MUSICIANS WHO DIED IN JUNE 2018
MUSICIANS WHO DIED IN JUNE 2018
JUNE 1
EDDY CLEARWATER (83) / AMERICAN BLUES GUITARIST (LEFT-HANDED) AND SONGWRITER WITH SOME CHEROKEE ROOTS. OFTEN PERFORMED WEARING A NATIVE AMERICAN HEADDRESS, AND GOT THE NICKNAME THE CHIEF. A COUSIN OF THE BLUES HARMONICA PLAYER CAREY BELL. CHILDHOOD IN MISSISSIPPI AND ALABAMA. STARTED PLAYING GUITAR AT 13. PLAYED GOSPEL WITH FIVE BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA. MOVED TO CHICAGO IN 1950 AND WORKED WITH OTIS RUSH AND MAGIC SAM. NOMINATED FOR A GRAMMY AWARD IN 2004.
JUNE 3
ROBERT BRYLEWSKI (57) / LEGENDARY POLISH UNDERGROUND MUSICIAN, SINGER, SONGWRITER, STUDIO OWNER AND RECORDING ENGINEER, PRODUCER AND ARTIST. ONE OF THE FIRST POLISH PUNKS. FOUNDER AND CO-FOUNDER OF MANY PIONEERING AND INFLUENTIAL BANDS LIKE KRYZYS, BRYGADA KRYZYS, IZRAEL, ARMIA, FALAREK ETC. WAS AMONG THE VERY FIRST ARTISTS TO INRODUCE TO THE POLISH INDEPENDENT MUSIC SCENE NEW GENRES LIKE PUNK, REGGAE, DUB, NEW WAVE, HARDCORE, ELECTRONIC AND TECHNO. BRYLEWSKI FOUNDED HIS FIRST PUNK BAND THE BOORS IN 1978 WHEN HE WAS SEVENTEEN. IT SOON BECAME KRYZYS AND THEIR SELFTITLED ALBUM WAS ILLEGALLY RELEASED IN FRANCE BY BLITZKRIEG RECORDS IN 1981. THEN WITH TOMASZ LIPIŃSKI FROM TILT HE FORMED BRYGADA KRYZYS. THEIR SELFTITLED ALBUM ON THE STATE OWNED LABEL TONPRESS IS THOUGHT TO BE THE FIRST OFFICIALLY RELASED POLISH PUNK LP (1982) AND REMAINS ONE OF THE MOST RESPECTED AND POPULAR (150 000 COPIES ON VINYL ONLY) ROCK RECORDS EVER. NEXT ROBERT BRYLEWSKI STARTED REGGAE GROUP IZRAEL WITH KELNER FROM DEUTER, LIPIŃSKI AND BRYLEWSKI'S FUTURE WIFE VIVIAN QUARCOO AMONG OTHERS (ROBERT AND VIVIAN'S DAUGHTER SARA IS AN INTERESTING SINGER SONGWRITER HERSELF). THE NEXT BAND WAS ARMIA, A HIGHLY ORIGINAL PUNK AND HARDCORE BAND FOUNDED WITH TOMASZ BUDZYŃSKI FROM SIEKIERA.
IN JANUARY 2018 ROBERT BRYLEWSKI WAS BRUTALLY BEATEN IN HIS WARSAW FLAT. A DRUNK ATTACKER FORCED HIS WAY IN BRYLEWSKI'S FLAT AND STARTED BEATING HIM. THE MURDERER WAS ARRESTED SOON AFTERWARDS. ROBERT HAS BEEN IN A COMA FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS AND DIED IN A HOSPITAL ON JUNE 3 AT THE AGE OF 57.
