Music Passings 2021

Don Maddox (1922-2021)

September 16

• George Mraz, Jazz bassist (b. 1944)

September 13

• George Wein, founder of the Newport Jazz Festival (b. 1925)

September 12

• Don Maddox of the Maddox Brothers and Rose (b. 1922)

September 11

• Maria Mendiola of Baccara (b. 1952)

September 10

• Michael Chapman (b. 1941)
• Roger Newell, Bassist for Rick Wakeman

September 8

• Jerry Blair, former head of promotions at Columbia - COVID

September 7

• Carl Bean (b. 1944)
• Warren Storm, Swamp rock drummer (b. 1937)
• Mark Brigden, Tour manager for the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan

September 6

• Stan Moress, Country music artist manager (b. 1938)
• Bennie Pete of the Hot 8 Brass Band - Sarcoidosis & COVID

September 5

• Rickie Lee Reynolds of Black Oak Arkansas, complications of COVID 
• Sarah Harding of Girls Aloud, Breast cancer (b. 1981)

September 4

• Dell Furano, "King of Merch" - Cancer (b. 1952)

September 3

• Jochen Schroeder of Rage
• Harry Coombs, Philadelphia International Records executive - pulmonary fibrosis/acute pulmonary hypertension (b. 1935)

September 2

• Tom Beaudry (Kelly Green) of Frijid Pink

September 1

• Carol Fran, Soul blues singer/songwriter (b. 1933)

September (Date Unknown)

• Susan Anway of the Magnetic Fields

August 30

• Lee Williams, Gospel singer of the Spiritual QC's (b. 1946)

August 29

• Lee "Scratch" Perry (b. 1936)
  
• Ron Bushy of Iron Butterfly, Esophageal cancer (b. 1941)
• John Drake of the Amboy Dukes (b. 1947)

August 27

• Marcus Birks of Cappella
• Randy "Baja" Fletcher, Touring production manager, CMA Hall of Fame - Complications from fall (b. 1948)

August 26

• Kim Tribble, Country songwriter - Lewy Body Syndrome
• Kenny Malone, Session drummer - COVID (b. 1938)

August 25

• Dave Harper of Frankie & the Heartstrings
• Charlie Davis, Manager

August 24

• Charlie Watts of the Rolling Stones (b. 1941)
• Fritz McIntyre of Simply Red (b. 1958)

August 23

• Olli Wisdom of Specimen (b. 1958)

August 22

• Brian Travers of UB40 - Cancer (b. 1959)
• Eric Wagner of Trouble - Complications of COVID (b. 1959)
• Powell St. John of Mother Earth (b. 1940)
• Micki Grant, songwriter (b. 1929)

August 21

• Don Everly of the Everly Brothers (b. 1937)
• Bill Emerson, Bluegrass musician (b. 1938)
• Bob Fish of The Darts (b. 1949)
• Connie Hamzy, Groupie immortalized in "We're an American Band" (b. 1955)

August 20

• Tom T. Hall (b. 1936)
• Norma Morris, Country publicist - Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease (b. 1939)

August 18

• Berbon "Bubba" Sullivan, co-found of the King Biscuit Blues Festival (b. 1940)
• Ron Cornelius of West, studio musician & producer - Complications from a stroke (b. 1945)

August 17

• Gary "Chicken" Hirsh of Country Joe & the Fish (b. 1940)
  
• Sheila Bromberg, Harpist, first female musician to play on a Beatles recording (b. 1928)

August 15

• Joey Ambrose of Bill Haley & the Comets (b. 1934)
• Craig Carp, Country songwriter

August 14

• Mick Rain of the Pezband - COVID (b. 

