The past week two iconic figures of the early years of R&B and R&R died; a pioneer of the classic beat and the last of the classic Divas;
Etta James w/BB King, Paul Butterfield and Dr. John ~ "Something's got a hold on me" (1970's TV appearance) ;
Etta James was the last of the great Divas of the latter part of the post-war era that included Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughn, Koko Taylor, Big Mama Thorton and Ella Fitzgerald. Big, strong women with big strong vices who sang the blues, gospel and jazz with majestic sorrow and pride that would lead later singers like Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight and Janis Joplin to take it to the mainstream in the 1960's. Etta was among the bluesiest of the bunch but also versatile enough to cover sweet ballads with string sections and belting blues with equal aplomb.
Born in Los Angeles in 1938, Etta's mother was 14 and her father unknown, although she always suspected it was the famous pool player Minnesota Fats. She began singing in her teens and formed a Doo-Wop group which was discovered by Johnny Otis who renamed them The Peaches which also became her nickname. She recorded her first hit "Dance with me Henry" when she was 15 for Modern Records in 1955 only to see a cover version by white singer Georgia Gibbs become a bigger hit on the white pop charts. In 1960 she moved to Chess Records where she would have her biggest hits including "At last", "Tell Mama" and "I'd rather go blind".
Etta James ~ "I'd rather go blind" (2001);
She had a slew of other hits into the 1970's and was also a major touring artist who won six Grammys until her career was sidetracked for a decade do to drug problems, especially heroin. She would spend much of the late 1970's and 1980's in and out of rehab and sometimes even getting arrested for various drug related offenses. She also had serious health issues as well with diabetes, weight problems and eventually leukemia and Alzheimer's. She would still find the time to occasionally perform including a dramatic version of "At last" on "Dancing with the stars" in 2009. She was portrayed by Beyonce in the 2008 movie "Capitol Records" and was not happy with the portrayal, although it helped to introducer to a new generation. Beyonce would also sing "At last" at the Obama inauguration when Etta was too ill to appear. It was the leukemia that would eventually kill her just mere days before her 74th birthday.
Etta James ~ "At last" performed on "Dancing with the stars" in 2009, her last major appearance;
Johnny Otis ~ (real name Ioannis Alexandres Veliote) 1950's R&B singer/band leader who played piano and drums. As his real name shows he was Greek but with his dark complexion he passed for mulatto and most of his legion of mostly black fans assumed he was. After playing in the 1940's with swing bands led by Harlan Leonard, Wynonie Harris and Charles Brown he formed his own band and wrote the classic hit "Willie and the hand jive" in 1958 which inspired Bo Diddly with it's distinctive beat and was hugely influential. Also had hits with "Harlem Nocturne'" in 1946, and produced and/or co-wrote such records as Big Mama Thorton's original version of "Hound Dog", "Roll With Me, Henry" for Etta James and "Every Beat of My Heart", first recorded by The Royals in the 1952 but later a hit for Gladys Knight. As a band leader and A&R man for King Records Otis discovered singers like Jackie Wilson, Hank Ballard, Little Willie John, Mel Walker,Little Ester Phillips and the Robins (later the Coasters) sax man Big Jay McNeely. As a session man he backed Johnny Guitar Watson. Otis hosted his own TV show in Los Angeles in the 1950's. His son, Shuggie Otis also had a career as an R&B band leader in the 1960's & 70's. In the 1960's he later also entered politics and ran for California State Assembly as a Democrat and lost then becoming chief of staff to another assemblyman. He was also a church pastor. He died just three weeks after his 90th birthday.
Johnny Otis ~ "Willie and the hand jive";
A episode of "The Johnny Otis Show' from the 1950's w/ Lionel Hampton;
Little Eddie King ~ 1960's Chicago blues singer/guitarist worked with Willie Dixon, Sonny Boy Williamson, Little Mack Simmons, Luther Allison, Magic Sam, Junior Wells, Detroit Junior and Freddie King as well as solo ~ 73
Billy Strange ~ 1960's composer. Wrote "Limbo Rock" later done by The Champs, Routers, Ventures and Chubby Checker, Arthur Lyman, The Knickerbockers and Chet Atkins and Hank Snow. Also teamed up with Mac Davis and wrote several hit songs for Elvis Presley, including "A Little Less Conversation". He acted as writer,arranger, producer and guitarist for Nancy Sinatra for hits including "Something stupid". Also played as session guitarist for the Beach Boys on the hit "Sloop John B" as well as for Jan & Dean, The Ventures, Willie Nelson, The Everly Brothers, Wanda Jackson, Randy Newman, and Nat King Cole ~ 81
The Beach Boys ~ "Sloop John B");
The Champs ~ "Limbo Rock";
Louisiana Red ~ Blues singer/guitarist from the 1949 when he recorded for Chess Records right up to last year. Also played with John Lee Hooker. Moved to Germany in 1981.
Louisiana Red ~ "Alabama train";
Red Holloway ~ Jazz sax player w/Etta James,Dexter Gordon Willie Dixon, Junior Parker, Lloyd Price, and John Mayall.
In the 1950s he played in the Chicago area with Billie Holiday, Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, Ben Webster, Jimmy Rushing, Arthur Prysock, Eddie Vinson, Sonny Rollins, Red Rodney, Lester Young, Joe Williams, Redd Foxx, B.B. King, Bobby Bland and Aretha Franklin. During this period, he also toured with Sonny Stitt, Memphis Slim and Lionel Hampton and later the young George Benson. He became a member of the house bands for Chance and Vee Jay Records ~ 84
Al Urban ~ 1950's rockabilly singer ("Lookin for money"), later a country songwriter w/ hits for Charlie Rich ~ 76
Al Urban ~ "Lookin' for money";
Larry Butler Nashville pianist and producer died at 69; he (played on "Hello Darlin"), as well as Johnny Cash, Roger Miller, Dolly Parton, Tammy Wynette, Loretta Lynn and others. Became a producer for Kenny Rogers, Charlie Rich, Mac Davis, Debbie Boone and John Denver ~ 69
Conway Twitty ~ "Hello Darlin'";
Jimmy Little ~ Australian Aboriginal country/gospel singer from the 1950's on. Also an evangelist and actor ~ 75
Jimmy Little ~ "Telephone to glory";
And finally one politician who actually made a difference to Canadian music and radio; Pierre Juneau, 89, Canadian broadcasting executive and head of The CRTC and the National Film Board who brought in the famous CanCon rules forcing Canadian Radio Stations to actually play some Canadian artists. Before Juneau they didn't have to, and usually played as little Canadian music as possible. After Juneau that changed. This also forced record labels to open branches in Canada and sign Canadian artists instead of their having to go south of the border. It also meant that labels in Canada could have a shot at the airways as well. Right wingers were upset at this "government interference" then and they still are. They complained that Canadians were too mediocre and their records not good enough to play or sell. They hysterically predicted that audiences would tune out if they actually had to listen to Canadian music. That radio stations and record labels would go out of business. The results were immediate and speak for themselves. When Much Music went on the air twenty years later the CanCon regs would also applied to them, but by then it didn't matter. There was clearly enough good Canadian talent to go around. In his one attempt to run for office (as a Liberal) he was defeated. No matter, he did good.
Dance Macabre
Thursday, 19 January 2012
Friday, 13 January 2012
The people who died - 2012 edition
Willie Ackerman ~ American drummer (Willie Nelson, Loretta Lynn, Louis Armstrong) ~ 73
Marc Abrahamian ~ Guitarist w/ Starship ~ 46
Dave Alexander ~ AKA Omar Sharriff, Omar Hakim Khayam Blues singer/pianist from 1968 on ~ 73
Mike Anderson (AKA Motor X) drummer for one of Toronto's most notorious 1970's classic punk bands The Viletones and later the Secrets and Arson.
Inez Andrews ~ Singer with 1950's Gospel Group The Caravans ~ 83
Tom Ardolino ~ Drummer for NRBQ ~ 56
Russell Arms ~ Early 1950's pop singer, appeared as a regular on the TV show "Your Hit Parade" which featured weekly covers of top 40 hits ~ 92
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
Bob Babbitt, 74, American bass guitarist for Motown house band The Funk Brothers ~ 74
Don Bagley ~ American jazz bassist and composer ~ 84
Mickey Baker ~ American 1950's R&B and Rock & Roll guitarist. Recorded for Savoy, King and Atlantic Records both solo and as half of Mickey & Sylvia. Also played with; The Drifters, Ray Charles, Ivory Joe Hunter, Ruth Brown, Big Joe Turner, Louis Jordan, Coleman Hawkins and Sam The Man Taylor. Hugely influential with blues and rockabilly guitarists in Europe where he later moved. ~ 87
Ian Bargh ~ Scottish-born Canadian jazz pianist ~ 76
Selwyn Baptiste ~ Trinidadian steel drum pioneer ~ 75
Fontella Bass ~ Gospel, R&B and Jazz singer from the 1960's & 1970's with hits on Chess like "Rescue Me", "You'll Never Know", "I Can't Rest", later recorded with The Art Ensemble of Chicago" ~ 72
Johnnie Bassett, 76, American blues musician ~ 76
Lionel Batiste ~ American jazz musician (Treme Brass Band) ~ 81
Sean Bergin ~ South African jazz sax and flutist ~ 64
Jose Roberto Bertrami, 66, Brazilian pianist and keyboardist (Azymuth) ~ 66
Eddie Bertrand ~ Guitarist with 1960's Surf band The Bel Airs ("Mr. Moto")
Faruq Z. Bey ~ American jazz saxophonist ~ 70
Bob Birch ~ American bass and sax player with Elton John ~ 56
Zach Booher ~ American musician (While We're Up) ~ 22
Lloyd Brevett ~ Jamaican double bassist (The Skatalites) ~ 80
Chuck Brown ~ American R&B singer and musician ~ 75
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
Michael Burks ~ American R&B guitarist with Johnny Taylor ~ 54
Eddie "Guitar" Burns ~ Detroit blues musician from the 1950's on who recorded with Chess, Checker, Red Bird and Delmark Records ~ 84
Joel Burrows ~ Guitarist with Oregon Subpop Records Punk band The Thermals
Larry Butler ~ Nashville session pianist w/ Conway Twitty (played on "Hello Darlin"), as well as Johnny Cash, Roger Miller, Dolly Parton, Tammy Wynette, Loretta Lynn and others. Became a producer for Kenny Rogers, Charlie Rich, Mac Davis, Debbie Boone and John Denver ~ 69
Vincent Carrella ~ Singer with Doo Wop group Randy & The Radiants (Denise)
Ernie Carson ~ Dixieland cornet player and pianist ~ 74
Ed Cassidy ~ Drummer for late 1960's Psyche Band Spirit ~ 89
Jimmy Castor ~ R&B sax player and singer from the 1960's and 70's w/hits like "Troglodyte (caveman)", 'The Bertha Butt Boogie" and "Soul serenade". Also backed keyboardist Baby Cortez. He started out as a Doo-Wop singer and briefly replaced Frankie Lymon in the Teenagers. ~ 71
Dee Cernile ~ Guitarist for Toronto hair metal turned grunge band Sven Galli ~ 46
Teddy Charles ~ Jazz drummer and vibes player from the 1050's on. Played with Miles Davis. ~ 87
Jodie Christian ~ Chigago bebop jazz pianist played w/Stan Getz, Dexter Gordon, Gene Ammons. Co-Founder of of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) ~ 80
Maria Cole ~ American jazz singer, widow of Nat King Cole ~ 89
Charlie Collins ~ American country musician; in Roy Acuff's Smokey Mountain Boys ~ 78
Ray Collins ~ Singer with 1960's Doo-Wop group The Tigers and later in Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention ~ 73 Don Cornelius ~ Host of 1970;s & 1990's TV show "Soul Train" ~ 75
Gary Cornell ~ lead singer of Australian hard rock group Pyramid of the Coyote ~ 34
Gary Cox ~ American musician for 1980's Power Pop group Artful Dodger ~ 59
Lol Coxhill ~ English jazz saxophonist, after short illness ~ 79
James "Sugar Boy" Crawford" ~ American R & B singer and songwriter, wrote the original version of "Iko Iko" later covered by the Dixie Cups ~ 77
BB Cunningham ~ Singer/Keyboardist/drummer with 1960's Garage Band The Hombres ("Let it out (Let it all hang out)"), Ronnie & Daytonas ("GTO") and Jerry Lee Lewis ~ 70
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
Marcel Curuchet ~ Uruguayan keyboardist (No Te Va Gustar) ~ 40
Cynthia Dall ~ Zine writer and photographer Singer/guitarist with 1990's American Lo-Fi pop band Smog and later solo ~ 41
Hal David ~ American songwriter (Raindrops keep falling on my head) ~ 91
Carl Davis ~ American record producer ("Duke of Earl", "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher") ~ 77
Maurice Davis ~ American trumpeter (The Funk Brothers) ~ 71
Michael Davis ~ Bassist for the classic late 1960's Detroit proto punk band The MC5 ~ 68
Keith Deen ~ Singer with American Thrash Metal band Holy Terror ~ 56 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
Doug Dillard ~ American bluegrass musician with The Dillards also played with Gene Clark and actor (The Andy Griffith Show) ~ 75
Lee Dorman ~ Iron Butterfly bassist ~ 70
Bill Doss ~ American rock singer and guitarist (The Olivia Tremor Control, The Apples in Stereo) ~ 43
Cleve Duncan ~ Singer with 1950's Doo-Wop group The Penguins ("In The Still Of The Night") ~ 72
