News from the live music scene in the north east

Rock Musicians Who Died In Tragic Circumstances
The world of rock music is known for its electrifying performances, passionate lyrics, and legendary artists who have left an indelible mark on the genre. However, behind the glitz and glamour, there have been tragic stories of talented musicians whose lives were cut short, leaving fans and the music industry in mourning.

Eddie Cochran
An influential early rock ‘n’ roll star, Cochran tragically met his demise in a fatal car accident in the United Kingdom in 1960. At just 21 years old, he had already made a significant impact on the music scene with “Summertime Blues.” Interestingly, he had a premonition about his own death following the tragic plane crash that took the lives of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. Richardson.

Duane Allman
The exceptionally talented guitarist of the Allman Brothers Band, Duane met a tragic end in a motorcycle accident in Macon, Georgia in 1971. His death at the young age of 24 marked a devastating loss for the music world. Tragically, a year later, another band member, bassist Berry Oakley, also succumbed to a fatal motorcycle accident near the same location. Both men, only 24 years old, are now buried side by side in Macon.

Keith Moon
The legendary and chaotic drummer of The Who, Moon lived a tumultuous life filled with excess. In a tragic accident in 1970, Moon unintentionally ran over his friend and chauffeur, resulting in his death. His own life was tragically cut short at the age of 32 in 1978 due to an overdose of Heminevrin. Interestingly, he passed away in the same room where Cass Elliot had died four years earlier.

Keith Relf
he underrated yet talented frontman of the Yardbirds, Relf met a shocking end in 1976 when he electrocuted himself while playing an electric guitar in his basement. Despite the band’s success, Relf’s remarkable talents often went overlooked. His untimely death at the age of 33 left a void in the music industry.

Richard Manuel
Renowned for his soulful voice as a member of The Band, Manuel battled with addiction and depression. Following the group’s breakup in 1986, Manuel tragically took his own life at the age of 42. His former bandmates and close friend Eric Clapton honored his memory in their music, paying tribute to his profound impact.

Jimi Hendrix
A groundbreaking guitarist of unmatched influence in rock history, Hendrix tragically passed away at the premature age of 27 in 1970. His accidental death due to a mixture of barbiturates and red wine deprived future generations of his unparalleled talent. Hendrix’s sudden and untimely demise reverberated throughout the music world, leaving a lasting impact.

Janis Joplin
Celebrated for her emotive and powerful voice, Joplin met a tragic end in 1970 at the age of 27 due to a heroin overdose, just weeks after the passing of Jimi Hendrix. Despite her untimely death, Joplin’s contributions to blues and rock music remain iconic and treasured by fans worldwide.

John Lennon
A pivotal figure as a founding member of the Beatles, Lennon was tragically assassinated by Mark David Chapman in 1980 at the age of 40. Lennon’s legacy extended beyond his musical talents, as he was also a vocal advocate for social and political causes. His untimely death was a profound loss to the music community and beyond.

Bon Scott
The charismatic frontman of AC/DC renowned for his captivating stage presence and distinctive voice, Scott met a tragic end at the age of 33 in 1980 due to acute alcohol poisoning. Scott’s sudden and premature death marked the end of an era for the Australian rock band, leaving fans mourning the loss of his vibrant energy and talent.

Jim Morrison
The enigmatic frontman of the Doors known for his poetic lyrics and wild stage presence, Morrison left an enduring impact on rock music. In 1971, at the young age of 27, Morrison was discovered dead in a bathtub in Paris under mysterious circumstances. The exact cause of his death remains shrouded in speculation, with theories ranging from a drug overdose to heart failure. Jim Morrison’s legacy continues to captivate music enthusiasts worldwide.

Randy Rhoads
The US-born guitarist with Ozzy Osbourne’s Blizzard of Ozz died at the age of just 25 in a bizarre plane crash on March 19, 1982. On the way to a festival in Orlando, Florida, the band’s tour bus stopped in Leesburg for repairs to a faulty air-conditioning system.
Seeing an airstrip nearby, tour bus driver and ex-commercial pilot Andrew Aycock took a small plane without permission, and with Rhoads and make-up artist Rachel Youngblood on board, ‘buzzed’ the tour bus. One of the plane’s wings clipped the top of the bus and it ploughed into a garage. Everyone on board was killed instantly.

Keith Relf
The vocalist with British blues rockers The Yardbirds was famous for co-writing Shapes Of Thing and for singing an early version of what would become the Led Zeppelin classic Dazed And Confused. Relf died in 1976 at the age of 33 when he was electrocuted in the basement of his home in London while playing an electric guitar that wasn’t properly earthed.
The fact that Relf was in poor health generally – he suffered from emphysema and asthma throughout his life – most likely contributed to his being unable to survive the shock.

Terry Kath
A founding member of American rock band Chicago, guitarist Kath died in Woodland Hills, California at the age of 31. His preponderance for drug taking was well known. But it was another love – of guns – that got him in the end. On January 23, 1978 Kath was partying at the home of Chicago roadie Don Johnson.
Kath took an unloaded .38 revolver, out it to his head and pulled the trigger. He then moved onto a semiautomatic 9mm pistol, and believing the magazine to be empty, started the same routine. Alas, Kath had missed a single round that was in the chamber, and died instantly when the gun went off.

Steve Peregrin Took
The English multi-instrumentalist found fame alongside Marc Bolan in Tyrannosaurus Rex, but had a well-documented history of drug abuse and was known for the ‘hilarious’ trick of spiking unsuspecting victims’ drinks with hallucinogens.
‘The Phantom Spiker’ was sacked from Tyrannosaurus Rex in 1969. By 1980 and aged 31, Took was living in Notting Hill with Valerie Billiet. The pair injected morphine, but it wasn’t this insanely dangerous practice that killed him. In fact, he asphyxiated after inhaling the cherry in a cocktail he was drinking at the time. Doh!.

Claude Francois
The celebrated French singer who wrote Comme D’Habitude (the original version of Frank Sinatra’s My Way) was a huge star in his home country, selling a staggering 70 million albums during his career. His died at his Paris apartment on 11 March, 1978 at the age of just 39.
Francois was taking a shower when he noticed that a light fixture in the bathroom wasn’t flush on the wall. He decided to try to straighten it and as he did so – with his hands all wet – the vocalist was fatally electrocuted

Dennis Wilson
Beach Boy Dennis was a super-talented musician, but an erratic human being. When he died on December 28, 1983, the 39 year old was homeless in California and plagued by addiction. Wilson got himself into a violent fight at a bar and went to hospital to get fixed up.
Hours later he discharged himself and started boozing on a friend’s yacht in Marina del Rey. He decided it would be a good idea to dive into the water to try to retrieve various bits and pieces he’d thrown overboard from his own yacht three years previously – and drowned in the attempt.

Jeff Porcaro
The drummer with AOR monsters Toto died at the age of 38 on August 5, 1992. The story goes that he’d been spraying insecticide in the yard of his home, suffered an allergic reaction, and died that evening in hospital. The LA County Coroner’s Office, however, stated that the cause of death was a heart attack induced by cocaine abuse.
Surviving band members and family vigorously denied this, saying that while Porcaro did use cocaine, in no way was he a heavy abuser. Guitarist Steve Lukather pointed out that Porcaro had a congenital heart condition and that two uncles died of heart disease when they were 40.

Michael Hutchence
The Australian sex symbol and lead singer of INXS committed suicide on November 27, 1997 at the age of 37. The inquest into Hutchence’s death at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Sydney concluded that he killed himself while depressed and under the influence of alcohol and “other drugs”.
Why was he depressed? Because Hutchence was caught in the middle of a messy separation between his girlfriend Paula Yates and Bob Geldof. He was found in a kneeling position facing the door, hanged by his own snakeskin belt. Yates later claimed Hutchence hadn’t wanted to kill himself, and had died accidentally in a solitary sex game.

Randy California
The Spirit guitarist was one of the faces of the late ‘60s hippy movement in the US. But despite the well-known substance abuse of the era, California died in 1997 at the age of 45 in a tragic accident.
While swimming in the Pacific Ocean on January 2 at Molokai, Hawaii, near to his mum’s house, the musician and his 12-year-old son Quinn got into difficulty when a rip current took hold. California managed to save his son by pushing him to the shore, but couldn’t save himself and drowned.

