MUSICIANS WHO DIED IN FEBRUARY 2021
MUSICIANS WHO DIED IN FEBRUARY 2021
AS YOU KNOW, COVID MADE EVERYTHING SLO IN THE LAST YEAR, BUT I'LL BE FIXING THE HOLES SYSTEMATICALLY, SO DO COME BACK FOR MORE TREBLE EVERY DAY AND CHECK THE PREVIOUS MONTHS AS WELL.
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FEBRUARY 1
RICKY POWELL (59) / AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHER AND WRITER FROM NEW YORK CITY. SPECIALIZED IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND STREET PHOTOGRAPHY AND HIP HOP. HIS WORK WAS FEATURED IN GRAND SLAM, A MAGAZINE PUBLISHED BY ADAM "MCA" YAUCH AND THE BEASTIE BOYS (1993-1997), BUT ALSO IN THE NEW YORK TIMES, INTERVIEW, THE SOURCE, VIBE, THE VILLAGE VOICE, NEWSWEEK, ROLLING STONE, PAPER, EGO TRIP, TIME, NEW YORK POST AND OTHERS. HE HOSTED RAPPIN' WITH THE RICKSTER, HIS OWN PUBLIC ACCESS CABLE TV SHOW, CO-HOSTED A WEEKLY RADIO SHOW. BORN AND RAISED IN NYC, HE WENT TO SCHOOL WITH RACHAEL HOROVITZ, AD-ROCK's (ADAM HOROVITZ) SISTER. MADE FRIENDS WITH THE BEASTIE BOYS (ORIGINALLY A HARDCORE PUNK BAND). WENT ON TOURS WITH THE BEASTIES, PHOTOGRAPHED THEM, WHICH MADE HIM FAMOUS. WAS SOMETIMES EVEN CALLED "THE 4TH BEASTIE BOY". PUBLISHED FOUR BOOKS. A DOCUMENTARY FILM ABOUT HIM RICKY POWELL: THE INDIVIDUALIST WAS MADE IN 2020.
FEBRUARY 2
AARON WEGELIN / AMERICAN ROCK DRUMMER, PLAYED WITH THE ATHENS, GEORGIA INDIE ROCK BAND ELF POWER. WEGELIN WAS ON THE FIRST FIVE ELF POWER ALBUMS.
FEBRUARY 4
MATT HARRIS / AMERICAN ALTERNATIVE ROCK BASSIST. PLAYED WITH POP PUNK OVERWHELMING COLORFAST (MOONLIGHT AND CASTANETS ALBUM IN 1996). THEN FOUNDING MEMBER AND LEAD GUITARIST OF PSYCH-ROCK ORANGER. 2001-2014 PLAYED WITH THE POSIES (ALTERNATIVE ROCK INFLUENCED BY HUSKER DU, XTC, SQUEEZE, ELVIS COSTELLO, MERSEYBEAT BANDS). RECORDED TWO ALBUMS WITH THEM EVERY KIND OF LIGHT (2005) AND BLOOD CANDY (2010) . TOURED WITH MIKE SHINODA OF LINKIN PARK.
GIL SAUNDERS (68) / AMERICAN SOUL SINGER, LEAD VOCALIST OF HAROLD MELVIN & THE BLUE NOTES. IN 1982 REPLACED DAVID EBO, WHO REPLACED TEDDY PENDERGRASS. RECORDED AND TOURED WITH THE BLUE NOTES FOR TEN YEARS, THEN WENT SOLO.
NOLAN PORTER (71) / AMERICAN R&B SINGER SONGWRITER. EARLY 1970's MADE TWO ALBUMS AND SIX SINGLES. THE RIFF FROM HIS BEST KNOWN SONG "KEEP ON KEEPING ON" WAS USED BY JOY DIVISION TO CREATE "INTERZONE" FROM THEIR DEBUT ALBUM UNKNOWN PLEASURES. NOLAN PORTER MARRIED FRANK ZAPPA'S SISTER CANDY.
