MUSICIANS WHO DIED IN MAY 2021
MUSICIANS WHO DIED IN MAY 2021
MAY 1
W. ROYAL STOKES (90) / AMERICAN JAZZ CRITIC AND MUSIC JOURNALIST, MUSIC HISTORIAN AND NOVELIST. WAS AN EDITOR OF JazzTimes (1988-1990), WASHINGTON POST CRITIC, WROTE FIVE BOOKS ON JAZZ HISTORY (LIKE THE JAZZ SCENE), THREE NOVELS, WORKED FOR THE NPR (JAZZ LIVE!). ORIGINALLY HE STUDIED THE CLASSICS AND EVEN EARNED A Ph.D. IN 1965, TAUGHT AT DIFFERENT UNIVESITIES AND AROUND 40 DECIDED TO BECOME A JAZZ HIPPIE. IN THE MID-1970's STARTED WRITING FOR RADIO FREE JAZZ WHICH BECAME JazzTimes. LECTURED IN JAZZ HISTORY AT THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION AND A FEW UNIVERSITIES.
MAY 2
TOMMY WEST (78) / AKA THOMAS PICARDO, AMERICAN POP MUSIC RECORD PRODUCER AND SINGER-SONGWRITER. PLAYED KEYBOARDS, PIANO, GUITAR AND SANG. AT 16, WITH HIS CLASSMATE TIM HAUSER (FUTURE FOUNDING MEMBER OF MANHATTAN TRANSFER) CO-FOUNDED THE DOO-WOP GROUP THE CRITERIONS. WHILE STUDYING AT THE VILLANOVA UNIVERSITY, WEST FORMED THE 12-PIECE GROUP CALLED THE VILLANOVA SPIRES AND MET JIM CROCE. AS A SESSION SINGER SANG BACKING VOCALS ON ALBUMS BY FRANK SINATRA, SAMMY DAVIS Jr., PERRY COMO, CONNIE FRANCIS, MITCH RYDER. SANG ON RADIO AND TV JINGLES AND COMMERCIALS. ONE OF HIS PUBLISHING COMPANIES SIGNED FOLK DUO JIM AND INGRID CROCE. IN 1972 CO-PRODUCED JIM CROCE'S THIRD STUDIO ALBUM YOU DON'T MESS AROUND WITH JIM. IT WAS THE BEST SELLING ALBUM IN THE U.S. FOR FIVE WEEKS, BEING 93 WEEKS ON THE CHARTS, PARTLY DUE TO CROCE'S TRAGIC DEATH IN A PLANE CRASH. IT INCLUDED THE POSTHUMOUSLY RELEASED #1 SINGLE "TIME IN A BOTTLE" (THOUGH INITIALLY NOT INTENDED TO RELEASE AS A SINGLE BY ABC RECORDS). IN 1973 TOMMY WEST CO-PRODUCED THE OTHER TWO CROCE'S ALBUMS FOR ABC, RECEIVING FIVE GOLD RECORDS, AND "BAD, BAD LEROY BROWN", CROCE'S LAST NUMBER ONE SINGLE BEFORE HIS DEATH.