Micheal Dunford ~ Guitarist w/1960's British groups The Yardbirds and Renaissance ~ 58
Donald "Duck" Dunn ~ American bass guitarist (The Blues Brothers, Booker T. & the M.G.'s) ~ 70
Frank Dycus ~ American songwriter w/George Jones, George Strait, ("Gonna Get a Life", "I Don't Need Your Rockin' Chair", "Unwound") ~ 72
Jimmy Ellis ~ Singer for 1970's disco group The Trammps ("Disco Inferno") ~ 74
Martin Fay ~ Fiddler and Bones player with Irish folk band The Chieftains ~ 76
Von Freeman ~ American hard bop jazz tenor saxophonist ~ 88
Dennis Flemion ~ American rock musician (The Frogs) ~ 57
Robbie France ~ British drummer in Skunk Anansie and UFO ~ 52
Bob French ~ Jazz drummer w/ The Tuxedo Jazz Band, also played with Earl King, Dave Bartholomew and Fats Domino ~ 74 Bridie Gallagher ~ Irish 1950's pop singer; known as "The Girl From Donegal" first international Irish pop star ~ 87
Robin Gibb ~ British singer and songwriter (Bee Gees) ~ 62
Rodgers Grant ~ Jazz sax pianist and composer from the 1950's on. Played with Mongo Santamaria on hits like "Yeh Yeh", later covered by Georgie Fame in Britain and much later Johnny Favorite in Canada. Also worked wit Esther Phillips. ~ 76
Andy Griffith ~ American actor (The Andy Griffith Show, Matlock) and folk and country musician ~ 86
Greg Ham ~ Sax and keyboard singer for Australian New Wave Pop group Men At Work ~ 58
Marvin Hamlisch ~ American composer (The Way We Were, A Chorus Line) and arranger (The Sting) ~ 68
Bugs Henderson ~ American blues and rock guitarist with 1960's garage band Mouse and the Traps ~ 68
Ossie Hibbert ~ Jamaican musician, heart attack ~ 62
Red Holloway ~ Jazz sax player w/Etta James,Dexter Gordon Willie Dixon, Junior Parker, Lloyd Price, and John Mayall. In the 1950s he played in the Chicago area with Billie Holiday, Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, Ben Webster, Jimmy Rushing, Arthur Prysock, Eddie Vinson, Sonny Rollins, Red Rodney, Lester Young, Joe Williams, Redd Foxx, B.B. King, Bobby Bland and Aretha Franklin. During this period, he also toured with Sonny Stitt, Memphis Slim and Lionel Hampton and later the young George Benson. He became a member of the house bands for Chance and Vee Jay Records ~ 84
Larry Hoppen ~ American singer and musician (Orleans) ~ 61
Mary Jane Johnson ~ 1940's & 50's C&W singer
Davy Jones ~ Singer with The Monkees, star of popular 1960's sitcom and sang on several hits including "Day Dream Believer", "Look out here comes tomorrow" and "Daddy's song" ~ 66
Jimmy Jones ~ American pop singer ("Handy Man", "Good Timin") ~ 82
Peter Jones ~ British drummer (Crowded House) ~ 49
Homer Joy ~ American songwriter ("Streets of Bakersfield" for Buck Owens)~ 67
Pierre Juneau ~ Former head of the CRTC and National Film Board, creator of the Canadian Content rules (CanCon) ~ 83
Major Harris ~ Singer w/ Sould Group The Delfonics ("Didn't I Blow Your Mind This Time" & "La La La Means I Love You" ~ 65
Little Eddie King ~ 1960's Chicago blues singer/guitarist worked with Willie Dixon, Sonny Boy Williamson, Little Mack Simmons, Luther Allison, Magic Sam, Junior Wells, Detroit Junior and Freddie King as well as solo ~ 73
Dick Kniss ~ American bassist w/ Peter Paul & Mary, John Denver ~ 74
László Komár ~ Hungarian rock and roll singer from the 1960's & 70's ~ 67
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
Byard Lancaster ~ American jazz and blues multi-instrumentalist w/ McCoy Tyner, Sun Ra, Johnny Copeland, Memphis Slim ~ 70
Huw Lloyd-Langton ~ Guitarist for UK Psyche/Space Rock band Hawkwind ~ 61
John Levy ~ American jazz double-bassist w/ George Shearing, Ben Webster, Errol Garner, Milt Jackson, and Billie Holiday. Later manager for Shearing and others ~ 99
Tonmi Lillman ~ Drummer for Finnish metal band Lordi ~ 38
Everett Lilly ~ American bluegrass mandolinist with The Lilly Brothers ~ 87
Jimmy Little ~ Australian Aboriginal country/gospel singer from the 1950's on. Also an evangelist and actor ~ 75
Jon Lord ~ Keyboardist for 1970's hard rock group Deep Purple ~ 71
Andrew Love ~ American saxophonist with The Memphis Horns, house band for Stax Records on most of their recordings from the 1960's & 70's ~ 72
Vince Lovegrove ~ Co-lead singer (with Bon Scott) in 1960's Australian group The Valentines. The group broke up after a drugs bust and Lovegrove went on to be a producer and manager while Scott would later join AC/DC ~ 65
Eris Lowen ~ Part of singer/songwriter duo Lowen and Navarro who wrote a number of songs for various artists including "We belong" for Pat Benatar which they also recorded. ~ 60
Mitch Lucker ~ Singer with California Metal Band Suicide Silence ~ 28 Jerry "Boogie" McCain ~ Blues singer and harmonica player from the 1950's & 60's, recorded for Trumpet, OKeh, Rex, Columbia, Excello, and Jewel Records. A favourite of The Fabulous Thunderbirds who recorded with him and covered some of his songs ~ 81
Johnny McCauley ~ Irish 1960's folk singer whose songs were also covered by Christy Moore ~ 86
Mark McConnell ~ American drummer (Sebastian Bach, Blackfoot)
JIMMY McCRACKLIN; 1950's California R&B pianist/singer with hits like "The Walk" on Chess Records ~ 91
Kathi McDonald ~ American 1970's R&B singer w/The Rolling Stones & Long John Baldry ~ 64
John McIntire ~ Manager for The Grateful Dead ~ 70
Scott McKenzie ~ American singer ("San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)") and songwriter ("Kokomo" covered by The Beach Boys) ~ 73 Hal McKusick ~ American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist and flautist w/Bill Evans ~ 87
Marion Marlowe ~ Pre-Rock era pop singer from the early fifties, later on broadway ~ 83
John Marshall ~ UK jazz, blues and folk guitarist, played with Ray Charles & Aretha Franklin ~ 71 Lou Martin ~ Northern Irish keyboardist with Rory Gallagher ~ 63
Mike Melovin ~ Jazz pianist from 1960's on, worked with Milt Jackson, Bill Henderson, Charlie Haden, Herb Ellis and Plas Johnson, Peggy Lee and later Tom Waits ~ 74
Fred Milano ~ American doo-wop singer w/The Belmonts, Dion and the Belmonts ~ 72
Ronnie Montrose ~ Guitarist for 1970's & 80's hard rock band Montrose w/singer Sammy Hagar before Sammy went solo and then on to Van Halen. Ronnie also had a solo career ~ 66
Frazier Mohawk ~ American record producer (Buffalo Springfield, The Byrds) ~ 71
Erik Moseholm ~ Danish Jazz Bassist w/Eric Dolphy, Don Byas ~ 82
John Napier ~ (AKA Wee Wee) Member of Industrial Bands Nitzer Ebb, Ethel Meatplow and E Coli ~
Jim Nevin ~ Keyboardist for early 1980's Australian New Wave band The Sports
Jason Noble ~ American rock guitarist (Rodan, Rachel's, Shipping News) ~ 40
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
Hazy Osterwald ~ Swiss big band jazz leader ~ 90
Johnny Otis ~ (real name Ioannis Alexandres Veliote) 1950's R&B singer/band leader who played piano and drums. As his real name shows he was Greek but with his dark complexion he passed for mulatto and most of his legion of mostly black fans assumed he was. After playing in the 1940's with swing bands led by Harlan Leonard, Wynonie Harris and Charles Brown he formed his own band and wrote the classic hit "Willie and the hand jive" in 1958 which inspired Bo Diddly with it's distinctive beat and was hugely influential. Also had hits with "Harlem Nocturne'" in 1946, and produced and/or co-wrote such records as Big Mama Thorton's original version of "Hound Dog", "Roll With Me, Henry" for Etta James and "Every Beat of My Heart", first recorded by The Royals in the 1952 but later a hit for Gladys Knight. As a band leader and A&R man for King Records Otis discovered singers like Jackie Wilson, Hank Ballard, Little Willie John, Mel Walker,Little Ester Phillips and the Robins (later the Coasters) sax man Big Jay McNeely. As a session man he backed Johnny Guitar Watson. His son, Shuggie Otis also had a career as an R&B band leader in the 1960's & 70's. In the 1960's he later also entered politics and ran for California State Assembly as a Democrat and lost then becoming chief of staff to another assemblyman. He was also a church pastor. He died just three weeks after his 90th birthday.
Fritz Pauer ~ Austrian jazz pianist and composer ~ 68
David Peaston ~ American R&B singer, brother of Fontella Bass (who he recorded with), also worked with jazz man Lester Bowie ~ 54
Austin Peralta ~ Jazz Fusion Pianist ~ 22
Johnny Perez ~ Drummer for 1960's Texas garage band The Sir Douglas Quintet ("She's about a mover" ~ 69
Charles Pitts ~ American soul musician, guitarist for Isaac Hayes ~ 65
Dory Previn ~ Pop songwriter for Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Doris Day, Nancy Wilson, Dionne Warwick and dozens more. Also married to composer Andre Previn ~ 86
Mark Reale ~ Guitarist with American metal band Riot ~ 56
Herb Reed ~ Singer with 1950's Doo Wop group The Platters ~ 83
Larry Reinhardt ~ American rock guitarist w/Iron Butterfly ~ 63
Christopher Reimer ~ Canadian rock guitarist (Women, The Dodos) ~ 26
Jenni Rivera ~ American-born Mexican banda and norteño singer ~ 43 Zoran Romich ~ Croatian/Australian guitarist for Aussie alt-pop bane The Chocolate Starfish ~ 47
Mike Scaccia; Guitarist for Ministry on their classic 1990's "Psalm 69" album and such songs as "Jesus Built my Hotrod" and "N.W.O.", collapsed and died on stage in Texas on December 22 aged 47. He started out in Thrash Metal band Rigor Mortis in 1983, then moved to Ministry in 1992. Ministry's "Psalm 69" and the accompanying videos and and Lollapalooza tour did much to take Industrial Music (or a club ready version of it) to the mainstream. He also played in Ministry side projects like The Revolting Cocks, Buck Satan and Lard.
Enrique Sierra ~ Spanish musician, member of 1980's Spanish rock band Radio Futura ~ 54
Ravi Shankar ~ Indian sitar master who made the crossover to Western Rock audiences in the 1960's ~
Mickey Shine ~ American drummer w/1970's Country Rock band Clover, Elvis Costello's first band ("Watching The Detectives" & "Alison"), w/1980's band Burning Rome ("Once Over")
Steve Shortell ~ 50's ~ Sax player for Toronto punk bands The Sinisters and Busted Flush
Tony Sly ~ American punk rock singer and guitarist (No Use for a Name) ~ 41
Carrie Smith ~ American blues, jazz and gospel singer ~ 70
Joe South ~ American songwriter, wrote "Gone Gone Gone" for Gene Vincent, "Down in the Boondocks" for Billy Joe Royal and "I never promised you a Rose Garden for Lynn Anderson, and songs for Brook Benton, Elvis Presley, Paul Revere & The Raiders, Kitty Wells, Dottie Wells & others. Also played session guitar for Simon & Garfunkel and Bob Dylan ~ 72
Billy Strange ~ 1960's composer. Wrote "Limbo Rock" later done by The Champs, Routers, Ventures and Chubby Checker, Arthur Lyman, The Knickerbockers and Chet Atkins and Hank Snow. Also teamed up with Mac Davis and wrote several hit songs for Elvis Presley, including "A Little Less Conversation". He acted as writer,arranger, producer and guitarist for Nancy Sinatra for hits including "Something stupid". Also played as session guitarist for the Beach Boys on the hit "Sloop John B" as well as for Jan & Dean, The Ventures, Willie Nelson, The Everly Brothers, Wanda Jackson, Randy Newman, and Nat King Cole ~ 81
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 Rollin Sullivan ~ 1940's & 50's Country music (Lonzo and Oscar) ~ 93
Donna Summer ~ American disco singer ("Bad Girls", "Hot Stuff", "Last Dance", "I Feel Love"), ~ 63
Stuart Swanlund ~ American guitarist (The Marshall Tucker Band), natural causes ~ 54
Richie Teeter ~ Drummer with late 1970's New York punk band The Dictators, later with 1980's hair band shockers Twisted Sister ~ 61
Frode Thingnæs ~ Norwegian Jazz Trombonist, composer and Jazz Pioneer who recorded the first jazz album in Norway ~ 72
Bill Tillman ~ American saxophonist (Blood, Sweat & Tears) ~ 65
Al Urban ~ 1950's rockabilly singer, later a country songwriter w/ hits for Charlie Rich ~ 76
Stig Vig ~ Singer w/Swedish punk/reggae band Dag Vag ~ 64
David Ware ~ Free Jazz sax player w/Cecil Taylor and later with his own Quartet ~ 62 Doc Watson ~ 89 ~ American folk and bluegrass singer guitarist ~ 89
Bob Welch ~ Guitarist in Fleetwood Mac in the early seventies during the transitional period between the blues group led by Peret Green and Jeremy Spencer and the late seventies hit machine led by Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham ~ 66
Kitty Wells ~ Country singer from the 1940's to the 1960's It ("Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels") ~ 92
Bob Weston ~ Guitarist/harmonica/banjo w/Fleetwood Mac on two albums in 1972/73 later with Steve Marriot and Murray Head and solo ~ 64
Marva Whitney; Singer with James Brown's band, as well as solo, known as "Soul Sister" ~ 68
Andy Williams ~ 1960's & 70's pop singer ("Moon River") ~ 84
Belita Woods ~ American funk singer (Brainstorm, Parliament-Funkadelic) ~ 63
Adam Yauch, 47, American musician (Beastie Boys)
Marc Abrahamian ~ Guitarist w/ Starship ~ 46
Dave Alexander ~ AKA Omar Sharriff, Omar Hakim Khayam Blues singer/pianist from 1968 on ~ 73
Mike Anderson (AKA Motor X) drummer for one of Toronto's most notorious 1970's classic punk bands The Viletones and later the Secrets and Arson.