FEBRUARY 9
CHICK COREA (79) / AMERICAN JAZZ COMPOSER, PIANIST, KEYBOARDIST, BANDLEADER, PERCUSSIONIST. INTERESTED IN MODERN JAZZ, FREE JAZZ, AVANTGARDE JAZZ, CLASSICAL MUSIC, FUSION JAZZ, LATIN JAZZ, PROGRESSIVE ROCK. PLAYED BOTH ACOUSTIC AND ELECTRIC MUSIC. SOME OF HIS COMPOSITIONS LIKE "LA FIESTA", "SPAIN" (INSPIRED BY JOAQUIN RODRIGO), "500 MILES HIGH", "WINDOWS", "ARMANDO'S RHUMBA", "CRYSTAL SILENCE" BECAME JAZZ STANDARDS AND WERE OFTEN PERFORMED BY OTHER GREATS LIKE STAN GETZ. COREA WAS ONE OF THE PIONEERS AND BIGGEST STARS OF JAZZ FUSION, BEGINNING WITH BEING A MEMBER OF MILES DAVIS'S ELECTRIC GROUP IN THE LATE 1960's: IN A SILENT WAY (1969) AND BITCHES BREW (1970). IN 1970 AND 1971 LED AVANTGARDE JAZZ GROUP CIRCLE WHICH WAS HIS TRIO WITH DAVE HOLLAND AND BARRY ALTSCHUL PLUS ANTHONY BRAXTON. IN 1971 STARTED HIS OWN RETURN TO FOREVER WITH STANLEY CLARKE, JOE FARRELL, AIRTO MOREIRA, FLORA PURIM AND MADE THE FIRST, SELFTITLED ALBUM FOR THE ECM LABEL (1972, IN THE US IN 1975). NEXT CAME LIGHT AS A FEATHER (1973), THEN MORE JAZZ-ROCKY AND WITH NEW MEMBERS BILL CONNORS AND LENNY WHITE, HYMN TO THE SEVENTH GALAXY (1973), WHERE HAVE I KNOWN YOU BEFORE WITH AL DI MEOLA AND SYNTHESIZERS ADDED (1974), NO MYSTERY (1975) AND THE BEST SELLING, GOLD DISC WINNING ROMANTIC WARRIOR (1976). THE LAST ALBUM WAS MUSICMAGIC (1977) WITH JOE FARRELL AND GAYLE MORAN. CHICK COREA WORKED ALSO WITH STAN GETZ, FRIEDRICH GULDA, JOHN McLAUGHLIN, JEAN-LUC PONTY, HERBIE HANCOCK, GARY BURTON, BOBBY McFERRIN, BELA FLECK. CHICK COREA WON 23 GRAMMY AWARDS BEING NOMINATED OVER 60 TIMES.
FEBRUARY 12
MILFORD GRAVES (79) / AMERICAN JAZZ DRUMMER, PERCUSSIONIST, PROFESSOR EMERITUS OF MUSIC, RESEARCHER, INVENTOR, SCULPTOR, VISUAL ARTIST, ACUPUNCTURIST, HERBALIST, GARDENER, MARTIAL ARTIST. A FREE JAZZ PIONEER, PLAYED ALSO AVANTGARDE, LATIN JAZZ AND AFRO CUBAN JAZZZ. INSPIRED BY JOHN COLTRANE QUARTET (WITH ELVIN JONES) IN 1962, STARTED PLAYING DRUMS WITH GIUSEPPI LOGAN (DIED LAST YEAR), THEN WITH ROSWELL RUDD AND JOHN TCHICAI IN THE NEW YORK ART QUARTET WHO LATER WORKED WITH AMIRI BARAKA. BILL DIXON INVITED GRAVES TO TAKE PART IN THE "OCTOBER REVOLUTION IN JAZZ". WORKED WITH MONTEGO JOE, CHICK COREA (DIED THREE DAYS AGO), ALBERT AYLER, MIRIAM MAKEBA, JAZZ COMPOSER'S ORCHESTRA, SONNY SHARROCK, PAUL BLEY, SUN RA, ANDREW CYRILLE, RASHIED ALI, LOWELL DAVIDSON, DON PULLEN, KENNY CLARKE, FAMOUDOU DON MOYE, ANTHONY BRAXTON, WILLIAM PARKER, ARTHUR DOYLE, DAVID MURRAY, TOSHINORI KONDO (DIED FOUR MONTHS AGO), JOHN ZORN, BILL LASWELL, SAM AMIDON.