Jeff Buckley
The son of ‘60s solo artist Tim Buckley, the Californian guitarist, singer and songwriter died at the age of just 30 on May 29, 1997. Already feted for his soulful writing and extraordinary, sweeping voice, Buckley made the fatal decision to go swimming wearing clothes and boots in Wolf River Harbor, a water channel in the Mississippi river near Memphis, Tennessee.
Roadie Keith Foti was on the banks when he noticed that the singer had disappeared. His body was finally found on June 4 by two locals. The autopsy established that there was no sign of either drugs or alcohol in Buckley’s system.

Dimebag Darrell
The guitarist with Texas thrash metallers Pantera died in the most unusual circumstances on December 8, 2004. Pantera had disbanded in 2003 and Darrell Abbott was performing live with his new act, Damageplan, at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio.
Not long after the band had started their set a 25-year-old former marine, Nathan Gale, shot Abbott with a 9mm Beretta pistol. The guitarist took three bullets to the head and died instantly. Gale went on to kill four people in total and wound seven others before police officers shot him dead.

Mike Edwards
English cellist Mike Edwards has probably suffered the most bizarre death of any rock musician. The ELO man, who was with the band from 1972 to 1975, had moved to Devon to work on a number of projects, and to teach the cello and violin. He died on September 3, 2010 at the age of 62 on the A381 between Harbertonford and Halwell, near to his home in Totnes.
Edwards was driving a van when a cylindrical hay bale weighing 1300 pounds rolled down a hillside and collided with the vehicle. A subsequent court case ruled that two defendants were not guilty of health and safety violations.

Samong Traisattha
Thai black metal outfit Surrender of Divinity’s bassist and vocalist Samong Traisattha was stabbed to death in his own home on January 8, 2014. He was 36 years old. According to the musician’s wife, a fan called Prakam Harnphanbusakorn had come round for a drink and to talk about getting some T-shirts printed.
She found her husband dead in the living room. A Facebook user then posted a photo of the body on the social networking site and wrote a confession saying they had killed the musician because he played black metal, but wasn’t a true Satanist.

Sandy Denny
The hugely respected Fairport Convention folk singer who lit up Led Zep’s Battle of Evermore wasn’t in the best of health by the time she hit 30. Known for her drinking and cocaine abuse, Denny’s behaviour had become erratic when she went on holiday with her parents and baby Georgia in March of 1978.
She fell down a staircase and hit her head on concrete. The doctor treating her prescribed a painkiller called distalgesic, which was dangerous when mixed with alcohol. On April 17 Sandy collapsed at the home of her friend Miranda Ward and died four days later in a Wimbledon hospital at the age of just 31.

Stiv Bators
The American vocalist of both The Dead Boys and Lords of the New Church had almost died on stage once, when a stunt designed to look like he was hanging himself went wrong. Bators was pronounced clinically dead for a number of minutes, but miraculously survived.
After such a lucky escape, Bators’ actually death at the age of 40 seems almost banal. He was run over by a taxi in Paris, and was sent to hospital. Bators waited for hours, but eventually left without seeing a doctor. He died in his sleep on June 4, 1990 as a result of the concussion.

Kirsty MacColl
The English singer songwriter’s unforgettable duet with Pogues singer Shane MacGowan on Fairytale Of New York had turned her into a household name. Sadly, she died at the age of 41 when a speedboat hit her. On December 18, 2000 MacColl was on holiday in Cozumel, Mexico with her sons and partner.
Despite being in a designated diving zone with restricted entry, a speedboat entered the area. MacColl saw that it was heading directly for her eldest son, Jamie, and managed to push him out of the way. But she was struck by the boat herself and died instantly.

Euronymous
Oystein Aarseth, also known as Euronymous, was a Norwegian black metal guitarist in the band Mayhem. Having got himself into a silly feud with another Norwegian black metal acolyte, Varg Vikernes, also known as Count Grisnackh, things degenerated to the point where on the night of August 10, 1993, Vikernes drove to Aarseth’s apartment in Toyengata, and knifed him outside the front door.
His body was found with 23 stab wounds – two to the head, five to the neck and 16 to the back. He was 25. Vikernes was arrested nine days later and was eventually sentenced to 21 years in prison.

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ON THIS DAY - November 13th
2019 - Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart was featured on the cover of Britain’s Railway Modeller magazine. The singer had put the finishing touches to a 25-year project building a railway city, which was modelled on both New York and Chicago around 1945. The model railway which spans 1,500 square feet was housed in the attic of his Los Angeles home.

2016 - Leon Russell
Leon Russell died in Nashville, he was 74. He led Joe Cocker’s band Mad Dogs & Englishmen and appeared at George Harrison’s 1971 Concert for Bangladesh. Many of his songs became hits for others, among them 'Superstar' (written with Bonnie Bramlett) for the Carpenters, 'Delta Lady' for Joe Cocker and 'This Masquerade' for George Benson. More than 100 acts have recorded 'A Song for You,' which Russell said he wrote in 10 minutes.

2015 - Eagles of Death Metal
The blues-rock band Eagles of Death Metal were in the midst of performing a sold-out show at Le Bataclan in Paris, France, when the venue was attacked by terrorists armed with automatic rifles, grenades and explosive suicide vests. The band escaped unharmed through a backstage door, but 89 audience members were killed, including the band's merchandise manager, Nick Alexander.

2012 - The Beatles
The original collage that was reproduced and included in copies of The Beatles' 1967 classic Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band record sold for $87,720. The piece, which was designed by Peter Blake, was sold to an unnamed bidder as part of an auction of modern British art at Sotheby’s in London.

2000 - The Beatles
The Beatles launched their first official website www.thebeatles.com. The site went live on the same day as the release of their retrospective 'Compilation 1' album.

1993 - Kate Bush
The Kate Bush musical short film The Line, The Cross & The Curve opened at the London Film Festival. The short, starring actress Miranda Richardson as a ballet dancer cursed by magic slippers, is an extended music video featuring songs from Bush's album The Red Shoes.

1992 - Ronnie Bond
Ronnie Bond drummer with The Troggs died. Scored the 1966 US No.1 & UK No.2 single 'Wild Thing' and 1966 UK No.1 ‘With A Girl Like You.’

1990 - Rod Stewart
Patricia Boughton filed a lawsuit against Rod Stewart claiming that a football he kicked into the crowd during a concert at Pine Knob Music Theatre had ruptured a tendon in her middle finger. And as a result the injury had made sex between her and her husband difficult.

1982 - Men At Work
Men At Work started a 15-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with their debut album 'Business As Usual', which went on to sell over five million copies in the US.

1976 - Sex Pistols
The Melody Maker announced UK dates for the first major punk tour with The Sex Pistols and the Ramones co-headlining along with Talking Heads, The Vibrators and Chris Spedding. The 14-date tour which was due to start at Newcastle City Hall on Nov 29th never took place.

1976 - Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart started an 8 week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Tonight's The Night'. It was Rod's second US No.1; it made No.5 in the UK after being banned by many radio stations due to song being about the seduction of a virgin. The song features whispers from actress Britt Ekland who was Stewart's girlfriend at the time.

1976 - Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin scored their seventh UK No.1 with the film soundtrack double album The Song Remains The Same, peaking at No.2 on the US chart. The tracks were recorded at Madison Square Garden, New York City in 1973.

1970 - Syd Barrett
Syd Barrett released his second solo album Barrett only 10 months after his debut The Madcap Laughs. David Gilmour produced the whole album, which also featured performances by Pink Floyd's Richard Wright on keyboards. The album has since been reissued in remastered form with extra tracks from the sessions.

1968 - Hugo Montenegro
Hugo Montenegro was at No.1 in the UK singles chart with 'The Good The Bad And The Ugly', the soundtrack from a Clint Eastwood spaghetti western film. The first instrumental No.1 since 1963.

1968 - Brian Jones
Rolling Stone Brian Jones bought 'Cotchford Farm' in Sussex. The author AA Milne who wrote Winnie The Pooh had owned the house.]