Inez Andrews ~ Singer with 1950's Gospel Group The Caravans ~ 83
Tom Ardolino ~ Drummer for NRBQ ~ 56
Russell Arms ~ Early 1950's pop singer, appeared as a regular on the TV show "Your Hit Parade" which featured weekly covers of top 40 hits ~ 92
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
Bob Babbitt, 74, American bass guitarist for Motown house band The Funk Brothers ~ 74
Don Bagley ~ American jazz bassist and composer ~ 84
Mickey Baker ~ American 1950's R&B and Rock & Roll guitarist. Recorded for Savoy, King and Atlantic Records both solo and as half of Mickey & Sylvia. Also played with; The Drifters, Ray Charles, Ivory Joe Hunter, Ruth Brown, Big Joe Turner, Louis Jordan, Coleman Hawkins and Sam The Man Taylor. Hugely influential with blues and rockabilly guitarists in Europe where he later moved. ~ 87
Ian Bargh ~ Scottish-born Canadian jazz pianist ~ 76
Selwyn Baptiste ~ Trinidadian steel drum pioneer ~ 75
Fontella Bass ~ Gospel, R&B and Jazz singer from the 1960's & 1970's with hits on Chess like "Rescue Me", "You'll Never Know", "I Can't Rest", later recorded with The Art Ensemble of Chicago" ~ 72
Johnnie Bassett, 76, American blues musician ~ 76
Lionel Batiste ~ American jazz musician (Treme Brass Band) ~ 81
Sean Bergin ~ South African jazz sax and flutist ~ 64
Jose Roberto Bertrami, 66, Brazilian pianist and keyboardist (Azymuth) ~ 66
Eddie Bertrand ~ Guitarist with 1960's Surf band The Bel Airs ("Mr. Moto")
Faruq Z. Bey ~ American jazz saxophonist ~ 70
Bob Birch ~ American bass and sax player with Elton John ~ 56
Zach Booher ~ American musician (While We're Up) ~ 22
Lloyd Brevett ~ Jamaican double bassist (The Skatalites) ~ 80
Chuck Brown ~ American R&B singer and musician ~ 75
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
Michael Burks ~ American R&B guitarist with Johnny Taylor ~ 54
Eddie "Guitar" Burns ~ Detroit blues musician from the 1950's on who recorded with Chess, Checker, Red Bird and Delmark Records ~ 84
Joel Burrows ~ Guitarist with Oregon Subpop Records Punk band The Thermals
Larry Butler ~ Nashville session pianist w/ Conway Twitty (played on "Hello Darlin"), as well as Johnny Cash, Roger Miller, Dolly Parton, Tammy Wynette, Loretta Lynn and others. Became a producer for Kenny Rogers, Charlie Rich, Mac Davis, Debbie Boone and John Denver ~ 69
Vincent Carrella ~ Singer with Doo Wop group Randy & The Radiants (Denise)
Ernie Carson ~ Dixieland cornet player and pianist ~ 74
Ed Cassidy ~ Drummer for late 1960's Psyche Band Spirit ~ 89
Jimmy Castor ~ R&B sax player and singer from the 1960's and 70's w/hits like "Troglodyte (caveman)", 'The Bertha Butt Boogie" and "Soul serenade". Also backed keyboardist Baby Cortez. He started out as a Doo-Wop singer and briefly replaced Frankie Lymon in the Teenagers. ~ 71
Dee Cernile ~ Guitarist for Toronto hair metal turned grunge band Sven Galli ~ 46
Teddy Charles ~ Jazz drummer and vibes player from the 1050's on. Played with Miles Davis. ~ 87
Jodie Christian ~ Chigago bebop jazz pianist played w/Stan Getz, Dexter Gordon, Gene Ammons. Co-Founder of of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) ~ 80
Maria Cole ~ American jazz singer, widow of Nat King Cole ~ 89
Charlie Collins ~ American country musician; in Roy Acuff's Smokey Mountain Boys ~ 78
Ray Collins ~ Singer with 1960's Doo-Wop group The Tigers and later in Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention ~ 73 Don Cornelius ~ Host of 1970;s & 1990's TV show "Soul Train" ~ 75
Gary Cornell ~ lead singer of Australian hard rock group Pyramid of the Coyote ~ 34
Gary Cox ~ American musician for 1980's Power Pop group Artful Dodger ~ 59
Lol Coxhill ~ English jazz saxophonist, after short illness ~ 79
James "Sugar Boy" Crawford" ~ American R & B singer and songwriter, wrote the original version of "Iko Iko" later covered by the Dixie Cups ~ 77
BB Cunningham ~ Singer/Keyboardist/drummer with 1960's Garage Band The Hombres ("Let it out (Let it all hang out)"), Ronnie & Daytonas ("GTO") and Jerry Lee Lewis ~ 70
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
Marcel Curuchet ~ Uruguayan keyboardist (No Te Va Gustar) ~ 40
Cynthia Dall ~ Zine writer and photographer Singer/guitarist with 1990's American Lo-Fi pop band Smog and later solo ~ 41
Hal David ~ American songwriter (Raindrops keep falling on my head) ~ 91
Carl Davis ~ American record producer ("Duke of Earl", "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher") ~ 77
Maurice Davis ~ American trumpeter (The Funk Brothers) ~ 71
Michael Davis ~ Bassist for the classic late 1960's Detroit proto punk band The MC5 ~ 68
Keith Deen ~ Singer with American Thrash Metal band Holy Terror ~ 56 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
Doug Dillard ~ American bluegrass musician with The Dillards also played with Gene Clark and actor (The Andy Griffith Show) ~ 75
Lee Dorman ~ Iron Butterfly bassist ~ 70
Bill Doss ~ American rock singer and guitarist (The Olivia Tremor Control, The Apples in Stereo) ~ 43
Cleve Duncan ~ Singer with 1950's Doo-Wop group The Penguins ("In The Still Of The Night") ~ 72
Micheal Dunford ~ Guitarist w/1960's British groups The Yardbirds and Renaissance ~ 58
Donald "Duck" Dunn ~ American bass guitarist (The Blues Brothers, Booker T. & the M.G.'s) ~ 70
Frank Dycus ~ American songwriter w/George Jones, George Strait, ("Gonna Get a Life", "I Don't Need Your Rockin' Chair", "Unwound") ~ 72
Jimmy Ellis ~ Singer for 1970's disco group The Trammps ("Disco Inferno") ~ 74
Martin Fay ~ Fiddler and Bones player with Irish folk band The Chieftains ~ 76
Von Freeman ~ American hard bop jazz tenor saxophonist ~ 88
Dennis Flemion ~ American rock musician (The Frogs) ~ 57
Robbie France ~ British drummer in Skunk Anansie and UFO ~ 52
Bob French ~ Jazz drummer w/ The Tuxedo Jazz Band, also played with Earl King, Dave Bartholomew and Fats Domino ~ 74 Bridie Gallagher ~ Irish 1950's pop singer; known as "The Girl From Donegal" first international Irish pop star ~ 87
Robin Gibb ~ British singer and songwriter (Bee Gees) ~ 62
Rodgers Grant ~ Jazz sax pianist and composer from the 1950's on. Played with Mongo Santamaria on hits like "Yeh Yeh", later covered by Georgie Fame in Britain and much later Johnny Favorite in Canada. Also worked wit Esther Phillips. ~ 76
Andy Griffith ~ American actor (The Andy Griffith Show, Matlock) and folk and country musician ~ 86
Greg Ham ~ Sax and keyboard singer for Australian New Wave Pop group Men At Work ~ 58
Marvin Hamlisch ~ American composer (The Way We Were, A Chorus Line) and arranger (The Sting) ~ 68
Bugs Henderson ~ American blues and rock guitarist with 1960's garage band Mouse and the Traps ~ 68
Ossie Hibbert ~ Jamaican musician, heart attack ~ 62
Red Holloway ~ Jazz sax player w/Etta James,Dexter Gordon Willie Dixon, Junior Parker, Lloyd Price, and John Mayall. In the 1950s he played in the Chicago area with Billie Holiday, Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, Ben Webster, Jimmy Rushing, Arthur Prysock, Eddie Vinson, Sonny Rollins, Red Rodney, Lester Young, Joe Williams, Redd Foxx, B.B. King, Bobby Bland and Aretha Franklin. During this period, he also toured with Sonny Stitt, Memphis Slim and Lionel Hampton and later the young George Benson. He became a member of the house bands for Chance and Vee Jay Records ~ 84
Larry Hoppen ~ American singer and musician (Orleans) ~ 61
Mary Jane Johnson ~ 1940's & 50's C&W singer
Davy Jones ~ Singer with The Monkees, star of popular 1960's sitcom and sang on several hits including "Day Dream Believer", "Look out here comes tomorrow" and "Daddy's song" ~ 66
Jimmy Jones ~ American pop singer ("Handy Man", "Good Timin") ~ 82
Peter Jones ~ British drummer (Crowded House) ~ 49
Homer Joy ~ American songwriter ("Streets of Bakersfield" for Buck Owens)~ 67
Pierre Juneau ~ Former head of the CRTC and National Film Board, creator of the Canadian Content rules (CanCon) ~ 83
Major Harris ~ Singer w/ Sould Group The Delfonics ("Didn't I Blow Your Mind This Time" & "La La La Means I Love You" ~ 65
Little Eddie King ~ 1960's Chicago blues singer/guitarist worked with Willie Dixon, Sonny Boy Williamson, Little Mack Simmons, Luther Allison, Magic Sam, Junior Wells, Detroit Junior and Freddie King as well as solo ~ 73
Dick Kniss ~ American bassist w/ Peter Paul & Mary, John Denver ~ 74
László Komár ~ Hungarian rock and roll singer from the 1960's & 70's ~ 67
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
Byard Lancaster ~ American jazz and blues multi-instrumentalist w/ McCoy Tyner, Sun Ra, Johnny Copeland, Memphis Slim ~ 70
Huw Lloyd-Langton ~ Guitarist for UK Psyche/Space Rock band Hawkwind ~ 61
John Levy ~ American jazz double-bassist w/ George Shearing, Ben Webster, Errol Garner, Milt Jackson, and Billie Holiday. Later manager for Shearing and others ~ 99
Tonmi Lillman ~ Drummer for Finnish metal band Lordi ~ 38
Everett Lilly ~ American bluegrass mandolinist with The Lilly Brothers ~ 87
Jimmy Little ~ Australian Aboriginal country/gospel singer from the 1950's on. Also an evangelist and actor ~ 75
Jon Lord ~ Keyboardist for 1970's hard rock group Deep Purple ~ 71
Andrew Love ~ American saxophonist with The Memphis Horns, house band for Stax Records on most of their recordings from the 1960's & 70's ~ 72
Vince Lovegrove ~ Co-lead singer (with Bon Scott) in 1960's Australian group The Valentines. The group broke up after a drugs bust and Lovegrove went on to be a producer and manager while Scott would later join AC/DC ~ 65
Eris Lowen ~ Part of singer/songwriter duo Lowen and Navarro who wrote a number of songs for various artists including "We belong" for Pat Benatar which they also recorded. ~ 60
Mitch Lucker ~ Singer with California Metal Band Suicide Silence ~ 28 Jerry "Boogie" McCain ~ Blues singer and harmonica player from the 1950's & 60's, recorded for Trumpet, OKeh, Rex, Columbia, Excello, and Jewel Records. A favourite of The Fabulous Thunderbirds who recorded with him and covered some of his songs ~ 81
Johnny McCauley ~ Irish 1960's folk singer whose songs were also covered by Christy Moore ~ 86
Mark McConnell ~ American drummer (Sebastian Bach, Blackfoot)
JIMMY McCRACKLIN; 1950's California R&B pianist/singer with hits like "The Walk" on Chess Records ~ 91
Kathi McDonald ~ American 1970's R&B singer w/The Rolling Stones & Long John Baldry ~ 64
John McIntire ~ Manager for The Grateful Dead ~ 70
Scott McKenzie ~ American singer ("San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)") and songwriter ("Kokomo" covered by The Beach Boys) ~ 73 Hal McKusick ~ American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist and flautist w/Bill Evans ~ 87
Marion Marlowe ~ Pre-Rock era pop singer from the early fifties, later on broadway ~ 83
John Marshall ~ UK jazz, blues and folk guitarist, played with Ray Charles & Aretha Franklin ~ 71 Lou Martin ~ Northern Irish keyboardist with Rory Gallagher ~ 63
Mike Melovin ~ Jazz pianist from 1960's on, worked with Milt Jackson, Bill Henderson, Charlie Haden, Herb Ellis and Plas Johnson, Peggy Lee and later Tom Waits ~ 74
Fred Milano ~ American doo-wop singer w/The Belmonts, Dion and the Belmonts ~ 72
Ronnie Montrose ~ Guitarist for 1970's & 80's hard rock band Montrose w/singer Sammy Hagar before Sammy went solo and then on to Van Halen. Ronnie also had a solo career ~ 66
Frazier Mohawk ~ American record producer (Buffalo Springfield, The Byrds) ~ 71
Erik Moseholm ~ Danish Jazz Bassist w/Eric Dolphy, Don Byas ~ 82
John Napier ~ (AKA Wee Wee) Member of Industrial Bands Nitzer Ebb, Ethel Meatplow and E Coli ~
Jim Nevin ~ Keyboardist for early 1980's Australian New Wave band The Sports
Jason Noble ~ American rock guitarist (Rodan, Rachel's, Shipping News) ~ 40
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
Hazy Osterwald ~ Swiss big band jazz leader ~ 90
Johnny Otis ~ (real name Ioannis Alexandres Veliote) 1950's R&B singer/band leader who played piano and drums. As his real name shows he was Greek but with his dark complexion he passed for mulatto and most of his legion of mostly black fans assumed he was. After playing in the 1940's with swing bands led by Harlan Leonard, Wynonie Harris and Charles Brown he formed his own band and wrote the classic hit "Willie and the hand jive" in 1958 which inspired Bo Diddly with it's distinctive beat and was hugely influential. Also had hits with "Harlem Nocturne'" in 1946, and produced and/or co-wrote such records as Big Mama Thorton's original version of "Hound Dog", "Roll With Me, Henry" for Etta James and "Every Beat of My Heart", first recorded by The Royals in the 1952 but later a hit for Gladys Knight. As a band leader and A&R man for King Records Otis discovered singers like Jackie Wilson, Hank Ballard, Little Willie John, Mel Walker,Little Ester Phillips and the Robins (later the Coasters) sax man Big Jay McNeely. As a session man he backed Johnny Guitar Watson. His son, Shuggie Otis also had a career as an R&B band leader in the 1960's & 70's. In the 1960's he later also entered politics and ran for California State Assembly as a Democrat and lost then becoming chief of staff to another assemblyman. He was also a church pastor. He died just three weeks after his 90th birthday.
