Amph Musical Death Watch: Robert Sherman 1925-2012

This is the counterpart of the "Hollywood Death Watch" thread.

Today: Denny Doherty, one of the founding member of The Mamas and the Papas. The others were the late John Phillips and Cass Elliot, and Michelle Phillips.

They had a nice blending of voices and when Phillips was younger and less drug-addled, he was a talented song-writer. Doherty's problem was alcohol, mostly.

After Elliot's death, aged 32, the band tried to replace her, without a great deal of success.

Why no message?

Anyway, Denny's death is sad. The Mamas and the Papas would never have been the same without him. They are an excellent artist from the 60s with a few songs that belong in the all time greats.

There was no message because I, with my well-known if not notorious inability with technology, did not realize that I had actually posted it.

After James Brown died, I thought we needed a thread like this. I will post re him when I get the time to do a detailed thread.

I think it is sad that not too many people around here will likely know Denny's name.

Probably not.

Bobby "Boris" Pickett (1938-2007)

The epitome of a 'one hit wonder', the one hit being "The Monster Mash". Played 159,000 times every Hallowe'en. Okay, I admit singing along.

Here's Wiki: Bobby Pickett

"Unfortunately, blind blues musician Jeff Healey wasn't so lucky escaping fate this week, as he sadly succumbed to a cancer at age 41. Many knew Healey best from his appearance as Cody in the movie Road House (famous line: "I thought you'd be bigger"), so this sad news was compounded when Road House star Patrick Swayze revealed this week that he has (possibly terminal) cancer himself.

Oh no, could Road House possibly be cursed? John Doe of the seminal L.A. punk band X also had a role in that film...we sure hope he's OK. And no, we're not joking. This is bad, people.

And on that bummer note, thus concludes another week in music. Hopefully next Friday's installment will bring more positive, death-free (and Britney-free) news. Until then, goodnight, and good music."

I don't know how many of you will know who this is, but in his day, a great talent:

"(FROM AP) - Rock and roll legend Bo Diddley died of heart failure on Monday (June 2) at the age of 79 in his home in Archer, FL, after months of serious illness. Last year, Diddley suffered a heart attack and a stroke. He continued to tour and record music up until the stroke, which affected his ability to speak. Considered one of the founding fathers of rock music, Diddley was a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and a Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award recipient. Some of his most famous songs include "Say Man," "You Can't Judge a Book by Its Cover," "Shave and a Haircut," "Uncle John," "Who Do You Love?," and "The Mule." Diddley was known for playing his homemade square-shaped guitar, and is credited with helping to modernize the rock guitar sound, being one of the early adopters of various effects like tremolo and reverb. (AP via Yahoo!) "

You Tube video

EXTREMELY influential musician...people as iconic as Mick Jagger are paying tribute to him.

This is an amazing musical life...I knew he was a legend, but still....the scope of this is mind-blowing:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bo_Diddley

Rest in peace Bo.

Another very sad one:

Isaac Hayes, 1942-2008

RIP Chef.

Rock songwriter Delaney Bramlett dies in LA at 69

12/28/2008 3:00 PM, AP


"Singer-songwriter-producer Delaney Bramlett, who penned such classic rock songs as "Let it Rain" and worked with musicians George Harrison and Eric Clapton, has died. He was 69.

Bramlett died Saturday shortly before 5 a.m. at UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center in Los Angeles as a result of complications from gallbladder surgery, his wife Susan Lanier-Bramlett said.

Born in Mississippi, Bramlett enjoyed a career in the music business that spanned 50 years. With his then-wife Bonnie Lynn, he created the Southern blues-rock band Delaney & Bonnie & Friends. The group opened for Blind Faith, which featured British guitarist Clapton, in 1969.

He is perhaps best known for standards such as "Superstar," co-written with Leon Russell, which was recorded by Usher, Luther Vandross, Bette Midler, The Carpenters and most recently, Sonic Youth, in a version featured on the Grammy-nominated soundtrack of the movie "Juno."

He co-wrote "Let it Rain" with Clapton, who also recorded it, and "Never Ending Song of Love," which was recorded by more than 100 artists including Ray Charles, George Jones, Tammy Wynette, Patty Loveless and Dwight Yoakam.

During his career, he performed, co-wrote or recorded with stars such as Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, John Lennon, Dave Mason, Billy Preston, the Everly Brothers and Mac Davis. He also produced artists including Etta James and Elvin Bishop.

He recently released an album, "A New Kind of Blues," on independent label Magnolia Gold Records."


There is a great album called "Delaney and Bonnie and Friends" which includes Clapton.

The Stooges guitarist Ron Asheton found dead at 60

01/06/2009 6:56 PM, AP


"Ron Asheton, the guitarist for the Stooges whose raw sound helped inspire the first generation of punk musicians, has died. He was 60.

