MUSICIANS WHO DIED IN APRIL 2021
MUSICIANS WHO DIED IN APRIL 2021
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MORRIS "B.B." DICKERSON (71) / AMERICAN FUNK BASSIST AND SINGER, ONE OF THE ORIGINAL MEMBERS OF WAR, AN AMERICAN FUNK / ROCK / SOUL BAND FROM CALIFORNIA WHO WERE ALSO LABELED BLACK ROCK AND JAZZ ROCK. WAR STARTED IN 1969, ORIGINALLY CALLED ERIC BURDON AND WAR. THEIR DEBUT ALBUM ERIC BURDON DECLARES "WAR" (1970) BROUGHT A GREAT HIT SINGLE, WAR'S FIRST CHART HIT "SPILL THE WINE". THEN A DOUBLE LP ALBUM THE BLACK-MAN'S BURDON. ON SEPTEMBER 18, 1970 WAR PLAYED AT RONNIE SCOTT'S CLUB AND WERE JOINED BY JIMI HENDRIX, HIS LAST PUBLIC PERFORMANCE. IN 1970 BURDON LEFT. WAR HAD LOTS OF GREAT HITS LIKE "THE WORLD IS A GHETTO", "THE CISCO KID", "WHY CAN'T WE BE FRIENDS?", "LOW RIDER", "SUMMER". ALL OF
THEM WERE CO-WRITTEN BY MORRIS B.B. DICKERSON. IN 1979 DICKERSON LEFT WAR. IN 1996 HE REJOINED THE REFORMING BAND, WHICH DUE TO LEGAL REASONS HAD TO CHANGE THEIR NAME TO LOWRIDER BAND.
APRIL 4
RALPH SCHUCKETT (73) / AMERICAN ROCK KEYBOARDIST. PLAYED WITH TODD RUNDGREN'S UTOPIA (1973-1975, 2009, 2011, 2018). WAS ON THEIR FIRST TWO ALBUMS TODD RUNDGREN'S UTOPIA (1974) AND ANOTHER LIVE (1975), THEN ON THE FOURTH ONE A WIZARD, A TRUE STAR (1973). APPEARED ALSO ON THE LIVE DOUBLE LP ALBUM BACK TO THE BARS (1978). LATER RALPH SCHUCKETT PLAYED SYNTHESIZERS AS WELL. IN 2000 CO-COMPOSED THE TRACK BROTHER MY BROTHER FOR THE SOUNDTRACK TO THE FILM POKÉMON: THE FIRST MOVIE.
APRIL 6
SONNY SIMMONS (87) / AMERICAN JAZZ AND FREE SAXOPHONIST. STARTED PLAYING THE ENGLISH HORN, THEN MOVED TO ALTO SAXOPHONE. FIRST ALBUMS RECORDED WITH PRINCE LASHA: THE CRY! (1962), FIREBIRDS (1967), ERIC DOLPHY: CONVERSATIONS (1963), IRON MAN (1963), ELVIN JONES AND JIMMY GARRISON: ILLUMINATION (1963). AS A LEADER BEGAN WITH TWO ALBUMS FOR ESP-Disk: STAYING ON THE WATCH (1966) AND MUSIC FROM THE SPHERES (1968). RECORDED 21 SOLO ALBUMS, 2 WITH MICHAEL MARCUS AS THE COSMOSAMATICS. IN 1964 SONNY SIMMONS MARRIED AN ACCOMPLISHED TRUMPET PLAYER AND BANDLEADER BARBARA DONALD WHO WORKED WITH JOHN COLTRANE, ROLAND KIRK, DEXTER GORDON, RICHARD DAVIS, PRINCE LASHA, STANLEY COWELL AMONG OTHERS. BARBARA DONALD (DIED IN 2013) PLAYED ON THE FIRST SONNY SIMMONS ALBUMS FOR ESP-Disk, ARHOOLIE, CONTEMPORARY. THEIR SON ZARAK SIMMONS IS A PECUSSIONIST.