Fritz Pauer ~ Austrian jazz pianist and composer ~ 68
David Peaston ~ American R&B singer, brother of Fontella Bass (who he recorded with), also worked with jazz man Lester Bowie ~ 54
Austin Peralta ~ Jazz Fusion Pianist ~ 22
Johnny Perez ~ Drummer for 1960's Texas garage band The Sir Douglas Quintet ("She's about a mover" ~ 69
Charles Pitts ~ American soul musician, guitarist for Isaac Hayes ~ 65
Dory Previn ~ Pop songwriter for Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Doris Day, Nancy Wilson, Dionne Warwick and dozens more. Also married to composer Andre Previn ~ 86
Mark Reale ~ Guitarist with American metal band Riot ~ 56
Herb Reed ~ Singer with 1950's Doo Wop group The Platters ~ 83
Larry Reinhardt ~ American rock guitarist w/Iron Butterfly ~ 63
Christopher Reimer ~ Canadian rock guitarist (Women, The Dodos) ~ 26
Jenni Rivera ~ American-born Mexican banda and norteño singer ~ 43 Zoran Romich ~ Croatian/Australian guitarist for Aussie alt-pop bane The Chocolate Starfish ~ 47
Mike Scaccia; Guitarist for Ministry on their classic 1990's "Psalm 69" album and such songs as "Jesus Built my Hotrod" and "N.W.O.", collapsed and died on stage in Texas on December 22 aged 47. He started out in Thrash Metal band Rigor Mortis in 1983, then moved to Ministry in 1992. Ministry's "Psalm 69" and the accompanying videos and and Lollapalooza tour did much to take Industrial Music (or a club ready version of it) to the mainstream. He also played in Ministry side projects like The Revolting Cocks, Buck Satan and Lard.
Enrique Sierra ~ Spanish musician, member of 1980's Spanish rock band Radio Futura ~ 54
Ravi Shankar ~ Indian sitar master who made the crossover to Western Rock audiences in the 1960's ~
Mickey Shine ~ American drummer w/1970's Country Rock band Clover, Elvis Costello's first band ("Watching The Detectives" & "Alison"), w/1980's band Burning Rome ("Once Over")
Steve Shortell ~ 50's ~ Sax player for Toronto punk bands The Sinisters and Busted Flush
Tony Sly ~ American punk rock singer and guitarist (No Use for a Name) ~ 41
Carrie Smith ~ American blues, jazz and gospel singer ~ 70
Joe South ~ American songwriter, wrote "Gone Gone Gone" for Gene Vincent, "Down in the Boondocks" for Billy Joe Royal and "I never promised you a Rose Garden for Lynn Anderson, and songs for Brook Benton, Elvis Presley, Paul Revere & The Raiders, Kitty Wells, Dottie Wells & others. Also played session guitar for Simon & Garfunkel and Bob Dylan ~ 72
Billy Strange ~ 1960's composer. Wrote "Limbo Rock" later done by The Champs, Routers, Ventures and Chubby Checker, Arthur Lyman, The Knickerbockers and Chet Atkins and Hank Snow. Also teamed up with Mac Davis and wrote several hit songs for Elvis Presley, including "A Little Less Conversation". He acted as writer,arranger, producer and guitarist for Nancy Sinatra for hits including "Something stupid". Also played as session guitarist for the Beach Boys on the hit "Sloop John B" as well as for Jan & Dean, The Ventures, Willie Nelson, The Everly Brothers, Wanda Jackson, Randy Newman, and Nat King Cole ~ 81
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 Rollin Sullivan ~ 1940's & 50's Country music (Lonzo and Oscar) ~ 93
Donna Summer ~ American disco singer ("Bad Girls", "Hot Stuff", "Last Dance", "I Feel Love"), ~ 63
Stuart Swanlund ~ American guitarist (The Marshall Tucker Band), natural causes ~ 54
Richie Teeter ~ Drummer with late 1970's New York punk band The Dictators, later with 1980's hair band shockers Twisted Sister ~ 61
Frode Thingnæs ~ Norwegian Jazz Trombonist, composer and Jazz Pioneer who recorded the first jazz album in Norway ~ 72
Bill Tillman ~ American saxophonist (Blood, Sweat & Tears) ~ 65
Al Urban ~ 1950's rockabilly singer, later a country songwriter w/ hits for Charlie Rich ~ 76
Stig Vig ~ Singer w/Swedish punk/reggae band Dag Vag ~ 64
David Ware ~ Free Jazz sax player w/Cecil Taylor and later with his own Quartet ~ 62 Doc Watson ~ 89 ~ American folk and bluegrass singer guitarist ~ 89
Bob Welch ~ Guitarist in Fleetwood Mac in the early seventies during the transitional period between the blues group led by Peret Green and Jeremy Spencer and the late seventies hit machine led by Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham ~ 66
Kitty Wells ~ Country singer from the 1940's to the 1960's It ("Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels") ~ 92
Bob Weston ~ Guitarist/harmonica/banjo w/Fleetwood Mac on two albums in 1972/73 later with Steve Marriot and Murray Head and solo ~ 64
Marva Whitney; Singer with James Brown's band, as well as solo, known as "Soul Sister" ~ 68
Andy Williams ~ 1960's & 70's pop singer ("Moon River") ~ 84
Belita Woods ~ American funk singer (Brainstorm, Parliament-Funkadelic) ~ 63
Adam Yauch, 47, American musician (Beastie Boys)
Saturday, 22 October 2011
Aaron Arsenic; RIP Dude
On October 21 Aaron Beamish, A.K.A. Aaron Arsenic, drummer with Toronto punk band Slow Motion Victory died when he was struck by a truck while he was skateboarding in the early morning and he died at the scene. He was only 25 but had already played with a number bands including Five Minutes to Glory, Sweet Lips and The Famous Monsters. But Slow Motion Victory were the most recent band, and the one most likely to actually be a success, having already gotten some buzz on CFNY after winning some sort of fan contest on Much Music. They're a basic pop punk band and not really on my radar, however they do have a cool version of the only Bryan Adams song that didn't suck.
Slow Motion Victory ~ "Run to you";
I knew him from his earlier bands like the hardcore Five Minutes To Glory and The Misfits influenced Famous Monsters, who I booked a few times back in 2007.
The Famous Monsters ~ "Saturday Night" (live with dodgy sound);
Aaron was always a fun, upbeat, cheerful, friendly down-to-earth guy. And a great drummer too with a distinctive flailing but rock-solid style. We weren't really close but I remember running into him back in 2009 right after those lying scumbags at CKLN fucked me over and I was in a bitter and foul mood, he ran over and gave me a hug and offered to get me drunk. I don't drink but the gesture was sweet.
If he actually had lived to become the actual rockstar he clearly wanted to be I doubt it would have changed him. He still left behind a whole lot of friends, all of whom he deserved, and all of who already miss him.
A video someone put together of Aaron, (for some reason the music is from Blink 182);
Slow Motion Victory ~ "Run to you";
I knew him from his earlier bands like the hardcore Five Minutes To Glory and The Misfits influenced Famous Monsters, who I booked a few times back in 2007.
The Famous Monsters ~ "Saturday Night" (live with dodgy sound);
Aaron was always a fun, upbeat, cheerful, friendly down-to-earth guy. And a great drummer too with a distinctive flailing but rock-solid style. We weren't really close but I remember running into him back in 2009 right after those lying scumbags at CKLN fucked me over and I was in a bitter and foul mood, he ran over and gave me a hug and offered to get me drunk. I don't drink but the gesture was sweet.
If he actually had lived to become the actual rockstar he clearly wanted to be I doubt it would have changed him. He still left behind a whole lot of friends, all of whom he deserved, and all of who already miss him.
A video someone put together of Aaron, (for some reason the music is from Blink 182);
Monday, 12 September 2011
Some more early Rock and Roll figures pass on
Some Rockers;
Sean Bonniwell ~ Singer/keyboards w/1960's garage punk group The Music Machine. Did the classic "Talk Talk" ~ 71
The Music Machine ~ "Talk talk";
Gene Kurtz ~ 1960's Bassist/songwriter with Roy Head on "Treat her right" ~ 69
Roy Head & The Traits ~ "Treat her right";
Kim Brown ~ Singer/guitarist for 1960's English/Finnish garage bands The Renegades and The Cadillacs ~ 61
The Renegades ~ "Brand new Cadillac";
Lee Pockriss ~ Songwriter from the 1950's to the 1970's. With Paul Vance he co-wrote Perry Como's "Catch a Falling Star", Brian Hyland's "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini", The Cuff Links' "Tracy" and Shelley Fabares' "Johnny Angel". Later wrote for movies and Sesame Street
Shelley Fabares ~ "Johnny Angel";
Bob Brunning ~ English Rock and Blues bassist w/ John Mayall, Fleetwood Mac, Savoy Brown ~ 68
Keef Hartley ~ British drummer for The Keef Hartley band who played Woodstock, also played in The Artwoods and Rory Storm & The Hurricanes ~ 67
Some early R&B figures;
Hubert Sumlin ~ blues Guitarist on many of Howlin Wolf's 1950's hits on Chess Records ~ 80
Howlin Wolf w/Hubert Sumlin & Willie Dixon~ "Smokestack Lightning";
Jimmy Norman ~ American R&B singer/songwriter/producer. Worked with Irma Thomas, Jimi Hendrix, The Coasters, Bob Marley. Co-wrote "Time is on my side" ~ 74
Jimmy Norman ~ "Here comes the night";
Freddie Ferrara ~ 1950's Doo Wop singer w/The Del-Satins, The Brooklyn Bridge
The Del Satins ~ "Remember";
Marv Tarplin ~ American guitarist and songwriter with Motown R&B group The Miracles. Although Tarplin stayed in the background, Robinson referred to him as his "secret weapon". He also worked on Smokey Robinson's solo records as well as Marvin Gaye and the Supremes ~ 70
The Miracles ~ "The tracks of my tears";
J. Blackfoot ~ Souls singer from late 1960's to 1980's w/The Bar Kays, The Soul Children and solo ~ 65
Wardell Quezergue ~ New Orleans 1950's & 60's R&B songwriter/producer w/ hits with Professor Longhair, “Iko Iko” by the Dixie Cups, “Barefootin’ ” by Robert Parker, “Groove Me” by King Floyd, “Mr. Big Stuff” by Jean Knight. ~ 81
Dixie Cups ~ "Iko Iko";
Sylvia Robinson ~ American 1950's R&B singer with Mikey Baker in Mickey & Sylvia. Later a record producer and record company co-founder of Sugar Hill Records ~ 75
Mickey and Sylvia ~ "No good lover";
George "Mojo" Buford ~ Blues harmonica player with Muddy Waters ~ 81
Muddy Waters & Mojo Buford ~ "Got my Mojo workin";
Jessy Dixon ~ American gospel singer ~ 73
Leonard Dillon ~ Singer with 1960's and 70's Jamaican ska and rocksteady group The Ethiopians ~ 68
The Ethiopians ~ "Train to Skaville";
Barry Llewellyn ~ Jamaican musician, founding member of The Heptones ~ 63
Some folk and country figures;
Country Johnny Mathis ~ Not be confused with the pop singer, this Mathis was a country singer songwriter from the early 1950's to the 1960's recording for a number of labels as well as writing hit songs for Johnny Paycheck, Web Pierce and George Jones. ~ 77
Liz Anderson ~ 1950's Country singer and mother of singer Lynn Anderson ~ 81
Johnnie Wright ~ Country singer from the 1950's and 60's as part of Johnny And Jack with Jack Anglin until Anglin's death in a car accident in 1963. It was a benefit for Anglin's widow that Patsy Cline was returning from when her plane crashed killing her as well as Cowboy Copas and Hawkshaw Hawkins. Wright married Kitty Wells and was a songwriter with hits into the 1970's including "Seasons in the sun. ~ 97
Johnny & Jack ~ "I get so lonely" (w/ Ray Price and an intro by Roy Acuff);
Paul Yandell ~ Country guitarist with Chet Atkins, played w/Chet Atkins, Jerry Reed, Dolly Parton, Steve Wariner, Hank Thompson, Perry Como, Roger Whitaker, Kitty Wells, The Louvin Bros, Les Paul, Woody Herman, The Everly Bros. and Mary Chapin Carpenter ~ 76
Bob Burnett ~ American musician with 1960's folk group The Highwaymen ~ 71
Herbert "Bert" Jansch ~ Scottish folk rock guitarist both solo and with UK group Pentangle from 1968 to 1972 and then continuing on as a solo artist. He also played Banjo, Dulcimer, Concertina and Recorder. His guitar work is highly influential on British guitarists from Jimmy Page to Niel Young, Donovan, Nick Drake and later Johnny Marr. ~ 67
Pentangle ~ "Traveling song" & "Let no man steal your thyme";
Some jazzbos;
Sam Rivers ~ Bebop and Free Jazz sax, clarinet and flute player solo and w/Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Freddie Hubbard, Tony Williams, Anthony Braxton ~ 86
Al Vega ~ Boston based Jazz pianist w/Dizzy Gillespie, Betty Carter, Lester Young, Stan Getz, Billy Holiday ~ 90
Billy Bang ~ Violinist with Sun Ra 63
Sun Ra Arkrestra in Egypt;
Paul Motian ~ Jazz drummer w/Bill Evans, also played with Paul Bley, Keith Jarrett, Lennie Tristano, Warne Marsh, Joe Castro, Carla Bley, Charlie Haden, Don Cherry, Bill Frisell, Joe Lovano, Lee Konitz and even Arlo Guthrie (Motian performed briefly with Guthrie in 1968-69, and performed with the singer at Woodstock) ~ 80