FEBRUARY 13
LOUIS CLARK (73) / ENGLISH ARRANGER AND KEYBOARD PLAYER. KNOWN FOR HIS WORK FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA ON ALBUMS ELDORADO, FACE THE MUSIC, A NEW WORLD RECORD, OUT OF THE BLUE, DISCOVERY, XANADU, SECRET MESSAGES. PLAYED WITH THE ELO ON TOURS AND LIVE DATES. IN THE 1980's CONDUCTED THE ROYAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA ON HOOKED ON CLASSICS ALBUMS. CLARK ALSO WORKED AS ARRANGER WITH ARTISTS LIKE ROY ORBISON, OZZY OSBOURNE, ROY WOOD, RENAISSANCE, AMERICA, ASIA, KIKI DEE.
FEBRUARY 15
JOHNNY PACHECO (85) / DOMINICAN MUSICIAN, FLUTIST, SAXOPHONIST, PERCUSSIONIST, VIOLINIST, CLARINETIST, ARRANGER, COMPOSER, BANDLEADER, RECORD PRODUCER, RECORD LABEL FOUNDER, OWNER, MUSICAL DIRECTOR (FANIA RECORDS). INTERESTED IN SALSA, SON, PACHANGA, JAZZ, DESCARGA, GUARACHA, CHA CHA CHA. STARTED FANIA ALL-STARS (INCLUDING CELIA CRUZ, RUBEN BLADES, RAY BARRETTO, ERIC GALE, JORGE SANTANA, MONGO SANTAMARIA). PACHECO WORKED AND RECORDED WITH EDDIE PALMIERI, CHARLIE PALMIERI, TITO PUENTE, XAVIER CUGAT, DAVID BYRNE, MELANIE, McCOY TYNER, KENNY BURRELL, GEORGE BENSON, KAI WINDING, LES McCANN, JOHNNY LYTLE. COMPOSED AND RECORDED OVER 150 SONGS, HAD 9 GRAMMY NOMINATIONS AND TEN GOLD RECORDS.
FEBRUARY 17
U-ROY (78) / AKA EWART BECKFORD. JAMAICAN SINGER-SONGWRITER, PIONEER OF TOASTING, PERFORMED REGGAE, DANCEHALL, DUB. WORKED WITH SIR COXSONE DODD, KING STITT, KING TUBBY, KEITH HUDSON, LEE "SCRATCH" PERRY, PETER TOSH, ARTHUR "DUKE" REID, BUNNY LEE, RUPIE EDWARDS, ALVIN RANGLIN, SONIA POTTINGER, TOOTS AND THE MAYTALS.
FRANÇOISE CACTUS (56) / AKA FRANÇOISE VAN HOVE, FRENCH MUSICIAN (SINGER, DRUMMER, UKULELE PLAYER) PHOTOGRAPHER, ARTIST AND AUTHOR WHO MOVED TO WEST BERLIN IN 1985 AND JOINED THE GENIALE DILETTANTEN MOVEMENT (NEW WAVE AND POST-PUNK SCENE). IN 1986 WITH COCO NEUBAUER (COCO NUT) FOUNDED DIE LOLITAS INFLUENCED BY HARDCORE PUNK, GOSPEL, COUNTRY, GARAGE ROCK. THEY WORKED WITH PRODUCERS TONY COHEN (THE BIRTHDAY PARTY, NICK CAVE AND THE BAD SEEDS), ALEX CHILTON (THE CRAMPS), CHRIS SPEDDING (SEX PISTOLS, PAUL McCARTNEY). DIE LOLITAS WERE ACTIVE 1986 - 1992. THEN CACTUS STARTED MULTILINGUAL FRENCH-GERMAN DUO STEREO TOTAL (1993 - 2021) WITH BREZEL GÖRING. STEREO TOTAL PLAYED LO-FI POP, PUNK ROCK, GARAGE ROCK, ELECTROCLASH, POST-PUNK. CACTUS WROTE FOR THE COOPERATIVE-OWNED NEWSPAPER DIE TAGESZEITUNG AND PUBLISHED NOVELS ZITTERPARTIES, ABENTEUER EINER PROVINZBLUME AND SHORT STORIES NEUROSEN ZUM VALENTINSTAG. 2016-2021 HOSTED A MONTHLY RADIO SHOW DIE SENDUNG ON RADIOEINS.