APRIL 8
ISLA ECKINGER (81) / SWISS JAZZ BASSIST, TROMBONIST, VIBRAPHONIST AND COMPOSER. IN THE 1960's WORKED WITH BEN WEBSTER, JOHNNY GRIFFIN, DON BYAS, BUCK CLAYTON. MOVED TO MUNICH AND PLAYED WITH MAL WALDRON, PHILLY JOE JONES. THEN WITH DEXTER GORDON, HORACE PARLAN, SLIDE HAMPTON, BENNY BAILEY, JIMMY COBB, WILD BILL DAVISON, GEORGE GRUNTZ. IN 1975 TOUR OF JAPAN WITH MAL WALDRON, STEVE LACY, MANFRED SCHOOF. IN 1976 WITH CHET BAKER IN ITALY.
APRIL 9
DMX (50) / AKA EARL SIMMONS, AMERICAN RAPPER AND HARDCORE HIP HOPPER, SONGWRITER AND ACTOR. DMX (DARK MAN X) MADE HIS DEBUT ALBUM IT'S DARK AND HELL IS HOT IN 1998. IN 1999 HIS BEST-SELLER ... AND THEN THERE WAS X. IN 1995 IRV GOTTI FORMED A HIP HOP TRIO SUPERGROUP MURDER INC. WITH DMX, JAY-Z, JA RULE.
APRIL 10
BOB PORTER (80) / AMERICAN RECORD PRODUCER, DISCOGRAPHER, WRITER, BROADCASTER. PRODUCED OVER 200 JAZZ AND BLUES ALBUMS AND WROTE LINER NOTES (OVER 300) BEGINNING IN THE 1960's WITH THE PRESTIGE RECORDS, THEN SAVOY RECORDS (1975-1980) AND ATLANTIC RECORDS (1986-1991). HIS RADIO PROGRAM PORTRAITS IN BLUE STARTED IN 1981. HAD FIVE GRAMMY NOMINATIONS, IN 1980 WINNING FOR HIS LINER NOTES FOR THE COMPLETE CHARLIE PARKER ON SAVOY. WROTE FOR MANY MAGAZINES INCL. DOWN BEAT AND CASH BOX.
BOB PETRIC ( ) / AMERICAN GUITARIST FROM COLUMBUS, OHIO. IN THE LATE 1980's / EARLY 1990's WAS IN A POST-PUNK BAND GIRLY MACHINE. IN 1989 WITH RON HOUSE FROM GREAT PLAINS FORMED A LO-FI / PUNK ROCK BAND CALLED THOMAS JEFFERSON SLAVE APARTMENTS. THEIR 1995 DEBUT ALBUM BAIT AND SWITCH WAS RELEASED ON ONION RECORDS, THE IMPRINT OF RICK RUBIN'S LABEL AMERICAN RECORDINGS. IN 1997 THEY RELEASED A COMPILATION ALBUM YOU LOOKIN' FOR TREBLE? AND THEN TWO MORE STUDIO ALBUMS: STRAIGHT TO VIDEO IN 1997 ON ANYWAY AND IN 2000 NO OLD GUY LO-FI CRY ON ROCK-A-THON RECORDS OWNED BY ROBERT POLLARD FROM GARAGE ROCK / PUNK ROCK INFLUENCED GUIDED BY VOICES (GBV).
THOMAS JEFFERSON SLAVE APARTMENTS SPLIT IN 2000.
APRIL 14
RUSTY YOUNG (75) / AMERICAN MUSICIAN, VOCALIST AND SONGWRITER. VIRTUOSO PEDAL STEEL GUITARIST. PLAYED IN COUNTRY AND PSYCHEDELIC BANDS LIKE BOENZEE CRYQUE FROM DENVER WHICH HE JOINED IN 1966. LEFT THEM IN 1968 TO MOVE TO LOS ANGELES WHERE HE FOUNDED POCO WITH TWO BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD MUSICIANS RICHIE FURAY AND JIM MESSINA, SOON JOINED BY GEORGE GRANTHAM (BOENZEE CRYQUE) AND RANDY MEISNER (LATER A FOUNDING MEMBER OF THE EAGLES). RUSTY YOUNG WROTE "ROSE OF COMARRON" AND "CRAZY LOVE", POCO'S GREATEST HIT.
