Some Artists From The 1950's & 60's

Don Wilson ~ 88 ~ Guitarist with 1960's Surf band the Ventures ("Walk Don't Run", "Hawaii 5-0", "Telstar", "The Lonely Bull", "Twilight Zone", "Out Of Limits")

THE VENTURES ~ "DIAMOND HEAD";


THE VENTURES ~ "WALK DON'T RUN";


THE VENTURES ~ "TWILIGHT ZONE";


THE VENTURES ~ "OUT OF LIMITS";


Sandy Nelson ~ 83 ~ American 1960's Surf drummer ("Let There Be Drums", "And Then There Were Drums", "Teen Beat")

SANDY NELSON ~ "LET THERE BE DRUMS";



Richie Podolor (AKA Richie Allen) ~ 80's ~ Guitarist solo and w/Sandy Nelson ("Let There Be Drums", "Teen Beat"), producer for Steppenwolf, Standells, Electric Prunes, Davie Allen, Chocolate Watchband, Iron Butterfly, Black Oak Arkansas, Three Dog Night

DICKIE POLODOR ~ "I NEED A LITTLE GIRL";


RICHIE ALLEN ~ "RISING SURF";


THE ELECTRIC PRUNES ~ "I HAD TOO MUCH TO DREAM LAST NIGHT";


THE STANDELLS ~ "DIRTY WATER";


THE CHOCOLATE WATCHBAND ~ "DON'T NEED YOUR LOVING";


STEPPENWOLF ~ "BORN TO BE WILD";


IRON BUTTERFLY ~ "INNA GADDA DAVIDA";



Fred Parris - 85 - Singer/songwriter 1950's Doo Wop group The Five Satins ("In The Still Of The Night")




Bobby Hendricks - 84 - R&B Singer with the Drifters ("Drip Drop") and solo

THE DRIFTERS ~ "DRIP DROP";


Rosa Lee Hawkins ~ 76 ~ American singer w/ 1960's group The Dixie Cups ("Chapel Of Love", "Iko Iko")

THE DIXIE CUPS ~ "CHAPEL OF LOVE";


THE DIXIE CUPS ~ "YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN THE WAY HE LOOKED AT ME";


THE DIXIE CUPS ~ "TWA-WAY-POK-AWAY";



Freddie Hughes - 78 - American R&B and Gospel singer

FREDDIE HUGHES ~ "OWEE BABY I LOVE YOU";


Ronnie Spector ~ 78 ~ American Hall of Fame singer with 1960's Girl Group The Ronettes ("Be My Baby","Baby I Love You", "Walking In The Rain")

THE RONETTES ~ "IS THIS WHAT I GET FOR LOVING YOU";


THE RONETTES ~ "BE MY BABY";


THE RONETTES ~ "BABY I LOVE YOU";


THE RONETTES ~ "WALKING IN THE RAIN";



Sonny Turner ~ 83 ~ American singer w/The Platters in their second version from 1959 into the 60's ("I Love You 1000 Times", "With This Ring" and "Washed Ashore")

THE PLATTERS ~ "I LOVE YOU 1000 TIMES";



Gerry Granahan ~ 89 ~ American 1950's & 60's Pop Rock singer (AKA Dickie Doo & the Don'ts, Jerry Grant), producer/songwriter and co-founder of Caprice Records (The Angels, The Wild Ones, James Ray), later vice-president of Dot Records and Paramount Records

DICKIE DOO & THE DON'TS ~ "NEE NEE NA NA NA NU";


DICKIE DOO & THE DON'TS ~ "CLICK CLACK";


DICKIE DOO & THE DON'TS ~ "LEAVE ME ALONE";


Phillip Paul ~ 96 ~ Drummer w/Hank Ballad & The Midnighters ("Work With Me Annie", "The Twist"), Little Willie John's ("Fever"), Charles Brown ("Please Come Home for Christmas"), Tiny Bradshaw ("Train Kept a Rollin'"), Wynonie Harris' ("Good Rockin' Tonight"), Freddie King, Milt Buckner, Cowboy Copas, John Lee Hooker, Albert King

