MUSICIANS WHO DIED IN OCTOBER 2018
MUSICIANS WHO DIED IN OCTOBER 2018
OCTOBER 1
CHARLES AZNAVOUR (94) / FRENCH-ARMENIAN SINGER, LYRICIST AND DIPLOMAT. BORN SHAHNOUR VAGHINAG AZNAVOURIAN IN PARIS IN THE FAMILY OF ARMENIAN IMMIGRANTS FROM GEORGIA AND TURKEY. HIS PROFESSIONAL CAREER LASTED OVER 80 YEARS. HE WROTE OR CO-WROTE OVER 1,000 SONGS AND RECORDED OVER 1,200 SONGS IN NINE LANGUAGES. SOLD 180 MILLION RECORDS. WORKED WITH ÉDITH PIAF, FRED ASTAIRE, FRANK SINATRA, BING CROSBY, RAY CHARLES, BOB DYLAN, MSTISLAV ROSTROPOVICH, LUCIANO PAVAROTTI, PLÁCIDO DOMINGO, CHUCHO VALDÉS, DEAN MARTIN (POSTHUMOUSLY), YOUSSOU N'DOUR, DUSTY SPRINGFIELD, ELTON JOHN, DALIDA, SERGE GAINSBOURG, SHIRLEY BASSEY, PETULA CLARK, TOM JONES, NANA MOUSKOURI, PAUL ANKA, LIZA MINELLI, STING, CÉLINE DION, JULIO IGLESIAS, LAURA PAUSINI, JOSH GROBAN, ANDREA BOCELLI, ACHINOAM NINI (NOA). IN 1998 RELEASED JAZZNAVOUR ALBUM WITH DIANNE REEVES, EDDY LOUISS, MICHEL PETRUCCIANI, JACKY TERRASSON, RICHARD GALLIANO, ANDRÉ CECCARELLI. IN 2009 CHARLES AZNAVOUR AND THE CLAYTON HAMILTON JAZZ ORCHESTRA (OR JAZZNAVOUR 2) WITH DIANNE REEVES, RACHELLE FERRELL, JEFF HAMILTON, CHARLES OWENS. HIS LAST CONCERT WAS IN NHK HALL IN OSAKA ON 19 SEPTEMBER 2018. DURING WORLD WAR ll, THE AZNAVOURIAN FAMILY HID AND RESCUED ARMENIANS, JEWS AND OTHER PEOPLE PERSECUTED BY THE GERMAN AND FRENCH NAZIS. IN 2017 CHARLES AZNAVOUR AND HIS SISTER AIDA RECEIVED THE RAOUL WALLENBERG AWARD FOR THEIR WARTIME RESISTANCE ACTIVITIES.
BOB DYLAN ONCE SAID: "I LIKE CHARLES AZNAVOUR A LOT. I SAW HIM IN SIXTY-SOMETHING AT CARNEGIE HALL, AND HE JUST BLEW MY BRAINS OUT".
OCTOBER 4
HAMIET BLUIETT (78) / AMERICAN SAXOPHONIST, CLARINETIST AND COMPOSER. HIS MAIN INSTRUMENT WAS THE BARITONE SAXOPHONE. STARTED PLAYING IT INFLUENCED BY HARRY CARNEY OF THE DUKE ELLINGTON BIG BAND. IN THE LATE 1960's CO-FOUNDED BAG (BLACK ARTISTS' GROUP) AND LED THE BAG BIG BAND IN 1968 AND 1969 IN ST. LOUIS. IN 1969 MOVED TO NYC AND JOINED THE CHARLES MINGUS QUINTET AND SAM RIVERS LARGE ENSEMBLE. IN 1976 BLUIETT CO-FOUNDED THE WORLD SAXOPHONE QUARTET WITH JULIUS HEMPHILL, OLIVER LAKE AND DAVID MURRAY. IN THE 1990's STARTED A VIRTUOSIC QUARTET, THE BARITONE NATION (ONLY FOUR BARITONES AND THE DRUMS). WORKED WITH MINGUS, RIVERS, GIL EVANS, ABDULLAH IBRAHIM, STEVIE WONDER, BABATUNDE OLATUNJI, MARVIN GAYE, ANTHONY BRAXTON, MUSIC REVELATION ENSEMBLE, JAMES CARTER, THE 360 DEGREE MUSIC EXPERIENCE, JAREK SMIETANA.