FEBRUARY 18
MILES SEATON (41) / AMERICAN MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST, NOMADIC ARTIST, POET, PERFORMER, COMPOSER, EDUCATOR. FOUNDING MEMBER OF FOLK-ORIENTED EXPERIMENTAL AND IMPROVISATORY GROUP AKRON / FAMILY (SINCE 2002). THEY MADE SIX STUDIO ALBUMS ON MICHAEL GIRA'S YOUNG GOD RECORDS AND ON DEAD OCEANS. AKRON / FAMILY WERE ALSO A BACKNG BAND FOR MICHAEL GIRA AND HIS PROJECT ANGELS OF LIGHT (SING "OTHER PEOPLE" ALBUM). MILES COOPER SEATON ALSO RELEASED HIS SOLO ALBUMS NOTES FROM THE INTERIOR (2013), FUNCTIONAL MUSIC VOLS. 1 & 2 (2015), PHASES IN EXILE (2017).
PRINCE MARKIE DEE (52) / AKA MARK ANTHONY MORALES, AMERICAN RAPPER, SONGWRITER, PRODUCER, ACTOR, RADIO PERSONALITY. IN 1983 WITH HIS BROOKLYN FRIENDS DAMON WIMBLEY AND DARREN ROBINSON (THE HUMAN BEAT BOX) FOUNDED HIP HOP TRIO DISCO 3, SOON RENAMED FAT BOYS (THEY WEIGHED 394 KG - THEIR MANAGER ORDERED THEM TO GET FATTER). PIONEERED BEAT BOXING IN HIP HOP. THEIR DEBUT ALBUM FAT BOYS IS CONSIDERED THE FIRST HIP HOP ALBUM WITH THE USE OF BEAT BOX. ALONG WITH RUN - DMC, GRANDMASTER FLASH, AFRICA BAMBAATAA, KURTIS BLOW, WHODINI, WARP 9 THEY WERE THE FIRST TO RELEASE FULL HIP HOP ALBUMS. THE FIRST TWO ALBUMS FAT BOYS AND FAT BOYS ARE BACK WERE PRODUCED BY KURTIS BLOW. TOGETHER WITH THE LATER COMING BACK HARD AGAIN, THEY WERE ALL GOLD RECORDS. THE 1987 ALBUM CRUSHIN' WENT PLATINUM. FAT BOYS RECORDED WITH THE BEACH BOYS AND CHUBBY CHECKER. IN 1995 BUFF LOVE (DARREN RBINSON) DIED AT 28 AND WEIGHING 200 KG.
FEBRUARY 20
GENE TAYLOR (68) / AMERICAN BOOGIE WOOGIE, BLUES, COWPUNK, ROCKABILLY PIANIST AND SINGER. AS TEENAGER IN LA PLAYED WITH BLUES LEGENDS BIG JOE TURNER, T-BONE WALKER, LOWELL FULSON, PEE WEE CRAYTON. LATER WITH CANNED HEAT (1974-1976), RONNIE HAWKINS, THE AMOS GARRETT, DOUG SAHM, GENE TAYLOR BAND, RICK NELSON. IN 1981 TAYLOR JOINED THE COWPUNK, ROCKABILLY, ROOTS ROCK BAND THE BLASTERS, THE LEGENDARY BAND OF THE LA PUNK SCENE WHO PLAYED WITH X, BLACK FLAG, THE CIRCLE JERKS, THE PLUGZ, THE GUN CLUB, THE SCREAMERS, THE GO GO's, THE CRAMPS, LOS LOBOS, ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL. IN CANADA WITH THE DOWNCHILD BLUES BAND (WHO INSPIRED THE BLUES BROTHERS). IN 1981 TAYLOR MADE AN ALBUM WITH TOP JIMMY AND THE RHYTHM PIGS (WITH DJ BONEBRAKE FROM X ON DRUMS). 1993-2007 PLAYED AND RECORDED WITH THE FABULOUS THUNDERBIRDS. ALSO WITH CHARLIE MUSSELLWHITE, JAMES HARMAN.