TINY BRADSHAW ~ "TRAIN KEPT ROLLIN";


HANK BALLARD & THE MIDNIGHTERS ~ "WORK WITH ME ANNIE";


WYNONIE HARRIS ~ "ROCK MR BLUES";


LITTLE WILLIE JOHN ~ "FEVER";


FREDDIE KING ~ "HIDE AWAY";


Gary Brooker ~ 76 ~ Singer with UK Orchestral Rock band Procul Harum ("A Whiter Shade Of Pale")

PROCUL HARUM ~ "A WHITER SHADE OF PALE";


PROCUL HARUM ~ "SALTY DOG";



Dick Halligan ~ 78 ~ Horn player with 1960's Big Band Rockers Blood Sweat & Tears

BLOOD SWEAT & TEARS ~ "AND WHEN I DIE";


BLOOD SWEAT & TEARS ~ "YOU'VE MADE ME SO VERY HAPPY";


BLOOD SWEAT & TEARS ~ "SPINNING WHEEL";


José Enrique Sarabia ~ 81 ~ Venezuelan musician and songwriter (“Ansiedad”, covered by Nat King Cole)

NAT KING COLE ~ "ANSIEDAD";



Helen Grayco - 97 - American singer (The Spike Jones Show) and actress

SPIKE JONES;


SPIKE JONES ~ "DER FURHER'S FACE";



Con Cluskey - 86 - Singer guitarist with 1960's Irish Folk Pop group The Bachelors

THE BACHELORS ~ "DIANNE";

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THE BACHELORS ~ "LOVE ME WITH ALL OF YOUR HEART";


Regine Zylerberg ~ 92 ~ (AKA Regine) French Torch Singer from the 1940's onward

REGINE ~ "LES PETITS PAPIERS";


Carmela Corren - 83 - Austrian/Israeli singer Pop singer ("Vielleicht geschieht ein Wunder"), 1963 Eurovision

CARMELA CORREN ~ "VIELLEICHT GESHIEHT EIN WUNDER";



Robert Cogoi - 82 - Belgian 1960's Pop singer, 1964 Eurovision

ROBERT COGOI ~ "PAS UNE PLACE POUR ME GARER";

Some Artists From The 50's ,60's & 70's

Nokie Edwards ~ 82 ~ Guitarist w/Washington Surf Guitar band The Ventures ("Walk Don't Run", "Twilight Zone", "Out Of Limits", "Apache", "Hawaii 5-O")

THE VENTURES ~ "WALK DON'T RUN";


THE VENTURES ~ "TWILIGHT ZONE";


THE VENTURES ~ "OUT OF LIMITS";


Bill Burkette ~ 75 ~ Singer w/1960's Doo Wop group The Vogues

THE VOGUES ~ "5 O'CLOCK WORLD";


Ray Thomas ~ 76 ~ English singer-songwriter and woodwind player w/ 1960's & 70 Prog Rockers the Moody Blues ("Nights In White Satin", "Ride My See Saw", "Go Now")

THE MOODY BLUES ~ "RIDE MY SEE-SAW";


THE MOODY BLUES ~ "NIGHTS IN WHITE SATIN";


THE MOODY BLUES ~ "TUESDAY AFTERNOON";


Roy Young ~ 81 ~ British singer and keyboardist Solo and w/Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers, Tony Sheridan, Beatles, Long John Baldry

ROY YOUNG ~ "HEY LITTLE GIRL";


CLIFF BENNETT & THE REBEL ROUSERS ~ "GOT TO GET YOU INTO MY LIFE";


Jerry Williams ~ 75 ~ 1960's Swedish Rock singer

JERRY WILLIAMS & THE VIOLENTS ~ "NUMBER ONE";