MAY 3
LLOYD PRICE (88) / AKA MR. PERSONALITY, AMERICAN R&B VOCALIST, PLAYED ALSO TRUMPET, PIANO. IN 1959 HAD A #1, MILLION-SELLING R&B / POP HIT SINGLE "PERSONALITY". HIS FIRST RECORDING "LAWDY MISS CLAWDY" WAS ALSO A BIG HIT IN 1952. MADE FOR SPECIALTY RECORDS WITH DAVE BARTHOLOMEW BAND AND FATS DOMINO ON PIANO. IN 1959 ANOTHER MILLION SELLER, PRICE'S VERSION OF AN OLD FOLK SONG "STAGGER LEE" (#1 ON THE BILLBOARD HOT 100). HIS VERSION WAS PERHAPS THE BIGGEST, BUT THERE WERE MANY OTHER INCLUDING THOSE BY MA RAINEY WITH LOUIS ARMSTRONG, DUKE ELLINGTON, CAB CALLOWAY, WOODY GUTHRIE, JAMES BROWN, IKE AND TINA TURNER, WILSON PICKETT, TAJ MAHAL, DR. JOHN, FABULOUS THUNDERBIRDS, SOUTHSIDE JOHNNY AND THE ASBURY JUKES, HUEY LEWIS AND THE NEWS, KEB' MO', BOB DYLAN AND HARDCORE PUNK MODERN LIFE IS WAR AND MANY OTHERS. THE SONG'S STORY INSPIRED THE CLASH ("WRONG 'EM BOYO"), THE GRATEFUL DEAD, NICK CAVE AND THE BAD SEEDS, THE BLACK KEYS. LLOYD PRICE AND THE BOXING PROMOTER DON KING FORMED A RECORD LABEL, LPG. LLOYD PRICE WAS ALSO A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSMAN, OWNING TWO CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES AND MANAGING LLOYD PRICE ICON FOOD BRANDS. IN 1998 INDUCTED INTO THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME.
PHIL NARO (63) / AMERICAN ROCK VOCALIST. WORKED WITH BILLY SHEEHAN, PETER CRISS (KISS), LOU GRAMM, JULIAN LENNON, BRIAN MAY (QUEEN), GENE CORNISH OF THE RASCALS, LEE AARON, CARMINE APPICE, GEOFF DOWNES, RON BUMBLEFOOT THAL, MEMBERS OF VANILLA FUDGE, CACTUS, YES, ASIA, WHITESNAKE, THE FIRM, THE BUGGLES, GUNS AND ROSES. IN THE LATE 1970's NARO WAS IN THE BILLY SHEEHAN BAND, THEN IN ANOTHER SHEEHAN PROJECT CALLED TALAS. WHEN SHEEHAN LEFT TO JOIN DAVID LEE ROTH, NARO CONTINUED WITH TALAS AND THE NEW LINEUP. PHIL NARO ALSO PLAYED IN D DRIVE AND THE PHIL AND JOHN SHOW WITH JOHNNY ROGERS.
MAY 4
RODOLFO GARCIA (75) / ARGENTINE ROCK DRUMMER AND ACCORDIONIST. PLAYED IN THE REVOLUTIONARY PSYCHEDELIC GROUP ALMENDRA (1967-1970 AND 1979-1981) CREATING A NEW ROCK SCENE CALLED ROCK NACIONAL. IN 1971 GARCIA FORMED FOLK / BLUES / PROGRESSIVE ROCK BAND AQUELLARE (1971-1977). THEN WITH AQUELLARE'S GUITARIST HECTOR STARC HE FORMED TANTOR INFLUENCED BY JAZZ AND ROCK (1977-1983) WHICH PLAYED FOR OVER 70 000 PEOPLE AT THE BUENOS AIRES LATIN AMERICA SOLIDARITY FESTIVAL (MAY 16, 1982) DURING THE FALKLANDS WAR. THEY WERE OPPOSING THE DICTATORSHIP (THE PERIOD OF STATE TERRORISM CALLED "THE DIRTY WAR" WITH AT LEAST 22,000 PEOPLE KIDNAPPED, TORTURED, MURDERED OR "DISAPPEARED") SUPPORTED BY RONALD REAGAN. 1989-1993 RODOLFO GARCIA PLAYED IN LA BARRACA. RECENTLY GARCIA FOUNDED HIS NEW BAND JAGUAR.