1965 - Bruce Springsteen
The Castiles, which featured a young singer called Bruce Springsteen appeared at The Fire House, Hazlet, New Jersey. The night was billed as a Teenage Go, Go Dance.

1964 - The Rolling Stones
Decca Records released The Rolling Stones' 'Little Red Rooster'. Written by Willie Dixon (as The Red Rooster), and previously recorded by Howlin’ Wolf and Sam Cooke, the single was recorded at Chess Studios in Chicago. The single was a No.1 hit in the UK and remains the only time a blues song has ever topped the UK pop chart.

1963 - The Beatles
The Beatles recorded a television interview at Westward Television Studios in Plymouth, Devon, for a local teen program "Move Over, Dad". Due to a large crowd of excited fans outside, The Beatles had to be smuggled from their dressing-room at the ABC Cinema, where they were scheduled to appear that night, into an adjacent building, then through a tunnel, to get to Westward Studios for the interview taping.

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ON THIS DAY - November 8th
2009 - Morrissey
Former Smiths frontman Morrissey stopped a concert halfway through his second song after being hit by a beer bottle. The 50-year-old singer who was hit in the eye by a plastic bottle of beer, said goodnight to the 8,000 strong crowd in Liverpool, England before walking off.

2008 - AC/DC
AC/DC started a two-week run at #1 on the US album chart with 'Black Ice' the bands fifteenth studio album and the second-best selling album of 2008. Black Ice went to #1 in 29 countries, including Australia, Canada, the UK, and the US.

1999 - Lester Bowie
American jazz trumpet player and composer Lester Bowie died of liver cancer aged 58. He was a member of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians and co-founded the Art Ensemble of Chicago. In 1993, he played on the David Bowie album Black Tie White Noise, including the song ‘Looking for Lester’, which was named after him.

1980 - Kiss
Kiss kicked off their 11 date Unmasked Tour of Australia and New Zealand laying two nights at Perth Entertainment Centre.

1975 - David Bowie
David Bowie made his US TV debut performing 'Fame', on the Cher CBS-TV show. Bowie who was living in New York at the time had written the song with John Lennon during a jamming session.

1971 - Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin released their fourth album. With no title printed on the album, and generally referred to as Four Symbols, The Fourth Album or Led Zeppelin IV it has gone on to sell over 37 million copies worldwide. The 19th century rustic oil painting on the front of the album was purchased by Robert Plant from an antique shop in Reading, Berkshire, England. The 20th century urban tower block on the back of the full gatefold LP cover is Butterfield Court in Eves Hill, Dudley.

1969 - George Harrison
’Something’ the first Beatles A-side composed by George Harrison entered the UK singles chart, it peaked at No.4 in the UK and went on to be a No.1 on the US chart. The song has been covered by over 150 artists, making it the second-most covered Beatles song after 'Yesterday'.

1968 - Joe Cocker
The Who, Joe Cocker and The Grease Band, The Mindbenders and The Crazy World of Arthur Brown all appeared at The Walthamstow Granada Theatre, England.

1965 - The Beatles
The Beatles worked on a new George Harrison song ‘Think For Yourself’ at Abbey Road for their forthcoming Rubber Soul album. After rehearsing the song, they recorded the basic instrumental track in one take.

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ON THIS DAY - October 24th

2018 - Wah Wah Watson
American guitarist and session musician Wah Wah Watson (Melvin Ragin) died aged 67. He was famed for his skills with a wah-wah pedal and became a member of the Motown Records studio band, The Funk Brothers, where he recorded with The Temptations (his guitar work on 'Papa Was A Rollin' Stone'), The Jackson 5, The Four Tops, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Marvin Gaye and The Supremes.

2018 - Tony Joe White
US singer, songwriter Tony Joe White died of a heart attack at the age of 75. He is best known for his 1969 US No.8 single 'Polk Salad Annie' (also recorded by Elvis Presley and Tom Jones) and ‘Rainy Night in Georgia’ which he wrote but was first made popular by Brook Benton in 1970. He also wrote 'Steamy Windows' a UK No.13 single for Tina Turner.

2017 - Fats Domino
American pianist and singer-songwriter Fats Domino died aged 89 at his home in Harvey, Louisiana after a long-term illness. Domino attracted national attention with his first recording, ‘The Fat Man’, made in late 1949 for Imperial Records, an early rock-and-roll record. ‘The Fat Man’ sold one million copies by 1953 and it is widely considered the first rock-and-roll record to achieve this feat. Domino had 35 records in the US Billboard Top 40. Domino’s 1956 version of ‘Blueberry Hill’ was selected for the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry of historic sound recordings worthy of preservation.

2016 - Bobby Vee
American singer Bobby Vee died age 73. Vee had 38 chart hits, ten of which reached the Top 20. Vee's recording of 'Take Good Care of My Baby' in the summer of 1961 went to No.1 in the US and No.3 in the UK. Vee's career began in the midst of tragedy. On February 3, 1959, "The Day the Music Died," when Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper, were killed in an airplane. Vee then 15 years old, and a hastily assembled band of Fargo schoolboys calling themselves the Shadows volunteered for and were given the unenviable job of filling in for Holly and his band at their next gig. Their performance was a success, setting in motion a chain of events that led to Vee's career as a popular singer.

2013 - 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
NME published their latest '500 Greatest Albums of All Time' list. The top 5 read: 1. The Smiths - 'The Queen Is Dead', 2. The Beatles - 'Revolver' 3. David Bowie - 'Hunky Dory', 4. The Strokes - 'Is This It' and at 5. The Velvet Underground & Nico - 'The Velvet Underground'.

2006 - Kurt Cobain
Forbes.com revealed that Kurt Cobain had overtaken Elvis Presley as the highest earning dead celebrity. Cobain's work earned $50m (£27m) in the 12 months to October 2006, compared with Presley's $42m (£22m). Former Beatle John Lennon earned $35m (£19m).

2004 - Queen
Queen became the first rock act to receive an official seal of approval in Iran. Western music was still strictly censored in the Islamic Republic, where homosexuality is considered a crime, but an album of Queen's greatest hits was released this week in Iran. Freddie Mercury, was proud of his Iranian ancestry, and illegal bootleg albums and singles had made Queen one of the most popular bands in Iran.

2001 - Kim Gardner
Kim Gardner former bassist with Ashton Gardner & Dyke died of Cancer. Had the 1971 UK No.3 single 'The Resurrection Shuffle' and Gardner formed 60s band The Birds with guitarist Ronnie Wood.

1998 - Ian Brown
Former Stone Roses lead singer Ian Brown was jailed for 4 months after being found guilty of disorderly behaviour during a flight from Paris to Manchester. Brown had threatened to chop the hands off an air stewardess during a heated exchange.

1987 - Sting
Sting went to No.1 on the album chart with his third solo release 'Nothing Like The Sun.' The title comes from Shakespeare's Sonnet No.130 ("My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun"), which Sting used in the song "Sister Moon". The album won Best British Album at the 1988 Brit Awards.

1977 - Keith Richards
Rolling Stone Keith Richards was fined £205 after admitting having cannabis, Chinese heroin, mandrax tablets and a revolver at his Chelsea home in the UK. Later in the evening, Keith and Anita Pallenberg accidentally set fire to their London hotel bedroom.

1973 - John Lennon
John Lennon began litigation against the US government, accusing them of tapping his telephone.

1970 - Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were at No.1 on the album chart with the 'Atom Heart Mother', the group's first No.1. The album cover shows a cow standing in a pasture with no text nor any other clue as to what might be on the record.

1966 - The Monkees
Newsweek interviewed The Monkees. They are asked how the music is created. Singer Davy Jones tells them, "This isn't a rock 'n' roll group. This is an act."

1963 - The Beatles
On the first day of their first foreign tour, The Beatles spent the day in Stockholm, Sweden, recording a performance for a radio program entitled "The Beatles popgrupp fran Liverpool pa besok i Stockholm", (The Beatles pop group from Liverpool visiting Stockholm). The Beatles, enthused by the chance to play before an audience that wasn't screaming, played seven songs, ‘I Saw Her Standing There’, ‘From Me to You’ ‘Money’, ‘You Really Got a Hold On Me’, ‘She Loves You’, ‘Roll Over Beethoven’ and ‘Twist and Shout.’