August 13

• Nancy Griffith (b. 1953)

August 11

• Mike Finnigan, Session keyboardist - Kidney cancer (b. 1945)

August 9

• Chucky Thompson, Hip-Hop producer - COVID (b. 1968)

August 8

• Walter Yetnikoff, Label executive (b. 1933)
• Bruce Conte of Tower of Power - Leukemia (b. 1950)

August 7

• Dennis Thomas of Kook & the Gang (b. 1951)
• Gary Lee Yoder of Blue Cheer (b. 1946)

August 6

• Les Vandyke, songwriter (b. 1931)

August 4

• Razzy Bailey (b. 1939)
• Stanley Lark of the Fireballs (b. 1940)
• Paul Johnson, House DJ & producer, COVID (b. 1971)

August 3

• K-HAND, born Kelli Hand, First Lady of Detroit Techno (b. 1965)
• Jim Femino, Songwriter - Heart attack (b. 1952)

August 1

• Paul Cotton of Poco (b. 1943) 

July 31

• Charles Connor, Drummer for Little Richard - Normal pressure hydrocephalus (b. 1935)

July 28

• Dusty Hill of ZZ Top (b. 1949)

July 27

• Willie Winfield of the Harptones - Heart attack (b. 1929)

July 26

• Mike Howe of Metal Church (b. 1965)
• Joey Jordison of Slipknot (b. 1975)

July 25

• Count M'Butu of the Derek Trucks Band (b. 1945)
• Ira Allen, Rockabilly & country artist (b. 1937)

July 24

• John "Hutch" Hutchinson of David Bowie's Band - Prolonged illness (b. 1944)

July 22

• Peter Rehberg, Electronic composer - Heart Attack (b. 1968)

July 21

• Clarence McDonald, Keyboardist, producer - Cancer (b. 1944 or 1945)

July 20

• Jerry Granelli of the Vince Guaraldi Trio (b. 1940) 
• Chuck E. Weiss, Composer, namesake for "Chuck E.'s in Love" - Cancer (b. 1945)

July 17

• Robby Steinhardt of Kansas - Acute pancreatitis (b. 1950)

July 16

• Biz Markie (born Marcel Hall) (b. 1964) 

July 14

• Jeff LaBar of Cinderella - (b. 1963)

July 11

• Andy Williams of Casting Crowns - Motorcycle Accident (b. 1972)

July 10

• Byron Berline, fiddler - Stroke (b. 1944)
• Barbara "Bibs" Allbut Brown of the Angels (b. 1940)
• Chris Hutka of The Bunny The Bear

July 8

• Sam Reed, Jazz saxophonist (b. 1935)

July 5

• Leo van de Ketterij of Shocking Blue (b. 1950)
• Barbara Dozier, wife of Lamont Dozier

July 4

• Sanford Clark - COVID (b. 1935)
• Rick Laird of the Mahavishnu Orchestra (b. 1941)
• James Dukes, Jr. of Heaven & Earth

June 29

• John Lawton of Uriah Heep (b. 1946)
• Bryan St. Pere of Hum (b. 1969)

June 28

• Burton Greene, Jazz pianist (b. 1937)

June 27

• Brendan "Stu" Maguire of Reach the Sky & Bane - Cancer (b. 

June 26

• Johnny Solinger of Skid Row - Liver failure (b. 1965)

June 23

• Ellen McIlwaine, Canadian blues singer (b. 1945)

June 22

• Jim Bessman, Music journalist - Aneurysm (b. 1952)

June 19 or 20

• David Edwards of Welsh band Datblygu (b. 1964)

June 9

• Juan Nelson of Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals (b.1958)

June 8

• Dean Parish (born Dean Anastasi) (b. 1942)

June 7

• David C. Lewis of Ambrosia & Shadowfax - Brain cancer

June 5

• Grace Griffith - Complications of Parkinson's Disease (b. 1956)

May 31

• Lil Loaded (born Dashawn Robertson) - Suicide (b. 2000 or 2001)

May 29

• B.J. Thomas - Lung cancer (b. 1942)

May 26

• Patrick Sky (born Patrick Linch) - Prostate & bone cancer, Parkinson's disease (b. 1940)

May 25

• Rusty Warren, Comedienne & singer (b. 1930)