MAY 6
BRAŇO ALEX (55-56) / AKA ŠIMPY, SLOVAK PUNK ROCK BASSIST, SINGER, COMPOSER, LYRICIST BORN IN 1964. ONE OF THE LEADERS OF THE CZECHOSLOVAK PUNK ROCK SCENE. CO-FOUNDER OF ZONE A IN 1984 AND SLOBODNÁ EURÓPA (FREE EUROPE) IN 1989. THIS BAND SPLIT IN 1994 BECAUSE OF HEROIN ADDICTION (REFORMED IN 2000). BRAŇO ALEX WAS DROPPED IN 2012 DUE TO HEALTH REASONS AND HIS DRUG ADDICTION. ALEX RECORDED A SOLO ALBUM THIS IS PUNKROCK FROM TRANSYLVANIA IN 1999.
MAY 8
CURTIS FULLER (86) / AMERICAN JAZZ TRMBONIST. AT SCHOOL IN DETROIT A FRIEND OF PAUL CHAMBERS AND DONALD BYRD, KNEW ALSO TOMMY FLANAGAN, THAD JONES, MILT JACKSON. AROUND 20 IN A BAND WITH CHAMBERS, CANNONBALL AND NAT ADDERLEY, THEN IN YUSEF LATEEF QUINTET. IN 1957 MOVED TO NY, FIRST SESSIONS AS A LEADER FOR PRESTIGE. GIGS WITH MILES DAVIS LED TO FOUR OWN DATES FOR ALFRED LION AND THE BLUE NOTE RECORDS AND MANY AS A SIDEMAN WITH SONNY CLARK, JOHN COLTRANE, BUD POWELL, JIMMY SMITH, WAYNE SHORTER, LEE MORGAN, JOE HENDERSON. JOINED ART FARMER-BENNY GOLSON JAZZTET (NAMED AFTER THE CURTIS FULLER JAZZTET) AND WAS ON THEIR DEBUT FOR ARGO - MEET THE JAZZTET IN 1960. 1961-1964 JOINED THE JAZZ MESSENGERS BECOMING THE SIXTH MEMBER OF ART BLAKEY'S BAND. ALSO RECORDED WITH ART FARMER, DEXTER GORDON, JOHNNY GRIFFIN, HAMPTON HAWES, CLIFF JORDAN, GIL EVANS, BENNY GOLSON, HANK MOBLEY, WOODY SHAW, BOOKER LITTLE, BLUE MITCHELL, JIMMY SMITH, KENNY DORHAM, QUINCY JONES, AHMED ABDUL-MALIK, WALTER BISHP Jr., JIMMY HEATH, ABBEY LINCOLN, FREDDIE HUBBARD, COUNT BASIE, DAVE BAILEY, BUDDY DeFRANCO, BOB BROOKMEYER, PAUL CHAMBERS, WILLIS CONOVER, LOU DONALDSON, SLIDE HAMPTON, WILBUR HARDEN, TOMMY FLANAGAN, JACKIE McLEAN, PHIL WOODS, PAUL QUINICHETTE, KAI WINDING, CECIL PAYNE, FRANK WESS, STANLEY TURRENTINE, CEDAR WALTON, ERNIE WILKINS, GARY McFARLAND, DAVID "FATHEAD" NEWMAN, BOBBY WATSON AND MANY OTHERS. MADE 16 ALBUMS WITH ART BLAKEY AND 28 AS LEADER.
