MUSICIANS WHO DIED IN FEBRUARY 2019
MUSICIANS WHO DIED IN FEBRUARY 2019
FEBRUARY 1
ALEX BROWN (52) / AMERICAN PAINTER AND HARDCORE PUNK MUSICIAN. PLAYED WITH GORILLA BISCUITS, PROJECT X AND SIDE BY SIDE. BROWN STARTED WITH SIDE BY SIDE AND THIS ACTIVITY IS DOCUMENTED ON THEIR ONLY RELEASE, A 7-SONG 7" EP "YOU'RE ONLY YOUNG ONCE". IT WAS ON REVELATION RECORDS IN 1988, IN 1997 RE-RELEASED AS A 22-SONG LP TO FIGHT PIRACY OF THEIR SONGS. THEN ALEX AND DRUMMER SAMMY LEFT TO JOIN THE SHORT-LIVED PROJECT X (WHICH HE CREATED WITH PORCELL AKA JOHN PORCELLY) WHO ALSO RELEASED ONLY ONE SELF-TITLED EP. ALEX BROWN BECAME A MEMBER OF GORILLA BISCUITS AND IS ON THEIR ALBUM START TODAY (1989), WHICH BECAME REVELATION RECORDS' BIGGEST BESTSELLER (OVER 100 000 COPIES ON CD ONLY). AFTER THEIR FIRST BREAKUP IN 1992, BROWN CONCENTRATED ON PAINTING AND SOME OF HIS WORKS COULD BE SEEN AT THE NEW YORK GALLERY FEATURE, INC. ALEX BROWN ALSO RAN THE RECORD LABEL / FANZINE SCHISM WITH PORCELL.
FEBRUARY 12
OLLI LINDHOLM (54) / FINNISH PUNK ROCK AND ROCK SINGER AND GUITARIST. IN 1982 HE WAS A MEMBER OF APPENDIX, A PUNK ROCK AND HARDCORE PUNK BAND. IN 1981 LINDHOLM WAS ALSO A FOUNDING MEMBER OF YÖ (WHICH MEANS NIGHT). THEY STARTED AS A PUNK ROCK GROUP BUT LATER EVOLVED INTO A MORE MAINSTREAM BAND, BEING VERY POPULAR, RECORDING OVER 20 STUDIO ALBUMS, 6 LIVE ONES AND 8 COMPILATIONS.
FEBRUARY 16
KEN NORDINE (98) / AMERICAN VOICE-OVER AND RECORDING ARTIST, RADIO ANNOUNCER, FAMOUS FOR HIS SERIES OF WORD JAZZ ALBUMS. OWNER OF A DEEP VOICE, HAS DONE LOTS OF COMMERCIALS AND MOVIE TRAILERS. IN HIS 20's WORKED FOR THE RADIO IN CHICAGO, MADE ALBUMS WITH VOICEOVERS. BECAME MORE POPULAR AFTER HIS FIRST LP WORD JAZZ (DOT 1957). THE FOLLOW UP LOVE WORDS, SON OF WORD JAZZ (DOT 1958) AND ATHER LPs FEATURED NORDINE'S NARRATION TO COOL JAZZ PLAYED BY THE FRED KATZ GROUP WITH CHICO HAMILTON.
FEBRUARY 18
SKIP GROFF (70) / (BORN FRANK GROFF) AMERICAN RECORD STORE OWNER, RADIO DJ AND MINOR THREAT PRODUCER. IN 1977 OPENED YESTERDAY & TODAY RECORDS, AN INDEPENDENT STORE WHICH EMPLOYED CLERKS LIKE IAN MacKAYE, GUY PICCIOTTO, BRENDAN CANTY OR HENRY ROLLINS AS A STOREROOM PACKER. Y&T BECAME A VERY INFLUENTIAL PLACE FOR YOUNG DC PUNKS. OWNED LIMP RECORD LABEL (WHICH RELEASED MINOR THREAT'S IN MY EYES EP OR BLACK MARKET BABY'S 7") AND INSPIRED KIDS TO START THEIR OWN. RESPONSIBLE FOR RECORDING THE TEEN IDLES' EP MINOR DISTURBANCE (1980) WHICH WAS THE FIRST RELEASE ON DISCHORD RECORDS. WAS THEIR FIRST DISTRIBUTOR AND HELPED THEM FINANCIALLY.