JERRY WILLIAMS & THE VIOLENTS ~ "COME ON";


Lill Babs ~ 80 ~ 1960's Swedish pop singer;

LILL BABS ~ "LEVA LIVET" (IT'S MY PARTY";


LILL BABS ~ "ITSY BITSY";


Klaasje van der Wal ~ 69 ~ Bassist w/1960's Dutch rock band Shocking Blue ("Venus")
SHOCKING BLUE ~ "VENUS";


Craig MacGregor ~ 68 ~ American bassist w/1970's rock band Foghat ("Slow Ride")

FOGHAT ~ "SLOW RIDE";


FOGHAT ~ "I JUST WANNA MAKE LOVE TO YOU";


Glen Schwartz ~ Bassist with 1970's American band Pacific Gas & Electric and the James Gang

PACIFIC GAS & ELECTRIC ~ "STORMY TIMES";


Tom Rapp ~ 70 ~ Singer-songwriter w/American Psyche band Pearls Before Swine ("Seasons In The Sun")

PEARLS BEFORE SWINE ~ "SEASONS IN SUN";


Gary Lambert ~ 1950's Rockabilly & Country Guitarist w/Glen Glenn, Rose Maddox & Eddie Cochrane

GLEN GLENN ~ "EVERYBODY'S MOVING";


GLEN GLENN ~ "BABY LET'S PLAY HOUSE";


Vic Damone ~ 89 ~ American pop singer ("On the Street Where You Live", "You're Breaking My Heart")

VIC DAMONE;


Gayle Shepherd ~ 81 ~ American singer with 1950's Pop group the Shepherd Sisters

THE SHEPPARD SISTERS ~ "ALONE";

Some Rock, R&B, Doo Wop & Jazz figures of the 1950's & 60's Pass On

Ray Manzarek, keyboardist for the Doors died of cancer. A hugely influential band but I must say it was years before I could listen to them. See I grew up in Scarbourgh listening to punk, new wave as well as garage and rockabilly from the 50's & 60's while everybody else was listening to Q-107 who insisted on playing the same playlist every fucking day for years and years. The Doors, Zeppelin, Stones, Who, Floyd and Rush literally every fucking day, at least twice a day. No exaggeration. I really resented that at the time. It wasn't till years later that I got over that and decided that they were actually good bands. Except for Rush, they still suck.

Anyway where was I? Oh right, Ray Manzerek. He also produced the first X album as well, on which they buzz-sawed their way through "Soul Kitchen". Which was in turn later used in an episode of "Miami Vice" just before something blew up real good. So there's that.

THE DOORS ~ "LIGHT MY FIRE";



X & RAY MANZAREK ~ "SOUL KITCHEN";


Ronnie Splinter ~ Guitarist for influential 1960's Dutch garage band The Outsiders (not be confused with the 1960's American garage band The Outsiders who had a hit with the classic "Time Won't Let Me")

THE OUTSIDERS ~ "LYING ALL THE TIME";


Marshall Lytle ~ Bassist with Bill Haley's Comets as well as his preceding band The Saddlemen. Also co-wrote "Crazy Man Crazy" and a few songs for Haley associated group The Jodimers including their big hit "Rattle Shakin' Daddy", pioneer of the Rockabilly "Slap Bass" sound ~ 79

BILL HALEY & THE COMETS ~ "ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK";


BILL HALEY & THE COMETS ~ "RAZZLE DAZZLE";


Johnny Smith ~ 1955 Guitarist who did the original version of the surf classic "Walk Don't Run", later covered by The Ventures, Shadows, Belaires, Los Straitjackets and virtually every other surf band ~ 90

THE VENTURES ~ "WALK DON'T RUN";


Roger LaVern ~ British rock keyboardist with The Tornados and Joe Meek ~ 75
JOHN LEYTON ~ "JOHNNY REMEMBER ME" & THE TORNADOS ~ "TELSTAR";