Bob Brookmeyer ~ American jazz valve trombonist w/Gerry Mulligan ~ 81
Dan Terry ~ American Big Band trumpet player, w/Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughan & Yma Sumac. Also played on soundtracks for "The Hustler" and "The Manchurian Candidate" ~ 87
Sean Bonniwell ~ Singer/keyboards w/1960's garage punk group The Music Machine. Did the classic "Talk Talk" ~ 71
The Music Machine ~ "Talk talk";
Gene Kurtz ~ 1960's Bassist/songwriter with Roy Head on "Treat her right" ~ 69
Roy Head & The Traits ~ "Treat her right";
Kim Brown ~ Singer/guitarist for 1960's English/Finnish garage bands The Renegades and The Cadillacs ~ 61
The Renegades ~ "Brand new Cadillac";
Lee Pockriss ~ Songwriter from the 1950's to the 1970's. With Paul Vance he co-wrote Perry Como's "Catch a Falling Star", Brian Hyland's "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini", The Cuff Links' "Tracy" and Shelley Fabares' "Johnny Angel". Later wrote for movies and Sesame Street
Shelley Fabares ~ "Johnny Angel";
Bob Brunning ~ English Rock and Blues bassist w/ John Mayall, Fleetwood Mac, Savoy Brown ~ 68
Keef Hartley ~ British drummer for The Keef Hartley band who played Woodstock, also played in The Artwoods and Rory Storm & The Hurricanes ~ 67
Some early R&B figures;
Hubert Sumlin ~ blues Guitarist on many of Howlin Wolf's 1950's hits on Chess Records ~ 80
Howlin Wolf w/Hubert Sumlin & Willie Dixon~ "Smokestack Lightning";
Jimmy Norman ~ American R&B singer/songwriter/producer. Worked with Irma Thomas, Jimi Hendrix, The Coasters, Bob Marley. Co-wrote "Time is on my side" ~ 74
Jimmy Norman ~ "Here comes the night";
Freddie Ferrara ~ 1950's Doo Wop singer w/The Del-Satins, The Brooklyn Bridge
The Del Satins ~ "Remember";
Marv Tarplin ~ American guitarist and songwriter with Motown R&B group The Miracles. Although Tarplin stayed in the background, Robinson referred to him as his "secret weapon". He also worked on Smokey Robinson's solo records as well as Marvin Gaye and the Supremes ~ 70
The Miracles ~ "The tracks of my tears";
J. Blackfoot ~ Souls singer from late 1960's to 1980's w/The Bar Kays, The Soul Children and solo ~ 65
Wardell Quezergue ~ New Orleans 1950's & 60's R&B songwriter/producer w/ hits with Professor Longhair, “Iko Iko” by the Dixie Cups, “Barefootin’ ” by Robert Parker, “Groove Me” by King Floyd, “Mr. Big Stuff” by Jean Knight. ~ 81
Dixie Cups ~ "Iko Iko";
Sylvia Robinson ~ American 1950's R&B singer with Mikey Baker in Mickey & Sylvia. Later a record producer and record company co-founder of Sugar Hill Records ~ 75
Mickey and Sylvia ~ "No good lover";
George "Mojo" Buford ~ Blues harmonica player with Muddy Waters ~ 81
Muddy Waters & Mojo Buford ~ "Got my Mojo workin";
Jessy Dixon ~ American gospel singer ~ 73
Leonard Dillon ~ Singer with 1960's and 70's Jamaican ska and rocksteady group The Ethiopians ~ 68
The Ethiopians ~ "Train to Skaville";
Barry Llewellyn ~ Jamaican musician, founding member of The Heptones ~ 63
Some folk and country figures;
Country Johnny Mathis ~ Not be confused with the pop singer, this Mathis was a country singer songwriter from the early 1950's to the 1960's recording for a number of labels as well as writing hit songs for Johnny Paycheck, Web Pierce and George Jones. ~ 77
Liz Anderson ~ 1950's Country singer and mother of singer Lynn Anderson ~ 81
Johnnie Wright ~ Country singer from the 1950's and 60's as part of Johnny And Jack with Jack Anglin until Anglin's death in a car accident in 1963. It was a benefit for Anglin's widow that Patsy Cline was returning from when her plane crashed killing her as well as Cowboy Copas and Hawkshaw Hawkins. Wright married Kitty Wells and was a songwriter with hits into the 1970's including "Seasons in the sun. ~ 97
Johnny & Jack ~ "I get so lonely" (w/ Ray Price and an intro by Roy Acuff);
Paul Yandell ~ Country guitarist with Chet Atkins, played w/Chet Atkins, Jerry Reed, Dolly Parton, Steve Wariner, Hank Thompson, Perry Como, Roger Whitaker, Kitty Wells, The Louvin Bros, Les Paul, Woody Herman, The Everly Bros. and Mary Chapin Carpenter ~ 76
Bob Burnett ~ American musician with 1960's folk group The Highwaymen ~ 71
Herbert "Bert" Jansch ~ Scottish folk rock guitarist both solo and with UK group Pentangle from 1968 to 1972 and then continuing on as a solo artist. He also played Banjo, Dulcimer, Concertina and Recorder. His guitar work is highly influential on British guitarists from Jimmy Page to Niel Young, Donovan, Nick Drake and later Johnny Marr. ~ 67
Pentangle ~ "Traveling song" & "Let no man steal your thyme";
Some jazzbos;
Sam Rivers ~ Bebop and Free Jazz sax, clarinet and flute player solo and w/Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Freddie Hubbard, Tony Williams, Anthony Braxton ~ 86
Al Vega ~ Boston based Jazz pianist w/Dizzy Gillespie, Betty Carter, Lester Young, Stan Getz, Billy Holiday ~ 90
Billy Bang ~ Violinist with Sun Ra 63
Sun Ra Arkrestra in Egypt;
Paul Motian ~ Jazz drummer w/Bill Evans, also played with Paul Bley, Keith Jarrett, Lennie Tristano, Warne Marsh, Joe Castro, Carla Bley, Charlie Haden, Don Cherry, Bill Frisell, Joe Lovano, Lee Konitz and even Arlo Guthrie (Motian performed briefly with Guthrie in 1968-69, and performed with the singer at Woodstock) ~ 80
Bob Brookmeyer ~ American jazz valve trombonist w/Gerry Mulligan ~ 81
Dan Terry ~ American Big Band trumpet player, w/Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughan & Yma Sumac. Also played on soundtracks for "The Hustler" and "The Manchurian Candidate" ~ 87
Friday, 26 August 2011
RIP to Jerry Leiber
Exhibit A;
"Hound Dog" ~ Big Mama Thorton w/ Buddy Guy;
Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller were the greatest songwriters of the early rock & Roll/R&B era bar none. Their catalog reads like a how-to list for everything Rock & Roll, was, is and always should be. Which it is.
Exhibit B;
"Jail House Rock" ~ Elvis Presley;
How it took a couple of nice Jewish kids from New York to figure out how to take the the raw sounds of blues and doo-wop and modernize them for an new audience of white kids is one of those great unanswerable questions of pop culture history but Leiber and Stoller were there even before Phil Spector, Alan Freed, Bill Haley or Elvis. If not Sam Phillips. But while Phillips was a producer with a fine ear, he was no songwriter Leiber and Stoller were.
Exhibit C;
"Love potion number 9" ~ The Searchers;
The list of songs in their catalog includes no less than a hundred chart hits for a bewildering array of artists including, but not limited to;
The Beatles, Elvis Presley, Walker Bros, Rolling Stones, Ben E King, Drifters, Coasters, Wilbert Harrison, Beach Boys, Dion, Billy Thorpe, Searchers, Little Richard, The Crystals, Drifters, Brenda Lee, Bad Company, Tony Sheridan, The Hollies, Diamonds, Cheers, Freddie Bell, Big Mama Thorton, Jimmy Witherspoon, The Kinks, Lords, Groupies, Ronnie Hawkins, Dr.Feelgood, Otis Redding, Mickey Gilley, Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Burnett, Gene Vincent, Albert King, Koko Taylor,Dave Clark Five, Manfred Mann, Paramounts, Del Shannon, Animals, Merle Haggard, Link Wray, Frankie Lymon, Carl Perkins, Wayne Fontana, Ventures, Freddie & The Dreamers, Sha Na Na (of course) and ...ummm...Alvin and the Chipmunks, several times.
Exhibit D;
"Poison Ivy" ~ Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs;
The Duo started out in the 1950's as writers with hits for such blues and R&B figures as Big Mama Thorton, Wilbert Harrison and Jimmy Witherspoon before they were surprised to find one of those songs, "Hound Dog", become a hit for a young largely unknown white kid named Elvis. They would write a series of other hit song for him including "Love Me", "Loving You", "Don't", "Jailhouse Rock" and "King Creole". However most of their time would be writing numerous hits for black artists like the Coasters and Ben E King throughout the 1960's.
Exhibit E;
"I'm a hog for you" ~ The Lords;
They would also also branch out into owning record label Red Bird Records, which issued the Shangri-Las' "Leader of the Pack" and the Dixie Cups' "Chapel of Love" which they did not write however. As producers they also acted as mentors to the young Phil Spector. They also won a ton of awards.
Exhibit F;
"Kansas City" ~ The Beatles;
As time went on their tastes went to more elaborate pop songs that would lead to hits for Edith Piaf and Peggy Lee. They would continue into the 1970's with hits for Stealer's Wheel, Earth Wind and Fire, Elkie Brooks, George Benson, Steely Dan and Mezzo-soprano Joan Morris and her pianist-composer husband William Bolcom, which had little to do with rock and roll.
Exhibit G;
"Ruby Baby" ~ Dion;
However they also lived to see their early Rock and R&B hots are still covered down to the punk era by the likes of Dr.Feelgood, The Lambrettas, Los Straitjackets, Mink DeVille, El Vez, Queen, Mötley Crüe, Brownsville Station, Patti Smith, ZZ Top, Twisted Sister, The Cramps, AC/DC, MDC, White Stripes, Flotsam & Jetsam, Motorhead, Pennywise and The Blues Brothers (This version was the ending song of the movie, performed with other musicians such as Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles and Cab Calloway), even Negativeland and John Oswald. They were usually good sports about that, if somewhat bemused.
Exhibit H;
"Searchin'" ~ The Coasters;
Jerry Leiber died at the age of 78 on August 22, 2011, from cardio-pulmonary failure.
Exhibit I;
"Stand by me" ~ Ben E. King;
Exhibit J;
"There goes my baby" ~ The Walker Bros.;
Exhibit K;
"Stand by me" ~ John Lennon;
"Hound Dog" ~ Big Mama Thorton w/ Buddy Guy;
Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller were the greatest songwriters of the early rock & Roll/R&B era bar none. Their catalog reads like a how-to list for everything Rock & Roll, was, is and always should be. Which it is.
Exhibit B;
"Jail House Rock" ~ Elvis Presley;
How it took a couple of nice Jewish kids from New York to figure out how to take the the raw sounds of blues and doo-wop and modernize them for an new audience of white kids is one of those great unanswerable questions of pop culture history but Leiber and Stoller were there even before Phil Spector, Alan Freed, Bill Haley or Elvis. If not Sam Phillips. But while Phillips was a producer with a fine ear, he was no songwriter Leiber and Stoller were.
Exhibit C;
"Love potion number 9" ~ The Searchers;
The list of songs in their catalog includes no less than a hundred chart hits for a bewildering array of artists including, but not limited to;
The Beatles, Elvis Presley, Walker Bros, Rolling Stones, Ben E King, Drifters, Coasters, Wilbert Harrison, Beach Boys, Dion, Billy Thorpe, Searchers, Little Richard, The Crystals, Drifters, Brenda Lee, Bad Company, Tony Sheridan, The Hollies, Diamonds, Cheers, Freddie Bell, Big Mama Thorton, Jimmy Witherspoon, The Kinks, Lords, Groupies, Ronnie Hawkins, Dr.Feelgood, Otis Redding, Mickey Gilley, Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Burnett, Gene Vincent, Albert King, Koko Taylor,Dave Clark Five, Manfred Mann, Paramounts, Del Shannon, Animals, Merle Haggard, Link Wray, Frankie Lymon, Carl Perkins, Wayne Fontana, Ventures, Freddie & The Dreamers, Sha Na Na (of course) and ...ummm...Alvin and the Chipmunks, several times.
Exhibit D;
"Poison Ivy" ~ Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs;
The Duo started out in the 1950's as writers with hits for such blues and R&B figures as Big Mama Thorton, Wilbert Harrison and Jimmy Witherspoon before they were surprised to find one of those songs, "Hound Dog", become a hit for a young largely unknown white kid named Elvis. They would write a series of other hit song for him including "Love Me", "Loving You", "Don't", "Jailhouse Rock" and "King Creole". However most of their time would be writing numerous hits for black artists like the Coasters and Ben E King throughout the 1960's.
Exhibit E;
"I'm a hog for you" ~ The Lords;
They would also also branch out into owning record label Red Bird Records, which issued the Shangri-Las' "Leader of the Pack" and the Dixie Cups' "Chapel of Love" which they did not write however. As producers they also acted as mentors to the young Phil Spector. They also won a ton of awards.