APRIL 16
MIKE MITCHELL (77) / AMERICAN ROCK GUITARIST, FOUNDING MEMBER OF GARAGE ROCK / SURF BAND THE KINGSMEN IN 1959. PLAYED WITH THEM FOR NEARLY 62 YEARS AS THE ONLY ORIGINAL MEMBER, UNTIL HIS DEATH ON HIS 77TH BIRTHDAY. THE KINGSMEN BECAME FAMOUS FOR THEIR VERSION OF RICHARD BERRY'S RHYTHM AND BLUES SONG "LOUIE, LOUIE", WHICH BECAME A STANDARD IN ROCK AND POP. IT WAS LATER FREQUENTLY COVERED E.G. BY IGGY AND THE STOOGES AND IGGY POP SOLO.
APRIL 17
LEE LEWIS ( ) / ENGLISH HARMONICA PLAYER. LEE BRILLEAUX, WHO LATER FOUNDED PUB ROCK DR. FEELGOOD, TAUGHT HIM HARMONICA. AFTER PLAYING WITH SOUTHSIDE JUG BAND, LATER CALLED THE FIX, LEE LEWIS JOINED EDDIE & THE HOT RODS, RECORDING THEIR FIRST TWO SINGLES "WRITING ON THE WALL" AND "WOOLY BULLY", BOTH 1976. THEN, SUPPORTED BY DR. FEELGOOD, MADE A SOLO SINGLE ON STIFF RECORDS "BOOGIE ON THE STREET" / "CARAVAN", ANOTHER ON UNITED ARTIST RECORDS AND THE NEXT ONE ON STIFF RECORDS AGAIN, HIS GREATEST, "LUCKY SEVEN" / "NIGHT TALK" (1978). IN 1979 ALBUM SAVE THE WAIL AND PERFORMING AND RECORDING WITH DR FEELGOOD AND JOOLS HOLLAND AS THE OIL CITY SHEIKS. GUESTED ON ALBUMS BLACK AND WHITE BY THE STRANGLERS (1978), EUROMAN COMETH BY JEAN-JACQUES BURNEL (1979), SANDINISTA! BY THE CLASH (1980), ALSO BY KIRSTY MacCOLL, SNIFF'N'THE TEARS, WILKO JOHNSON. IN 1987, AFTER ARMED POST OFFICE ROBBERY AND STEALING £5,000, LEWIS WAS IMPRISONED FOR SEVEN YEARS.
APRIL 18
PAUL OSCHER (71) / AMERICAN BLUES MUSICIAN, SINGER, SONGWRITER. STARTED PLAYING HARMONICA AT 12. AT 17 PLAYED WITH MUDDY WATERS BLUES BAND (1967-1972) AND MADE THREE ALBUMS WITH HIM FOR CHESS RECORDS. LIVED IN MUDDY'S HOUSE AND WITH OTIS SPANN. TOURED EUROPE WITH LOUISIANA RED (1976). WITH ERIC CLAPTON, KEITH RICHARDS, LEVON HELM ON ALBUM BY HUBERT SUMLIN. RECORDED WITH MOS DEF, KEB' MO' , BIG BILL MORGANFIELD (MUDDY WATERS' SON) AND SEVEN ALBUMS UNDER HIS OWN NAME.
AL YOUNG (81) / AMERICAN JAZZ AND BLUES AND BEAT POETRY INFLUENCED POET, NOVELIST, ESSAYIST, SCREENWRITER, PROFESSOR WHO OFTEN PERFORMED WITH MUSICIANS. HIS 2008 BOOK SOMETHING ABOUT THE BLUES: AN UNLIKELY COLLECTION OF POETRY WAS PUBLISHED WITH A CD OF YOUNG RECITING HIS POETRY WITH BLUES ACCOMPANIMENT. DID LOTS OF DIFFERENT JOBS, FROM EARLY ON HE WAS A BLUES AND FOLK SINGER AND GUITARIST. THOUGH HE WON MANY IMPORTANT LITERARY PRIZES, ACCORDING TO HIS JAZZ POET FRIEND, ISHMAEL REED, AL YOUNG WAS "ONE OF THE MOST UNDERRATED WRITERS". WITH REED CO-PUBLISHED THE YARDBIRD LIVES! ANTHOLOGY (1978). ALSO MUSICAL MEMOIRS BODIES & SOUL (1981), KINDS OF BLUE (1984), MINGUS, MINGUS (1989). IN 2008 PUBLISHED JAZZ IDIOM: BLUEPRINTS, STILLS AND FRAMES: THE JAZZ PHOTOGRAPHY OF CHARLES L. ROBINSON (PHOTOGRAPHS AND COMMENTS BY CHARLES L. ROBINSON, POETIC TAKES AND RIFFS BY AL YOUNG). IN 2005 NAMED POET LAUREATE OF CALIFORNIA. IN 2013, DURING 1ST ANNUAL SAN FRANCISCO JAZZ POETRY FESTIVAL, AL YOUNG PERFORMED WITH BASS, ISHMAEL REED WITH PIANO AND MICHAEL McCLURE WITH GEORGE BROOKS ON SAXOPHONE.