Jim Sundquist ~ Guitarist for 1960's garage band The Fendermen "Mule Skinner Blues" ~ 75

THE FENDERMAN ~ "MULE SKINNER BLUES";


Eddie Bond ~ 1950's Rockabilly singer originally on Sun Records then on Mercury later became a country singer ~ 79

EDDIE BOND ~ "TORE UP";


EDDIE BOND ~ "ONE WAY TICKET";


Bobby Blue Bland ~ American Blues and R&B singer from the 1950's on. With hits like "Turn On Your Love Light", "I Pity The Fool", "Stormy Monday", "I'll Take Care Of You". Sang with BB King as well. "Turn On Your Love Light" was covered by Van Morrison & Them, Edgar Winter, Greatful Dead, Grand Funk Railroad, Rascals, Paramounts, Fugitives, Jerry Lee Lewis and more.

BOBBY BLUE BLAND & BB KING ~ "IT'S MY OWN FAULT";


BOBBY BLUE BLAND & BB KING ~ "THE THRILL IS GONE";


Cedar Walton ~ American Jazz Pianist from 1960's w/ The Jazztet, Art Farmer, John Coltrane, Don Ellis, Lee Morgan, Abbey Lincoln ~ 79
THE JAZZTET ~ "KILLER JOE";


Donna Hightower ~ American 1960's & 70's R&B singer ("The World's In A Mess") ~ 86

DONNA HIGHTOWER ~ "THE WORLD TODAY IS IN A MESS";


Floyd McRae ~ Singer with 1950's Doo-Wop group The Chords who did the original version of the classic hit "Sh-Boom" later covered by The Crewcuts ~ 80

THE CHORDS ~ "SH-BOOM" (recorded in 1980);


THE CREWCUTS ~ "SH-BOOM";


Virgil Johnson ~ Singer with Doo-Wop group The Velvets ~ 77

THE VELVETS ~ "MY LOVE";


Bob Engemann ~ Singer with 1950's Pop Vocal Group The Letterman w/hits like "Love is A Many Splendored Thing", "When I Fall In Love", "The Way You Look Tonight", "Softly", and covers of pop hits like "You'll Never Walk Alone", "Up Up And Away", "Put Your Head On My Shoulder" and "Walk On By" ~ 76

THE LETTERMEN ~ "LOVE IS A MANY SPLENDORED THING";


THE LETTERMEN ~ "WALK ON BY";


Ed Shaughnessy ~ Jazz and Swing drummer from the 1950's on; played with Benny Goodman, Dorsey Brothers, Gene Ammons, Roy Eldridge, Billie Holiday, Charles Mingus, Shirley Scott, Horace Silver, Count Basie and Jimmy Smith among others. Later played with Doc Severnson's Tonight Show Band ~ 84

THE DORSEY BROS ~ "MARIE";
Marion McPartland ~ British born Jazz Pianist, and composer from the 1940's on, called the "First Lady of Jazz". Married American Jazz Cornetist Jimmy McPartland, later became a jazz historian and host of a long running radio show ~ 86

MARION MCPARTLAND ~ "IN A MIST";


Marilyn King ~ American singer and actress, last surviving member of 1940's and 50's pop vocal group The King Sisters ~ 82

THE KING SISTERS ~ "ROUTE 66";




Pixie Williams ~ New Zealand 1950's pop singer, scored the first New Zealand based hit record with "Blue Smoke" in 1949 later covered by Nat King Cole ~ 85

Some Obits of early rock and roll figures of 2009

Les Paul was not only one of the first electric guitar heroes, he also made all subsequent guitar heroes possible. He invented or perfected a number of inventions including the iconic Les Paul Guitar, as well as pioneering such modern recording practices as multi-tracking, overdubbing, phase delay effects, echo effects, and feedback, in some cases inventing sound tools to make use of these techniques. He also scored a series of hits as a duo with his wife Mary Ford in the early 1950's which, while not exactly rockin' did feature some spectacular guitar work that would influence future generations of Rock, Jazz and Country guitarists. He also hosted (again with Mary Ford) hit radio and TV shows in the mid-to-late 50's. He was inducted in to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as an "architect" and has a stand alone exhibit, an honour given as well only so far to Sam Phillips and Alan Freed. He was 94.

