MUSICIANS WHO DIED IN JANUARY 2018
MUSICIANS WHO DIED IN JANUARY 2018
JANUARY 4
RAY THOMAS (76) / ENGLISH ROCK MUSICIAN, FLUTIST, SAXOPHONIST, OBOIST, SINGER, SONGWRITER IN THE MOODY BLUES.
JANUARY 5
MIKIO FUJIOKA (36) / JAPANESE EXTREME METAL GUITARIST IN BABYMETAL BAND 2013-2018 (KAWAII METAL, KAWAIICORE PIONEERS).
JANUARY 7
FRANCE GALL (70) / POPULAR FRENCH CHANSON SINGER WITH LOVE FOR JAZZ. STARTED CAREER AS A TEENAGER, WORKED WITH SERGE GAINSBOURG. AT 17 WON THE 1965 EUROVISION SONG CONTEST (POUPEE DE CIRE, POUPEE DE SON). SOLD MILLIONS OF ALBUMS. HER HIT ELLA, ELLE L'A (ELLA, SHE HAS IT) WAS ATRIBUTE TO JAZZ SINGER ELLA FITZGERALD AND A PROTEST AGAINST RACISM (1.5 MILLION COPIES). AWARDED THE FRENCH LEGION OF HONOR IN 2013.
BUSTER STIGGS (63) / REAL NAME MARK JOHN HOUGH, ENGLISH-BORN NEW ZEALAND PUNK ROCK, NEW WAVE AND ROCK DRUMMER, SONGWRITER. PLAYED IN THE FIRST TWO NEW ZEALAND PUNK ROCK BANDS THE SUBURBAN REPTILES AND THE SCAVENGERS. STUDIED TO BE A TEACHER, ORIGINALLY WANTED TO BE A JAZZ MUSICIAN. BUT HE DISCOVERED PUNK WHEN IT EXPLODED AND DID NOT THINK TWICE. HE MUST HAVE BEEN A BAD BRAIN REALLY.
JANUARY 8
DENISE LaSALLE (78) / BORN ORA DENISE ALLEN, US BLUES AND R&B/SOUL SINGER, SONGWRITER, RECORD PRODUCER. CALLED THE QUEEN OF THE BLUES (AFTER KOKO TAYLOR'S DEATH). SOLD MILLIONS OF RECORDS. IN 2011 INDUCTED INTO THE BLUES HALL OF FAME.
JANUARY 10
"FAST" EDDIE CLARKE (67) / ENGLISH ROCK GUITARIST FAMOUS ESPECIALLY FOR HIS WORK WITH THE CLASSIC LINEUP OF THE HEAVY METAL LEGENDARY BAND MOTÖRHEAD (LEMMY KILMISTER, CLARKE AND PHIL TAYLOR). ALSO KNOWN FOR HIS OWN GROUP FASTWAY FOUNDED WITH BASS GUITARIST PETE WAY (FORMERLY OF UFO). BRIEFLY WORKED WITH THE AMERICAN PUNK ROCK BAND CALLED PLASMATICS, BRITISH GIRLSCHOOL AND THE CLASH'S DRUMMER TOPPER HEADON.
JANUARY 13
JEREMY INKEL (34) / CANADIAN ELECTRONIC MUSICIAN, KEYBOARD PLAYER AND PROGRAMMER FOR LEFT SPINE DOWN (LSD) AND ELECTRO-INDUSTRIAL FRONT LINE ASSEMBLY (FLA). LSD ARE FROM VANCOUVER AND PLAY "CYBERPUNK" (A MIXTURE OF ELECTRONICA, PUNK, METAL AND DRUM & BASS). INKEL WORKED WITH THEM 2003- 2009 AND WITH FLA 2005-2018. HE WAS MAINLY INSPIRED BY PUNK ROCK AND ELECTRONIC MUSIC.
JANUARY 14
MARLENE VerPLANCK (84) / US JAZZ AND POP SINGER CONCENTRATING ON BIG BAND JAZZ, THE AMERICAN SONGBOOK AND CABARET. IN 1955, AT 21 RECORDED DEBUT ALBUM I THINK OF YOU WITH EVERY BREATH I TAKE SUPPORTED BY HANK JONES, JOE WILDER, WENDELL MARSHALL, KENNY CLARKE AND HERBIE MANN. IN 1965 GOODIES WITH J.J. JOHNSON. ALSO A VOCALIST IN CHARLIE SPIVAK'S BAND AND THE TOMMY DORSEY BAND.
