MUSICIANS WHO DIED IN OCTOBER 2019
MUSICIANS WHO DIED IN OCTOBER 2019
OCTOBER 1
BEVERLY WATKINS (80) / AKA BEVERLY "GUITAR" WATKINS, AMERICAN BLUES GUITARIST. STARTED PLAYING AS A TEEN, AT TWENTY MET PIANO RED, JOINED HIS METER-TONES (LATER PIANO RED AND THE HOUSEROCKERS BUT AKA DR. FEELGOOD & THE INTERNS OR DR. FEELGOOD, THE INTERNS AND THE NURSE) AND PERFORMED AND TOURED WITH THEM. ONE OF THE BAND MEMBERS WAS ROY LEE JOHNSON AND THEY RECORDED HIS HIT SONG "MR. MOONLIGHT" WHICH TWO YEARS LATER WAS COVERED BY THE BEATLES IN 1964 (BEATLES FOR SALE). LATER SHE WORKED WITH ED TIGNER (DIED SIX MONTHS AGO), THE INK SPOTS, JAMES BROWN, B.B. KING, RAY CHARLES. IN 1998 PLAYED THE ALL-STAR WOMEN OF THE BLUES "HOT MAMAS" TOUR. AT SIXTY MADE HER WELL RECEIVED DEBUT ALBUM BACK IN BUSINESS (1999) AND GOT A W.C. HANDY AWARD NOMINATION IN 2000.
OCTOBER 2
BARRIE MASTERS (63) / ENGLISH PUNK ROCK SINGER, FOUNDING MEMBER OF EDDIE AND THE HOT RODS (1975) . STARTED WITH SATURDAY-NIGHT RESIDENCY AT THE KENSINGTON IN LONDON. THEN CAME RESIDENCY WITH 101ers AT THE NASHVILLE. NEXT THEY WERE SIGNED BY ISLAND RECORDS. IN 1976 EDDIE AND THE HOT RODS PLAYED A SET AT THE MARQUEE CLUB WITH THE SEX PISTOLS OPENING AND PLAYING THEIR FIRST LONDON GIG. TEENAGE DEPRESSION WAS THEIR DEBUT ALBUM, RELEASED IN NOVEMBER 1976, BUT IT WAS THEIR SECOND STUDIO ALBUM FROM DECEMBER 1977 LIFE ON THE LINE THAT WAS CONSIDERED MORE PUNK THAN PUB ROCK. THE ALBUM INCLUDED A TOP TEN HIT SINGLE "DO ANYTHING YOU WANNA DO" WRITTEN BY THEIR MANAGER ED HOLLIS (BROTHER OF MARK HOLLIS OF TALK TALK).
BARRIE MASTERS WAS THE LAST REMAINING ORIGINAL EDDIE AND THE HOT RODS' MEMBER AFTER ALL THE REFORMATIONS.
KIM SHATTUCK (56) / AMERICAN PUNK ROCK MUSICIAN, WAS THE LEAD SINGER, GUITARIST AND SONGWRITER OF THE MUFFS. SHE STARTED THE MUFFS WITH MELANIE VAMMEN A FELLOW GUITARIST FROM THE ALL-FEMALE GARAGE PUNK BAND THE PANDORAS (1983-1990) IN WHICH THEY HAD PLAYED BEFORE (SHATTUCK 1985-1990). THE MUFFS WORKED BETWEEN 1991-2019 WITH SOME BREAK UPS ON THE WAY. KIM SHATTUCK SANG ON "LORI MEYERS", A NOFX SONG FROM THE PUNK IN DRUBLIC ALBUM AND ON THE BOWLING FOR SOUP SONG "I'LL ALWAYS REMEMBER YOU (THAT WAY)". SHE JOINED THE PIXIES TO PLAY THEIR FALL 2013 EUROPEAN TOUR AND SOON WAS FIRED. SHE WAS A PART OF THE PANDORAS REUNION (JULY 4, 2015).
GIYA KANCHELI (84) / GEORGIAN COMPOSER, PIANO, KEYBOARD AND SYNTHESIZER PLAYER. BORN IN TBILISI. FOR TWENTY YEARS WAS THE MUSIC DIRECTOR OF THE RUSTAVELI THEATRE IN TBILISI. WROTE SEVEN SYMPHONIES. HIS STYX FOR SOLO VIOLA, CHORUS AND ORCHESTRA WAS WRITTEN IN MEMORY OF HIS FRIENDS ALFRED SCHNITTKE AND AVET TERTERIAN. ADMIRED BY RODION SHCHEDRIN, MSTISLAV ROSTROPOVICH, GIDON KREMER, KIM KASHKASHIAN, KURT MASUR AMONG OTHERS. AFTER THE END OF THE SOVIET UNION RELOCATED TO BERLIN IN 1991 AND TO ANTWERP IN 1995. HIS CURRENT WORKS ARE OFTEN RELEASED ON THE ECM LABEL.