1962 - James Brown
US Soul singer James Brown recorded his legendary 'Live At The Apollo' album. The album was listed at No.24 in Rolling Stone magazine's 2003 list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

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ON THIS DAY - October 19th
2020 - Spencer Davis
Spencer Davis, one of the key figures of the 60s beat scene, died at the age of 81. The Welsh guitarist was the driving force behind The Spencer Davis Group, who scored transatlantic hits with 'Keep On Running' and 'Somebody Help Me'. The band, which also featured a teenage Stevie Winwood, toured with The Who and The Rolling Stones in the 60s.

2014 - Raphael Ravenscroft
Raphael Ravenscroft who played the sax riff on the Gerry Rafferty hit 'Baker Street' died aged 60 of a suspected heart attack. He was only paid £27.50 for the 'Baker Street' session, and it has been reported that the cheque bounced and that it was kept on the wall of Ravenscroft's solicitors; by contrast the song is said to have earned Rafferty £80,000 a year in royalties.

2010 - Elton John
Elton John described today's songwriters as "pretty awful", Pop music as "uninspiring" and talent shows like American Idol as "boring" in an interview with UK Radio Times magazine.

2009 - Elvis Presley
A clump of hair believed to have been trimmed from Elvis Presley's head when he joined the US Army in 1958 sold for $15,000 (£9,200) at an auction in Chicago, America. Other items sold belonging to Presley included a shirt which sold for $52,000 (£32,000), a set of concert-used handkerchiefs, $732 (£450) and photos from the reception of Presley's 1967 wedding to Priscilla, sold for nearly $6,000 (£3,700).

2007 - Johnny Marr
Johnny Marr was made a visiting professor of music at the University of Salford in Manchester. The former Smiths guitarist was set to deliver a series of workshops and masterclasses to students on the BA Popular Music and Recording degree.

2005 - Music Industry
A survey concluded that the average person spent around £21,000 on music during their lives, the figure included the amount spent on Hi-Fi equipment, concerts and CDs. Music enthusiasts were likely to spend more than double that, parting with just over £44,000 in a lifetime, according to the survey conducted by UK company Prudential.

1998 - Noel Gallagher
Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher made a surprise appearance at the launch party of the new London venue Sound Republic. He jammed onstage with Pete Townshend and members from Ocean Colour Scene and Boo Radleys.

1997 - Glen Buxton
Original Alice Cooper band guitarist Glen Buxton died from pneumonia, aged 49. Born in Akron, Ohio, he attended High School in Phoenix, Arizona, where he met Dennis Dunaway and Vincent Furnier, later to call himself the titular Alice Cooper. Buxton co-wrote several classic Alice Cooper hits, including 'School's Out', 'I'm Eighteen' and 'Elected.'

1991 - Noel Gallagher
Oasis played The Boardwalk in their hometown Manchester, the group's first gig with Noel Gallagher in the group.

1989 - Alan Murphy
Alan Murphy guitarist with Level 42 died of pneumonia related to aids. Murphy also worked with Kate Bush, Go West and Mike & the Mechanics.

1985 - A-Ha
A-Ha went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Take On Me', making them the first Norwegian group to score a US No.1. The video for the song featured the band in a pencil-sketch animation method called rotoscoping, combined with live action which won six awards and was nominated for two others at the 1986 MTV Video Music Awards.

1980 - AC/DC
AC/DC kicked off a 20-date UK tour at Bristol Colston Hall. The band's first gigs since the death of singer Bon Scott.

1979 - Tom Petty
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers released their third album Damn the Torpedoes. It built on his two previous albums' commercial success and critical acclaim and reached No.2 on the Billboard album chart (kept from No.1 by Pink Floyd's The Wall). The album featured the two hit singles 'Don't Do Me Like That (US No.10) and 'Refugee' (US No.15).

1973 - David Bowie
David Bowie released his seventh album Pin Ups. The album, which features supermodel Twiggy on the front cover, is a collection of cover versions of some of the singer’s favourite songs, including tracks by Pink Floyd, The Pretty Things, The Who, The Yardbirds and The Kinks.

1968 - Cream
On their farewell tour Cream appeared at The Forum in Los Angeles, California, where live recordings were made which were included on the 'Goodbye Cream' album which was released the following year.

1968 - Humble Pie
18 year old Peter Frampton met Steve Marriott at a Small Faces show in London. After striking up a friendship, the two started planning a new group which emerged next April as Humble Pie.

1966 - The Yardbirds
The Yardbirds arrived in New York for their first US tour with Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page on lead guitars. After two dates of the tour, Beck developed acute tonsillitis and quit the group. He would go on to form The Jeff Beck Group, that gave Rod Stewart his first major exposure.

1961 - Helen Shapiro
Helen Shapiro was at No.1 on the singles chart with 'Walkin' Back To Happiness.' The singer's second and final No.1.

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ON THIS DAY - October 12th
2021 - Paddy Moloney
Irish musician, composer, and record producer Paddy Moloney died suddenly at a hospital in Dublin at the age of 83. He co-founded and led the Irish musical group the Chieftains, playing on all of their 44 albums. Moloney aslo did session work for Mike Oldfield, Mick Jagger, Gary Moore, Paul McCartney, Sting, Don Henley and Stevie Wonder.

2016 - Sonny Sanders
American soul music singer, songwriter, arranger, and record producer Sonny Sanders died age 77. He formed the Satintones in Detroit in 1957 becoming the first vocal group signed to Motown, and released their first record, 'Going to the Hop' / 'Motor City' in 1960. He later arranged strings on may hits including Jackie Wilson’s 'Higher and Higher' and 'I Get the Sweetest Feeling'.

2016 - David Bowie
David Bowie and Prince were both new entries in the latest list of top-earning dead celebrities compiled by Forbes. Prince's pre-tax income from 1 October 2015 to 1 October 2016 was estimated at $25m (£20.5m) by the business magazine, putting him fifth in the list. Bowie, meanwhile, was ranked at 11th for an estimated income of $10.5m (£8.5m). Both, however, are dwarfed by Michael Jackson who topped the list once again with a record-breaking estimated income of $825m (£672.8m).

2014 - George Ezra
British singer-songwriter George Ezra was at No.1 on the UK album chart with his debut studio album Wanted on Voyage which became the third best-selling album of 2014 in the UK. The album's title is a reference to the sticker used on the suitcase of Paddington Bear, who was Ezra's hero when he was a child.

2008 - Oasis
Oasis went to No.1 on the UK album chart with 'Dig Out Your Soul' the band's seventh and final studio album.

2005 - Midge Ure
Singer and Live Aid co-founder Midge Ure received an honorary degree from Dundee's University of Abertay. He said: "Having left school at the age of 15, I never expected to receive such an accolade."

2005 - Tommy Lee
Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee suffered minor burns at a concert in Casper, Wyoming during a pyrotechnics explosion. Lee was treated at a local hospital for the injuries to his arm and face, which occurred while he was suspended from a wire 30 feet above the stage.

1999 - Bee Gees
The island of their birth, The Isle Of Man, issued six stamps honouring The Bee Gees. Their mother had run a local post office on the island.

1997 - John Denver
John Denver was killed when the handmade, experimental airplane he was flying ran out of gas and crashed off the coast of Monterey Bay, California. The 53 year old star had scored 15 songs on Billboard's Top 40 Pop chart, ten of which reached number one on either Billboard's Adult Contemporary or Country chart.

1996 - Rolling Stones
28 years after its creation, The Rolling Stones' Rock & Roll Circus was finally released. The 1968 event put together by The Stones comprised two concerts on a circus stage and included performaces by The Who, Taj Mahal, Marianne Faithfull and Jethro Tull. John Lennon and Yoko Ono performed as part of a supergroup called The Dirty Mac, along with Eric Clapton, Mitch Mitchell and Keith Richards. It was originally planned to be aired on BBC TV.