FEBRUARY 22
LAWRENCE FERLINGHETTI (101) / AMERICAN POET, PUBLISHER, PAINTER, ESSAYIST, SOCIAL ACTIVIST, PERFORMER. CALLED A MEMBER OF THE BEAT GENERATION (AGAINST HIS WILL) WAS A POET AND PUBLISHER. IN 1953 FOUNDED CITY LIGHTS WITH PETER DEAN MARTIN. CITY LIGHTS WAS A PUBLISHING HOUSE AND A BOOKSTORE. IN 1956 PUBLISHED HOWL BY ALLEN GINSBERG FOR WHICH HE WAS SUED ON GROUNDS OF OBSCENITY. IN 1958 FERLINGHETTI PUBLISHED THE FIRST COLLECTION OF HIS POEMS A CONEY ISLAND OF THE MIND WHICH SOLD OVER ONE MILLION COPIES.
TONY FEEDBACK (61) / AKA TONY PERFECT, BORN TONY MORRISON, ENGLISH PUNK ROCK GUITARIST, BASS GUITARIST, SONGWRITER, LEAD SINGER, SESSION MUSICIAN. STARTED PLAYING GUITAR IN 1977 INFLUENCED BY THE DIY PUNK ROCK ATTITUDE. IN 1978 FORMED THE INDICATORS, THEN AFTER SUGGESTION FROM SHAM 69's SINGER JIMMY PURSEY, CHANGED THE NAME TO LONG TALL SHORTY, A LONDON MOD REVIVAL BAND, SIGNED TO WARNER BROS, RELEASED A FEW SINGLES, SPLIT IN 1981. JOINED ANGELIC UPSTARTS FOR 3 YEARS, MADE 3 ALBUMS WITH THEM. IN 2001 REFORMED LONG TALL SHORTY MAKING 5 ALBUMS. IN 2011 JOINED SHAM 69. KILLED BY COVID-19.
FEBRUARY 23
SEAN KENNEDY (35) / AUSTRALIAN HARDCORE PUNK AND METALCORE BASSIST. PLAYED WITH METALCORE I KILLED THE PROM QUEEN (WAS ON THEIR FIRST TWO STUDIO ALBUMS), THEN WITH THEIR DRUMMER JJ PETERS FOUNDED HARDCORE PUNK DEEZ NUTS. COMMITTED SUICIDE.
FEBRUARY 28
IAN NORTH (68) / AMERICAN PROTOPUNK, PUNK AND NEW WAVE MUSICIAN, SINGER, GUITARIST, PRODUCER AND PAINTER. IN 1973 WITH JAY WEISS FORMED A PROTOPUNK / POWER POP / GLAM ROCK BAND MILK'N'COOKIES. THEY PLAYED IN NYC CLUBS LIKE CBGB's WITH THE NEW YORK DOLLS, RAMONES, TALKING HEADS ETC. THEIR FIRST ALBUM IGNORED THEN IS NOW A CLASSIC. GOT A SOLO CONTRACT WITH ISLAND, MOVED TO LONDON AND FORMED IAN'S RADIO, LATER BECOMING NEO. WORKED WITH MUSICIANS FROM ROXY MUSIC AND SPARKS. IN 1978 IAN NORTH RECORDED HIS SOLO PUNK ALBUM NEO IN IAN GILLAN'S STUDIO (RELEASED 1979 ON AURA RECORDS). RETURNED TO NYC, RECORDED SOLO ALBUM MY GIRLFRIEND'S DEAD (SOME CALL IT A SYNTH-POP MASTERPIECE) AND EP RAPE OF THE ORCHIDS AND PRODUCED GLAM PUNK / GARAGE PUNK BAND THE FAST. HIS SON SAM NORTH AKA Sammy thrashLife IS A PUNK SINGER, PAINTER, WRITER AND PUNK RECORD LABEL OWNER.
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