MAY 12
BOB KOESTER (88) / AMERICAN MUSIC EXECUTIVE, RECORD PRODUCER AND BUSINESSMAN, FOUNDER AND OWNER OF DELMARK RECORDS, AN INDEPENDENT RECORD LABEL DEVOTED TO JAZZ AND BLUES, AND OF THE JAZZ RECORD MART IN CHICAGO, THE BIGGEST RECORD STORE OF THIS KIND IN THE WORLD. DELMARK RECORDS IS THE OLDEST INDEPENDENT RECORD LABEL. IT STARTED IN ST. LOUIS IN 1953 AS DELMAR AND IN 1958 BOB KOESTER MOVED IT TO CHICAGO AS DELMARK. INITIALLY DOCUMENTED MAINLY TRADITIONAL JAZZ AND BLUES SCENES (BIG JOE WILLIAMS, SPECKLED RED, J. D. SHORT), LATER INCLUDED MORE MODERN FORMS AND THE AVANTGARDE LIKE SUN RA, ANTHONY BRAXTON, SONNY STITT, WYNTON KELLY, CURTIS FULLER (DIED FOUR DAYS AGO), JIMMY FORREST, THE ART ENSEMBLE OF CHICAGO, ROSCOE MITCHELL, NICOLE MITCHELL, FRED ANDERSON, ERNEST DAWKINS, ROB MAZUREK, AACM MUSICIANS AMONG OTHERS AND LOTS OF BLUES LIKE OTIS RUSH, JIMMY DAWKINS, T-BONE WALKER, JUNIOR WELLS, LITTLE WALTER, J. B. HUTTO, SLEEPY JOHN ESTES, LUTHER ALLISON, MAGIC SAM AND MANY MORE.
MAY 13
NORMAN SIMMONS (91) / AMERICAN JAZZ PIANIST, COMPOSER, ARRANGER, EDUCATOR. IN THE EARLY 1950s IN CHICAGO PLAYED WITH WARDELL GRAY, LESTER YOUNG, CHARLIE PARKER. IN 1966 ARRANGED THE TRADITIONAL SONG "WADE IN THE WATER" FOR RAMSEY LEWIS TRIO WHICH WAS A BIG HIT. FROM 2002 A MEMBER OF THE ELLINGTON LEGACY BAND. NORMAN SIMMONS WORKED A LOT WITH HELEN HUMES, CARMEN McRAE, SARAH VAUGHAN, ANITA O'DAY, JOE WILLIAMS AND RECORDED WITH JOHNNY GRIFFIN, RED HOLLOWAY, CARMEN McRAE, ROY ELDRIDGE, BETTY CARTER, DAKOTA STATON, CLIFFORD JORDAN, SCOTT HAMILTON, WARREN VACHE, VON FREEMAN, HAROLD OUSLEY, ETTA JONES, AL GREY AND 10 ALBUMS AS LEADER. HE ARRANGED THREE RIVERSIDE ALBUMS BY JOHNNY GRIFFIN AND THE DEBUT ALBUM BY TERI THORNTON.
JACK TERRICLOTH (50) / AMERICAN PUNK ROCK MUSICIAN, GUITARIST AND THE LEAD SINGER OF THE CABARET-PUNK BAND THE WORLD / INFERNO FRIENDSHIP SOCIETY WHICH COMBINED PUNK ROCK, DARK CABARET, SWING PUNK. THE BAND HAD OVER 40 MEMBERS (INCL. FELIPE TORRES FROM HARDCORE PUNK REAGAN YOUTH AND THE MONKEES, KEN THOMPSON FROM PUNK JAZZ GUTBUCKET, BRIAN VIGLIONE FROM BRECHTIAN PUNK CABARET THE DRESDEN DOLLS, PUNK ROCK MORNING GLORY AND HUMANWINE AND FOLK PUNK VIOLENT FEMMES, ARA BABAJIAN FROM PUNK ROCK LEFTÖVER CRACK AND STARFUCKING HIPSTERS AND SKA THE SLACKERS, GEOFF BLYTHE FROM DEXYS MIDNIGHT RUNNERS OR FRANZ NICOLAY FROM AGAINST ME!). WORLD INFERNO RECORDED FOR MANY LABELS INCL. TWO ALTERNATIVE TENTACLES ALBUMS: THIS PACKED FUNERAL (2014) AND ALL BORDERS ARE POROUS TO CATS (2020). JACK TERRICLOTH FORMED HIS FIRST BAND STICKS AND STONES IN THE EARLY 1990's AND THEY REUNITED IN 2017.