OCTOBER 5
BERNADETTE CAROLL (74) / AMERICAN POP SINGER, STARTED WITH THE STARLETS WHO BECAME THE ANGELS. WAS AN UNCREDITED FOURTH VOICE ON THE ANGELS' #1 HIT "MY BOYFRIEND'S BACK" (1963). HAD A NATIONAL HIT "PARTY GIRL" IN 1964. LATER BERNADETTE CAROLL WAS THE LEAD SINGER OF THE ANGELS. SHE WAS ALSO A BACKUP SINGER ON LOU CHRISTIE'S 1966 #1 HIT SONG "LIGHTNING STRIKES" (THE BARITONE SAXES WERE PLAYED BY JOE FARRELL AND GEORGE YOUNG).
OCTOBER 6
MONTSERRAT CABALLÉ (85) / SPANISH OPERATIC SOPRANO, BORN IN BARCELONA AS MARIA de MONTSERRAT VIVIANA CONCEPCIÓN CABALLÉ i FOLCH. ONE OF THE FAMOUS CATALAN OPERA SINGERS LIKE VICTORIA de los ÁNGELES BEFORE HER AND JOSÉ CARRERAS AFTER. KNOWN FOR HER ROLES IN THE VERDI WORKS AND THE BELCANTO REPERTOIRE, ROSSINI, BELLINI, DONIZETTI. HER VOICE WAS NOTED FOR PURITY, PRECISE CONTROL AND EXQUISITE PIANISSIMO. CABALLÉ BECAME WIDELY KNOWN WHEN SHE RECORDED "BARCELONA", A DUET WITH FREDDIE MERCURY (THE OFFICIAL THEME SONG FOR THE 1992 OLYMPIC GAMES).
OCTOBER 12
TAKEHISA KOSUGI (80) / JAPANESE COMPOSER AND VIOLINIST WHO WORKED WITH THE FLUXUS MOVEMENT (IN 1963 COMPOSED THEATRE MUSIC FOR THEM). WROTE EXPERIMENTAL MUSIC 1960-1975. EARLY 1960's WORKED WITH GROUP ONGAKU, 1969-1975 WITH THE TAJ MAHAL TRAVELLERS. IN 1995 BECAME MUSICAL DIRECTOR OF MERCE CUNNINGHAM DANCE COMPANY (AFTER JOHN CAGE AND DAVID TUDOR). RECORDED WITH STEVE LACY (1975), DANNY DAVIS AND PETER KOWALD (1986), CHRISTIAN WOLFF AND DAVID BEHRMAN (2011), BARRE PHILLIPS (2012). HIS COMPOSITION "+-" RECORDED WITH SONIC YOUTH APPEARED ON THE GOODBYE 20th CENTURY ALBUM IN 1999. ACCORDING TO JULIAN COPE (OF THE TEARDROP EXPLODES AND SUNN O))) ), TAKEHISA KOSUGI'S BEST ACHIEVEMENT IS HIS 1975 SOLO ALBUM CATCH-WAVE.
OCTOBER 25
SONNY FORTUNE (79) / AMERICAN JAZZ SAXOPHONIST USING SOPRANO, ALTO, TENOR AND BARITONE SAXOPHONES AND ALSO FLUTE AND CLARINET. INSPIRED BY CHARLIE PARKER, JOHN COLTRANE, SONNY ROLLINS AND CANNONBALL ADDERLEY, HE PLAYED MODERN JAZZ, FREE JAZZ AND FUSION. BORN IN PHILADELPHIA IN 1939, HE REALLY STARTED HIS JAZZ CAREER WHEN HE MOVED TO NYC IN 1967 AND PLAYED AND RECORDED WITH ELVIN JONES (4 ALBUMS), THEN FRANK FOSTER. SOON JOINED MONGO SANTAMARIA'S GROUP. AFTER WORKING WITH LEON THOMAS AND, BETWEEN 1971 AND 1973, McCOY TYNER (3 ALBUMS : SAHARA, SONG FOR MY LADY, SONG FOR THE NEW WORLD), IN 1974 FORTUNE JOINED MILES DAVIS FOR THREE YEARS, APPEARING ON FOUR IMPORTANT MILES DAVIS FUSION ALBUMS: BIG FUN, GET UP WITH IT, AGHARTA, PANGAEA. AS A LEADER HE MADE SIXTEEN ALBUMS (INCLUDING THREE FOR THE BLUE NOTE LABEL). SONNY FORTUNE ALSO RECORDED WITH CHARLIE MINGUS, DIZZY GILLESPIE, NAT ADDERLEY, OLIVER NELSON, MAL WALDRON, KENNY BARRON, GEORGE BENSON, PHAROAH SNADERS, MONGO SANTAMARIA, GARY BARTZ, RABIH ABOU-KHALIL ETC, AND PERFORMED WITH OLIVER NELSON, BUDDY RICH, REGGIE WORKMAN, RASHIED ALI, ROY AYERS, ROY BROOKS.