1994 - Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd played the first of a 15-night run at Earls Court, London, England. Less than a minute after the band had started playing 'Shine On You Crazy Diamond', a scaffolding stand holding 1200 fans, collapsed, throwing hundreds of people 20 feet to the ground. It took over an hour to free everyone from the twisted wreckage, ninety-six people were injured, with 36 needing hospital treatment. Six were detained overnight with back, neck and rib injuries. Pink Floyd sent a free T-shirt and a note of apology to all the fans who had been seated in the stand that collapsed. The show was immediately cancelled and re-scheduled.

1991 - Mick Hucknall
Simply Reds fourth album 'Stars' went to No.1 on the UK chart for the first of five times, featuring the singles 'Thrill Me', 'For Your Babies' and the title track 'Stars.' The album became the biggest seller of 1991 and 1992 in the UK spending 134 week's on the chart.

1987 - INXS
Australian rock band INXS released Kick which became the band's most successful studio album. Kick has been certified six times platinum and peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 and reached No.1 in Australia. The album also spawned four US top 10 singles, 'New Sensation', 'Never Tear Us Apart', 'Devil Inside' and 'Need You Tonight', the last of which reached the top of the US Billboard singles charts. The album has now sold over 20 million copies worldwide.

1985 - Ricky Wilson
Ricky Wilson of the B-52's died of complications from aids. The B-52's had the 1990 UK No.2 & US No.3 single 'Love Shack'.

1979 - Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac released their twelfth album Tusk, an experimental set of songs that cost the band over $1 million to record. The double album peaked at No.4 in the US and achieved sales in excess of two million copies, spawning two Top Ten singles, 'Sara' and the title track. It reached No.1 in the UK and achieved Platinum status.

1978 - Sid Vicious
Whilst living at the Chelsea Hotel in New York City, Sex Pistol Sid Vicious called the police to say that someone had stabbed his girlfriend Nancy Spungen. He was arrested and charged with murder and placed in the detox unit of a New York prison. Vicious died of a heroin overdose before the case went to trial.

1975 - Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart and the Faces made their final live appearance when they played at Nassau Coliseum, Long Island. The group produced four studio albums: First Step (1970), Long Player (1971), A Nod Is As Good As a Wink... to a Blind Horse (1971) and Ooh La La (1973).

1974 - Blondie
Blondie appeared at CBGB’s in New York City, under the name Blondie for the first time. The name is derived from comments made by truck drivers who catcalled "Hey, Blondie" to Debbie Harry as they drove by.

1974 - Bay City Rollers
The Bay City Rollers went to No.1 on the UK album chart with their debut album Rollin. The album included three British chart hits 'Remember', 'Shang-a-Lang', 'Summerlove Sensation' and the debut of 'Saturday Night', never a British hit yet a No.1 smash in America.

1971 - Gene Vincent
Gene Vincent (Vincent Eugene Craddock), died from a perforated ulcer, aged 36. Had the 1956 US No.7 & UK No.16 single 'Be Bop A Lula'. Appeared in the film, The Girl Can't Help It with Jayne Mansfield. In 1960, while on tour in the UK, Vincent and songwriter Sharon Sheeley were seriously injured the car crash that killed Eddie Cochran.

1969 - Paul McCartney
A DJ on Detroit's WKNR radio station received a phone call telling him that if you play The Beatles 'Strawberry Fields Forever' backwards, you hear John Lennon say the words "I buried Paul." This started a worldwide rumour that Paul McCartney was dead.

1968 - Janis Joplin
Big Brother And The Holding Company went to No.1 on the US album chart with 'Cheap Thrills'. The cover, drawn by underground cartoonist Robert Crumb, replaced the band's original idea, a picture of the group naked in bed together. Crumb had originally intended his art to be the LP's back cover, but Joplin demanded that Columbia Records use it for the front cover. Initially the album title was to have been Sex, Dope and Cheap Thrills, but this didn't go down too well at Columbia Records.

1965 - The Beatles
The Beatles began recording their sixth UK album, Rubber Soul, recording takes of new songs 'Run For Your Life' and 'Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)'.

1957 - Little Richard
During an Australian tour, Little Richard publicly renounced rock 'n' roll and embraced God, telling a story of dreaming of his own damnation after praying to God when one of the engines on a plane he was on caught fire. The singer threw four diamond rings, valued at $8,000, into Sydney's Hunter River and soon after launched a Gospel career. Five years later, he would switch back to Rock.

1955 - Chrysler
The Chrysler Corporation launched high fidelity record players for their 1956 line-up of cars. The unit measured about four inches high and less than a foot wide and was mounted under the instrument panel. The seven inch discs spun at 16 2/3 rpm and required almost three times the number of grooves per inch as an LP. The players were discontinued in 1961.

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ON THIS DAY - October 6th
2020 - Johnny Nash
American singer-songwriter Johnny Nash died of natural causes age 80. He is best known for his 1972 hit 'I Can See Clearly Now'. Primarily a reggae and pop singer, he was one of the first non-Jamaican artists to record reggae music in Kingston.

2020 - Eddie Van Halen
Eddie Van Halen, the revered guitarist and co-founder of the rock band Van Halen, died at the age of 65, the Dutch-American musician had been receiving treatment for throat cancer. Halen, whose full name was Edward Lodewijk Van Halen, and his brother Alex Van Halen began performing together as teens, but formed the core of what would later become Van Halen after meeting David Lee Roth in the early seventies. Van Halen have sold more than 80 million worldwide, making them one of the best-selling groups of all time.

2019 - Ginger Baker
Ginger Baker, the legendary drummer and co-founder of rock band Cream died at the age of 80. The drummer co-founded Cream in 1966 with Eric Clapton and Jack Bruce. The band released four albums before splitting in 1968, after which he formed the short-lived band Blind Faith with Clapton, Steve Winwood and Ric Grech. Baker, one of the most innovative and influential drummers in rock music also played with Blind Faith, Hawkwind and Fela Kuti in a long and varied career. In 1962, joined Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated on the recommendation of Charlie Watts - who was leaving to join the Rolling Stones and later gained early fame as a member of the Graham Bond Organisation alongside bassist Jack Bruce.

2019 - Larry Junstrom
Larry Junstrom, a founding member of Lynyrd Skynyrd and longstanding bassist with the band .38 Special died at the age of 70. Junstrom played bass with Lynyrd Skynyrd from its formation in 1964 until he was replaced by Leon Wilkeson in 1971. He then joined .38 Special in 1976 with Donnie Van Zant, the younger brother of the Lynyrd Skynyrd frontman Ronnie Van Zant.

2016 - Rod Temperton
The death of English songwriter, record producer, and musician Rod Temperton was announced. He initially made his mark as the keyboardist and main songwriter for the R&B funk/disco band Heatwave. Temperton was recruited by Quincy Jones to write songs for Michael Jackson, including 'Thriller', 'Off the Wall', and 'Rock with You'.

2011 - Starship
Starship's 'We Built This City' was named 'the worst song of the 1980s' in a poll by Rolling Stone magazine. 'The Final Countdown' by the Swedish band Europe came in second and 'Lady in Red' by Chris de Burgh was third. Also making the top five were Wham!'s 'Wake Me Up (Before You Go Go)' and 'The Safety Dance' by Men Without Hats.

2010 - John Lennon
A set of John Lennon's fingerprints were seized by the FBI from a New York memorabilia dealer who intended to sell them for $100,000 (£62,621) minimum bid. The prints were taken at a New York police station in 1976 when Lennon applied for permanent US residence. The bureau believed the card was still government property and was investigating how it landed in private hands.

2007 - Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen was being sued for $850,000 (£415,973) by a man who claimed he backed out of a contract to buy a horse. Springsteen and his wife Patti Scialfa were both named in legal documents filed in Florida by Todd Minikus. He claimed the couple pulled out of a deal to pay $650,000 (£358,097) for a horse, named Pavarotti.

2007 - Queen
Queen's groundbreaking promo for their 1975 hit Bohemian Rhapsody was named the UK's best music video in a survey of music fans. Out of 1,051 adults polled by O2, 30% named the six-minute video, (which took only three hours to shoot and cost a mere £3,500 to make), their favourite.

2005 - The Rolling Stones
A The Rolling Stones concert at the University of Virginia, in the US, was halted eight songs into the show at the Scott Stadium after police received a bomb threat targeting the stage area. A 45-minute police sweep of the area found nothing unusual, and the band completed the show. The Stones were touring to promote their latest album, 'A Bigger Bang.'

