MUSICIANS WHO DIED IN MARCH 2023
MUSICIANS WHO DIED IN MARCH 2023
MARCH 2
WAYNE SHORTER (89) / AMERICAN JAZZ SAXOPHONIST, COMPOSER, BANDLEADER. ONE OF THE LAST OF THE TRUE GIANTS OF JAZZ. WON 12 GRAMMY AWARDS. WAS A MEMBER OF THE LEGENDARY GROUPS LIKE ART BLAKEY'S JAZZ MESSENGERS, MILES DAVIS' SECOND GREAT QUINTET AND WEATHER REPORT WHICH HE CO-FOUNDED AND CO-LED. WAYNE SHORTER MADE OVER 20 ALBUMS AS A LEADER, INCLUDING 11 FOR THE CLASSIC BLUE NOTE RECORDS.
MARCH 4
SPʘT (71) / AKA GLENN MICHAEL LOCKETT, AMERICAN RECORD PRODUCER, SOUND ENGINEER, PHOTOGRAPHER, HARDCORE PUNK MUSICIAN, SKATER. PLAYED BASS GUITAR IN PANIC, GUITARIST GREG GINN'S BAND THAT SOON BECAME BLACK FLAG. AS SPOT, GLENN WROTE RECORD REVIEWS FOR THE EASY READER, THE HERMOSA BEACH WEEKLY. WHEN GREG GINN FORMED THE SST RECORDS IN 1978, SPOT RECORDED, MIXED, PRODUCED AND CO-PRODUCED ALL THE IMPORTANT BANDS (1979-1986) LIKE BLACK FLAG, MINUTEMEN, MEAT PUPPETS, HÜSKER DÜ, MISFITS, DESCENDENTS, MOOD OF DEFIANCE, SAINT VITUS, SACCHARINE TRUST, BIG BOYS, THE CRUCIFUCKS. SPOT PUBLISHED THE PHOTOBOOK SOUNDS OF TWO EYES OPENING.
MARCH 5
GARY ROSSINGTON (71) / AMERICAN ELECTRIC BLUES ROCK / SOUTHERN ROCK GUITARIST. WHEN HE WAS 13, WITH SINGER RONNIE VAN ZANT AND DRUMMER BOB BURNS CO-FOUNDED LYNYRD SKYNYRD IN JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA IN 1964. THIS NAME WAS USED SINCE 1969, BEFORE THEY WERE CALLED THE NOBLE FIVE OR THE FIVE PERCENT. ROSSINGTON PLAYED BOTH LEAD AND RHYTHM GUITARS. ON HIT "FREE BIRD" PLAYED SLIDE GUITAR AND LEAD GUITAR ON "TUESDAY'S GONE". ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE CAUSED PROBLEMS INCLUDING A CAR CRASH IN 1976. IN OCTOBER 1977 HE SURVIVED THE PLANE CRASH THAT KILLED THREE MEMBERS OF LYNYRD SKYNYRD. WITH SURVIVING MEMBERS HE FORMED THE ROSSINGTON-COLLINS BAND WITH THE SINGER DALE KRANTZ. SHE MARRIED ROSSINGTON IN 1982 AND THEY FORMED THE ROSSINGTON BAND. GARY ROSSINGTON ALSO CONTINUED PLAYING WITH LYNYRD SKYNYRD, BEING ITS LAST ORIGINAL MEMBER, UNTIL HIS DEATH.
MARCH 9
ROBIN LUMLEY (75) / BRITISH JAZZ FUSION AND ROCK MUSICIAN, KEYBOARDIST, RECORD PRODUCER AND AUTHOR. FIRST PLAYED DRUMS IN A BAND WHICH WAS A FINALIST OF THE MELODY MAKER TALENT CONTEST. THEN SWITCHED TO KEYBOARD AND TOURED WITH DAVID BOWIE. THEN A PERIOD O SESSION WORK. WITH PHIL COLLINS FORMED BRAND X AND PLAYED WITH THEM 1974-1983. PRODUCED ALBUMS BY ROD ARGENT, BILL BRUFORD. IN THE 1980s FORMED A JAZZ ROCK GROUP WITH ROD ARGENT, GRAEME EDGE (MOODY BLUES), MORRIS PERT (BRAND X), GARY BROOKER (PROCOL HARUM). ROBIN LUMLEY WROTE A BOOK ABOUT A RAILWAY DISASTER TAY BRIDGE DISASTER: THE PEOPLE STORY ABOUT A TRAIN HIS GREAT-GRANDFATHER WANTED TO BOARD.