CLARENCE FOUNTAIN (88) / AMERICAN GOSPEL SINGER, ONE OF THE FOUNDING MEMBERS OF THE HAPPYLAND JUBILEE SINGERS (THEY WERE ALL ABOUT NINE YEARS OLD). TEN YEARS LATER THEY BECAME THE FAMOUS FIVE BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA AND THEIR FIRST SINGLE "I CAN SEE EVERYBODY'S MOTHER BUT MINE" WAS A HIT. LATER THEY INFLUENCED ARTISTS LIKE BOBBY "BLUE" BLAND AND MARVIN GAYE. IN THE 1960's JOINED THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT AND PLAYED BENEFITS FOR DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
JUNE 4
JALALUDDIN MANSUR NURIDDIN (73) / AMERICAN POET AND MUSICIAN ALSO KNOWN AS LIGHTNIN' ROD OR ALAFIA PUDIM. ONE OF THE FOUNDING MEMBERS OF THE LAST POETS, A PROTO-RAP SPOKEN-WORD GROUP OF POETS AND MUSICIANS FOUNDED IN THE 1960's, WHOSE MEMBERS CAME FROM THE HARLEM WRITERS WORKSHOP IN NEW YORK CITY. IN 1973, AS LIGHTNIN' ROD HE RECORDED HUSTLERS CONVENTION. THE ALBUM FEATURING KING CURTIS, CORNELL DUPREE, ERIC GALE, GENE DINWIDDIE, BUZZ FEITEN, BILLY PRESTON AND KOOL & THE GANG, COMBINED POETRY, JAZZ, FUNK AND TOASTING AND IS CREDITED AS THE FIRST EVER RAP ALBUM. HUSTLERS CONVENTION WAS A BIG INFLUENCE ON HIP HOP AND JALAL WAS CALLED "THE GRANDFATHER OF RAP". NURIDDIN WAS ALSO FEATURED IN THE DOCUMENTARY WORD UP - FROM GHETTO TO MECCA ALONG WITH POETS GIL SCOTT HERON, MARK T. WATSON (MALIK AL NASIR), ROD YOUNGS AND DUB POET BENJAMIN ZEPHANIAH. IN THE FILM JALALUDDIN DISCUSSES THE INFLUENCE OF THE AFRICAN ORAL TRADITION ON THE SPOKEN WORD AND THE ORIGINS OF RAP AND HIP HOP.
JUNE 8
DANNY KIRWAN (68) / BRITISH GUITARIST, SINGER AND SONGWRITER WHO PLAYED BLUES ROCK WITH FLEETWOOD MAC (1968-1972) WITH PETER GREEN AND JEREMY SPENCER AND TRAMP WITH JO ANN KELLY, DAVE KELLY AND MICK FLEETWOOD (1969, 1974).
JUNE 9
LORRAINE GORDON (95) / AMERICAN JAZZ ADVOCATE, THE OWNER OF THE VILLAGE VANGUARD JAZZ CLUB IN NEW YORK CITY. IN 1942 MARRIED ALFRED LION, CO-FOUNDER OF BLUE NOTE RECORDS, THE BEST JAZZ RECORD LABEL OF ALL TIMES. THEY RECORDED SIDNEY BECHET AND THELONIOUS MONK. IN 1949 SHE MARRIED MAX GORDON, WHO STARTED THE LEGENDARY VILLAGE VANGUARD JAZZ CLUB IN 1935. LORRAINE GORDON WAS A PEACE ACTIVIST (WOMEN STRIKE FOR PEACE GROUP) AND PROTESTED AGAINST THE VIETNAM WAR AND NUCLEAR WEAPONS. WROTE AN AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIR "ALIVE AT THE VILLAGE VANGUARD: MY LIFE IN AND OUT OF JAZZ TIME". RECEIVED THE NEA JAZZ MASTER AWARD FOR JAZZ ADVOCACY.
JUNE 11
WAYNE DOCKERY (76) / AMERICAN JAZZ DOUBLE BASSIST. WORKED WITH SONNY FORTUNE, GEORGE BENSON, HAL GALPER, EDDIE HENDERSON, FREDDIE HUBBARD, SUNNY MURRAY, ARCHIE SHEPP, JUNIOR COOK, HAROLD ASHBY, MICHAEL BRECKER, BILLY HARPER.
JUNE 12
JOHN HISEMAN (73) / ENGLISH DRUMMER, BANDLEADER, PROGRESSIVE-ROCK INNOVATOR, RECORD PRODUCER, RECORDING ENGINEER, MUSIC PUBLISHER. BEST KNOWN FOR HIS PROGRESSIVE JAZZ-ROCK BAND COLLOSEUM (WITH DAVE GREENSLADE AND DICK HECKSTALL-SMITH). HIS OTHER BANDS WERE TEMPEST (WITH ALLAN HOLDSWORTH), COLLOSEUM II (WITH GARY MOORE). WORKED WITH GEORGIE FAME, JOHN MAYALL'S BLUESBREAKERS (BARE WIRES ALBUM) AND GRAHAM BOND ORGANISATION (REPLACING GINGER BAKER, WHO LEFT TO FORM CREAM WITH ERIC CLAPTON AND JACK BRUCE). PLAYED WITH (SAXOPHONIST, COMPOSER AND HIS WIFE) BARBARA THOMPSON'S GROUP PARAPHERNALIA (SINCE 1979). HISEMAN AND THOMPSON ALSO WORKED WITH THE UNITED JAZZ+ROCK ENSEMBLE (14 ALBUMS) AND WITH THE MUSICAL THEATRE COMPOSER ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER.