1998 - David Bowie
A music industry poll was published by London Magazine 'Time Out', naming the top stars from the past 30 years. 5th place was Marvin Gaye, 4th; James Brown, 3rd; Bob Marley, 2nd; The Beatles and first place went to David Bowie

1984 - David Bowie
David Bowie scored his sixth UK No.1 album with 'Tonight', featuring the single 'Blue Jean'.

1979 - Buzzcocks
Buzzcocks, supported by Joy Division appeared at the Odeon Theatre, Edinburgh, Scotland, tickets £2.50.

1979 - Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin's In Through The Out Door was at No.1 on the US album chart. Six versions of the cover were released, each depicting the same bar scene photographed from one of six different angles.

1979 - Bob Dylan
'Gotta Serve Somebody' gave Bob Dylan his twelfth US top 40 hit when it entered the chart for the first time. Recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, the song won Dylan the Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Male in 1980.

1978 - Johnny O'Keefe
Australia’s ‘King of rock 'n' roll’ Johnny O’Keefe died aged 43 of a heart attack. He was the first Australian rock’n’roll performer to tour the United States, and Australia’s most successful chart performer, with 29 Top 40 hits between 1958 and 1974,. O’Keefe’s 1958 hit, ‘Real Wild Child’, was covered by Iggy Pop in 1986.

1972 - David Bowie
During sessions at RCA Studios, New York City, David Bowie recorded 'The Jean Genie', which became the lead single from his 1973 album Aladdin Sane. The track spent 13 weeks in the UK charts, peaking at No.2, making it Bowie's biggest hit to date. The line "He's so simple minded, he can't drive his module" would later give the Scottish band Simple Minds their name.

1969 - George Harrison
George Harrison's song ’Something’ was released as the "A" side of a Beatles' 45, a first for Harrison. Along with Lennon and McCartney's 'Come Together', the single went on reach No.1 on the US chart the following month. Both tracks were lifted from the Abbey Road album.

1967 - The Doors
The Doors appeared at the Cal State Gymnasium, Los Angeles, California. With The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and The Sunshine Company.

1967 - Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd appeared at the Miss Teenage Brighton Contest, Top Rank Suite, Brighton, England, playing the musical interlude during the contest.

1967 - Jimi Hendrix
The Jimi Hendrix Experience recorded a session for the UK BBC radio show 'Top Gear.' Stevie Wonder who was also appearing on the show jammed with Hendrix.

1964 - The Beatles
The Beatles spent the afternoon recording 'Eight Days A Week' at Abbey Road studios in London. Late evening was spent at The Ad Lib Club, London, partying with The Ronettes and Mick Jagger.

1959 - Jerry Keller
Jerry Keller was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Here Comes Summer'. A One Hit Wonder, Keller went on to be a vocalist for television jingles throughout the 1970s and 1980s.

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ON THIS DAY - October 3rd
2019 - Liam Gallagher
Liam Gallagher was at No.1 on the UK chart with his second solo studio album Why Me? Why Not. The album's lead single 'Shockwave' became one of Gallagher's biggest solo hits, and the best selling vinyl single of 2019 in the UK.

2014 - The Beatles
A mint-condition copy of The Beatles' Please Please Me album, signed by George Harrison, Paul McCartney, John Lennon and Ringo Starr sold for $36,655 at an auction held in the US.

2011 - Queen
According to new scientific research, Queen's 'We Are The Champions' was found to be the catchiest song ever written. Musicologist Dr Alisun Pawley from the University of London, England, conducted research into what makes a song memorable and compiled a list of the ten "catchiest" songs of all time. During the research, they discovered that sing-along songs contained four key elements: long and detailed musical phrases, multiple pitch changes in a song's 'hook', male vocalists, and higher male voices making a noticeable vocal effort. Y.M.C.A by the Village People, Sum 41's Fat Lip, and Europe's The Final Countdown were also on the list.

2008 - Johnny J
Singer, producer and songwriter Johnny J (Johnny Jackson) died after jumping from a tier in a Los Angeles jail while serving a sentence for driving under the influence. He produced Tupac Shakur's albums All Eyez on Me and Me Against the World, as well as many of Shakur's subsequent posthumous albums and Candyman.

2007 - Lloyd Trotman
American jazz bassist Lloyd Trotman died of pneumonia age 84. He backed numerous jazz and rock and roll artists in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s including Sam Cooke, James Brown and The Everly Brothers. He provided the bass line on Ben E. King's 'Stand by Me'.

2002 - Iron Butterfly
Original guitarist, vocalist from American psychedelic rock band Iron Butterfly Darryl DeLoach died of liver cancer at the age of 56.

2000 - Benjamin Orr
The Cars singer and bass player Benjamin Orr died of cancer at home in Atlanta at the age of 53. Sang lead vocals on the bands hits ‘Just What I Needed’, ‘Let's Go’ and ‘Drive’.

2000 - John Lennon
John Lennon's assassin Mark Chapman was denied parole after serving 20 years in prison. Chapman was interviewed for 50 minutes by parole board members who concluded that releasing Chapman would 'deprecate the seriousness of the crime.'

1999 - Tom Jones
Tom Jones went to No.1 on the UK album chart with 'Reload', making the singer the oldest artist to score a UK No.1 album with new material. The album featured the collaboration with Mousse T, 'Sexbomb', which reached No.3 on the UK Singles Chart, and was later used in an episode of The Simpsons.

1999 - Akio Morita
Akio Morita the founder of Sony electronics died aged 78. The 1979 Sony Walkman transformed both Sony and consumers across the world.

1992 - Sinead O'Connor
Sinead O’Connor ripped up a photograph of Pope John Paul II, on the US TV show 'Saturday Night Live', as a protest over sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church. The incident happened as Sinead ended her live performance and out of nowhere, produced a photograph of Pope John Paul II, which she ripped into pieces. There was stunned silence in the studio and the station went to a commercial. NBC was fined $2.5 million dollars by the Federal Communications Commission.

1991 - Stevie Ray Vaughan
Texas governor Ann Richards proclaimed October 3, Stevie Ray Vaughan, (Stevie Ray Vaughan's birthday), to be "Stevie Ray Vaughan Day". An annual motorcycle ride and concert in Central Texas benefits the Stevie Ray Vaughan Memorial Scholarship Fund.

1987 - M/A/R/S
M/A/R/S were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Pump Up The Volume.' The first British-made house hit heavily sampled other recordings which resulted in litigation.

1978 - Aerosmith
The members of Aerosmith bailed thirty fans out of jail after they were arrested for smoking pot during an Aerosmith concert at Fort Wayne Coliseum.

1968 - The Beatles
Working at Trident Studios in London, The Beatles recorded the new George Harrison song ‘Savoy Truffle’. George, Paul, and Ringo recorded just one take of the basic track (drums, bass, and lead guitar). The song was inspired by Eric Clapton's love of chocolates, particularly Mackintosh's Good News.

1967 - Woody Guthrie
American singer, songwriter Woody Guthrie died after suffering from Huntington's Chorea disease. Guthrie was a major influence on Bob Dylan and American folk music. The 70s film 'Bound For Glory' is based on his life. His best-known song is 'This Land Is Your Land', which is regularly sung in American schools.

1958 - The Biggest Show Of Stars 1958 Tour
The Biggest Show Of Stars 1958 Tour kicked off at the Worcester Auditorium in Worcester, Massachusetts. This Autumn Edition featured; Buddy Holly, Frankie Avalon, Bobby Darin, The Olympics, Dion & The Belmonts, Bobby Freeman, The Elegants, Jimmy Clanton, The Danleers, Duane Eddy, Clyde McPhatter and The Coasters.

1945 - Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley made his first ever-public appearance in a talent contest at the Mississippi Alabama Dairy Show singing 'Old Shep', Elvis was 10 years old at the time and came second.