Exhibit F;
"Kansas City" ~ The Beatles;
As time went on their tastes went to more elaborate pop songs that would lead to hits for Edith Piaf and Peggy Lee. They would continue into the 1970's with hits for Stealer's Wheel, Earth Wind and Fire, Elkie Brooks, George Benson, Steely Dan and Mezzo-soprano Joan Morris and her pianist-composer husband William Bolcom, which had little to do with rock and roll.
Exhibit G;
"Ruby Baby" ~ Dion;
However they also lived to see their early Rock and R&B hots are still covered down to the punk era by the likes of Dr.Feelgood, The Lambrettas, Los Straitjackets, Mink DeVille, El Vez, Queen, Mötley Crüe, Brownsville Station, Patti Smith, ZZ Top, Twisted Sister, The Cramps, AC/DC, MDC, White Stripes, Flotsam & Jetsam, Motorhead, Pennywise and The Blues Brothers (This version was the ending song of the movie, performed with other musicians such as Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles and Cab Calloway), even Negativeland and John Oswald. They were usually good sports about that, if somewhat bemused.
Exhibit H;
"Searchin'" ~ The Coasters;
Jerry Leiber died at the age of 78 on August 22, 2011, from cardio-pulmonary failure.
Exhibit I;
"Stand by me" ~ Ben E. King;
Exhibit J;
"There goes my baby" ~ The Walker Bros.;
Exhibit K;
"Stand by me" ~ John Lennon;
Monday, 11 July 2011
Some early rock and roll figure pass on
Bobby Robinson ~ 94 ~ Record producer and owner of the first black owned rock and roll labels Fire, Red Robin, Enjoy and Fury Records. Produced Elmore James, Big Boy Crudup, Gladys Knight, Buster Brown, Tarheel Slim, Lee Dorsey, The Shirelles. Unlike many figures from the early years of Rock and R & B such as Barry Gordy, Sam Phillips or the Chess Brothers, Robinson kept touch with changing trends and later produced Kool Mo Dee and Grandmaster Flash.
Randy Wood ~ Founder of Dot Records; 1950's & 60's label for rock, pop, jazz and country artists like Roy Head, Jimmy Gilmer & The Fireballs, Tiny Hill & The Hilltoppers, Jimmy Rodgers, Louis Prima, Pat Boone, The Surfaris, The Chantays, Gary Usher, Mac Wiseman, Nervous Norvus, Roy Clark, Sanford Clark, Mac Curtis, Lonnie Donnegan, Jimmy Dorsey, Jack Kerouac, Count Basie, The Mills Bros, Robin Luke, The Four Lads ~94
Bobby Poe ~ 77 ~ A 1950's rockabilly singer who had a couple of minor hits like "Rock and Roll record girl" and an early version of "The Fool" which are much sought after by collectors. However he had a bigger impact when he discovered a talented black singer and pianist named Big Al Dowling to his band the Poe Kats making them one of the first bi-racial bands. Poe encouraged Dowling's obvious talents even sharing singing duties, a remarkably generous gesture for a band leader. Dowling would go on to a respected solo career with Stax Records. The Poe Kats would then go on to back up Wanda Jackson on some of her early singles. As tastes changed Poe would go on to a successful career as a music publisher and record label scout in Nashville.
Bobby Poe & The PoeCats (with Big Al Dowling) ~ :Rock and Roll record girl";
Jet Harris ~ 71 ~ Bassist with The Shadows. Easily the most important British group in the late 1950's and early 60's both as an instrumental group with numerous hit singles such as "Apache" and as backing band for the equally successful singer Cliff Richard. The Shadows have been cited as a major influence on literally every figure in British rock and roll from the Beatles and Stones to Dr.Feelgood and the Jam and their importance simply can not be over estimated. They would also be a major influence internationally on the surf and instrumental scene through such groups as The Ventures.
The Shadows ~ "Apache";
George Louvin ~ 83 ~ Along with his brother Ira, one half The Louvin Brothers, a popular country singing duo of the 1950's and early 60's. George was the shorter guitar playing one while Ira was taller mandolin playing tenor. One of such singing brother duos such as the Delmore Brothers, Stanley Brothers, Lilly Brothers, Whitstine Brothers and Bailey Brothers who provided a link between the older sounds of bluegrass and the newer more modern honky tonk and rockabilly and would reach it's peak with the Everly Brothers. The Louvins would score several hits into the the 60's ranging from secular and gospel and including the concept album "Satan is real" which is now a valuable collector's item. Changing tastes and the drinking problems of brother Ira and his combative personality led to The Louvin's breakup followed by Ira's death in a car crash in 1965. The quieter George kept a lower profile after that but would still occasionally record and appear at the Opry well into his 70's.
The Louvin Brothers ~ "I don't believe you've met my baby";
Johnny Preston ~ 77 ~ A country and rockabilly singer who was discovered by J.P. Richardson (AKA The Big Bopper) who wrote and produced the song "Running Bear" which would become a massive hit in 1959, almost surpassing The Bopper's own hit "Chantilly Lace". The Bopper and his friend George Jones also provided the back up war whoops on the single. Unfortunately The Bopper then died in the same plane crash as Buddy Holly and Richie Valens and while Preston would go on to have more hits none would come close to the same success.
Johnny Preston ~ "Billy Boy";
Mack Self ~ 81 ~ 1950's rockabilly singer who recorded for Sun Records without scoring any real hits although is records would later become popular with rockabilly collectors and he had a career after the rockabilly revival in the 1970's. He also recorded a number of country records.
Ferlin Husky ~ 85 ~ A country singer from the 1960's who had a huge crossover hit in the mid 1950's with "The wings of a dove" a rousing gospel ballad with a catchy finger snapping chorus. Husky would score country hits into the 1960's but his rather older straight laced image, sporting conservative string ties and jackets with short hair and pencil mustache were dangerously out of step with the changing tastes of rock and roll and he retreated back to Nashville and the Opry where he continued to perform into his 70's.
Ferlin Husky ~ "The wings of a dove";
Billy Grammer ~ Honky Tonk singer who recorded the original versions of "Detroit City" (by Mel Tillis) and "Gotta travel on" which became a crossover hit in 1959, later covered by Buddy Holly, Boxcar Willie, Kingston Trio, Chet Atkins, Seekers, Skeets MacDonald, Jerry Lee Lewis and The Lennon Sisters among others. ~ 85
Billy Grammer ~ "Gotta travel on";
Jerry Mayo ~ Trumpet player for Freddie and the Bellboys, one of the earliest non rockabilly white rock groups from the 1950's. Had a hit with a version of "Hound dog" and "Giddy up a Ding Dong", appeared in Alan Freed tours and movies. Freddie Bell died in 2008 ~ 76
Freddie Bell and the Bellboys ~ "We're gonna teach you to rock";
Carl Gardner ~ Vocalist w/ The Coasters, the greatest of all R&B vocal groups between the Doo Wop and Motowm eras with hits like "Charlie Brown", "Yakkety Yak", "Poison Ivy", "Along came Jones", "Searchin'", "I'm a hog for you" later covered by the likes of The Hollies, Monkees, Dr. Feelgood, Deja Voodoo, The Sadies, Leon Russell, Bad Company, Beach Boys, Elvis Presley, Commander Cody, The Count Bishops and more ~ 83
The Coasters and Del Shannon ~ Searchin';
Gladys Horton ~ 65 ~ Lead singer with the Marvelettes, one of the early Motown girl groups who had a number of hits in the 1960's starting with "Please Mr. Postman" and following it up with a string of others including the much covered "I'll keep on holding on". Unfortunately for them while Horton was a better singer than Diana Ross she lacked Ross' sense of style, not to mention her all consuming ambition and when Motown boss Barry Gordy decided to focus all his efforts on promoting Ross and the Supremes the Marvelettes were pushed aside and faded away eventually breaking up.
The Marvelettes ~ "Don't mess with Bill";
Nicholas Ashford ~ R&B singer and songwiter with his wife Valerie Simpson for Motown in the 1960's to the 1980's with hits for Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, The Supremes, Martha and the Vandellas, Smokey Robinson, Gladys Knight, Marvelettes, Fifth Dimension, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Shirelles, Rufus, Chaka Kahn, Brothers Johnson, Teddy Pendergrass and even Ronnie Milsap as well as scoring hits as a singing duo ~ 70
Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell ~ "Ain't no mountain high enough";
Kathy Kirby ~ British 1960's pop singer and blonde sex symbol with hit version of "Secret Love" (real name Kathleen O'Rourke) ~ 72
Kathy Kirby ~ "Secret Love";
John Walker ~ Bassist and singer with 1960's melodramatic pop group The Walker Brothers, who were not actually brothers and none of whom, were actually named Walker. Originally from the Los Angeles rock scene, they moved to London and recorded a series of increasingly melodramatic singles the biggest of which was "The sun ain't gonna shine anymore". By that time John had been largely supplanted as lead singer by the deeper voiced crooner Scott Walker.
The Walker Brothers ~ "The sun ain't gonna shine anymore";
Jerry Ragovoy ~ 80 ~ R&B Songwriter under the name Norman Meade; "Time is on my side" (by the Rolling Stones), "Take another piece of my heart","Try (Just a Little Bit Harder)" and "Cry Baby" (all by Janis Joplin)
The Rolling Stones ~ "Time is on my side";
Hume Paton ~ Lead guitar for the underrated 1960's Scottish Mod group The Poets. No big hits but "That's the way it's gonna be" has turned up on many Nuggets comps and in the film "Factory Girl". Drummer Alan Weir died in 2010.
The Poets ~ "That's the way it's gonna be";
Mark Tulin ~ 62 ~ Bassist with the 1960's psychedelic garage band The Electric Prunes whose double shot 1967 hits "I had too much to dream last night" and "Get me to the world on time" became acknowledged classics of the era when they were included in the "Nuggets" collection and covered by Stiv Bators on his solo album. However the Prunes had trouble adjusting to changing tastes in rock like Folk Rock, Prog Rock, Southern Rock, Power Trios and their attempt at an early rock opera with a strange album of classical/rock fusion was a disaster. The band broke up thereafter but a generation later Tulin would get a second career when Prunes fan Billy Corrigan would invite him join a later version of The Smashing Pumpkins.
The Electric Prunes ~ "I Had too much to dream last night";
Robert Rozelle ~ Bassist with the Classic Los Angeles 1960's garage psychedelic garage band Love who had a few classic singles with "My little red book" and "7 and 7 is" and an album considered one of the all time greats in "Forever changes". Unfortunately the usual problems got in the way; drugs, conflicts, mental instability and the refusal of band leader Arthur Lee to tour led to the band's lost momentum and inevitable breakup.
Love ~ "My little red book";
Steve Serrato ~ 65 ~Drummer with Question mark and the Mysterions, the all Hispanic group from Michigan who's hit "96 Tears" became one of the instantly recognized classics of the era, later covered by The Music Machine and The Stranglers among many others.
Question Mark & The Mysterions ~ "96 Tears";
Rob Grill and Rick Coonce ~ Singer (Grill) and Drummer w/ 1960's garage band The Grass Roots who did the classic hit "Let's live for today". There were a few minor followups as well. Grill died in July at 67, Coonce died months earlier.
The Grass Roots ~ "Let's live for today";
Pinetop Perkins ~ Blues pianist and one of the last of the great Chicago bluesmen of the classic postwar era. Besides recording solo for Chess and Cobra Records he also played with the likes of Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Sonnyboy Williamson and BB King. He was still active at the time of his death and in fact in 2010 he became the oldest person to win a Grammy award.
Muddy Waters with Pinetop Perkins ~ Long distance phone call;
Eddie Kirkland ~ 88 ~ Blues and R & B guitarist who started out playing with Otis Redding and John Lee Hooker before going on a solo career and playing with Foghat which would not slow down until he died this year at the age of 88 on the road while on his way home from yet another gig. Known as the "Gypsy of the Blues" for his non stop touring.
Eddie Kirkland with Foghat;
Cato Walker ~ 61 ~ Saxophonist with Lou Rawls, The Bar-Kays and B.B. King. Later ran the record label, Strick 9.
Lloyd Knibb ~ Drummer with The Skatalites, widely noted as the founders of Jamaican Ska in the 1960's ~ 80
The Skatalites ~ "Ringo";
Don Kirshner ~ 75 ~ Although not a musician The Man With the Golden Ear was a Songwriter, Producer and promoter who wrote jingles for and with Bobby Darin, Neil Diamond and Connie Francis and Co-founded the Aldon music publishing company. In gthe 60's he branched out into television where he created The Monkees and after being fired in a dispute with his Frankenstein monster he then came up with the Archies. In the 70's he produced and hosted TV's, Don Kirshner's Rock Concert.
Huey P. Meaux ~ AKA "The Crazy Cajun", 1960's Louisiana record producer for Freddy Fender (Til the last teardrop falls"), The Sir Douglass Quintet (She's about a mover", Gene Summers ~ 82
David Honeyboy Edwards ~ Last of the old delta blues singers from the 1930's. Played with Robert Johnson, Howlin' Wolf, Son House, Tommy Johnson, Big Joe Williams, Willie Dixon, Buddy Guy, Otis Spann, Walter Shakey Horton, also recorded two albums with the original Peter Green version of Fleetwood Mac through the folk blues revival of the 1960's until this year. He was just in town last year in fact. ~ 96
Honeyboy Edwards ~ "Lay my burden down";
Charles Kaman ~ Inventor who founded Ovation Instruments that became the Ovation Guitar Company which introduced one of the first production solid body electric guitars. He later founded Kaman Aircraft Company ~ 92
DeLois Barrett Campbell ~ American gospel singer w/The Barrett Sisters starting in the 1930's but did not start recording until the 1960's. Did versions of Sam Cooke's "Wonderful", "I'll Fly Away" and sang with Roberta Martin on "I Hear God", later appeared in the documentary "Say Amen somebody ~ 85
The Barrett Sisters (with Roberta Martin on piano) ~ "From out of nowhere";
Gene McDaniels ~ American 1960's R&B singer and songwriter w/hits "Tower of Strength", "A Hundred Pounds of Clay" by himself and "Feel Like Makin' Love" by Roberta Flack ~ 76
Esther Gordy Edwards ~ Sister of Barry Gordy and one of the founders of Motown Records ~ 91
Jean Dinning ~ 86 ~ Singer with 1950's pop vocal group The Dinning Sisters, a typical Andrews Sisters type pre-rock and roll schmaltz group. Her biggest hit however would come when she co-wrote her younger brother Mark Dinning's, hit "Teen Angel" a classic example of early rock and roll schmaltz and a massive hit. The song's ultra morbid theme about a guy dragging his love from a fiery car wreck was one of a trend that would include the likes of "The leader of the pack" and "DOA" from Bloodrock..