FEBRUARY 21
PETER TORK (77) / (BORN PETER HALSTEN THORKELSON)AMERICAN MUSICIAN, COMPOSER, SINGER AND ACTOR. PLAYED KEYBOARDS AND BASS GUITAR WITH THE POP ROCK / PSYCHEDELIC POP BAND THE MONKEES. THEIR GREAT PROTO-PUNK HIT SONG "(I'M NOT YOUR) STEPPIN' STONE" WAS COVERED BY MINOR THREAT, STATE OF ALERT, SEX PISTOLS, JOHNNY THUNDERS, VICIOUS WHITE KIDS, TOM PETTY NAD THE HEART BREAKERS AND MILLIONS OF OTHERS. ALTHOUGH IT WAS FIRST RECORDED BY PAUL REVERE & THE RAIDERS, IT WAS THE MONKEES WHO MADE IT REALLY BIG. THE MONKEES WERE AN ARTIFICIAL CREATION, A BAND FORMED FOR TELEVISION SITCOM.
FEBRUARY 23
IRA GITLER (90) / AMERICAN JAZZ HISTORIAN AND JOURNALIST. CO-ATHOR (WITH LEONARD FEATHER) OF THE BIOGRAPHICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA OF JAZZ. WROTE HUNDREDS OF LINER NOTES FOR JAZZ ALBUMS, MANY BOOKS ON JAZZ AND ICE HOCKEY. WAS THE NEW YORK EDITOR OF DOWN BEAT MAGAZINE (1960s), WROTE FOR METRONOME MAGAZINE, JAZZTIMES, JAZZ IMPROV, MODERN DRUMMER, THE NEW YORK TIMES, THE VILLAGE VOICE, THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE, VIBE, PLAYBOY, NEW YORK MAGAZINE, SWING JOURNAL (JAPAN), MUSICA JAZZ (ITALY), JAZZ MAGAZINE (FRANCE). AWARDED A GUGGENHEIM FELLOWSHIP (1974).
FEBRUARY 24
MAC WISEMAN (93) / AMERICAN BLUEGRASS MUSICIAN AND SINGER CALLED "THE VOICE WITH A HEART". PLAYED BASS AND RECORDED (DECEMBER 1946, COLUMBIA RECORDS) WITH MOLLY O'DAY AND THE CUMBERLAND MOUNTAIN FOLKS. THEN PLAYED GUITAR WITH LESTER FLATT AND EARL SCRUGGS IN THE FOGGY MOUNTAIN BOYS. LATER WITH BILL MONROE'S BLUEGRASS BOYS. CO-FOUNDER OF COUNTRY MUSIC ASSOCIATION (CMA - IN NASHVILLE, 1958), WAS ITS FIRST SECRETARY. IN 1986 CO-FOUNDED THE INTERNATIONAL BLUEGRASS MUSIC ASSOCIATION (IBMA). IN 1979 RECORDED A SINGLE MY BLUE HEAVEN WITH WOODY HERMAN. AMONG HIS FANS WERE JOHNNY CASH AND MERLE HAGGARD. MAC WISEMAN RECORDED ALSO WITH JOHN PRINE, MERLE TRAVIS, ALISON KRAUSS, DOC WATSON, THE OSBORNE BROTHERS. WAS COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME MEMBER.
FEBRUARY 25
MARK HOLLIS (64) / ENGLISH SINGER-SONGWRITER, GUITARIST AND PIANIST, CO-FOUNDER, LEAD SINGER AND MAIN SONGWRITER OF THE GROUP TALK TALK . FIRST TWO SINGLES TALK TALK AND TODAY (1982) WERE IN THE SYNTH-POP STYLE. DEBUT ALBUM THE PARTY'S OVER REACHED NUMBER 21. NEXT IT'S MY LIFE (1984) WAS A BIT MORE SOPHISTICATED, BUT THE REAL GEM WAS THEIR THIRD ONE THE COLOUR OF SPRING (1986).
