2020 – Helen Maxine Reddy (25 October 1941 – 29 September 2020) was an Australian singer, actress, and activist who held dual Australian and American citizenship. Born in Melbourne, Victoria, to a show-business family, Reddy started her career as an entertainer at age four. She sang on radio and television, and won a talent contest […]
2020 – Francis Rocco Prestia Jr. (March 7, 1951 – September 29, 2020) was an American bassist, best known for his work with the funk band Tower of Power. Biography Born in Sonora, California, Prestia started playing electric guitar as an adolescent. When he auditioned for Emilio Castillo’s band, Tower of Power, Castillo persuaded him […]
2020 – The guitarist joined the band in 1976, when he replaced bassist Alan Longmuir and although he left the group just seven months later, he made a long-lasting impression on the band. A statement posted on the Bay City Rollers’ Facebook page reads: “We are deeply saddened by the news of Ian Mitchell’s death. […]
2019 – Beverly Watkins: American blues guitarist Beverly Watkins died age 80. She worked with artists like James Brown, B.B. King, and Ray Charles.
2019 – Robert Hunter, Grateful Dead lyricist died age 78. He provided the Grateful Dead with many of their vivid and enduring lyrics for some of the band’s signature songs, including ‘Uncle John’s Band’, ‘Scarlet Begonias’ and ‘Dark Star.’
2019 – Ric Ocasek the former lead singer with The Cars was found dead in his New York City apartment, he was 75. The Cars formed in Boston in the mid-1970s by Ocasek and band-mate Benjamin Orr after they met at high school. Their early hits included ‘Just What I Needed’, ‘My Best Friend’s Girl’ […]
2019 – American songwriter and artist Daniel Johnston died of a suspected heart attack at his home in Waller, Texas, at the age of 58. Kurt Cobain once described him as ‘the best songwriter on earth’ and famously wore one of Johnston’s t-shirts to the 1992 MTV Awards. Other musicians who have covered Johnston’s songs […]
2019 – US songwriter LaShawn Daniels, who co-wrote such hits as Destiny’s Child’s Grammy-winning ‘Say My Name’ and Lady Gaga’s ‘Telephone’ died in a car crash in South Carolina aged 41. He had also worked with artists including Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Brandy and Toni Braxton.
2019 – American bass guitarist Larry Taylor died age 77. He is best known as a member of Canned Heat from 1967. Before joining Canned Heat he had been a session bassist for The Monkees and Jerry Lee Lewis. He was the younger brother of Mel Taylor, long-time drummer of The Ventures.
2019 – Arthur Lanon Neville (December 17, 1937 – July 22, 2019) was an American singer, songwriter and keyboardist from New Orleans. Neville was a staple of the New Orleans music scene for over five decades. He was the founder of the funk band The Meters whose musical style set the tone of New Orleans […]
2018 – English musician and singer Chas Hodges died from pneumonia on aged 74. Hodges had worked with British producer Joe Meek as a session musician, backing Jerry Lee Lewis and Gene Vincent. He later joined Heads Hands and Feet, (with guitarist Albert Lee). With Chas & Dave he scored the 1982 UK No.2 single […]
2018 – English multi-instrumentalist musician and record producer Maartin Allcock died aged 61. He was a member of British folk rock band Fairport Convention and Jethro Tull and also played keyboards for The Mission.