JUNE 13
D.J. FONTANA (87) / AMERICAN ROCK AND ROCKABILLY DRUMMER. IN 1955 JOINED THE BLUE MOON BOYS. THEY WERE ELVIS PRESLEY (RHYTHM GUITAR), SCOTTY MOORE (LEAD GUITAR) AND BILL BLACK (BASS). THEY RECORDED MANY ELVIS HITS OF THE 1950's LIKE HEARTBREAK HOTEL, HOUND DOG, DON'T BE CRUEL OR JAILHOUSE ROCK. D.J. FONTANA SPENT FIFTEEN YEARS PLAYING WITH ELVIS PRESLEY AND RECORDED OVER 460 TRACKS WITH HIM FOR THE RCA LABEL. HIS TRADEMARK WAS SIMPLICITY. HE SAID: " I think the simple approach comes from my hearing so much big band music. I mixed it with rockabilly". FONTANA WAS INDUCTED INTO THE ROCKABILLY HALL OF FAME AND THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME.
JUNE 15
MATT MURPHY (88) / AMERICAN BLUES GUITARIST. BORN IN MISSISSIPPI, STARTED PLAYING GUITAR AS A CHILD. IN 1948 MOVED TO CHICAGO AND JOINED THE HOWLIN' WOLF BAND (WITH LITTLE JUNIOR PARKER). IN 1952 RECORDED WITH PARKER AND IKE TURNER. THEN WORKED WITH MEMPHIS SLIM, CHUCK BERRY (TWO ALBUMS), KOKO TAYLOR, SONNY BOY WILLIAMSON II, BUDDY GUY, ETTA JAMES, OTIS RUSH. IN 1963 DID EUROPEAN TOUR WITH THE AMERICAN FOLK BLUES FESTIVAL. FREDDIE KING BASED HIS LEGENDARY HIDE AWAY ON MURPHY'S PERFORMANCE THERE. IN THE 1970's WITH HARP VIRTUOSO JAMES COTTON (SIX ALBUMS). JOINED THE BLUES BROTHERS TOURING BAND. APPEARED IN THE FILMS THE BLUES BROTHERS (1980) AND BLUES BROTHERS 2000 (1998), PLAYING ARETHA FRANKLIN'S HUSBAND.
NICK KNOX (60) / AMERICAN DRUMMER FOR THE PSYCHOBILLY BAND THE CRAMPS. HE STAYED WITH THEM LONGER THAN ANY OTHER DRUMMER (1977-1991) AFTER REPLACING ANOTHER CLEVELAND PUNK LEGEND MIRIAM LINNA. HE GAVE THE CRAMPS A TIGHT SOUND AND HELPED BUILD THE WORLDWIDE POPULARITY (E.G. THE 1986 A DATE WITH ELVIS TOUR). BEFORE THE CRAMPS KNOX PLAYED IN A PROTO-PUNK BAND electric eels. LATE IN LIFE KNOX HELPED THE YOUNG CLEVELAND PUNK ORGAN BAND ARCHIE AND THE BUNKERS.
JUNE 17
PETER CLIFTON (72) / AUSTRALIAN FILM DIRECTOR BEST KNOWN FOR DIRECTING THE LED ZEPPELIN CONCERT FILM THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME (1976). STARTED IN THE 1960's HE MADE A 30-MINUTE FILM ABOUT AUSTRALIAN BAND THE EASYBEATS (THE 1967 ENGLISH TOUR - SOMEWHERE BETWEEN HEAVEN AND WOOLWORTHS) AND FILMED JIMI HENDRIX LIVE GIG. IN 1973 DIRECTED THE LONDON ROCK AND ROLL SHOW (ABOUT A WMBLEY STADIUM ROCK FESTIVAL). IN 1979 FILMED THE FINAL CONCERT OF AMERICA's WORLD TOUR (LIVE IN CENTRAL PARK). CLIFTON MADE AND PRODUCED CLIPS AND VIDEOS FOR THE ROLLING STONES (JUMPIN' JACK FLASH), THE BEACH BOYS, JIM MORRISON AND ERIC CLAPTON.