APRIL 20
LES McKEOWN (65) / SCOTTISH POP SINGER, THE LEAD SINGER OF THE GLAM ROCK BAY CITY ROLLERS, MEMBER OF THEIR CLASSIC LINEUP (1973-1978) WHEN THEY WERE CALLED "THE BIGGEST GROUP SINCE THE BEATLES". HE LEFT THE BAND IN 1978 AND REJOINED IN 2015 FOR REUNION SHOWS. BAY CITY ROLLERS INFLUENCED THE RAMONES. THEIR 1973 HIT SONG "SATURDAY NIGHT" INSPIRED LEGENDARY PUNK ROCK PIONEERS THE RAMONES FEBRUARY 1976 DEBUT SINGLE "BLITZKRIEG BOP" (THE CHANT "HEY! HO! LET'S GO").
APRIL 21
JOE LONG (88) / AMERICAN BASS GUITARIST FOR THE FOUR SEASONS (SINCE 1965). STUDIED CLASSICAL BASS, THEN MOVED TO THE FENDER BASS GUITAR PLAYING ROCK IN NEW JERSEY BEFORE THE FOUR SEASONS. WHEN HE LEFT, FORMED ROCK'N'ROLL BAND LaBRACIO (HIS REAL SURNAME) AND THEN THE JAZZ GROUP JERSEY BOUNCE.
APRIL 22
SHOCK G (57) / AKA GREGORY JACOBS AKA HUMPTY HUMP, AMERICAN MUSICIAN, RAPPER, HIP HOP, FUNK, JAZZ RECORD PRODUCER AND THE LEAD VOCALIST OF THE HIP HOP GROUP DIGITAL UNDERGROUND. FIRST PLAYED THE DRUMS, THEN TURNTABLES, TAUGHT HIMSELF THE PIANO. FIRST DIGITAL UNDERGROUND HIT ON TNT / TOMMY BOY RECORDS "DOOWUTCHYALIKE" FROM DEBUT STUDIO ALBUM SEX PACKETS (1990, ONE OF THE SOURCE'S 100 BEST RAP ALBUMS EVER AND INCLUDED IN 1001 ALBUMS YOU MUST HEAR BEFORE YOU DIE). ALSO IN 1990 DIGITAL UNDERGROUND'S BIGGEST HIT "THE HUMPTY DANCE". TUPAC SHAKUR JOINED THE BAND IN 1991. SHOCK G PRODUCED TUPAC SHAKUR'S PLATINUM HIT SINGLE "I GET AROUND" AND " SO MANY TEARS" FROM TUPAC'S MULTI-PLATINUM 1995 ALBUM ME AGAINST THE WORLD. SHOCK G CO-PRODUCED TUPAC'S DEBUT ALBUM 2PACALYPSE NOW. WORKED WITH PRINCE, GEORGE CLINTON. PRODUCED KRS ONE, DR DRE, MONIE LOVE, BOBBY BROWN, LUNIZ AND MANY OTHERS.