Dinning Sisters ~ "Clancy";
Mark Dinning ~ "Teen Angel";
Carl Bunch ~ Drummer with Buddy Holly & The Cricketts and later for Hank Williams jr and Roy Orbison ~ 71
John Pickett ~ Singer with vocal group The Picks who sang backups with Buddy Holly on most of his hits like "Oh Boy" ~ 77
Terry Clements ~ Drummer w/ Gordon Lightfoot on many of his hits including "The wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" ~ 64
Loy Clingman ~ Arizona Rockabilly Singer later ran VIV Records ~ 88
Suze Rotolo ~ 67 ~ 1960's political activist and author, girlfriend of Bob Dylan, became famous as the cover model on "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan" walking arm in arm with Dylan. Later became a writer
A few country music pickers from the 50's and earlier;
Buddy Charleton ~ Bassist and pedal steel player w/ Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn ~ 82
Buddy Jones ~ Drummer w/Patsy Cline, Faron Young, Leon Young, Red Sovine ~ 83
Buster Magness ~ Steel guitar player w/ western swing band of Johnny Lee Wills ~ 87
Doc Williams ~ 1930's and 40's Old time country singer who scored hits in the 1940's with Chickie Williams, founder of Wheeling Records ~ 94
Hazel Dickens ~ 1960's folk and bluegrass singer/guitarist/bassist with Alice Gerrard (nee Foster). Recorded for Folkways Records as one of the first female duos. Union activist and IWW supporter who later appeared in pro-union films like "Harlan County USA" and "Matewan" ~ 75
Hazel Dickens ~ (bio pic);
A few Doo Wop singers;
Grady Chapman ~ 81 ~ Singer with 1950's Doo Wop group The Robins who would later evolve into The Coasters albeit without Chapman.
Carl Rainge ~ 74 ~ Singer with The Spaniels who's classic "Goodnight sweetheart goodnight" would later be used as a closing theme by Sha Na Na on their 1970's TV show.
The Spaniels ~ "Good night Sweetheart";
Bobby Phillips ~ Singer with Doo Wop group The Cadillacs who's classic hit was "Speedo"
The Cadillacs ~ "Speedo";
Monte Owens ~ Singer with Doo Wop groups The Mello Moods and The Solitaires
The Mello Moods ~ "Tonight tonight";
Oscar Lawson ~ Singer with Texas Chicano Doo Wop group The Royal Jesters, known for their smooth sound. Their hit "Lonely Guy" was later covered by Big Sandy on his Doo Wop album ~ 74
The Royal Jesters ~ "Love me";
A few jazzbos and avant garde figures from the 50's, 60's and earlier;
Bob Flanigan ~ American singer and bassist/trombonist with 1950's pre-rock pop and jazz vocal group The Four Freshmen with numerous hits like in the mid 1950's and highly influential on later white doo-wop groups like The Crewcuts, The Diamonds and the Four Seasons as well as Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys and the Byrds. Unlike most other vocal groups the Freshmen were also excellent musicians. ~ 84
Ross Barbour ~ Singer with 1950's pop and jazz vocal group The Four Freshmen ~ 82
The Four Freshmen ~ "Ain't seen nothing like you";
Margaret Whiting ~ Big Band jazz and pop singer from the 1940's and 50's both solo and with her sister Barbara with hits like "One for my baby", "Ain't we got fun", "It might as well be spring". As rock and roll took over she became co-host of a TV sitcom with her sister.
Margaret Whiting ~ "It's just the gypsy in my soul";
Joe Morello ~ Jazz drummer w/Dave Brubeck, Stan Kenton, Art Pepper, Hank Garland ~ 82
Allen Smith ~ Big Band jazz trumpet player w/The Hellcats Navy Band in World War 2, also later with Benny Goodman, Sammy Davis, Jr., Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett. ~ 85
Frank Foster ~ American jazz saxophonist and flautist with Count Basie ~ 82
Sir George Shearing ~ The great blind British jazz pianist and band leader who had a number of hit albums in the UK and USA from the 1950's on. Ranging from solo work to quintets and as a duo, also recorded with Steffane Grapelli and Mel Torme. Retired in 2004 after a fall in his home, Knighted in 2007 ~ 91
Eric Delaney ~ British jazz drummer w/ Sir George Shearing ~ 87
Sir George Shearing ~ "Move";
Jiri Traxer ~ Czech/Canadian jazz pianist and composers from the 1930's on, considered one of the founders of jazz and swing in eastern Europe. Stayed in Czechoslovakia during the war but fled to the west in 1951 and moved to Canada. ~ 99
Jiri Traxler ~ Piano piece;
Conrad Schnitzler ~ Keyboard player with highly influential German electronic pioneers Tangerine Dream starting in 1969. Later w/Kluster, Eruption, Berlin Express ~ 74
Tangerine Dream ~ "Cyclone";
Milton Babbit ~ 96 ~ While not normally thought of as a rock and roll figure Babbitt was trail blazer in the development of the Moog. Milton Babbit was a avant garde composer of piano and electronic works starting in the late 1940's. His piano works were considered so advanced and difficult that it would take over 40 years before they would be recognized and awarded. However it is his electronic work that would have the most impact as he was one of the designers of the original Moog Synthesizer and among the first to treat it as a serious instrument, composing works for it. At the time the Moog was a massive computer that took up an entire room and required a bewildering array of vacuum tubes, patch cords, tape reels and punch cards, but twenty years later the Moog would be discovered by progressive rock groups like Tangerine Dream, Pink Floyd, Yes and even the Monkees. Much later smaller and more compact and practical synths would evolve.
Milton Babbit ~ "Occasional variations";
Reinhold Marxhausen ~ American sound artist and sculpter inventor, teacher, author and painter from the 1960's on ~ 89
Reinhold Marxhausen ~ "Throne Dome" sound sculpture ;
Randy Wood ~ Founder of Dot Records; 1950's & 60's label for rock, pop, jazz and country artists like Roy Head, Jimmy Gilmer & The Fireballs, Tiny Hill & The Hilltoppers, Jimmy Rodgers, Louis Prima, Pat Boone, The Surfaris, The Chantays, Gary Usher, Mac Wiseman, Nervous Norvus, Roy Clark, Sanford Clark, Mac Curtis, Lonnie Donnegan, Jimmy Dorsey, Jack Kerouac, Count Basie, The Mills Bros, Robin Luke, The Four Lads ~94
Bobby Poe ~ 77 ~ A 1950's rockabilly singer who had a couple of minor hits like "Rock and Roll record girl" and an early version of "The Fool" which are much sought after by collectors. However he had a bigger impact when he discovered a talented black singer and pianist named Big Al Dowling to his band the Poe Kats making them one of the first bi-racial bands. Poe encouraged Dowling's obvious talents even sharing singing duties, a remarkably generous gesture for a band leader. Dowling would go on to a respected solo career with Stax Records. The Poe Kats would then go on to back up Wanda Jackson on some of her early singles. As tastes changed Poe would go on to a successful career as a music publisher and record label scout in Nashville.
Bobby Poe & The PoeCats (with Big Al Dowling) ~ :Rock and Roll record girl";
Jet Harris ~ 71 ~ Bassist with The Shadows. Easily the most important British group in the late 1950's and early 60's both as an instrumental group with numerous hit singles such as "Apache" and as backing band for the equally successful singer Cliff Richard. The Shadows have been cited as a major influence on literally every figure in British rock and roll from the Beatles and Stones to Dr.Feelgood and the Jam and their importance simply can not be over estimated. They would also be a major influence internationally on the surf and instrumental scene through such groups as The Ventures.
The Shadows ~ "Apache";
George Louvin ~ 83 ~ Along with his brother Ira, one half The Louvin Brothers, a popular country singing duo of the 1950's and early 60's. George was the shorter guitar playing one while Ira was taller mandolin playing tenor. One of such singing brother duos such as the Delmore Brothers, Stanley Brothers, Lilly Brothers, Whitstine Brothers and Bailey Brothers who provided a link between the older sounds of bluegrass and the newer more modern honky tonk and rockabilly and would reach it's peak with the Everly Brothers. The Louvins would score several hits into the the 60's ranging from secular and gospel and including the concept album "Satan is real" which is now a valuable collector's item. Changing tastes and the drinking problems of brother Ira and his combative personality led to The Louvin's breakup followed by Ira's death in a car crash in 1965. The quieter George kept a lower profile after that but would still occasionally record and appear at the Opry well into his 70's.
The Louvin Brothers ~ "I don't believe you've met my baby";
Johnny Preston ~ 77 ~ A country and rockabilly singer who was discovered by J.P. Richardson (AKA The Big Bopper) who wrote and produced the song "Running Bear" which would become a massive hit in 1959, almost surpassing The Bopper's own hit "Chantilly Lace". The Bopper and his friend George Jones also provided the back up war whoops on the single. Unfortunately The Bopper then died in the same plane crash as Buddy Holly and Richie Valens and while Preston would go on to have more hits none would come close to the same success.
Johnny Preston ~ "Billy Boy";
Mack Self ~ 81 ~ 1950's rockabilly singer who recorded for Sun Records without scoring any real hits although is records would later become popular with rockabilly collectors and he had a career after the rockabilly revival in the 1970's. He also recorded a number of country records.
Ferlin Husky ~ 85 ~ A country singer from the 1960's who had a huge crossover hit in the mid 1950's with "The wings of a dove" a rousing gospel ballad with a catchy finger snapping chorus. Husky would score country hits into the 1960's but his rather older straight laced image, sporting conservative string ties and jackets with short hair and pencil mustache were dangerously out of step with the changing tastes of rock and roll and he retreated back to Nashville and the Opry where he continued to perform into his 70's.
Ferlin Husky ~ "The wings of a dove";
Billy Grammer ~ Honky Tonk singer who recorded the original versions of "Detroit City" (by Mel Tillis) and "Gotta travel on" which became a crossover hit in 1959, later covered by Buddy Holly, Boxcar Willie, Kingston Trio, Chet Atkins, Seekers, Skeets MacDonald, Jerry Lee Lewis and The Lennon Sisters among others. ~ 85
Billy Grammer ~ "Gotta travel on";
Jerry Mayo ~ Trumpet player for Freddie and the Bellboys, one of the earliest non rockabilly white rock groups from the 1950's. Had a hit with a version of "Hound dog" and "Giddy up a Ding Dong", appeared in Alan Freed tours and movies. Freddie Bell died in 2008 ~ 76
Freddie Bell and the Bellboys ~ "We're gonna teach you to rock";
Carl Gardner ~ Vocalist w/ The Coasters, the greatest of all R&B vocal groups between the Doo Wop and Motowm eras with hits like "Charlie Brown", "Yakkety Yak", "Poison Ivy", "Along came Jones", "Searchin'", "I'm a hog for you" later covered by the likes of The Hollies, Monkees, Dr. Feelgood, Deja Voodoo, The Sadies, Leon Russell, Bad Company, Beach Boys, Elvis Presley, Commander Cody, The Count Bishops and more ~ 83
The Coasters and Del Shannon ~ Searchin';
Gladys Horton ~ 65 ~ Lead singer with the Marvelettes, one of the early Motown girl groups who had a number of hits in the 1960's starting with "Please Mr. Postman" and following it up with a string of others including the much covered "I'll keep on holding on". Unfortunately for them while Horton was a better singer than Diana Ross she lacked Ross' sense of style, not to mention her all consuming ambition and when Motown boss Barry Gordy decided to focus all his efforts on promoting Ross and the Supremes the Marvelettes were pushed aside and faded away eventually breaking up.
The Marvelettes ~ "Don't mess with Bill";
Nicholas Ashford ~ R&B singer and songwiter with his wife Valerie Simpson for Motown in the 1960's to the 1980's with hits for Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, The Supremes, Martha and the Vandellas, Smokey Robinson, Gladys Knight, Marvelettes, Fifth Dimension, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Shirelles, Rufus, Chaka Kahn, Brothers Johnson, Teddy Pendergrass and even Ronnie Milsap as well as scoring hits as a singing duo ~ 70
Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell ~ "Ain't no mountain high enough";
Kathy Kirby ~ British 1960's pop singer and blonde sex symbol with hit version of "Secret Love" (real name Kathleen O'Rourke) ~ 72
Kathy Kirby ~ "Secret Love";
John Walker ~ Bassist and singer with 1960's melodramatic pop group The Walker Brothers, who were not actually brothers and none of whom, were actually named Walker. Originally from the Los Angeles rock scene, they moved to London and recorded a series of increasingly melodramatic singles the biggest of which was "The sun ain't gonna shine anymore". By that time John had been largely supplanted as lead singer by the deeper voiced crooner Scott Walker.
The Walker Brothers ~ "The sun ain't gonna shine anymore";
Jerry Ragovoy ~ 80 ~ R&B Songwriter under the name Norman Meade; "Time is on my side" (by the Rolling Stones), "Take another piece of my heart","Try (Just a Little Bit Harder)" and "Cry Baby" (all by Janis Joplin)
The Rolling Stones ~ "Time is on my side";
Hume Paton ~ Lead guitar for the underrated 1960's Scottish Mod group The Poets. No big hits but "That's the way it's gonna be" has turned up on many Nuggets comps and in the film "Factory Girl". Drummer Alan Weir died in 2010.