Les Paul Trio ~ "Dark eyes"



Mike Seeger was less well known than his famous older half-brother Pete but he was still an important fonder of the folk revival of the late 1950's & early 1960's. He played virtually every stringed insturment used in North American folk and blues music including guitar, banjo, mandolin, dulcimer, autoharp, and fiddle as well as harmonica. Since 1959 he played on or produced at least a hundred recordings, mostly for Smithsonian/Folkways Records first with his band The New Lost City Ramblers or solo and with artists such as; Pop Stoneman, Hazel Dickens, Kilby Snow and Cousin Emmy. He was also an important historian, song collector and folklorist. Still active as of last year, he died of cancer at 75.

James Luther Dickenson Dickenson was a behind-the-scenes producer and songwriter from Memphis who started as a session musician playing guitar and piano for the likes of Aretha Franklin, The Rolling Stones (on "Wild Horses"), and The Flaming Groovies ("Teenage Head") then producing albums for Big Star, Screaming Jay Hawkins, Willy DeVille, Tav Falco, The Replacements, Green on Red, Mojo Nixon and Mudhoney. He also worked with Bob Dylan and Ry Cooder as well as recording some solo albums.

One of Dickenson's collaborators, Willy DeVille also died this month. Deville was the founder of Mink DeVille a fixture CBGB' era scene that also spawned The Ramones, Blondie, Suicide, Talking Heads, Richard Hell, Television and Robert Gordon. Like Gordon, DeVille's sound was closer to traditional Rock and Roll than punk and he later moved to New Orleans where he continued his career scoring an academy award nomination in 1987. Sometime after that I saw him do a drunken gig at the Diamond Club in Toronto where I stole one of his harmonicas after he fell off stage, which I still have.

Willy Deville ~ "Hey Joe"



Ellie Greenwhich never actually sang or played on a hit record but the Brill Building songwriter was responsible for more than her quota; "Be My Baby","River Deep Mountain High","Da Doo Ron Ron","The Leader of The Pack", dies at 68

The Shangri Las ~ "The Leader of the pack";



Sun Records Rockabilly great Billy Lee Riley who recorded the classic versions of "Red Hot" and "Flying Saucers Rock and Roll" dies at 75.

Billy Lee Riley ~ "Flying saucers rock and roll";




Deake Levin; Guitarist with Classic 1960's Seattle garage rockers Paul Revere and the Raiders, played on classics "Kicks", "Steppin Stone"," Just like me" dies at 62.

Paul Revere and the Raiders ~ "Kicks";



Doo Wop singer Johnny Carter, co-founder of 1950's The Flamingos ("I only have eyes for you"), later in the Dells after 1960 ("Oh what a night" & "There is") dies at 75.

The Flamingos (w/Alan Freed intro) ~ "Would I be crying";



Huey Long (not to be confused with the Kingfish), the last remaining member of the Ink Spots, a hugely influencial vocal pre-doo wop group of the 1930's & 40's died recently at age 104. Seriously.

The Ink Spots ~ "If I didn't care";



Jazz drummer Rashied Ali who played on the final recordings of John Cotrane as well as Alice Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders and James Blood Ullmer dies at 75.

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While everybody's getting all 80's nostalgic over Jacko and Farrah lets take a minute for 1960's garage and surf heros Sky Saxon (of the Seeds) and Bob Bogle (of the Ventures) as well as 1950's blues diva Koko Taylor (of "Wang Dang Doodle" fame). So there.

The Seeds ~ Pushing too hard (worst lip-synching ever, with the possible exception of the Monkees);



The Ventures ~ Wipeout;