davis - 77 - American 1970's Funk and Soul singer

BETTY DAVIS ~ "FUNK";



Howard Grimes ~ 80 ~ Memphis Soul drummer for Stax and Hi Records in the 1960's & 70's w/Rufus & Carla Thomas, Al Green, Willie Mitchell, Otis Clay, O.V. Wright, Syl Johnson, Ann Peebles, Don Bryant, The Bo-Keys, Cyndi Lauper, Deke Dickerson

RUFUS & CARLA THOMAS ~ "CAUSE I LOVE";


AL GREEN ~ "TIRED OF BEING ALONE";


AL GREEN ~ "LET'S STAY TOGETHER";


David Tyson ~ 62 ~ Singer w/1970's Vocal group the Manhattans

THE MANHATTANS ~ "GIRL OF MY DREAM";


THE MANHATTANS ~ "KISS & SAY GOODBYE";



Richard Pratt - Singer with 1970's Soul vocal group Blue Magic

BLUE MAGIC ~ "CHASING RAINBOWS":



Timmy Thomas ~ 77 ~ US 1960's & 70's Soul singer

TIMMY THOMAS ~ "WHY CAN'T WE LIVE TOGETHER";



Eric Mercury ~ 70's ~ Toronto 1960's & 70's R&B singer with The Soul Searchers

ERIC MERCURY & THE SOUL SEARCHERS ~ "LONELY GIRL";



Adam Wade - 87 - American Soul singer ("The Writing on the Wall") and television host (Musical Chairs)
ADAM WADE ~ "THE HUNGARY YEARS";


Donny Gerrard ~ Vancouver 1970's Soul and R&B singer w/Skylark, later backup singer with Mavis Staples, Bruce Springsteen, Elton John & Cher

SKYLARK ~ "WILDFLOWER"



Geraldine Hunt - 77 - American R&B singer ("Can't Fake the Feeling")

GERALDINE HUNT ~ "CAN'T FAKE THE FEELING":


Syl Johnson ~ 85 ~ 1970's Chicago Soul singer

SYL JOHNSON ~ "WE DID IT";


SYL JOHNSON ~ "ANY WAY THE WIND BLOWS";


Jimmy Johnson (real name James Earl Thompson) - 93 - Blues guitarist and singer w/Slim Harpo, Freddie King, Albert King, Magic Sam, Otis Rush, Eddy Clearwater, Otis Clay and Jimmy Johnson (to whom he was not actually realated), brother to Syl Johnson

JIMMY JOHNSON & BIG TIME SARAH ~ "B.L.U.E.S";


JIMMY JOHNSON ~ "AS THE YEARS GO PASSING BY";


Luther Johnson - 83 - Mississippi BLues singer/guitarist w/Muddy Waters, Magic Sam, John Lee Hooker (including in "The BLues Brothers"), Jimmy Johnson & solo

LUTHER JOHNSON;


Freddie Roulette ~ 83 ~ Chicago Blues & Gospel steal guitarist & singer

FREDDIE ROULETTE ~ "LUCILLE";


Walter Wolfman Washington ~ 79 ~ New Orleans Blues and R&B singer/guitarist

WALTER WOLFMAN WASHINGTON ~ "STEAL AWAY";


WALTER WOLFMAN WASHINGTON ~ "NOBODY'S FAULT BUT MINE";


Barbara Morrison - 72 - American Jazz and R&B singer w/Johnny Otis, Jimmy Smith, Kenny Burrell, Jr Mance, Joe Sample

BARARA MORRISION ~ "WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES";


Ernie Andrews ~ 94 ~ American Jazz, Blues, Big Band and R&B singer from the 1940's onward

ERNIE ANDREWS ~ "IF I DON'T LOVE YOU";


ERNIE ANDREWS ~ "OLD MAN JAZZ":



Derf Reklaw Raheem ~ Percussionist with 1970's & 80 Jazz/Funk Fusion bands The Pharohs, The Intentions, The Blend Crafters,

THE PHAROAHS ~ "THE TRACKS OF MY TEARS";


THE INTENTIONS ~ "DIG IT";



Charles E. McCormick - 75 - Singer with American 1970's R&B band Bloodstone

BLODDSTONE ~ "NEVER LET YOU GO";


James Mtume - 76 - American Jazz musician (keyborads, bass, percussion,guitars) w/Mtume & Miles Davis and songwriter ("Juicy Fruit", "The Closer I Get to You")

