Nick Curran and some recent Rock n Roll pioneer deaths

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

NICK CURRAN ~ "TRAIN KEPT A ROLLIN";


KIM LENZ ~ "ZOMBIE FOR YOUR LOVE":


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

MIKEY BAKER ~ "SPINNIN' ROCK BOOGIE";


MICKEY BAKER ~ "WHISTLE STOP";


MICKEY BAKER & COLEMAN HAWKINS;


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


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


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


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

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


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


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


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


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

ROY ORBISON ~ "OH, PRETTY WOMAN";


ROY ORBISON ~ "IT'S OVER";


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

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


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

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

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


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


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


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


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


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

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

THE CARAVANS WITH REV JAMES CLEVELAND;


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

MARVA WHITNEY ~ "IT'S MY THING";


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


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

DAVE BRUBECK ~ "TAKE 5";


DAVE BRUBECK ~ "TAKE THE A-TRAIN";


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


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


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

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

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

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

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

HP LOVECRAFT ~ "THE WHITE SHIP";


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


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

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




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

THE SELDOM SCENE ~ "LAY DOWN SALLY";


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


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

Doc Watson ~ "Deep River blues";


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

LONZO & OSCAR ~ "MOVIN' ON";


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


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

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


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

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

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

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


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


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


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


Earl Scruggs & Lester Flatt Breakdown;



Foggy Mountain Boys ~ "Foggy Mountain Breakdown";





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

Short Doc about the Lily Brothers & Don Stover;



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

The Dillards on the Andy Griffith show;




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


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

KITTY WELLS ~ "MAKING BELIEVE";


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


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

LONZO & OSCAR ~ "MOVIN' ON";


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

The Dubliners ~ "Whiskey in the jar";






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


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


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




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




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




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

Nick Nobel ~ "Moonlight swim";




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


Marion Marlowe "Lover";



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



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