May 24

• John Davis of Milli Vanilli - COVID (b. 1954)

May 23

• Dewayne Blackwell, songwriter (b. 1936)

May 22

• Glenn Douglas Tubb, Country songwriter (b. 1935)

May 20

• Roger Hawkins of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section - COPD (b. 1945)
• Florian Pilkington-Miksa of Curved Air - Pneumonia (b. 1950)
• Fred Tobias - Songwriter (b. 1928)

May 19

• Lori Burton, singer/songwriter, co-owner of Record Planet studio (b. 1940)
• Alix Dobkin, singer/songwriter, LGBTQ activist - Brain aneurysm (b. 1940)
• Johnny Ashcroft (b. 1927)

May 16

• Patsy Bruce, songwriter, wife of Ed Bruce (b. 1940)

May 15

• Mario Pavone, Jazz bassist - Cancer (b. 1940)

May 12

• Bob Koester, founder of Delmark Records - Stroke (b. 1932)

May 8

• Curtis Fuller, Jazz trombone, member of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers (b. 1932)

May 3

• Lloyd Price - Complications of Diabetes (b. 1933)
• Ed Ward, writer, original founder of SXSW (b. 1948)
• Phil Naro of Talas - Tongue Cancer (b. 1958)

May 2

• Tommy West of Cashman & West, producer (b. 1942)
• Joel Chadabe, founder of the The Electronic Music Foundation - Pancreatic Cancer (b. 1938)
• Marcel Stellman, producer & lyracist (b. 1925)

May 1

• Wondress Hutchinson of Mantronix (b. 1964)

April 30

• John Dee Holeman, Blues singer/guitarist (b. 1929)
• Ray Reyes of Menudo - Heart attack (b. 1970)

April 29

• Johnny Crawford, Actor & singer - Alzheimer's disease, pneumonia & COVID (b. 1946)
• John Hinch of Judas Priest - Fall (b. 1947)
• Tony Markellis of Trey Anastasio Band (b. 1952)
• Pierce Fulton, DJ & producer (b. 1992)
• Will Mecum of Karma to Burn - Fall (b. 1972)

April 27

• Anita Lane of Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds (b. 1960)

April 26

• Al Schmitt, Producer & recording engineer (b. 1930)

April 25

• Denny Freeman, Blues guitarist - Abdominal cancer (b. 1944)

April 23

• Charlie Black, Country songwriter (b. 1949)

April 22

• Shock G (born Gregory Jacobs) of Digital Underground (b. 1963)

April 20

• Joe Long of the Four Seasons - COVID (b. 1941)
• Les McKeown of the Bay City Rollers (b. 1955)

April 19

• Jim Steinman, songwriter - Kidney failure (b. 1947)
• Bob Lanois, Engineer & producer 

April 18

• Paul Oscher of The Muddy Waters Band (b. 1947)
• Lew Lewis of Eddie & the Hotrods

April 17

• Black Rob (born Robert Ross) - Kidney failure (b. 1969)

April 16

• Mike Mitchell of the Kingsmen (b. 1944)

April 15

• Pat Rizzo, Saxophone for Sly & the Family Stone, War - Cancer (b. 1941)

April 14

• Rusty Young of Poco - Heart attack (b. 1946)
• Michel Louvain - Esophageal cancer (b. 1937)

April 9

• DMX (born Earl Simmons) - Overdose (b. 1970)

April 7

• Bill Owens, Songwriter (age 85)

April 4

• Ralph Schuckett of Todd Rundgren's Utopia (b. 1948)
• Paul Humphrey of Blue Peter (b. 1960)

April 2

• Morris "B.B." Dickerson of War (b. 1949)

April 1

• Patrick Juvet (b. 1950)

April - Date TBD

• Lou Wilson

March 31

• Cleve Hall, Special effects for Alice Cooper, Kiss - Congestive heart failure (b. 1959)