MTUME ~ "JUICY FRUIT";


MTUME ~ "YOU ME & HE";



Benjamin Moore Jr ~ 81 ~ Singer/guitarist with the Blind Boys Of Alabama from the 2000's onward

THE BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA ~ "AMAZING GRACE";


THE BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA ~ "SPIRIT IN THE SKY";


Joyce Sims - 63 - American R&B singer-songwriter ("Come Into My Life")

JOYCE SIMMS ~ "COME INTO MY LIFE";


Jessie Daniels - 58 - Singer w/1980's American R&B the Force MD's

THE FORCE MD'S ~ "TENDER LOVE";


THE FORCE MD'S ~ "LOVE IS A HOUSE";



Traci Braxton - 50 - American R&B singer (The Braxtons) and television personality (Braxton Family Values)

THE BRAXTONS ~ "THE BOSS";


THE BRAXTONS ~ "WHERE'S THE GOOD IN GOODBYE";



Keith Martin - 55 - American R&B singer

KEITH MARTIN ~ "NEVER FIND SOMEONE LIKE YOU";



Roderick "Pooh" Clark - 49 - American R&B singer w/1990's R&B group Hi-Five

HI-FIVE ~ "I LIKE THE WAY";


HI-FIVE ~ "SHE'S PLAYING HARD TO GET";

Diane Luckey (AKA Q Lazzarus) ~ 61 ~ American R&B singer ("Goodbye Horses")

Q LAZZARUS ~ "GOOBYE HORSES";


Jewell Caples ~ 53 ~ American 1990's R&B singer for Death Row Records

JEWELL CAPLES ~ "WOMAN TO WOMAN";

Some Jazz, Blues & R&B Figures

Clarence Fountain ~ 88 ~ Singer with Gospel group the Blind Boys of Alabama

THE BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA ~ "TOO CLOSE TO HEAVEN";


THE BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA ~ "AMAZING GRACE";


Otis Rush ~ Chicago blues singer/guitarist from the 1950's onward w/Chess, Cobra and Atlantic Records ("I Can't Quit You Baby", "I'm Satisfied")

OTIS RUSH ~ "I CAN'T QUIT YOU BABY";


OTUS RUSH ~ "SWEET LITTLE ANGEL";


Matt Guitar Murphy ~ 88 ~ Guitarist w/Howlin Wolf, Ike Turner, Muddy Waters, James Cotton, Otis Rush, Etta James, Willie Dixon, Sonny Boy Williamson II, Chuck Berry, Joe Louis Walker, Memphis Slim, Aretha Franklin and The Blues Brothers as well as solo

MATT GUITAR MURPHY ~ "MURPHY'S BOOGIE";


MATT GUITAR MURPHY & MEMPHIS SLIM;
MATT'S GUITAR BLUES";


MATT GUITAR MURPHY ~ "MURPHY'S BOOGIE";


Eddie Willis ~ 82 ~ Guitarist with Motown studio band The Funk Brothers who played on most of the Motown hits in the 1960's & 70's

THE FUNK BROTHERS ~ "NOWHERE TO HIDE";


THE FUNK BROTHERS ~ "PAPA WAS A ROLLING STONE";


John "Jabo" Starks, 79, American drummer (James Brown, The J.B.'s)

JAMES BROWN;


JAMES BROWN "PAPA'S GOT A BRAND NEW BAG" & "I FEEL GOOD";


Eugene Pitt ~ Lead singer with 1960's Doo-Woppers the Jive Five

THE JIVE FIVE ~ "HAPPY MAN";


Lazy Leter ~ 85 ~ Blues singer & harpist from the 1950's onward

LAZY LESTER ~ "THEY CALL ME LAZY";


Edwin Hawkins ~ 74 ~ American gospel musician ("Oh Happy Day", "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)") (w/Melanie)

MELANIE & THE EDWIN HAWKINS SINGERS ~ "LAY DOWN (CANDLES IN THE RAIN)";


EDWIN HAWKINS SINGERS ~ "OH HAPPY DAY";


CECIL TAYLOR ~ 89 ~ American Free Jazz pianist from the late 1950's onward

CECIL TAYLOR;


Randy Weston ~ 90 ~ American Avant Garde Jazz pianist from the 1950's onward with Charles Mingus and his own band