FEBRUARY 26
ANDY ANDERSON (68) / ENGLISH PUNK ROCK DRUMMER WHO ALSO PLAYED POST-PUNK, ALTERNATIVE ROCK, GOTHIC ROCK, SPACE ROCK, PROGRESSIVE ROCK. STARTED ON THE 1978 NICK TURNER'S SPHYNX "XITINTODAY" ALBUM AND IN 1983 WORKED SHORTLY WITH HAWKWIND. IN 1979 RECORDED TWO ALBUMS WITH STEVE HILLAGE: "LIVE HERALD" AND "OPEN". IN 1983 LEFT HAWKWIND TO PLAY WITH THE GLOVE (ROBERT SMITH & STEVE SEVERIN) ON THEIR ONLY ALBUM "BLUE SUNSHINE". CONSEQUENTLY ANDY ANDERSON JOINED THE CURE APPEARING ON THEIR JAPANESE WHISPERS (1983), THE TOP (1984), CONCERT (1984), THE CURE LIVE IN JAPAN (1984 - VHS), STANDING ON A BEACH (1986). WORKED ALSO WITH NIK TURNER'S INNER CITY UNIT, GLEN MATLOCK, JIMMY PURSEY'S SHAM 69, STEVE NEW, YOUTH.
FEBRUARY 27
DOUG SANDOM (89) / ENGLISH ROCK AND POP MUSICIAN WHO WAS THE FIRST DRUMMER FOR THE WHO. ORIGINALLY THE WHO WERE A SKIFFLE AND ROCK AND ROLL BAND FORMED IN LATE 1961 BY LEAD GUITARIST ROGER DALTREY AND CALLED THE DETOURS. THEN THEY HAD JOHN ENTWISTLE ON BASS GUITAR, PETE TOWNSHEND ON RHYTHM GUITAR, DOUG SANDOM ON DRUMS AND COLIN DAWSON ON VOCALS WHO LEFT IN 1962. IN 1964 THEY RENAMED THE BAND THE WHO
FEBRUARY 28
ANDRE PREVIN (89) / GERMAN-BORN AMERICAN PIANIST, CONDUCTOR AND COMPOSER. INTERESTED IN JAZZ, CLASSICAL AND FILM MUSIC. WON FOUR ACADEMY AWARDS FOR FILM MUSIC, TEN GRAMMY AWARDS FOR HIS RECORDS AND ONE FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT. IN JAZZ HE PREFERRED PIANO TRIO FORMAT AND WEST COAST STYLE. WORKED AND RECORDED WITH LEONTYNE PRICE, ITZHAK PERLMAN, KIRI TE KANAWA, SHORTY ROGERS, RUSS FREEMAN, RED MITCHELL, FRANKIE CAPP, GERRY MULLIGAN, ART FARMER, ART PEPPER, J. J. JOHNSON, ELLA FITZGERALD, CARMEN McRAE, RAY BROWN, JOE PASS, SHELLY MANNE, BILL PERKINS, DORIS DAY, MUNDELL LOWE, GRADY TATE, NHØP. ANDRE PREVIN'S DAUGHTER LOVELY PREVIN (ALICIA PREVIN) IS A VIOLIN PLAYER. STARTED AT 7, AT 13 PERFORMED WITH BANDS. PLAYS ROCK, FOLK, JAZZ, BLUES AND WORKED WITH NICKY GARRATT'S PUNK / POST-PUNK / EXPERIMENTAL BAND TEN BRIGHT SPIKES.
ED BICKERT (86) / CANADIAN JAZZ GUITARIST. BEGAN PLAYING GUITAR AT 8. INITIALLY A RADIO ENGINEER, THEN A STUDIO MUSICIAN, THEN PLAYED IN TORONTO WITH VISITING AMERICANS RUBY BRAFF, PAUL DESMOND AND FRANK ROSOLINO. MADE 15 ALBUMS AS A LEADER. WORKED AND RECORDED WITH ROB McCONNELL (20 ALBUMS), PAUL DESMOND, ROSEMARY CLOONEY, BENNY CARTER, BUDDY TATE, RON CARTER, MEL TORME, PETER APPLEYARD, HUMPHREY LYTTELTON, KEN PEPLOWSKI, THE HI-LO's.
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