Asheton was found at his Ann Arbor home early Tuesday morning by police officers after they were called by an associate who had not heard from him in several days, said city police Sgt. Brad Hill.

There were no signs of foul play, and the death appeared to be of natural causes, Hill said.

Asheton was a founding member of the Stooges, the influential protopunk band formed in Ann Arbor in 1967, along with his brother, Scott.

Lead singer Iggy Pop called Asheton "my best friend" in a statement Tuesday, and the band expressed shock at his death.

"For all that knew him behind the facade of Mr. Cool & Quirky, he was a kind-hearted, genuine, warm person who always believed that people meant well even if they did not," the band said in a written statement. "As a musician Ron was The Guitar God, idol to follow and inspire others. That is how he will be remembered by people who had a great pleasure to work with him, learn from him and share good and bad times with him."

Asheton's powerful, distorted guitar on songs like "I Wanna Be Your Dog" and "T.V. Eye" was a hallmark of the group's sound. His "technically adept but also beautifully raw" style was heavily influenced by free jazz and created "beauty out of noise," said Brian Cogan, a punk-music historian at Molloy College on New York's Long Island.

"He invents the template for punk-rock guitar," Cogan said. "He's the one who allows Johnny Ramone and the guys in the Dictators to play the way they do."

When he was named the 29th greatest guitarist of all time in 2003 by Rolling Stone, the magazine described Asheton as "the Detroit punk who made the Stooges' music reek like a puddle of week-old biker sweat."

After recording three albums in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the Stooges split and Iggy Pop went on to a successful solo career. Asheton played guitar for bands including the New Order, New Race, Destroy All Monsters and Dark Carnival.

In 2003, Asheston reunited with the rest of the Stooges and a new album, "The Weirdness," was released in 2007.

Russ Gibb, who owned Detroit's legendary Grande Ballroom and gave the Stooges their first major show there in 1968, said Asheton was a gentleman in all of their dealings.

"Wherever he is today, it's a better place because he's there," Gibb said Tuesday. "He was a gentleman musician. The musicland that you and I live in has lost something today and wherever musicians go, they're better today because he's there."

Ronald Asheton was born July 17, 1948, in Washington, D.C.

He is survived by his sister Kathy and his brother Scott, who is The Stooges' drummer."

Weird. I thought he looked young for his age.

The Stooges were very underrated and ahead of their time. RIP.

This was depressing news. I saw the Stooges back in August on what must have been one of Ron's last ever shows, and they completely blew me away.

Vic Chesnutt, R.I.P.: Gifted singer-songwriter dies
by Simon Vozick-Levinson

"Vic Chesnutt died today at age 45, the head of his label tells the Music Mix. The acclaimed singer-songwriter had been in a coma since earlier in the week. Some reports have said Chesnutt attempted suicide before the coma, but the cause of death has not been announced.

A statement on Constellation Records? official site reads in full: ?Surrounded by family and friends, Vic Chesnutt died in Athens Georgia this afternoon, Friday 25 December at 14:59. In the few short years that we knew him personally, Vic transformed our sense of what true character, grace and determination are all about. Our grief is inexpressible and Vic?s absence unfathomable. We will make more information available according to the wishes of Vic?s family and friends.?

It?s an unspeakably tragic end to Chesnutt?s story. Left in a wheelchair by a car accident at age 18, Chesnutt went on to build a devoted following with his folk-rock songs, many of which dealt eloquently with themes of pain and mortality. That following included many fellow artists: Fans including Madonna, R.E.M., and Smashing Pumpkins covered his work for Sweet Relief II, a 1996 compilation that raised funds for musicians? health care.

Chesnutt spoke openly about his own death in an interview with NPR?s Terry Gross that aired earlier this month. ?You know, I?ve attempted suicide three or four times. It didn?t take,? Chesnutt said then. ?I?ve flirted with death my whole life. Even as a young kid I was sick and almost died a few times.? Pressed by Gross on the subject of his suicide attempts, he added, ?Sometimes I?d be angry that they revived me. I?d be like, ?How dare you???But of course as the hours and days wear on, you realize, well, there is joy to be had.?

We here at the Music Mix extend our sincerest condolences to the friends, family, and fans of this talented artist."

I remember seeing him on Conan once with a horn section. The only song of his I knew was the one covered by the Pumpkins and Red Red Meat on that Sweet Relief album, which had this bit: "I just wanna be Aaron Neville, a crown on my head, my denim shirt all dark with sweat," which was so offbeat and funny to me.

Captain Beefheart

Plays Willie The Pimp from the Hot Rats album in Captain Beefheart's honor!

Play Trout Mask Replica or Safe as Milk the entire albums.

I'm really devastated about this. Everyone's gotta listen to Beefheart at least once. You'll never be the same. RIP Don.

You still can, bro.