JUNE 20
DAVID BIANCO (63) / AMERICAN RECORD PRODUCER, ENGINEER AND MIXER. WORKED WITH ROLLINS BAND (WEIGHT, 1994), HENRY ROLLINS (DISCONNECT [#1], 1994) T.S.O.L. (DIVIDED WE STAND, 2003), THE DAMNED (GRAVE DISORDER, 2001), FRANK BLACK (TEENAGER OF THE YEAR, HEADACHE [1] & [2], ALL 1994), EXENE CERVENKA (THE EXCITEMENT OF MAYBE, 2011), DROPKICK MURPHYS (THE WARRIOR'S CODE, 2005), MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD (EVERYONE DESERVES MUSIC, 2003), DANZIG (DANZIG, 1988, DANZIG II: LUCIFUGE, 1990) AND ALSO JOHNNY CASH, BOB DYLAN, TOM PETTY, NAZARETH, RUSH, ARLO GUTHRIE / PETE SEEGER, GEORGE BENSON, THROWING MUSES, NATALIE MERCHANT, MUDHONEY, THE POSIES, PRIMAL SCREAM, THE AFGHAN WHIGS, THE DONNAS, BECK, TEENAGE FANCLUB, D GENERATION AND COUNTLESS OTHERS.
DOMINIK POŁOŃSKI (41) / POLISH CLASSICAL MUSICIAN, THE WORLD'S ONLY MUSICIAN TO PLAY A BOWED INSTRUMENT (CELLO) WITH HIS RIGHT HAND ONLY. BORN IN KRAKOW IN 1977, STUDIED IN ŁÓDŹ AND MADRID. IN 1998 BECAME A CELLO CONCERTMASTER IN KRYSTIAN ZIMERMAN'S POLISH FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA. MASTER COURSES IN LONDON, BERLIN, LOS ANGELES. A WINNER OF THE LUTOSŁAWSKI COMPETITION AND OTHER COMPETITIONS. PhD IN MUSIC, TAUGHT AT THE ŁÓDŹ MUSIC ACADEMY. IN 2004 DOMINIK POŁOŃSKI WAS DIAGNOSED WITH BRAIN CANCER. AFTER A FEW COMPLICATED SURGERIES HE COULD ONLY USE ONE ARM. NEVER GAVE UP. PLAYED MODERN CLASSICAL PIECES WRITTEN ESPECIALLY FOR HIM. PERCUSSIONIST EVELYN GLENNIE WHO PLAYED WITH POŁOŃSKI SINFONIA CONCERTANTE FOR CELLO AND PERCUSSION "ENTELECHEIA" BY OLGA HANS, SAID: "no talent could shine brighter".
JUNE 22
MAREK KAREWICZ (80) / POLISH MUSIC PHOTOGRAPHER, THE MOST FAMOUS ONE. SPECIALIZING IN JAZZ, WAS ALSO INTERESTED IN ROCK AND POP. STARTED PHOTOGRAPHING JAZZ IN THE 1950's. aCCORDING TO VARIOUS SOURCES HIS ARCHIVES COMPRISED BETWEEN 800 000 TO 2 000 000 NEGATIVES. HE USED TO BE A MUSIC JOURNALIST, A DJ, WORKED FOR RADIO AND TELEVISION AND PROMOTED JAZZ IN MANY WAYS.
JUNE 27
STEVE SOTO (54) / AMERICAN HARDCORE PUNK MUSICIAN. A BASS GUITARIST, GUITARIST AND SINGER. PLAYED PUNK ROCK, HARDCORE PUNK, SKATE PUNK AND POP PUNK. IN 1979 STARTED PLAYING WITH AGENT ORANGE. IN 1980 FOUNDED THE ADOLESCENTS WHO STILL PLAY AFTER SEVERAL BREAKUPS. HE ALSO WORKED WITH LEGAL WEAPON (1981-1982), JOYRIDE (1989-1994), MANIC HISPANIC (1992-2017), 22 JACKS (1995-2018), STEVE SOTO AND THE TWISTED HEARTS (2008-2018). IN 2001 STEVE SOTO JOINED PUNK ROCK KARAOKE, A SUPERGROUP WITH ERIC MELVIN (NOFX), GREG HETSON (BAD RELIGION / CIRCLE JERKS), DEREK O'BRIEN (SOCIAL DISTORTION, D.I., AGENT ORANGE, ADOLESCENTS). OTHER PROJECTS WERE MANIC LOW FOUNDED BY JACK GRISHAM (T.S.O.L.) AND CJ RAMONE (RAMONES).
Previous page: MUSICIANS WHO DIED IN MAY 2018
Next page: MUSICIANS WHO DIED IN JULY 2018