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ROCK MUSICIANS WE LOST IN 2023
Raising a toast to those musicians, producers, songwriters and artists who passed away in 2023.
Jeff Beck (24 June 1944 – 10 January 2023)
Ground-breaking British guitarist who revolutionised the instrument during a 60-year career that saw him play in Screaming Lord Sutch And The Savages, The Yardbirds, The Jeff Beck Group and Beck, Bogert & Appice, as well as releasing 12 solo albums that spanned blues, hard rock and jazz fusion.
Frank Wyatt (Died January 10, 2023)
Keyboard player, saxophonist and flautist with US progressive rockers Happy The Man, appearing their albums Happy The Man (1977) and Crafty Hands (1978).
Yukihiro Takahashi (June 6, 1952 – January 11, 2023)
The lead vocalist, drummer and a co-founder of Yellow Magic Orchestra, who also guested on albums by Ryuichi Sakamoto, Bill Nelson and more.
Robbie Bachman (February 18, 1953 – January 12, 2023)
The drummer and co-founder of Canadian hard rockers Bachman-Turner Overdrive, who he played with from 1973 to 1977.
Lisa Marie Presley (February 1, 1968 – January 12, 2023)
Singer, actor and the daughter of Elvis Presley, who released three albums between 2003 and 2012.
Van Conner (March 17, 1967 – January 17, 2023)
The founding bassist and songwriter with proto-grunge band the Screaming Trees, who went on to success with the albums Sweet Oblivion (1992) and Dust (1996).
David Crosby (August 14, 1941 - January 18, 2023)
Singer and guitarist who helped popularise folk rock with The Byrds, Crosby, Stills & Nash/Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, and his own solo albums.
Alex Napier (Died January 19, 2023)
Original drummer with Uriah Heep, who played with the band for four years, appearing on their 1970 debut album …Very ’Eavy… Very ’Umble.
Anthony ‘Top’ Topham (July 3, 1947 – January 23, 2023)
Original guitarist with The Yardbirds, who he co-founded at the age of 15. Left the band after five months, and went on to play with Peter Green and Christine McVie.
Dean Daughtry (September 8, 1946 – January 26, 2023)
Co-founding pianist with the Atlanta Rhythm Section who played with the southern rockers for nearly 50 years.
Floyd Sneed (November 22, 1942 – January 27, 2023)
Longtime drummer with Three Dog Night, who enjoyed 21 US Top 40 hits in the late 60s and 70s.
Barrett Strong (February 5, 1941 – January 28, 2023)
Songwriter behind Money (That’s What I Want), I Heard It Through The Grapevine, Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone and more. His songs were recorded by The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Marvin Gaye and Led Zeppelin among others.
Tom Verlaine (December 13, 1949 – January 28, 2023)
Guitarist and singer with New York punk band Television, whose landmark debut album, Marquee Moon, was an influence on everyone from Red Hot Chili Peppers to The Strokes.
Phil Spalding (November 19, 1957 – February 5, 2023)
Bassist with 80s prog supergroup GTR, playing alongside Steve Hackett and Steve Howe. Also played bass for The Who, Mick Jagger, Joe Cocker, Elton John and more.
Burt Bacharach (May 12, 1928 – February 8, 2023)
Legendary songwriter behind innumerable 20th century staples, including I Say A Little Prayer For You, Walk On By, I’ll Never Fall In Love Again. His songs have been covered by everyone from Rod Stewart to The Stranglers.
Bruce Barthol (November 11, 1947 – February 20, 2023)
Original bassist for psychedelic folk-rockers Country Joe And The Fish, who appeared on the Bay Area band’s first three albums.
Steve Mackey (November 10, 1966 – March 2, 2023)
Bassist with Pulp who rose during the Britpop era. Joined the band in 1989, playing on every studio album from 1992’s Separations onwards.
Michael Rhodes (September 16, 1953 – March 4, 2023)
Acclaimed bassist, who appeared on albums by Steve Winwood, Joe Bonamassa, Beth Hart and countless more.
Gary Rossington (December 4, 1951 - March 5, 2023)
Founding guitarist and longest-serving member of Lynyrd Skynyrd, who played with the band from their inception in 1964, surviving the 1977 plane crash which killed singer Ronnie Van Zant and five other people.
Jim Durkin (February 7, 1965 – March 8, 2023)
Longtime guitarist with California thrashers Dark Angel, playing with them from 1981 until their split in 1992, and re-joining them in 2002 and again in 2013.
Joshua Madsen (Died March 9, 2023)
Former drummer with cult Danish thrashers Artillery, playing on four albums between 2013 and his death in a vehicle accident in 2013.
Jim Gordon (July 14, 1945 – March 13, 2023)
Drummer with Derek And The Dominos, Steely Dan, Joe Cocker and elite session collective The Wrecking Crew. Jailed in 1983 for the murder of his mother following a psychotic episode linked to undiagnosed schizophrenia.
Mick Slattery (Died March 17, 2023)
Original Hawkwind guitarist, who co-founded the space rock linchpins as Hawkwind Zoo with Dave Brock in 1969 before departing shortly afterwards. Went on to play with ex-Hawkwind colleague Nik Turner’s Space Ritual.
Tom Leadon (September 16, 1952 – March 22, 2023)
Guitarist with Tom Petty’s pre-fame country rock band Mudcrutch in the 1970s and again when they reconvened in 2007. Also played bass for Linda Ronstadt and Silver, while his brother, Bernie, was guitarist with the Eagles.
Wayne Swinny (Died March 22, 2013)
Guitarist with Memphis rockers Saliva, who notched up a run of US Top 40 albums in the early 2000s. Died at the age of 59 following a brain haemorrhage.
Keith Reid (October 19, 1946 – March 23, 2023)
English-born lyricist most famous for his with work with Procol Harum, notably their enigmatic 1967 hit A White Shade Of Pale.
Ryuichi Sakamoto (January 17, 1952 – March 28, 2023)
Composer, record producer and actor, most famous for being a founder member of pioneering Japanese electronic music band Yellow Magic Orchestra.
Ray Shulman (December 8, 1949 – March 30, 2023)
Co-founding bassist and composer with progressive rockers Gentle Giant. Appeared on all of their albums from 1970’s self-titled debut to 1980’s Civilian, while his later production credits include the Sugarcubes.
Seymour Stein (April 18, 1942 – April 2, 2023)
Music industry mogul who co-founded Sire Records. His early US signings included Barclay James Harvest, The Deviants and Focus, but was most famous for launching Ramones, Talking Heads and Madonna, among countless others.
Guy Bailey (October 15, 1960 – April 6, 2023)
Co-founding guitarist with UK rockers the Quireboys, who played with them from 1984 to 1993. He had recently reunited with former singer Spike, writing a new set of songs the latter says will be released under the Quireboys name.
John Regan (October 28, 1951 – April 7, 2023)
New York-born bassist most notable for playing with ex-Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley in his band Frehley’s Comet. He also appeared on albums by Peter Frampton, the Rolling Stones, David Bowie, David Lee Roth and more.
Ian Bairnson (August 3, 1953 - April 7, 2023)
Former guitarist with the Pilot and the Alan Parsons Project, with whom he played between 1975 and 1990. The Shetland-born Bairnson also played the solo on Kate Bush’s debut single Wuthering Heights.
Johnny Fean (November 17, 1951 – April 28, 2023)
Guitarist with veteran Irish rockers Horslips, playing on all of the Dublin groups best-known albums.
Gordon Lightfoot (November 17, 1938 – May 1, 2023)
Canadian singer-songwriter most famous for If You Could Read My Mind, Sundown and The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald.
Frank Kozik (January 9, 1962 – May 6, 2023)
Underground artist whose work appeared on record sleeves and posters for the likes of Nirvana, Pearl Jam, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and more. He also ran influential independent label Man’s Ruin until 2001.
Francis Monkman (9 June 1949 – 12 May 2023)
Keyboard player and guitarist with Curved Air, Sky, Matching Mole and short-lived Brian Eno/Phil Manzanera collaboration 801. His solo career took in original songs as well as soundtrack and library music.
Algy Ward (July 11, 1959 – May 17, 2023)
Former bassist with punk bands The Saints and The Damned, who went on to front cult NWOBHM outfit Tank, cited by Metallica as an influence.
Pete Brown (25 December 1940 – 19 May 2023)