APRIL 23
MILVA (81) / AKA MARIA ILVA BIOLCATI AKA LA ROSSA AKA LA PANTERA DI GORO, ITALIAN SINGER, STAGE AND FILM ACTRESS. SANG IN ITALIAN, NAPOLITAN, GERMAN, GREEK, ENGLISH, FRENCH, SPANISH, JAPANESE, KOREAN. WORKED WITH MANY EUROPEAN COMPOSERS INCLUDING MIKIS THEODORAKIS, ENNIO MORRICONE, JAZZ PIANIST AND COMPOSER GIORGIO GASLINI, FRANCIS LAI, VANGELIS. PERFORMED LUCIANO BERIO. WORKED, PERFORMED AND RECORDED WITH ÁSTOR PIAZZOLLA. IN 1965 MADE THE MULTILINGUAL ALBUM CANTI DELLA LIBERTÀ. IN 1970 MILVA ON STAGE (LIVE AT TOKYO SANKEI HALL) ACCOMPANIED BY THE JAZZ BIG BAND NABUO HARA AND HIS SHARPS & FLATS. IN 1971 MILVA CANTA BRECHT. SANG SONGS OF THE ITALIAN RESISTANCE MOVEMENT. DID FOURTEEN TOURS OF JAPAN. PARTICIPATED FIFTEEN TIMES IN THE SANREMO MUSIC FESTIVAL (INCL. DUETS WITH SANDIE SHAW, ADRIANO CELENTANO). APPEARED IN MANY FILMS INCL. 1995 TOD FÜR FÜNF STIMMEN (DEATH FOR FIVE VOICES) BY WERNER HERZOG ABOUT CARLO GESUALDO.
APRIL 25
DENNY FREEMAN (76) / AMERICAN TEXAS AND ELECTRIC BLUES GUITARIST AND KEYBOARDIST. BEGAN AS CO-LEAD GUITARIST WITH STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN IN THE COBRAS FORMED IN AUSTIN BY PAUL RAY IN 1974. WORKED WITH ANGELA STREHLI AND W. C. CLARK FOUNDING SOUTHERN FEELING IN 1972. LATER WORKED AND RECORDED WITH LOU ANN BARTON, JAMES COTTON, OTIS RUSH, ALBERT COLLINS, BUDDY GUY, JUNIOR WELLS, LAZY LESTER. TOURED WITH AND WROTE FOR JIMMIE VAUGHAN. ALSO WORKED, RECORDED AND COMPOSED FOR BOB DYLAN, THE VAUGHAN BROTHERS, BLONDIE, TAJ MAHAL, PERCY SLEDGE, BARRY GOLDBERG AND OTHERS. MADE SEVEN SOLO ALBUMS.
APRIL 27
AL SCHMITT (91) / AMERICAN RECORDING ENGINEER WORKING FOR RCA RECORDS AND CAPITOL STUDIOS. BEGAN AT 19 AT THE APEX STUDIOS, HAVING AN ACCIDENTAL RECORDING SESSION WITH DUKE ELLINGTON ORCHESTRA. WON TWENTY GRAMMY AWARDS FOR HIS WORK WITH HENRY MANCINI, GEORGE BENSON, STEELY DAN, TOTO, NATHALIE COLE, QUINCY JONES, DIANA KRALL, RAY CHARLES, NORAH JONES, CHICK COREA, DEE DEE BRIDGEWATER, PAUL McCARTNEY.
APRIL 28
ANITA LANE (62) / AUSTRALIAN SINGER-SONGWRITER MUSICIAN. WENT TO SCHOOL WITH ROWLAND S. HOWARD, AT 16 WROTE FIRST SONGS AND STARTED SINGING THEM. IN 1977 MET NICK CAVE THE LEAD SINGER FROM THE NEW WAVE GROUP THE BOYS NEXT DOOR WHO BECAME THE BIRTHDAY PARTY. LANE WAS NICK CAVE'S PARTNER AND THEY CO-WROTE SONGS: "A DEAD SONG" ON THEIR DEBUT ALBUM PRAYERS ON FIRE (1981) "DEAD JOE" AND "KISS ME BLACK" ON THE NEXT ALBUM JUNKYARD (1982). THEN IN AUGUST 1982 THE BIRTHDAY PARTY MOVED TO BERLIN AND AFTER A YEAR THEY SPLIT. ANITA LANE BECAME A MEMBER OF NICK CAVE AND THE BAD SEEDS AND WROTE LYRICS FOR "FROM HER TO ETERNITY" THE TITLE SONG OF THEIR DEBUT ALBUM (1984) AND CO-WROTE "STRANGER THAN KINDNESS" WITH BLIXA BARGELD FOR THE SEEDS' FOURTH ALBUM YOUR FUNERAL... MY TRIAL (1986). IN 1988 APPEARED ON THE SOUNDTRACK BY BARGELD, CAVE, HARVEY FOR AUSTRALIAN FILM GHOSTS... OF THE CIVIL DEAD AND ON THE POST-PUNK DIE HAUT'S ALBUM HEADLESS BODY IN TOPLESS BAR.