OCTOBER 3
VINNIE BELL (84) / AMERICAN SESSION GUITARIST, BLUES, BLUES ROCK, JAZZ, POP, ROCK. PIONEER OF ELECTRONIC EFFECTS. HELPED DESIGN THE FIRST ELECTRIC 12-STRING GUITAR, THE ELECTRIC SITAR IN 1967. INVENTED THE "WATERY" GUITAR SOUND. RECORDED WITH THE MONKEES ("I'M A BELIEVER"), SIMON & GARFUNKEL ("THE SOUNDS OF SILENCE"), DIONNE WARWICK ("WALK ON BY"), FRANKIE VALLI ("CAN'T TAKE MY EYES OFF OF YOU"), THE FOUR SEASONS, BOB DYLAN, FRANK SINATRA, HERMAN'S HERMITS. PLAYED ON HUNDRED OF SOUNDTRACKS INCLUDING THE GODFATHER, TWIN PEAKS, EVERYBODY SAYS I LOVE YOU, HOLY SMOKE.
OCTOBER 6
GINGER BAKER (80) / ENGLISH ROCK, BLUES, AFROBEAT AND JAZZ DRUMMER, SONGWRITER, CO-FOUNDER OF A LEGENDARY ROCK BAND CREAM. STARTED PLAYING DRUMS AT 15, LESSONS FROM GREAT ENGLISH JAZZ DRUMMER PHIL SEAMEN (JOE HARRIOTT COLLABORATOR). ALWAYS THOUGHT OF HIMSELF AS A JAZZ DRUMMER. MET JACK BRUCE IN ALEXIS KORNER BLUES INCORPORATED, LATER TOGETHER IN THE GRAHAM BOND ORGANISATION AND CREAM, WHICH WAS FOUNDED ADDING GUITARIST ERIC CLAPTON IN 1966. CREAM BECAME A MEGA STAR, MADE FOUR ALBUMS: FRESH CREAM (1966), DISRAELI GEARS (1967), WHEELS OF FIRE (1968), GOODBYE (1969) AND SPLIT IN 1968. THEY REUNITED IN 1993 TO PLAY AT THE INDUCTION CEREMONY TO THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME. IN MAY 2005 CREAM REFORMED FOR A COUPLE CONCERTS AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL, WHERE THEY HAD PLAYED THEIR FAREWELL GIG IN 1968, AND THREE MORE SHOWS IN MADISON SQUARE GARDEN IN OCTOBER. AFTER THE ORIGINAL CREAM, GINGER BAKER PLAYED IN BLIND FAITH WITH ERIC CLAPTON AND LED HIS OWN GINGER BAKER'S AIR FORCE AND BAKER GURVITZ ARMY (1974-1976). IN THE 1970's HE SPENT SOME YEARS IN AFRICA WORKING WITH FELA KUTI. HIS OTHER CLLABORATORS WERE GARY MOORE, PIL, CHARLIE HADEN, BILL FRISELL, ATOMIC ROOSTER, HAWKWIND, ANDY SUMMERS, MASTERS OF REALITY, THE STORYVILLE JAZZ MEN AND THE HUGH RAINEY ALLSTARS. ALSO GINGER BAKER'S ENERGY, GINGER BAKER JAZZ CONFUSION, BBM (BRUCE, BAKER, MOORE).
LARRY JUNSTROM (70) / AMERICAN BLUES ROCK AND HARD ROCK BASS GUITAR PLAYER, FOUNDING MEMBER (WITH RONNIE VAN ZANT A.O.) OF THE SOUTHERN ROCK BAND LYNYRD SKYNYRD. PLAYED WITH THEM 1964-1971 AND LEFT TO EARLY TO BE ON LYNYRD SKYNYRD'S DEBUT ALBUM. IN 1976 JOINED 38 SPECIAL LED BY DONNIE VAN ZANT (RONNIE'S YOUNGER BROTHER) AND STAYED WITH THEM UNTIL 2014.
OCTOBER 8
MOLLY DUNCAN (74) / SCOTTISH TENOR SAXOPHONIST, FOUNDING MEMBER OF AVERAGE WHITE BAND. RECORDED WITH RAY CHARLES, BUDDY GUY, BEN E. KING, TOM PETTY, BRYAN FERRY, DIRE STRAITS AND PERFORMED WITH MARVIN GAYE, CHAKA KHAN, ERIC CLAPTON. WAS ALSO IN GROUPS KNEE DEEP, COLD SWEAT AND THE HORNY HORNS,THE 360 BAND AND WORKED WITH DRUM AND BASS ARTISTS LIKE HIS SON DAN DUNCAN (INTENSE).