MAY 15
ALEXEY BATASHEV (86) / RUSSIAN JAZZ CRITIC, WRITER, HISTORIAN, MC, MUSICIAN, JOURNALIST, MANAGER. BORN IN A POLITICAL PRISON IN 1934, GOT INTERESTED IN JAZZ IN 1938 (DUKE ELLINGTON, MILLS BROTHERS RECORDS), 1951-1957 STUDIES AT MOSCOW UNIVERSITY (ANDREI SAKHAROV), 1953 THE OLYMPIC SWIMMING TEAM, SELF-TAUGHT ON CLARINET, TENOR SAXOPHONE, 1954-1960 PLAYS IN JAZZ BANDS, COMPOSES, ARRANGES, 1957 PLAYS JAMS AT THE WORLD YOUTH AND STUDENTS FESTIVAL, 1958 JAMS AT THE OPENING OF THE FIRST SOVIET JAZZ CLUB IN LENINGRAD, FIRST ARTICLE IN THE POLSH JAZZ MONTHLY, 1960 HOSTS NY JAZZ QUARTET WHO WANT TO STAY IN TH USSR TO LIVE AND PLAY JAZZ, FOUNDS THE MOSCOW JAZZ CLUB, 1965 FIRST VISIT ABROAD TO THE PRAGUE AND WARSAW INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVALS. ALEXEY BATASHEV WROTE BOOKS, OVER 700 ARTICLES, LINER NOTES, LECTURED (ALSO WITH LEONARD FEATHER), MCed, LED MASTER CLASSES AND SEMINARS (BERKLEE COLLEGE, ALASKA, SAN FRANCISCO ETC.) HIS OTHER ACTIVITIES ARE TOO MANY TO BE MENTIONED HERE.
MARIO PAVONE (80) / AMERICAN JAZZ BASSIST, COMPOSER, BANDLEADER. SELF-TAUGHT MUSICIAN BY HIS NEIGHBOUR, GUITARIST JOE DIORIO AND SEEING JOHN COLTRANE AT THE VILLAGE VANGUARD IN 1961. IN 1975 FOUNDED CREATIVE MUSICIANS IMPROVISING FORUM (CMIF) WITH WADADA LEO SMITH, GERRY HEMINGWAY. 1968-1972 WORKED WITH PAUL BLEY TRIO, IN THE 1980's WITH BILL DIXON TRIO. IN THE EARLY 1990's CO-LED A GROUP WITH ANTHONY BRAXTON, 18 YEARS WITH SAXOPHONIST THOMAS CHAPIN. HIS GROUPS INCLUDED JOSHUA REDMAN, DAVE DOUGLAS, STEVEN BERNSTEIN, MICHAEL SARIN, CRAIG TABORN, TONY MALABY ETC. MARIO PAVONE MADE 23 ALBUMS AS LEADER AND RECORDED WITH ANTHONY BRAXTON, BILL DIXON, THOMAS CHAPIN, PAUL BLEY, ALAN SILVA, ANETTE PEACOCK, MICHAEL PAVONE, PATTY WATERS.
MAY 17
NEAL FORD (78) / AMERICAN ROCK SINGER FROM HOUSTON, TEXAS. A VETERAN OF THE LOCAL MUSIC SCENE, IN 1964 HE FOUNDED THE PSYCHEDELIC ROCK BAND NEAL FORD AND THE FENATICS PIONEERING PSYCHEDELIC ROCK MUSIC WITH THEIR CONTEMPORARIES THE 13th FLOOR ELEVATORS AND THE MOVING SIDEWALKS. THIS INTERESTING GARAGE BAND RECORDED ONLY ONE, SELF-TITLED, ALBUM IN 1967 AND SPLIT IN 1970.