RANDY WESTON;


Eddy Clearwater ~ 83 ~ American blues singer and guitarist from the 1950's on
EDDIE "THE CHIEF" CLEARWATER ~ BOOGIE WOOGIE BABY";

Nathan Davis ~ 81 ~ American jazz sax player from the 1960's onward w/Eric Dolphy, Art Blakey, Nat Adderly. Ray Charles and solo

NATHAN DAVIS ~ "NEW ORLEANS";


Norman Edge ~ 84 ~ Jazz bassiat with Gene Ammons, Clark Terry and Nelson Riddle

CLARK TERRY ~ "STARDUST";


GENE AMMONS ~ "SOPHISTICATED LADY";


Hamlet Bluiet ~ Sax player with The World Saxophone Quartet;

THE WORLD SAXOPHONE QUARTET ~ "HATTIE WALL";

T Model Ford & Some Rock, Blues, Jazz and Country Figures Pass On

T Model Ford ~ Blues singer/guitarist. Born some time in the early 1920's (he wasn't sure when) but he didn't become a professional recording artist until he was discovered in 1995 and signed to Fat Possum Records, the label that had resurrected RL Burnside. Ford had spent most of his life in rural Mississippi doing manual labour, supervising a saw mill and truck driving. He was also sentenced to prison for ten years for murder, although he only served about two. When he was released and his wife left him and he began playing guitar, learning from records by Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolf, Son House and Jimmy Reed. He did not record but spent his career locally playing juke joints and opening for Buddy Guy until he was discovered by Matt Johnson of Fat Possum for who he recorded five well regarded albums. He also toured widely, in fact I remember working at a club in Toronto back in the late 1990's when we tried to bring in Ford only to find he couldn'y get over the border becuase of his old murder conviction.

T MODEL FORD ~ "SALLIE MAE";


T MODEL FORD ~ "CHICKEN HEAD MAN";


Billy Bowers ~ American gospel vocalist Blind Boys of Alabama ~ 71

THE FIVE BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA ~ "TOO CLOSE TO HEAVEN";


THE FIVE BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA ~ "SOMEBODY GOT TO MAKE IT TO HEAVEN"


Lewis Lymon ~ 1950's Doo Wop singer, brother of Frankie Lymon and replaced him in the Teenagers after he quit to go solo ~ 69

LEWIS LYMON & THE TEENAGERS ~ "DANCE GIRL";


Texas Johnny Brown ~ Blues singer/guitarist, played with Joe Hinton, Amos Milburn, Ruth Brown, Bobby "Blue" Bland, Lavelle White, Buddy Ace and Junior Parker ~ 85


Curly Lewis ~ Fiddler for Bob Wills' Western Swing Band ~ 88

BOB WILLS & TEXAS PLAYBOYS ~ "SAN ANTONIO ROSE";


BOB WILLS & TEXAS PLAYBOYS ~ "STAY A LITTLE LONGER";


Bengt Hallberg ~ Swedish Jazz pianist and accordionist, played with Clifford Brown, Stan Getz and Quincy Jones ~ 80

CLIFFORD BROWN ~ "OH LADY BE GOOD" & "MEMORIES OF YOU";


Butch Warren ~ BeBop Jazz bassist w/ Miles Davis, Hank Mobley, Donald Byrd, Sonny Clark, Dexter Gordon, Herbie Hancock, Joe Henderson, Jackie McLean, and Stanley Turrentine and Thelonious Monk ~ 74

MILES DAVIS ~ "SO WHAT":


THELONIUS MONK ~ "ROUND MIDNIGHT";


Bernard Vitet ~ French Jazz trumpet player w/ Serge Gainsbourg, Yves Montand,Brigitte Bardot, Marianne Faithfull, Lester Young, Archie Shepp, Anthony Braxton, Don Cherry, Chet Baker, Gato Barbieri, Jean-Luc Ponty, Django Reinhardt, Eric Dolphy, Albert Ayler and The Art Emsemble Of Chicago. He also worked on film scores. ~ 77

SERGE GAINSBOURG & BRIGITTE BARDOT ~ "J'T'AIME";


Gary Shearston ~ Australian singer/songwriter, had a hit in the UK with a cover of "I Get A Kick Out Of You" ~ 74

GARY SHEARSTON ~ "I GET A KICK OUT OF YOU";