APRIL 29
KAZIMERZ KORD (90) / POLISH CONDUCTOR. IN THE 1940's STUDIED PIANO IN KATOWICE. 1944-1955 CONTINUED STUDIES AT THE LENINGRAD CONSERVATORY. 1956-1960 WORKED AS A CONDUCTOR WITH ARTUR MALAWSKI AND WITOLD KRZEMIEŃSKI AT THE HIGHER SCHOOL OF MUSIC IN KRAKÓW. 1960-1962 CHOIRMASTER AND CONDUCTOR AT THE WARSAW OPERA. THEN UNTIL 1969 CHIEF CONDUCTOR AND ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF THE KRAKÓW MUSICAL THEATRE, STAGING AROUND 30 PREMIERES AND WORKING WITH THE OUTSTANDING VISUAL ARTIST AND THEATRE DIRECTOR JÓZEF SZAJNA. NEXT KAZIMIERZ KORD WORKED AT THE GÄRTNERPLATZTHEATER IN MUNICH AND THE METROPOLITAN OPERA IN NEW YORK. 1969-1973 DIRECTED THE GRAND POLISH RADIO AND TELEVISION ORCHESTRA IN KATOWICE, 1977-2001 DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL PHILHARMONIC IN WARSAW. LOTS OF TOURING, CONDUCTING, RECORDING ALL OVER THE WORLD WITH THE BEST ORCHESTRAS.
JOHN HINCH (73) / BRITISH JAZZ-ROCK, ROCK, HEAVY METAL DRUMMER. PLAYED WITH HIROSHIMA, BAKERLOO, JUDAS PRIEST. AFTER LOCAL BIRMINGHAM BANDS THE PINCH, THE GENERATION, HINCH JOINED GUITARIST DAVID "CLEM" CLEMPSON AND HIS HEAVY BLUES-ROCK TRIO BAKERLOO (THE BAKERLOO BLUES LINE). 1972-1973 IN HIROSHIMA WITH VOCALIST ROB HALFORD. IN MAY 1973 THEY WERE INVITED TO JOIN THE FIRST LINEUP OF JUDAS PRIEST. JOHN HINCH MADE ONLY ONE ALBUM WITH JUDAS PRIEST, THEIR 1974 DEBUT ROCKA ROLLA.
TONY MARKELLIS (68) / AMERICAN BASS GUITARIST AND RECORD PRODUCER. PLAYED JAZZ, FOLK, BLUES, BLUEGRASS, ROCK, COUNTRY. APPEARED ON NEARLY 100 ALBUMS. WORKED WITH HIS OWN KILIMANJARO, THE UNKNOWN BLUES BAND, PAUL BUTTERFIELD, THE MAMAS & THE PAPAS, DAVID AMRAM, JOHNNY SHINES, DAVID BROMBERG, PROFESSOR LONGHAIR, NICK BRIGNOLA, CARLOS SANTANA, DR. JOHN, EMMYLOU HARRIS. PLAYED WITH TREY ANASTASIO, GUITARIST AND LEAD SINGER OF JAM BAND PHISH, IN HIS SOLO GROUP TREY ANASTASIO BAND (TAB) AND A LATER GHOSTS OF THE FOREST PROJECT. MARKELLIS WAS A BIG INFLUENCE ON YOUNG TREY ANASTASIO. LAST YEAR HE PUBLISHED A COLLECTION OF SHORT STORIES.
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JOHN DEE HOLEMAN (92) / AMERICAN PIEDMONT BLUES GUITARIST, SINGER, SONGWRITER. INSPIRED BY BLIND BOY FULLER, TEXAS BLUES, R&B, STRING-BAND MUSIC, BUCKDANCE. TOURED US AND OVERSEAS, PLAYED CARNEGIE HALL. MADE EIGHT ALBUMS, ONE WITH TAJ MAHAL.
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