JANUARY 15
EDWIN HAWKINS (74) / US GOSPEL MUSICIAN, PIANIST, CHOIR MASTER, COMPOSER, ARRANGER, PIONEER OF URBAN CONTEMPORARY GOSPEL SOUND. LEADER OF THE EDWIN HAWKINS SINGERS. THEY HAD AN INTERNATIONAL HIT (IN 1968 AND 1969) RECORDING HIS ARRANGEMENT OF OH HAPPY DAY AT HAWKINS' CHURCH IN 1967. IN 1970 THE EDWIN HAWKINS SINGERS RECORDED WITH FOLK SINGER/SONGWRITER MELANIE (MELANIE SAFKA) HER GREAT PSYCHEDELIC POP HIT LAY DOWN (CANDLES IN THE RAIN) IN WHICH HAWKINS PLAYED THE PIANO. THE SONG WAS INSPIRED BY HER PERFORMANCE AT WOODSTOCK IN AUGUST 1969.
DOLORES O'RIORDAN (46) / IRISH MUSICIAN, SINGER/SONGWRITER, LEAD SINGER OF THE IRISH ROCK BAND THE CRANBERRIES (40 MILLION RECORDS WORLDWIDE). SUPER HITS: ZOMBIE, SALVATION, LINGER. (BTW LINGER WAS COVERED BY PUNK ROCKERS FROM SCREECHING WEASEL.)
MADE TWO SOLO ALBUMS: ARE YOU LISTENING? (2007) AND NO BAGGAGE (2009). FORMED A TRIO WITH ANDY ROURKE (THE SMITHS) AND OLE KORETSKY CALLED D.A.R.K. (FIRST ALBUM SCIENCE AGREES (SEPTEMBER 2016).
SHE WAS A FEMINIST AND ADVOCATED EQUAL RIGHTS.
JANUARY 16
DAVE HOLLAND (69) / ENGLISH ROCK DRUMMER. PLAYED POP, HEAVY METAL, HARD ROCK, FUNK ROCK. 1966-1969 PLAYED IN FINDERS KEEPERS WITH GLENN HUGHES (LATER DEEP PURPLE AND BLACK SABBATH) AND MEL GALLEY (LATER WHITESNAKE). IN 1969 THEY WERE FOUNDING MEMBERS OF TRAPEZE (THE MOODY BLUES BASSIST JOHN LODGE PRODUCED THEIR FIRST TWO ALBUMS TRAPEZE AND MEDUSA). IN 1975 HOLLAND SUPPORTED JUSTIN HAYWARD AND JOHN LODGE ON TOUR. IN 1979 JOINED JUDAS PRIEST. IN 1996 RECORDED WITH TONY IOMMI (THE 1996 DEP SESSIONS)
JANUARY 17
CHRISTIAN BURCHARD (71) / GERMAN MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST (DRUMS, VIBRAPHONE, SANTUR, KEYBOARD). IN 1969 FOUNDED JAZZ-ROCK / KRAUTROCK BAND EMBRYO WITH SAX AND FLUTE PLAYER EDGAR HOFFMANN. THIS MUSICAL COLLECTIVE WORKED WITH OVER 400 PLAYERS INCLUDING MAL WALDRON, CHARLIE MARIANO, MONTY WATERS, TRILOK GURTU, MARTY COOK, LARRY PORTER, ALLAN PRASKIN, OR FRANZ FERDINAND'S NICK McCARTHY. IN 2006 A COLLABORATION WITH NYC FREE-FORM IMPROV COLLECTIVE NO-NECK BLUES BAND TITLED EMBRYONNCK (STAUBGOLD). HIS DAUGHTER MARJA BURCHARD (DRUMS, PIANO, VIBRAPHONE, MARIMBA, VOCAL, TROMBONE) IS NOW LEADING THE BAND. CHRISTIAN BURCHARD (WITH TON STEINE SCHERBEN - GERMAN ROCK/ PROTOPUNK BAND) WAS ONE OF THE FOUNDERS OF THE FIRST GERMAN INDEPENDENT LABELS SCHNEEBALL IN 1976.
JANUARY 18
STEVE "GRIZZLY" NISBETT (69) / NEVIS-BORN BRITISH REGGAE DRUMMER (STEEL PULSE). IN 1957 LEFT THE CARIBBEAN TO EMIGRATE TO BIMINGHAM. AS A TEENAGER PLAYED DRUMS AND PERCUSSION WITH VARIOUS BANDS AND IN 1977 JOINED STEEL PULSE. OWNED A RECORD COMPANY CALLED GRIZZLY RECORDS.
JANUARY 20
JIM RODFORD (76) / ENGLISH ROCK BASS PLAYER. PLAYED PROGRESSIVE AND PSYCHEDELIC ROCK. IN 1964 HELPED HIS YOUNGER COUSIN ROD ARGENT FORM THE ZOMBIES. IN 1969 TOGETHER WITH KEYBOARDIST ROD ARGENT WAS A FOUNDING MEMBER OF ARGENT (1969-1976). THEN REDFORD JOINED THE KINKS (1978-1996) AND LATER PLAYED WITH THE ANIMALS II AND WITH THE ANIMALS AND FRIENDS WHICH INCLUDED EX-ANIMALS MUSICIANS.