MARCH 12
DIX DENNEY (77) / AMERICAN PUNK ROCK GUITARIST FROM LOS ANGELES WHO IN 1975 WITH HIS BROTHER, SINGER JOHN DENNEY FORMED PUNK / GARAGE PUNK BAND THE WEIRDOS, ONE OF THE BEST AMERICAN PUNK BANDS OF THE FIRST WAVE. INFLUENCED BY NEW YORK DOLLS, IGGY POP AND THE RAMONES, THEY WERE PIONEERS COMING BEFORE THE BRITISH BANDS LIKE THE DAMNED OR THE SEX PISTOLS. AT FIRST THEY WERE CALLED THE BARBIES AND THE LUXURIOUS ADULTS. THE WEIRDOS DEBUTED WITH THE 7 INCH EP "DESTROY ALL MUSIC" IN 1977, FOLLOWED BY THE SINGLE "WE GOT THE NEUTRON BOMB" IN 1978.
MARCH 13
JIM GORDON (77) / AMERICAN ROCK AND BLUES ROCK DRUMMER, SESSION MUSICIAN AND SONGWRITER, PLAYED ALSO PERCUSSION, PIANO, ORGAN. AT 17 WORKED WITH THE EVERLY BROTHERS. THANKS TO THE LEGENDARY STUDIO DRUMMER HAL BLAINE (HAROLD BELSKY Slo Jazz - Swing for Hardcores - MUSICIANS WHO DIED IN MARCH 2019) GORDON GOT JOBS RECORDING WITH THE BEACH BOYS (PET SOUNDS), THE BYRDS, GENE CLARK, MASON WILLIAMS. 1969-1970 GORDON TOURED WITH DELANEY & BONNIE. WITH ERIC CLAPTON AND BOBBY WHITLOCK (KEYBOARDS, VOCALS, SONGWRITING) AND CARL RADLE (BASS) FORMED THE SUPERGROUP DEREK AND THE DOMNOES. THEIR FIRST JOB WAS BACKING GEORGE HARRISON ON HIS TRIPLE ALBUM ALL THINGS MUST PASS (1970). IN 1970 THEY MADE A LEGENDARY DOUBLE ALBUM LAYLA AND OTHER ASSORTED LOVE SONGS. THE GREAT TITLE SONG LAYLA HAD A LONG PIANO CODA CREDITED TO GORDON BUT WHICH IN FACT WAS STOLEN FROM SINGER SONGWRITER AND HIS EX-GIRLFRIEND RITA COOLIDGE. 1970 TOURED WITH JOE COCKER'S MAD DOGS & ENGLISHMEN, 1971 WITH TRAFFIC. HIS DRUM BREAK ON "APACHE" FROM THE ALBUM BONGO ROCK BY THE INCREDIBLE BONGO BAND (1972) BECAME A VERY POPULAR SAMPLE IN RAP AND HIP HOP. THEN JIM GORDON WORKED WITH FRANK ZAPPA'S GRAND WAZOO AND PETIT WAZOO BANDS AND RECORDED THE 1974 APOSTROPHE (') ALBUM. GORDON RECORDED WITH MANY ARTISTS INCLUDING HELEN REDDY (I AM A WOMAN), JOAN BAEZ, STEELY DAN (PRETZEL LOGIC), OLIVER NELSON, JOHNNY RIVERS, ALICE COOPER, ART GARFUNKEL, JACK BRUCE, DR, JOHN, MINNIE RIPPERTON, ERIC CLAPTON, DONOVAN, JACKSON BROWNE, JUDY COLLINS, JOHN LEE HOOKER, B.B. KING, JOHN LENNON, CAROL KING, RANDY NEWMAN, YOKO ONO, TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS, LEON RUSSELL, CARLY SIMON, MEL TORMÉ, TOM WAITS, BOB THIELE, CROSBY, STILLS & NASH, BREAD, CILLA BLACK, CHER, NEIL DIAMOND, HALL & OATS, MARIA MULDAUR, VAN DYKE PARKS, THE RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS, JOHN SEBASTIAN, BARBRA STREISAND, ANDY WILLIAMS, BOBBY WHITLOCK, SEALS & CROFTS, HARRY NILSSON, MANHATTAN TRANSFER, NILS LOFGREN, GORDON LIGHTFOOT, ALBERT HAMMOND, THE CARPENTERS, TERESA BREWER, STEPHEN BISHOP, DUANE ALLMAN, LOWELL GEORGE, MERLE HAGGARD, JIM HORN, RIHARD "GROOVE" HOLMES, DAVE MASON, ELLIOTT MURPHY, KENNY RANKIN, JOHN TRAVOLTA, STONE PONEYS, DAVID GATES AND MANY OTHERS.
JIM GORDON WAS A TRAGIC PERSON, AN UNDIAGNOSED SCHIZOPHRENIC, HE PHYSICALLY ATTACKED HIS GIRLFRIEND RITA COOLIDGE IN THE EARLY 1970s AND IN 1983 BRUTALLY MURDERED HIS 71-YEAR-OLD MOTHER. HE SPENT THE NEXT 40 YEARS IN PRISON WHERE HE DIED.