The Poets ~ "That's the way it's gonna be";
Mark Tulin ~ 62 ~ Bassist with the 1960's psychedelic garage band The Electric Prunes whose double shot 1967 hits "I had too much to dream last night" and "Get me to the world on time" became acknowledged classics of the era when they were included in the "Nuggets" collection and covered by Stiv Bators on his solo album. However the Prunes had trouble adjusting to changing tastes in rock like Folk Rock, Prog Rock, Southern Rock, Power Trios and their attempt at an early rock opera with a strange album of classical/rock fusion was a disaster. The band broke up thereafter but a generation later Tulin would get a second career when Prunes fan Billy Corrigan would invite him join a later version of The Smashing Pumpkins.
The Electric Prunes ~ "I Had too much to dream last night";
Robert Rozelle ~ Bassist with the Classic Los Angeles 1960's garage psychedelic garage band Love who had a few classic singles with "My little red book" and "7 and 7 is" and an album considered one of the all time greats in "Forever changes". Unfortunately the usual problems got in the way; drugs, conflicts, mental instability and the refusal of band leader Arthur Lee to tour led to the band's lost momentum and inevitable breakup.
Love ~ "My little red book";
Steve Serrato ~ 65 ~Drummer with Question mark and the Mysterions, the all Hispanic group from Michigan who's hit "96 Tears" became one of the instantly recognized classics of the era, later covered by The Music Machine and The Stranglers among many others.
Question Mark & The Mysterions ~ "96 Tears";
Rob Grill and Rick Coonce ~ Singer (Grill) and Drummer w/ 1960's garage band The Grass Roots who did the classic hit "Let's live for today". There were a few minor followups as well. Grill died in July at 67, Coonce died months earlier.
The Grass Roots ~ "Let's live for today";
Pinetop Perkins ~ Blues pianist and one of the last of the great Chicago bluesmen of the classic postwar era. Besides recording solo for Chess and Cobra Records he also played with the likes of Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Sonnyboy Williamson and BB King. He was still active at the time of his death and in fact in 2010 he became the oldest person to win a Grammy award.
Muddy Waters with Pinetop Perkins ~ Long distance phone call;
Eddie Kirkland ~ 88 ~ Blues and R & B guitarist who started out playing with Otis Redding and John Lee Hooker before going on a solo career and playing with Foghat which would not slow down until he died this year at the age of 88 on the road while on his way home from yet another gig. Known as the "Gypsy of the Blues" for his non stop touring.
Eddie Kirkland with Foghat;
Cato Walker ~ 61 ~ Saxophonist with Lou Rawls, The Bar-Kays and B.B. King. Later ran the record label, Strick 9.
Lloyd Knibb ~ Drummer with The Skatalites, widely noted as the founders of Jamaican Ska in the 1960's ~ 80
The Skatalites ~ "Ringo";
Don Kirshner ~ 75 ~ Although not a musician The Man With the Golden Ear was a Songwriter, Producer and promoter who wrote jingles for and with Bobby Darin, Neil Diamond and Connie Francis and Co-founded the Aldon music publishing company. In gthe 60's he branched out into television where he created The Monkees and after being fired in a dispute with his Frankenstein monster he then came up with the Archies. In the 70's he produced and hosted TV's, Don Kirshner's Rock Concert.
Huey P. Meaux ~ AKA "The Crazy Cajun", 1960's Louisiana record producer for Freddy Fender (Til the last teardrop falls"), The Sir Douglass Quintet (She's about a mover", Gene Summers ~ 82
David Honeyboy Edwards ~ Last of the old delta blues singers from the 1930's. Played with Robert Johnson, Howlin' Wolf, Son House, Tommy Johnson, Big Joe Williams, Willie Dixon, Buddy Guy, Otis Spann, Walter Shakey Horton, also recorded two albums with the original Peter Green version of Fleetwood Mac through the folk blues revival of the 1960's until this year. He was just in town last year in fact. ~ 96
Honeyboy Edwards ~ "Lay my burden down";
Charles Kaman ~ Inventor who founded Ovation Instruments that became the Ovation Guitar Company which introduced one of the first production solid body electric guitars. He later founded Kaman Aircraft Company ~ 92
DeLois Barrett Campbell ~ American gospel singer w/The Barrett Sisters starting in the 1930's but did not start recording until the 1960's. Did versions of Sam Cooke's "Wonderful", "I'll Fly Away" and sang with Roberta Martin on "I Hear God", later appeared in the documentary "Say Amen somebody ~ 85
The Barrett Sisters (with Roberta Martin on piano) ~ "From out of nowhere";
Gene McDaniels ~ American 1960's R&B singer and songwriter w/hits "Tower of Strength", "A Hundred Pounds of Clay" by himself and "Feel Like Makin' Love" by Roberta Flack ~ 76
Esther Gordy Edwards ~ Sister of Barry Gordy and one of the founders of Motown Records ~ 91
Jean Dinning ~ 86 ~ Singer with 1950's pop vocal group The Dinning Sisters, a typical Andrews Sisters type pre-rock and roll schmaltz group. Her biggest hit however would come when she co-wrote her younger brother Mark Dinning's, hit "Teen Angel" a classic example of early rock and roll schmaltz and a massive hit. The song's ultra morbid theme about a guy dragging his love from a fiery car wreck was one of a trend that would include the likes of "The leader of the pack" and "DOA" from Bloodrock..
Dinning Sisters ~ "Clancy";
Mark Dinning ~ "Teen Angel";
Carl Bunch ~ Drummer with Buddy Holly & The Cricketts and later for Hank Williams jr and Roy Orbison ~ 71
John Pickett ~ Singer with vocal group The Picks who sang backups with Buddy Holly on most of his hits like "Oh Boy" ~ 77
Terry Clements ~ Drummer w/ Gordon Lightfoot on many of his hits including "The wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" ~ 64
Loy Clingman ~ Arizona Rockabilly Singer later ran VIV Records ~ 88
Suze Rotolo ~ 67 ~ 1960's political activist and author, girlfriend of Bob Dylan, became famous as the cover model on "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan" walking arm in arm with Dylan. Later became a writer
A few country music pickers from the 50's and earlier;
Buddy Charleton ~ Bassist and pedal steel player w/ Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn ~ 82
Buddy Jones ~ Drummer w/Patsy Cline, Faron Young, Leon Young, Red Sovine ~ 83
Buster Magness ~ Steel guitar player w/ western swing band of Johnny Lee Wills ~ 87
Doc Williams ~ 1930's and 40's Old time country singer who scored hits in the 1940's with Chickie Williams, founder of Wheeling Records ~ 94
Hazel Dickens ~ 1960's folk and bluegrass singer/guitarist/bassist with Alice Gerrard (nee Foster). Recorded for Folkways Records as one of the first female duos. Union activist and IWW supporter who later appeared in pro-union films like "Harlan County USA" and "Matewan" ~ 75
Hazel Dickens ~ (bio pic);
A few Doo Wop singers;
Grady Chapman ~ 81 ~ Singer with 1950's Doo Wop group The Robins who would later evolve into The Coasters albeit without Chapman.
Carl Rainge ~ 74 ~ Singer with The Spaniels who's classic "Goodnight sweetheart goodnight" would later be used as a closing theme by Sha Na Na on their 1970's TV show.
The Spaniels ~ "Good night Sweetheart";
Bobby Phillips ~ Singer with Doo Wop group The Cadillacs who's classic hit was "Speedo"
The Cadillacs ~ "Speedo";
Monte Owens ~ Singer with Doo Wop groups The Mello Moods and The Solitaires
The Mello Moods ~ "Tonight tonight";
Oscar Lawson ~ Singer with Texas Chicano Doo Wop group The Royal Jesters, known for their smooth sound. Their hit "Lonely Guy" was later covered by Big Sandy on his Doo Wop album ~ 74
The Royal Jesters ~ "Love me";
A few jazzbos and avant garde figures from the 50's, 60's and earlier;
Bob Flanigan ~ American singer and bassist/trombonist with 1950's pre-rock pop and jazz vocal group The Four Freshmen with numerous hits like in the mid 1950's and highly influential on later white doo-wop groups like The Crewcuts, The Diamonds and the Four Seasons as well as Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys and the Byrds. Unlike most other vocal groups the Freshmen were also excellent musicians. ~ 84
Ross Barbour ~ Singer with 1950's pop and jazz vocal group The Four Freshmen ~ 82
The Four Freshmen ~ "Ain't seen nothing like you";
Margaret Whiting ~ Big Band jazz and pop singer from the 1940's and 50's both solo and with her sister Barbara with hits like "One for my baby", "Ain't we got fun", "It might as well be spring". As rock and roll took over she became co-host of a TV sitcom with her sister.
Margaret Whiting ~ "It's just the gypsy in my soul";
Joe Morello ~ Jazz drummer w/Dave Brubeck, Stan Kenton, Art Pepper, Hank Garland ~ 82
Allen Smith ~ Big Band jazz trumpet player w/The Hellcats Navy Band in World War 2, also later with Benny Goodman, Sammy Davis, Jr., Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett. ~ 85
Frank Foster ~ American jazz saxophonist and flautist with Count Basie ~ 82
Sir George Shearing ~ The great blind British jazz pianist and band leader who had a number of hit albums in the UK and USA from the 1950's on. Ranging from solo work to quintets and as a duo, also recorded with Steffane Grapelli and Mel Torme. Retired in 2004 after a fall in his home, Knighted in 2007 ~ 91
Eric Delaney ~ British jazz drummer w/ Sir George Shearing ~ 87
Sir George Shearing ~ "Move";
Jiri Traxer ~ Czech/Canadian jazz pianist and composers from the 1930's on, considered one of the founders of jazz and swing in eastern Europe. Stayed in Czechoslovakia during the war but fled to the west in 1951 and moved to Canada. ~ 99
Jiri Traxler ~ Piano piece;
Conrad Schnitzler ~ Keyboard player with highly influential German electronic pioneers Tangerine Dream starting in 1969. Later w/Kluster, Eruption, Berlin Express ~ 74
Tangerine Dream ~ "Cyclone";
Milton Babbit ~ 96 ~ While not normally thought of as a rock and roll figure Babbitt was trail blazer in the development of the Moog. Milton Babbit was a avant garde composer of piano and electronic works starting in the late 1940's. His piano works were considered so advanced and difficult that it would take over 40 years before they would be recognized and awarded. However it is his electronic work that would have the most impact as he was one of the designers of the original Moog Synthesizer and among the first to treat it as a serious instrument, composing works for it. At the time the Moog was a massive computer that took up an entire room and required a bewildering array of vacuum tubes, patch cords, tape reels and punch cards, but twenty years later the Moog would be discovered by progressive rock groups like Tangerine Dream, Pink Floyd, Yes and even the Monkees. Much later smaller and more compact and practical synths would evolve.
Milton Babbit ~ "Occasional variations";
Reinhold Marxhausen ~ American sound artist and sculpter inventor, teacher, author and painter from the 1960's on ~ 89
Reinhold Marxhausen ~ "Throne Dome" sound sculpture ;
Saturday, 9 July 2011
"The Rodeo song" writer dies
If you are a (probably) white Canadian over the age of 30 you probably remember "The Rodeo Song". The infamously filthy non-hit that could never, ever. get played on the radio anywhere. And yet we all knew it, and used to sing it idiotically in high school to show how bad ass we were. Yeah sure there's gangsta rap and death metal but really, who could listen to that crap? Besides it wasn't nearly as funny. And juvenile. And filthy. It actually came as a bit of a surprise to discover that it was actually a legitimate song recorded in 1980 by a band from Alberta called The Showmen, who actually recorded a full album, which is more low key.
The Showmen ~ "The Rodeo Song" (note whoever posted this on youtube obviously thought it was by the late American country singer Chris LeDoux, in spite of the fact that he sounds nothing like this. He did have a song with that name though, as did David Allen Coe)
That does mean that there was an actual songwriter for this. It was in fact Gaye Delorme, a usually respectable and successful song writer and session guitarist who also worked with a number of thoroughly respectable people including Jann Arden, the Powder Blues Band, Lenny Breau, David Foster and even the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. He also produced KD Lang's first album. He did have another comedy hit though as he also wrote the Cheech and Chong semi-hit "Earache my eye". This was another hit with the easily stoned back in the day. It's since been covered by the likes of Metallica and Korn. I'm not sure this is the legacy a respected producer was looking for but on the other hand most musicians slave away their entire lives without anybody noticing so what the Hell. Delorme died June 23 aged 64 of a heart attack.
CHEECH & CHONG ~ "EARACHE MY EYE":
As for The Showmen, they never lived down their notoriety and broke up some time in the 1980's after recording another album which included a straight forward cover of the classic song (by another Canadian band named A Foot In Cold Water) "Make me do anything you want" failed to break through.
The Showmen ~ "The Rodeo Song" (note whoever posted this on youtube obviously thought it was by the late American country singer Chris LeDoux, in spite of the fact that he sounds nothing like this. He did have a song with that name though, as did David Allen Coe)
That does mean that there was an actual songwriter for this. It was in fact Gaye Delorme, a usually respectable and successful song writer and session guitarist who also worked with a number of thoroughly respectable people including Jann Arden, the Powder Blues Band, Lenny Breau, David Foster and even the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. He also produced KD Lang's first album. He did have another comedy hit though as he also wrote the Cheech and Chong semi-hit "Earache my eye". This was another hit with the easily stoned back in the day. It's since been covered by the likes of Metallica and Korn. I'm not sure this is the legacy a respected producer was looking for but on the other hand most musicians slave away their entire lives without anybody noticing so what the Hell. Delorme died June 23 aged 64 of a heart attack.
CHEECH & CHONG ~ "EARACHE MY EYE":
As for The Showmen, they never lived down their notoriety and broke up some time in the 1980's after recording another album which included a straight forward cover of the classic song (by another Canadian band named A Foot In Cold Water) "Make me do anything you want" failed to break through.
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