TERRY EVANS (80) / AFRICAN AMERICAN R&B, BLUES AND SOUL SINGER, GUITARIST AND SONGWRITER.
JANUARY 23
HUGH MASEKELA (78) / SOUTH AFRICAN TRUMPETER, FLUGELHORNIST, CORNETIST, COMPOSER AND SINGER. CALLED THE "FATHER OF SOUTH AFRICAN JAZZ". WROTE FAMOUS ANTI-APARTHEID SONGS SUCH AS SOWETO BLUES OR MANDELA (BRING HIM BACK HOME). HIS VERSION OF GRAZING IN THE GRASS WAS NUMBER 1 IN US IN 1968 (FOUR MILLION COPIES).
STARTED CAREER AT 14. HE GOT HIS FIRST TRUMPET FROM LOUIS ARMSTRONG. IN 1959 FORMED THE JAZZ EPISTLES WITH DOLLAR BRAND (ABDULLAH IBRAHIM), KIPPIE MOEKETSI, MAKAYA NTSHOKO AND JOHNNY GERTZE. WORKED WITH MIRIAM MAKEBA (HIS WIFE 1964-1966). COLLABORATED WITH YEHUDI MENUHIN, JOHN DANKWORTH, HARRY BELAFONTE, PAUL SIMON (GRACELAND TOUR), HERB ALPERT, DAVE MATTHEWS BAND. RECORDED TWO SINGLES WITH THE BYRDS (SO YOU WANT TO BE A ROCK'N'ROLL STAR AND LADY FRIEND) AND PERFORMED AT THE MONTEREY POP FESTIVAL IN 1967. RECEIVED MANY AWARDS AND ALSO HONORARY DOCTORATES IN MUSIC.
JANUARY 24
MARK E. SMITH (60) / ENGLISH SINGER, SONGWRITER, BAND LEADER. FOUNDER, LEADER, DRIVING FORCE AND THE ONLY PERMANENT MEMBER OF HIGHLY INFLUENTIAL BRITISH POST-PUNK BAND THE FALL. MARK E. SMITH WAS A TEENAGE MEAT FACTORY AND DOCK WORKER WHO LEFT SCHOOL AND HOME AT 16 AND AFTER SEEING SEX PISTOLS IN MANCHESTER IN 1976 FORMED A BAND CALLED THE FALL (AFTER ALBERT CAMUS' NOVEL). OTHER INNOVATIVE 1976 MANCHESTER BANDS WERE BUZZCOCKS AND JOY DIVISION.
THE FALL WERE VERY ACTIVE FOR FOUR DECADES. THEY RELEASED 31 STUDIO ALBUMS, 32 LIVE ALBUMS AND 5 PART STUDIO, PART LIVE ONES. HAD 66 BAND MEMBERS (INCLUDING SMITH'S ONE-TIME WIFE - SINGER, GUITARIST AND IMPORTANT SONGWRITER BRIX SMITH START). THE FALL HAS ALWAYS HAD A CULT FOLLOWING. ONE OF THE BIGGEST FANS WAS A LEGENDARY RADIO DJ JOHN PEEL WHO RECORDED TWENTY FOUR SESSIONS OF THE BAND FOR HIS RADIO SHOW. THE 7 CD BOX OF THE COMPLETE PEEL SESSIONS 1978-2004 WAS VERY WELL RECEIVED, JUST AS WAS ANOTHER 7 CD BOX, THE FIRST COLLECTION OF ALL THEIR 7"S THE FALL - SINGLES 1978-2016 RELEASED JUST BEFORE SMITH'S DEATH.
JANUARY 28
NEIL HARRIS (63) / BRITISH PUNK ROCK MUSICIAN, A FOUNDING MEMBER (WITH JIMMY PURSEY) AND LEAD GUITARIST OF A PIONEERING UK PUNK BAND SHAM 69, FORMED IN HERSHAM IN 1975. THE ORIGINAL LINE-UP BROKE UP IN 1979. THEY HAD FIVE TOP 20 SINGLES (INCL. SUPERHIT IF THE KIDS ARE UNITED). NEIL HARRIS PLAYED WITH SHAM 69 FOR ABOUT TWO YEARS (1975-1977). IN 2011 HARRIS JOINED THE SO-CALLED TIM V SHAM 69 VERSION FOR SIX YEARS (2011-2017). SOME CONSIDERED THIS A FAKE AS OPPOSED TO "THE REAL" INCARNATION WHICH INCLUDED THREE ORIGINAL SHAM MEMBERS JIMMY PURSEY, DAVE PARSONS AND DAVE TREGUNNA.
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