CANISSO (57) / BORN JOSE HENRIQUE CAMPOS PEREIRA BRAZILIAN PUNK ROCK / HARDCORE BASS GUITARIST. PLAYED ALSO ALTERNATIVE METAL, SKA AND FORROCORE. LEARNT TO PLAY LISTENING TO THE BEATLES. THEN HE HEARD PUNK, ESPECIALLY RAMONES. 1987-2002 WITH DIGÃO AND RODOLFO ABRANTES PLAYED IN RAIMUNDOS (NAME INFLUENCED BY RAMONES). DEBUT ALBUM TITLED RAIMUNDOS IN 1994. NEXT ALBUM LAVÔ TÁ NOVO FOR WARNER IN 1995. PLAYED BIG FESTIVALS MONSTERS OF ROCK AND HOLLYWOOD ROCK (CREATED BY A TOBACCO COMPANY) WITH MOTORHEAD AND IRON MAIDEN. IN 1990 RAIMUNDOS MIXED FORRÓ WITH HARDCORE CREATING FORROCORE. FORRÓ IS EXTREMELY SEXIST AND ADVOCATES DISCRIMINATION AND VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN. IN 2002 LEFT RAIMUNDOS. WORKED AS A REPORTER FOR MTV. 2003-2004 PLAYED IN THE HARDCORE / NU METAL BAND RODOX FORMED BY RODOLFO ABRANTES (THEY SPLIT BECAUSE OF RELIGIOUS DIFFERENCES). CANISSO RETURNED TO RAIMUNDOS 2007-2023. CANISSO ALSO PLAYED IN ROCKFELLAS WITH PAUL Di'ANNO (IRON MAIDEN), JEAN DOLABELLA FROM SEPULTURA AND MARCÃO FROM SKATE PUNK / MELODIC HARDCORE CHARLIE BROWN Jr.
MARCH 16
TONY COE (88) / ENGLISH JAZZ MUSICIAN FROM CANTERBURY, PLAYED CLARINET, BASS CLARINET, FLUTE AND SAXOPHONES. PARTLY SELF-TAUGHT, AT 15 PLAYED TRAD, AT 17 BECAME PROFESSIONAL. AT 18 JOINED THE ARMY AND PLAYED WITH THE MILITARY AND DANCE BANDS. TONY COE PLAYED ALL KINDS OF MUSIC FROM DIXIELAND TO FREE JAZZ TO POP. 1957-1961 WITH HUMPHREY LYTTELTON BAND. LATER FORMED HIS OWN GROUP AND WORKED WITH MANY OUTSTANDING MUSICIANS INCLUDING THE JOHN DANKWORTH ORCHESTRA, THE KENNY CLARKE-FRANCY BOLAND BIG BAND, DEREK BAILEY'S COMPANY, STAN TRACEY, STAN GETZ, BOB BROOKMEYER, MIKE GIBBS, DIZZY GILLESPIE, PIERRE BOULEZ, TONY OXLEY BUT ALSO WITH FOLK-JAZZ JOHN MARTYN (SOLID AIR, 1973) AND PAUL McCARTNEY. WITH BIGGER ENSEMBLES LIKE MIKE GIBBS BIG BAND, THE UNITED JAZZ AND ROCK ENSEMBLE, METROPOLE ORCHESTRA, DANISH RADIO BIG BAND. COE MADE 32 ALBUMS AS A LEADER AND RECORDED WITH SARAH VAUGHAN, CARMEN McRAE, BENNY BAILEY, LEE KONITZ, GEORGIE FAME, NORMA WINSTONE, KENNY WHEELER, LOL COXHILL, MICHAEL GARRICK, THE SPENCER DAVIS GROUP, ALEXIS KORNER, THE HOLLIES, CARAVAN, IAN CARR / NUCLEUS, PAUL McCARTNEY, MIKE McGEAR (PAUL McCARTNEY'S BROTHER), LOUDON WAINWRIGHT III, KRYSIA KOCJAN, AL GREY, SANDY BROWN, TUBBY HAYES, PHIL WOODS, CHRIS BARBER, WARREN VACHÉ, MURRAY HEAD, PETER BRÖTZMANN, BOB MOSES AND MANY OTHERS. TONY COE CO-LED THE MELODY FOUR AND THE LONELY BEARS (WITH TERRY BOZZIO) AND MADE 21 ALBUMS WITH THE KENNY CLARKE-FRANCY BOLAND BIG BAND.