OCTOBER 27
TODD YOUTH (47) / (TODD SCHOFIELD) AMERICAN PUNK ROCK, HARDCORE PUNK AND ROCK GUITARIST REMEMBERED FOR PLAYING WITH WARZONE, MURPHY'S LAW AND DANZIG. STARTED CAREER AT 12 IN NYC WITH AGNOSTIC FRONT IN 1983 BECOMING A PART OF THE FIRST WAVE OF AMERICAN HARDCORE. YOUTH GIGGED WITH THEM TILL 1995. HE ALSO PLAYED WITH WARZONE. IN 1996 RECORDED A SINGLE WITH THE HOMEWRECKERS. 1996-1998 WITH NYC GLAM PUNK BAND D-GENERATION (TWO ALBUMS). 1998-1999 WITH CHROME LOCUST (ONE ALBUM). IN 1999 JOINED TWO HC PUNK LEGENDS DANZIG AND SAMHAIN LED BY THE MISFITS FOUNDER GLEN DANZIG. DURING THAT TIME TODD YOUTH FOUNDED HID SIDE PROJECT, A HORROR PUNK / DEATH ROCK BAND CALLED SON OF SAM (WITH MUSICIANS FROM SAMHAIN, DANZIG AND AFI). SON OF SAM RECORDED TWO ALBUMS: SONGS FROM THE EARTH (2001) AND INTO THE NIGHT (2008). WITH DANZIG TODD YOUTH IS ON THREE ALBUMS: LIVE ON THE BLACK HAND SIDE (2001), I LUCIFERI (2002) AND THE LOST TRACKS OF DANZIG (2007). IN 2003 HE SUBBED FOR PHIL CAMPBELL ON THREE DATES DURING MOTÖRHEAD'S US TOUR. IN 2004 TODD STARTED THE CHELSEA SMILES (INFLUENCED BY THE STOOGES, MC5, CHUCK BERRY AND NEW YORK DOLLS). TODD YOUTH ALSO PLAYED AND / OR RECORDED WITH GLEN CAMPBELL, CHEAP TRICK, ACE FREHLEY (EX-KISS), GUNFIRE 76, ROYAL HIGHNESS. IN 2010 FORMED CAPRICORN WITH MEMBERS OF MONSTER MAGNET, THE CHELSEA SMILES AND MICHAEL MONROE. IN 2007 YOUTH STARTED HIS NEW HC PUNK BAND FIREBURN WITH ISRAEL JOSEPH I (BAD BRAINS), NICK TOWNSEND (DEADBEAT, KNIFE FIGHT) AND TODD JONES (NAILS, TERROR). AT THE SAME TIME HE RECORDED THE ALBUM UP IN ARMS WITH HARDCORE PUNK SUPERGROUP BLOODCLOT INCLUDING JOHN JOSEPH (CRO-MAGS), NICK OLIVERI (DWARVES) AND JOEY CASTILLO (DANZIG).
OCTOBER 30
HARDY FOX (73) / AMERICAN MUSICIAN AND COMPOSER, CO-FOUNDER AND CHIEF COMPOSER OF THE RESIDENTS, AN AMERICAN AVANT-GARDE MUSIC AND MULTIMEDIA GROUP. THEY CONSISTENTLY HID THEIR IDENTITIES THROUGH ALL THE YEARS OF THEIR CRATIVE ACTIVITIES, BEGINNING IN 1974 WITH THEIR FIRST RELEASE MEET THE RESIDENTS AND ON THE NEXT SIXTY ALBUMS. TO CONTACT THE OUTER WORLD AND MANAGE THE BAND, IN 1976 THEY ESTABLISHED A SPECIAL ORGANIZATION CALLED THE CRYPTIC CORPORATION, RECENTLY MANAGED BY HARDY FOX AND HOMER FLYNN. AS EARLY AS 1972 THEY ALSO CREATED AN INDEPENDENT RECORD LABEL CALLED RALPH RECORDS TO PUT OUT EXPRIMENTAL ROCK, AVANT-GARDE AND POST-PUNK RELEASES. APART FROM THE RESIDENTS THEY WERE AS DIVERSE ARTISTS AS FRED FRITH, EUGENE CHADBOURNE, CHROME, TUXEDOMOON.
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