Poet and lyricist noted for his collaborations with Cream and Jack Bruce. Also fronted Pete Brown And His Battered Ornaments, which featured guitarist Chris Spedding and sax player Dick Heckstall-Smith.
Andy Rourke (January 17, 1964 – May 19, 2023)
Former bassist with The Smiths, playing on the four studio albums they released between 1984 and 1987.
Tina Turner (November 26, 1939 – May 24, 2023)
Legendary R&B singer who notched up a string of hits with then-husband Ike Turner in the 60s and early 70s, including River Deep – Mountain High, Proud Mary and Nutbush City Limits, before launching a hugely successful solo comeback in the 1980s.
Cynthia Weil (October 18, 1940 – June 1, 2023)
US songwriter who, with her husband Barry Mann, wrote countless iconic hits, including We Gotta Get Out Of This Place, covered by The Animals.
Tony McPhee (March 23, 1944 – June 6, 2023)
Guitarist, singer and leader of influential British blues rockers The Groundhogs, fronting the band from their inception in 1963 through to their initial split in 1976, and again from the mid-80s until his retirement in 2015 following a series of strokes.
Blackie Onassis (August 27, 1965 – June 13, 2023)
Former drummer with US alt-rock band Urge Overkill between 1991 and their hiatus in 1997, appearing on their hit cover of Neil Diamond’s Girl You’ll Be A Woman Soon.
Teresa Taylor (November 10, 1962 – June 18, 2023)
Drummer with cult Texas alt-rockers Butthole Surfers, playing with them between 1983 and 1989 under the name Teresa Nervosa and again from 2008 to 2009.
George Tickner (September 8, 1946 – July 5, 2023)
Co-founder and rhythm guitarist with Journey, appearing on the rock band’s first three albums.
Randy Meisner (March 8, 1946 – July 26, 2023)
Founder and bassist with country rock pioneers Poco and, later, the Eagles. Appeared on the latter band’s first five albums, singing on the 1975 hit Take It To The Limit.
Sinéad O’Connor (December 8, 1966 – July 26, 2023)
Irish singer who rose to international fame with her 1990 cover of the Prince song Nothing Compares 2 U and parent album I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got.
John Gosling (February 6, 1948 – August 4, 2023)
Former keyboard player with The Kinks, who joined in 1970 and left seven years later, playing on the albums Lola Versus Powerman and Muswell Hillbillies.
Jamie Reid (January 16, 1947 – August 8, 2023)
Artist and designer famed for his provocative work with the Sex Pistols, designing the sleeves for iconic singles God Save The Queen and Anarchy In The UK, and their album Never Mind The Bollocks.
Robbie Robertson (July 5, 1943 – August 9, 2023)
Guitarist and co-founder of The Band, who, under their previous name of The Hawks, had worked with Bob Dylan at the start of his ‘electric period’. He later went on to collaborate with filmmaker Martin Scorsese, including on 2023’s Killers Of The Flower Moon.
Jerry Moss (May 8, 1935 – August 16, 2023)
Music mogul who co-founded A&M Records with Herb Alpert, helping propel Styx, The Police, Bryan Adams, Peter Frampton and more to stardom.
Chris Overland (October 24, 1956 – August 22, 2023)
Co-founder and guitarist with British melodic rock mainstays FM. He played on their first two albums before leaving, later becoming a professional guitar tutor.
Bernie Marsden (7 May 1951 – 24 August 2023)
Guitarist with Wild Turkey, Cozy Powell’s Hammer, Babe Ruth and, most famously, Whitesnake, with whom he played with between 1978 and 1982, contributing to albums including Ready An’ Willing and Live… In The Heart Of The City.
Jimmy Buffett (December 25, 1946 – September 1, 2023)
Popular American country rock singer responsible for enduring 1977 hit Margaritaville. He sold more than 23 million albums in the US, and authored several books, including Tales From Margaritaville and Where Is Joe Merchant?.
Gary Wright (April 26, 1943 – September 4, 2023)
US-born singer and keyboard player with British blues rockers Spooky Tooth, who went on to score a solo hit with the 1976 single Dream Weaver.
Steve Harwell (January 9, 1967 – September 4, 2023)
Singer with Grammy-nominated US ska-punk band Smash Mouth, of All Star fame, from their inception in 1994 until his retirement in 2021 due to health issues.
Tom Davies (December 14, 1975 - September 5, 2023)
Long-serving bassist with US stoner rock linchpins Nebula.
Bruce Guthro (August 31, 1961 – September 5, 2023)
Canadian-born singer with influential Celtic rockers Runrig, who joined the band in 1998 and played with them until their dissolution in 2018.
Kent Stax (July 4, 1962 – September 20, 2023)
Drummer with early 80s Washington DC hardcore crew Scream, who was replaced by Dave Grohl when he left in 1986 due to personal reasons. Rejoined the band for their 2009 reunion.
Ron Howden (January 5, 1945 – September 29, 2023)
Founder and drummer with cult UK prog band Nektar, playing with them from 1972 until their split in 1978 and again in the reunited line-up between 2002 and 2016.
Mr Udo (February 5, 1931 – October 15, 2023)
Powerhouse concert promoter who was widely recognised for bringing Western artists to Japan, including Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Kiss, David Bowie and more.
Steve Riley (January 22, 1956 – October 24, 2023)
Former drummer with Keel, WASP and LA Guns, playing with the latter for two spells in the late 80s and late 2000s. He most recently led his own version of the band, Riley’s LA Guns.
Scott Kempner (February 6, 1954 – November 29, 2023)
Guitarist and songwriter with 70s punks The Dictators and garage rockers The Del-Lords.
Pete Solley (October 19, 1948 – November 16, 2023)
London-born keyboard player who founded prog rock band Paladin, before going on to play with The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown, Procol Harum and Whitesnake.
Charlie Dominici (June 16, 1951 – November 2023)
Former singer with Dream Theater, who appeared on the prog metal band’s 1989 debut album When Dream And Day Unite before leaving shortly afterwards.
Mars Williams (May 29, 1955 – November 20, 2023)
Illinois-born sax player with The Psychedelic Furs, who played with them for six years from 1983. He was also a member of The Waitresses.
Brian Godding (August 19, 1945 – November 26, 2023)
Guitarist with cult 60s band Blossom Toes and early pioneer of the twin-guitar sound later popularised by the likes of Wishbone Ash.
Geordie Walker (18 December 1958 – 26 November 2023)
Influential guitarist with post-punk band Killing Joke and, later, Murder Inc. and The Damage Manual.
Shane MacGowan (25 December 1957 – 30 November 2023)
Singer and lyricist with The Pogues, who he fronted from their inception in 1982 until his departure in 1991 and again during sporadic reunions from 2001. Also fronted his own band, Shane MacGowan And The Popes.
Myles Goodwin (June 23, 1948 – December 3, 2023)
Singer and guitarist with multi-platinum Canadian rockers April Wine, with whom he released 16 albums, as well as two solo albums.
Denny Laine (October 29, 1944 – December 5, 2023)
Co-founder, guitarist and sometime vocalist with The Moody Blues and, later, Wings, singing on the former’s 1965 hit Go Now and playing between 1971 and 1981, co-writing their Number One hit Mull Of Kintyre.
Bob Johnson (18 March 1944 – 15 December 2023)
Longtime bassist with folk rockers Steeleye Span, whose time in the band took in two tenures, from 1972 to 1977 and again from 1980 to 2001.
Colin Burgess (16 November 1946 – c. 15 December 2023)
Original drummer with AC/DC, playing with the Australian rock icons between November 1973 and February 1974. Was inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association Hall Of Fame with his other band, The Master’s Apprentice.
Jim Ladd (January 17, 1948 – December 17, 2023)
Influential US radio DJ and author. Appeared on Roger Waters’ 1987 album Radio Kaos and inspired Tom Petty’s 2002 album The Last DJ.

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'ere's one for ya:
What has four letters, sometimes nine letters, but never has five letters

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Satisfying to see full houses are not a thing of the past. Riffs got this from Michael from FOUR LETTER WORD today (Monday 15th: "We played at O Gradys in Redcar last night....you couldnt have got another soul in with a shoehorn ...rammed - great night, but infection spread did cross my mind."

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