MARCH 17
FUZZY HASKINS (81) / AMERICAN SINGER, IN THE LATE 1950s FOUNDING MEMBER OF THE DOO WOP VOCAL GROUP THE PARLIAMENTS LED BY GEORGE CLINTON. LATER WAS A FOUNDING MEMBER OF THE IMPORTANT 1970s FUNK BANDS PARLIAMENT AND FUNKADELIC. HASKINS LEFT THEM IN 1977 TO GO SOLO. IN 1997 BECAME A MEMBER OF THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME ALONG WITH 15 OTHER MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT-FUNKADELIC.
MICK SLATTERY (77) / BRITISH ROCK MUSICIAN, IN 1969 FORMED THE FUTURE LEGEND OF PROTO-PUNK AND SPACE ROCK HAWKWIND WITH GUITARIST DAVE BROCK, BASSIST JOHN HARRISON AND DRUMMER TERRY OLLIS AND BECAME ITS LEAD GUITARIST. THEY WERE SOON JOINED BY SAXOPHONIST NIK TURNER (Slo Jazz - Swing for Hardcores - MUSICIANS WHO DIED IN NOVEMBER 2022) AND ELECTRONICS PLAYER DIK MIK DAVIES (Slo Jazz - Swing for Hardcores - DEAD MUSICIANS 2017 ). LATER HAWKWIND WOULD ALSO INCLUDE LEMMY KILMISTER AND GINGER BAKER AMONG OTHERS. MICK SLATTERY APPEARS ONLY ON THE SELF-TITLED DEBUT ALBUM'S BONUS TRACKS TAKEN FROM THE FIRST DEMOS RECORDED AT THE ABBEY ROAD STUDIOS. HOWEVER, MANY CONSIDER IT THE BEST IN THEIR VAST DISCOGRAPHY. SLATTERY THEN LEFT THE BAND. DAVE BROCK REMAINS THE ONLY ORIGINAL MEMBER PLAYING WITH HAWKWIND FOR 54 YEARS.
MARCH 22
TOM LEADON (70) / AMERICAN ROCK GUITARIST FROM GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA WHO PLAYED SOUTHERN ROCK AND COUNTRY ROCK. AS A TEENAGER FORMED WITH TOM PETTY THE COUNTRY ROCK / HARD ROCK BAND MUDCRUTCH IN 1970. LEADON PLAYED LEAD GUITAR AND PETTY PLAYED BASS, SANG AND WROTE SONGS. THEY EXISTED FOR 5 YEARS, MADE ONLY ONE SINGLE THAT DID NOT SELL. LEADON LEFT IN 1972 AND MOVED TO LOS ANGELES AFTER HIS OLDER BROTHER BERNIE LEADON, WHO HAD ALREADY FORMED THE EAGLES THERE WITH GLENN FREY, DON HENLEY, RANDY MEISSNER (THEY EARLIER BACKED LINDA RONSTADT). TOM ALSO PLAYED BASS WITH LINDA RONSTADT AND IN 1976 JOINED THE COUNTRY ROCK GROUP SILVER. IN 2007, AFTER 32 YEARS, PETTY (WHO IN THE MEANTIME HAD HIT THE BIG TIME WITH HIS NEW BAND THE HEARTBREAKERS) REFORMED MUDCRUTCH INVITING LEADON TO PLAY. THEY MADE THE SELF-TITLED DEBUT ALBUM IN TWO WEEKS IN 2007 (RELEASED IN 2008). THE DEATHS OF TOM LEADON AND TOM PETTY (Slo Jazz - Swing for Hardcores - DEAD MUSICIANS 2017 ) EXCLUDE THE POSSIBILITY OF MUDCRUTCH WORKING AGAIN.
MARCH 30
RAY SHULMAN (73) / SCOTTISH ROCK MUSICIAN, SINGER, SONGWRITER AND RECORD PRODUCER. SON OF A JAZZ TRUMPET PLAYER, HIS FIRST INSTRUMENT WAS TRUMPET, BUT THE MAIN WAS BASS GUITAR. COULD ALSO PLAY VIOLIN, VIOLA, ACOUSTIC AND ELECTRIC GUITARS, KEYBOARDS, DRUMS, PERCUSSION AND RECORDER. IN 1966, WITH BROTHERS DEREK AND PHIL, FORMED PSYCHEDELIC BAND SIMON DUPREE AND THE BIG SOUND WHICH IN 1970 BECAME THE FAMOUS BRITISH PROGRESSIVE ROCK GROUP GENTLE GIANT (1970-1980). RAY SHULMAN AND KEYBOARDIST KERRY MINNEAR CREATED MOST OF THE GENTLE GIANT'S MATERIAL. IN THE 1980s AND 1990s SHULMAN PRODUCED BANDS LKIE THE SUGARCUBES, THE SUNDAYS, TRASH CAN SINATRAS, THE DEFECTS OR IAN McCULLOCH OF ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN.
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