MAY 20
ROGER HAWKINS (75) / AMERICAN DRUMMER AND STUDIO OWNER. PLAYED DRUMS AND PERCUSSION MAINLY AS A SESSION MUSICIAN IN A STUDIO BACKING BAND IN THE MUSCLE SHOALS RHYTHM SECTION (AKA THE SWAMPERS) IN ALABAMA IN MUSCLE SHOALS SOUND STUDIO OF WHICH HE WAS A CO-FOUNDER IN 1969. THE SWAMPERS WERE MENTIONED IN THE CLASSIC LYNYRD SKYNYRD SONG "SWEET HOME ALABAMA". LYNYRD SKYNYRD RECORDED IN THE STUDIO JUST LIKE ARETHA FRANKLIN, WILSON PICKETT, CAT STEVENS, JOE COCKER, PAUL SIMON, BOB SEGER, THE ROLLING STONES, LEVON HELM AND MANY OTHERS. ROGER HAWKINS RECORDED WITH THEM AND ALSO WITH ALBERT KING, BOBBY "BLUE" BLAND, ERIC CLAPTON, DUANE ALLMAN, JOHNNIE TAYLOR, TRAFFIC, PERCY SLEDGE, THE STAPLE SINGER, SOLOMON BURKE, BOZ SCAGGS, JOAN BAEZ, J. J. CALE, RY COODER, STEVE CROPPER, JOSÉ FELICIANO, ETTA JAMES, PATTI AUSTIN, LAURA NYRO, LULU, CHER, JULIAN LENNON, LEON RUSSELL, JOHNNY RIVERS, RONNIE HAWKINS, ART GARFUNKEL, GLENN FREY, MARY MacGREGOR AND MORE.
FLORIAN PILKINGTON-MIKSA (70) / ENGLISH ROCK DRUMMER AND SCULPTOR. ORIGINALLY IN THE PROGRESSIVE ROCK BAND SISYPHUS WHICH MORPHED INTO CURVED AIR (NAME TAKEN FROM THE ALBUM A RAINBOW IN CURVED AIR BY TERRY RILEY) IN 1969 WITH SONJA KRISTINA ON VOCALS. ON THE FIRST TOUR THEY SUPPORTED BLACK SABBATH. PILKINGTON-MIKSA PLAYED ON THEIR FIRST THREE ALBUMS AIR CONDITIONING (1970), SECOND ALBUM (1971), PHANTASMAGORIA (1972). AFTER CURVED AIR'S FIRST SPLIT, HE JOINED KIKI DEE'S BAND. THERE WERE REUNIONS IN 1974 AND 1990. IN 2008 HE REJOINED THE REFORMED CURVED AIR AND STAYED UNTIL NOVEMBER 2017.
MAY 26
PATRICK SKY (80) / AMERICAN SINGER-SONGWRITER. FOLK SINGER OF NATIVE AMERICAN DESCENT (CHEROKEE FROM GEORGIA) A FRIEND OF BUFFY SAINTE-MARIE (PIAPOT CREE NATION) AND PETER LaFARGE (NARRAGANSETT?) ALSO DAVE VAN RONK, ACTIVE IN THE '60s GREENWICH VILLAGE FOLK AND PROTEST SONG MOVEMENT. DEBUT ALBUM PATRICK SKY ON VANGUARD RECORDS (1965), THEN IN 1968 REALITY IS BAD ENOUGH FOR VERVE FORECAST. IN 1973 CO-FOUNDED THE GREEN LINNET RECORDS (TRADITIONAL CELTIC MUSIC), BECAME A BUILDER AND PLAYER OF IRISH UILLEANN PIPES AND WROTE A FEW BOOKS ABOUT IT. WORKED WITH MISSISSIPPI JOHN HURT, ERIC ANDERSEN AND HIS WIFE CATHY SKY. IN 1971, DISILLUSIONED WITH THE MUSIC INDUSTRY, MADE THE SATIRICAL, POLITICALLY RADICAL ALBUM SONGS THAT MADE AMERICA FAMOUS WHICH MANY LABELS REFUSED TO RELEASE DUE TO EXPLICIT LYRICS.
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