March 30

• Willie Schofield of the Falcons - Acute kidney failure (b. 1939)

March 28

• Malcolm Cecil of The Jazz Couriers & Blues Incorporated, producer of 70's Stevie Wonder Albums (b. 1937)

March 26

• Brett Bradshaw of Faster Pussycat

March 25

• Kaleb Stewart of As Friends Rust
• Tavish Maloney of Oso Oso

March 23

• George Segal, actor, member of the the Imperial Jazzband - Complications of bypass surgery (b. 1934)
• Connie Bradley, Former President ASCAP Nashville (b. 1945)
• Ethel Gabriel, First female producer at RCA, produced Elvis (b. 1921)
• Don Heffington of Lone Justice - Leukemia (b. 1950)

March 20

• Dan Sartain (b. 1981)

March 19

• Gary Leib, Musician, cartoonist, animator (b. 1955)

March 18

• Paul Jackson, Bassist (Herbie Hancock) (b. 1947)

March 17

• Matt Miller of Titus Andronicus (b. 1986)
• Freddie Redd, Hard-Bop pianist & composer (b. 1928)

March 15

• Doug Parkinson, Australian Pop/Rock singer (b. 1946) 

March 14

• Reggie Warren of TROOP (b. 1968) 

March 12

• Sally Grossman, wife of Albert Grossman & pictured on Dylan's "Bringing it All Back" (b. 1939)

March 11

• Ray Campi, Rockabilly Hall of Fame Member (b. 1934)
• Robb Earls, Nashville new-wave rock

March 10

• Randy Myers, Songwriter of "Put a Little Love in Your Heart" (b. 1947)

March 7

• Lars Goran Petrov of Entombed - Bile duct cancer (b. 1972)

March 6

• Lou Ottens, Inventor of the Cassette (b. 1926)
• Carmel Quinn, Irish singer (b. 1925)

March 5

• Michael Stanley - Lung cancer (b. 1948)

March 4

• Alan Cartwright of Procol Harum - Stomach cancer (b. 1945)
• Bhaskar Menon, CEO of EMI & credited with breaking Pink Floyd (b. 1934)
• Barbara Ess, Artists & musician in No Wave bands Static and Y Pants (b. 1948)

March 2

• Chris Barber - Dementia (b. 1930)
• Bunny Wailer (born Neville Livingston) of Bob Marley and the Wailers (b. 1947)

March 1

• Michael Gudinski, Founder of Mushroom Records (b. 1952)
• Robert Petersen, Jr., Jazz drummer - Cancer (b. 1962)

February 28

• Ian North of Milk 'N' Cookies - Heart attack (b. 1952)

February 26

• Bob James of Montrose - Complications of a stomach ulcer (b. 1952)

February 24

• Peter Ostroushko, mandolin player - Heart failure (b. 1953)

February 23

• Sean Kennedy, Australian bands Deez Nuts & I Killed the Prom Queen (b. 1985)

February 20

• Gene Taylor of the Blasters and the Fabulous Thunderbirds (b. 1952)

February 18

• Miles Seaton of Akron/Family (b. 1979)

February 17

• Prince Markie Dee of the Fat Boys (b. 1968)
• Bruce Hawes, R&B Songwriter (Games People Play, Mighty Love) (b. 1953)
• Gene Summers, Rockabilly Hall of Fame member (b. 1939)

February 16

• Carman (born Carman Dominic Licciardello), Gospel Hall of Fame Member - Complications from surgery (b. 1956)
• Henry Goldrich, Owner of Manny's Music in Manhattan (b. 1932)

February 15

• Johnny Pacheco, Co-Founder Fania Records and salsa performer - Pneumonia (b. 1935)
• Raymond Lévesque, Canadian singer-songwriter - COVID (b. 1928)

February 14

• Ari Gold - Leukemia (b. 1974)

February 13

• Sydney Devine (b. 1940)