OCTOBER 11
JOHN GIORNO (82) / AMERICAN UNDERGROUND POET AND PERFORMANCE ARTIST. POPULAR AS THE ACTOR IN ANDY WARHOL'S 1963 FILM ( OR "ANTI-FILM") SLEEP (HE SLEPT - FOR FIVE HOURS AND TWENTY MINUTES). ORIGINALLY WARHOL WANTED BRIGITTE BARDOT FOR THE ROLE OF THE SLEEPER. ANOTHER WARHOL FILM FEATURING GIORNO WAS JOHN WASHING SHOT IN 1963 AS WELL. IN 1965 JOHN GIORNO FOUNDED A NON-PROFIT COMPANY GIORNO POETRY SYSTEMS.
OCTOBER 12
MILCHO LEVIEV (81) / BULGARIAN JAZZ PIANIST, COMPOSER AND ARRANGER. EDUCATED IN BULGARIA, CONDUCTOR OF THE BIG BAND OF BULGARIAN NATIONAL RADIO. 1970 MOVED TO LOS ANGELES. 1970-1975 WORKED FOR DON ELLIS ORCHESTRA, 1971-1977 BILLY COBHAM BAND. 1980-1982 TOURED EUROPE WITH ART PEPPER.
OCTOBER 17
DAVE KING (71) / ENGLISH-BORN, SAN FRANCISCO-BASED AMERICAN ARTIST, LOGO DESIGNER AND STENCIL ARTIST, WHO DESIGNED THE PUNK BAND CRASS LOGO. ACTUALLY, THE EMBLEM WAS MADE IN 1977 AND THEN ADOPTED BY PENNY RIMBAUD AS HIS NEW BAND CRASS LOGO. IT REMAINS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT LOGOS IN POPULAR CULTURE. DAVE KING CREATED MANY ANTI-RACIST, ANT-WAR AND ANTI-CAPITALIST LOGOS AND POSTERS. THE CRASS LOGO HAS OFTEN BEEN COMPARED TO THE CND (CAMPAIGN FOR NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT) LOGO, POPULARLY REFERRED TO AS THE "PEACE SIGN".
OCTOBER 20
NICK TOSCHES (69) / AMERICAN ROCK JOURNALIST, NOVELIST, BIOGRAPHER, ESSAYIST AND POET. MAIN INTEREST MUSIC, ESP. ROCK AND COUNTRY. ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE DESCRIBED HIS 1982 JERRY LEE LEWIS BIOGRAPHY HELLFIRE AS "THE BEST ROCK AND ROLL BIOGRAPHY EVER WRITTEN". BORN IN NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, HAD ALBANIAN ROOTS AND ONLY HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION. WORKED FOR CREEM, ROLLING STONE AND COUNTRY MUSIC MAGAZINES, BUT ALSO FOR VANITY FAIR AND ESQUIRE. PUBLISHED FOUR NOVELS (INCL. ME AND THE DEVIL), A BOOK OF POETRY, SEVEN BIOGRAPHIES INCLUDING DANGEROUS DANCES WITH DARYL HALL AND JOHN OATES, DEAN MARTIN'S TITLED DINO:LIVING HIGH IN THE DIRTY BUSINESS OF DREAMS AND THE DEVIL AND SONNY LISTON.
OCTOBER 22
ED CHERNEY (69) / AMERICAN RECORDING ENGINEER AND RECORD PRODUCER. ASSISTANT ENGINEER ON MICHAEL JACKSON'S OFF THE WALL. ENGINEERED RECORDS BY IGGY POP, BUDDY GUY, ERIC CLAPTON, KEB MO', BOB DYLAN, BONNIE RAITT, WYNTON MARSALIS, JACKSON BROWNE, THE ROLLING STONES, STING, LENNY KRAVITZ. HAD FIVE GRAMMY NOMINATIONS WITH FOUR WINS:BONNIE RAITT, BUDDY GUY AND WILLIE NELSON TWICE.
OCTOBER 26
PAUL BARRERE (71) / AMERICAN GUITARIST (ALSO SLIDE GUITAR), SINGER AND SONGWRITER, KNOWN ESPECIALLY AS A MEMBER OF LITTLE FEAT (SINCE 1972). PLAYED BLUES, ROCK, JAZZ, SWAMP ROCK, CAJUN. PERFORMED AND RECORDED WITH TAJ MAHAL, CHICO HAMILTON, JACK BRUCE, ROBERT PALMER, CARLY SIMON, PHIL LESH AND FRIENDS, ROBBEN FORD, DEREK TRUCKS.
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