February 12

• Louis Clark, String arranger for ELO and "Hooked on Classics" (b. 1947)
• Russ Thyret, Former Chairman & CEO of Warner Bros. Records (b. 1944)
• Milfrod Graves, Jazz Drummer - Amyloid cardiomyopathy (b. 1941)
• Rupert Neve, Recording studio pioneer (b. 1926)

February 9

• Chick Corea - Cancer (b. 1941)
• Richie Albright, Drummer for Waylon Jennings (b. 1939)
• Cedric "Swab" Cotton of Ideal - Stabbed (b. 1974)

February 8

• Mary Wilson of the Supremes (b. 1944)

February 7

• Elliot Mazer, Audio Engineer & Producer (b. 1941)
• Johnny Rogan, Music Writer (b. 1953)

February 5

• Stefan Crush of The Men They Couldn't Wear Hats - Heart attack (b. 1960)

February 4

• Matt Harris of the Posies
• Jessie Smith of the Ikettes (b. 1941)
• Nolan Porter (b. 1949)
• Gil Saunders of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes - Multiple Sclerosis and Lung Cancer

February 3

• Jim Weatherly (b. 1943)
• Ann Feeney - COVID (b. 1951)
• Kris DeBruyne (b. 1950)

February 2

• Danny Ray, Master of Ceremony and Cape Man for James Brown (b. 1935)

January 30

• Sophie (born Sophie Xeon) - Accidental fall (b. 1986)

January 29

• Hilton Valentine of the Animals (b. 1943)
• Grady Gaines (b. 1934)

January 28

• Rick Shaw of the Hillside Singers and the Shaw Brothers (b. 1942)

January 24

• Tom Stevens of the Long Ryders (b. 1956)

January 22

• James Purify of James & Bobby Purify - COVID-19 (b. 1944)

January 21

• Randy Parton, Country singer-songwriter, brother of Dolly Parton - Cancer (b. 1953)
• Keith Nichols, British jazz band leader - COVID-19 (b. 1945)

January 18

• Jimmie Rodgers (b. 1933)
• Perry Botkin, Jr. (b. 1933)

January 17

• Sammy Nestico, Composer & arranger (b. 1924)

January 16

• Phil Spector (b. 1939)
• Little Walter DeVenne, Boston DJ - COVID-19 (b. 1948)
• Chris CM Murphy, Manager of INXS - Mantle Cell Lymphoma (b. 1954)

January 14

• Duranice Pace of the gospel group the Anointed Pace Sisters (b. 1958)
• Larry Willoughby, Country singer, VP of A&R at Capitol Records - COVID-19 (b. 1950)

January 13

• Tim Bogert of Vanilla Fudge, Beck, Bogert & Appice, Cactus - Cancer (b. 1944)
• Sylvain Sylvain of the New York Dolls - Cancer (b. 1951)
• Duke Bootee (born Edward Fletcher), Rapper, writer of "The Message" - Congestive heart failure (b. 1951)

January 12

• Shingoose (born Curtis Jonnie) - COVID-19 (b. 1946)

January 11

• Howard Johnson - Jazz tuba player who played with The Band, Taj Mahal (b. 1941)
• Don Miller of the Vogues (b. 1940)

January 10

• Marsha Zazula - Co-founder of Megaforce Records (b. 1952)
• Mark Keds of the Senseless Things (b. 1971)

January 8

• Ed Bruce (b. 1939)
• Michael Fonfara of Lou Reed's Band - Cancer (b. 1946)

January 7

• Jamie O'Hara (O'Keefes) - Cancer (b. 1950)

January 3

• Gerry Marsden of Gerry & the Pacemakers - Heart infection (b. 1942)

January 2

• Steve Brown - Producer (Wham!, Manic Street Preachers, Elton John) 
• Warren McLean of Divinyls - Cancer 

January 1

• Misty Morgan of Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan - Cancer (b. 1945)
  
• Liam Reilly of Bagatelle (b. 1955)
• George Gerdes - Brain aneurysm (b. 1948)