anytune
Super Member
Here is the Rock Historian’s look back at some of the more famous names in music history who left us in 2009 :sadwave:
Jan. 1 Ron Asheton, 60, guitarist and songwriter for The Stooges
Jan. 20 Mickey Gee, 64, British guitarist with Dave Edmunds, Shakin’ Stevens and Carl Perkins
Jan. 28 Billy Powell, 56, keyboardist for Lynyrd Skynyrd
Jan. 29 John Martyn, 60, British folk singer/songwriter/guitarist
Jan. 29 Hank Crawford, 74, jazz/r&b saxophonist
Jan. 31 Dewey Martin, 68, drummer for Buffalo Springfield
Feb. 1 Lukas Foss, 86, German-born conductor and composer of stage, orchestral, chamber, choral and piano works
Feb. 2 Sunny Skylar, 95, songwriter/composer
Feb. 3 Tom Brumley, 73, guitarist for Buck Owens’ Buckaroos
Feb. 4 Lux Interior, 62, front man for rockabilly-punkers, The Cramps
Feb. 7 Blossom Dearie, 84, jazz singer and pianist
Feb. 11 Estelle Bennett, 67, member of The Ronettes, sister of lead singer Ronnie Spector
Feb. 14 Louie Bellson, 84, jazz drummer
Feb. 18 Snooks Eaglin, 73, New Orleans R&B singer/guitarist
Feb. 19 Kelly Groucutt, 63, bass guitarist for ELO
Feb. 25 Ian Carr, 75, British jazz trumpet player
Mar. 2 Ernie Ashworth, 80, country singer, had the No. 1 C&W hit Talk Back Trembling Lips
Mar. 8 Hank Locklin, 91, country music legend, oldest surviving member of the Grand Ole Opry
Mar. 9 Willie King, 65, juke-joint blueman
Mar. 18 Kent Henry, 60, guitarist for Steppenwolf and Blues Image
Mar. 22 Reg Isidore, 59, drummer for Robin Trower
Mar. 24 Uriel Jones, 74, drummer for Motown’s studio band, the Funk Brothers
Mar. 26 Dan Seals, 61, country/pop singer, one-half of England Dan and John Ford Coley; brother of Jim Seals of Seals and Crofts
Mar. 26 John Mayhew, 61, former drummer for Genesis
Apr. 2 Bud Shank, 82, jazz sax/flute player, played flute solos on California Dreamin’ and Windy
Apr. 9 Randy Cain, 63, singer with The Delfonics
Apr. 17 Rocky Hill, 62, blues/rock guitarist, brother of Dusty Hill of ZZ Top
Apr. 29 Vern “The Voice” Gosdin, bluegrass/country-rock singer, performed with brother Rex
May 6 Ean Evans, 48, bassist for Lynyrd Skynyrd
May 18 Roderick “Dolla” Burton II, 21, rapper
May 18 Wayne Allwine, 62, actor and voice-overs, voice of Mickey Mouse since 1983
May 24 Jay Bennett, 45, guitarist, singer/songwriter with Wilco
June 3 Koko Taylor, 80, blues singer; nicknamed “Queen of the Blues”
June 3 Sam Butera, 81, jazz/r&b tenor saxophonist
June 7 Kenny Rankin, 69, singer-songwriter, played guitar on Bob Dylan’s Bringing It All Back Home LP
June 10 Huey Long, 105, guitarist for The Ink Spots
June 14 Bob Bogle, 75, guitarist for The Ventures
June 25 Michael Jackson, 50, “King of Pop,” global icon, biggest selling artist of the 80s, lead singer and youngest member of The Jackson 5, dual Hall of Fame inductee
June 25 Sky Saxon, 62, lead singer of 1960s psychedelic group The Seeds
June 27 Gale Storm, 87, 1950s pop singer, starred in “My Little Margie” and “The Gale Storm Show”
June 27 Fayette Pinkney, 61, lead singer of The Three Degrees
June 28 Tom Wilkes, 69, Grammy-winning art director and album cover designer for Rolling Stones, Neil Young, Janis Joplin and others
July 4 Drake Levin, 62, guitarist for Paul Revere and the Raiders, Lee Michaels, Emitt Rhodes and others
July 4 Allen Klein, 77, business manager for many artists including Bobby Darin, Sam Cooke, Beatles and Rolling Stones
July 17 Gordon Waller, 64, one-half of British pop duo Peter and Gordon
July 21 John “Marmaduke” Dawson, 64, guitarist, singer/songwriter with New Riders of the Purple Sage and Grateful Dead
July 27 George Russell, 86, jazz composer
Aug. 2 Billy Lee Riley, 75, rockabilly singer/guitarist, sessions musician for Sun Records
Aug. 7 Willie DeVille, 58, founder of 1970s New York punk group Mink DeVille
Aug. 13 Les Paul, 94, guitar legend, technical innovator, key figure in advent of rock ‘n roll, invented solid-body electric guitar and multi-track recording
Aug. 15 Jim Dickinson, 67, producer with North Mississippi Allstars and session player for Bob Dylan and Rolling Stones
Aug. 26 Ellie Greenwich, 68, prolific 1960’s songwriter, arranger, singer, member of Songwriters Hall of Fame, wrote Chapel of Love, Leader of the Pack, Da Do Ron Ron, Be My Baby and many other Top 10 hits
Aug. 28 DJ AM, 36 celebrity disc jockey
Aug. 29 Chris Connor, 81, 1950s “cool jazz” singer
Sept. 11 Jim Carroll, 59, punk-rock poet and musician, wrote “The Basketball Diaries”
Sept. 16 Mary Travers, 72, member of 1960s folk group Peter, Paul & Mary, member of Songwriters Hall of Fame
Sept. 20 Arthur Ferrante, 88, one-half of the 1960s piano duo Ferrante and Teicher, recorded 150 albums, best known for movie themes including “Exodus”
Sept. 28 Lucy Vodden, 46, classmate of Julian Lennon whose drawing of her inspired the song Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds
Oct. 4 Mercedes Sosa, 74, Argentinian singer
Oct. 7 Steve Ferguson, 60, guitarist with 1960’s r&b/rock band NRBQ (New Rhythm and Blues Quartet)
Oct. 10 Stephen Gately, 33, member of Irish boy band Boyzone
Oct. 12 Dickie Peterson, 61, bass player for Blue Cheer
Oct. 13 Al Martino, 82, 1960’s crooner, hits include Volare, played Johnny Fontane in "The Godfather" and sang the film’s title score
Oct. 18 Vic Mizzy, 93, wrote theme songs to “The Addams Family” and “Green Acres,” sang Addams Family theme, also wrote hits for Dean Martin, Doris Day, Perry Como and Billie Holiday.
Oct. 28 Taylor Mitchell, 19, Canadian folk singer/songwriter
Nov. 2 Mark Smith, 49, British bass player for Leo Sayer, Van Morrison, Percy Sledge, Waterboys and others
Nov. 8 Jerry Fuchs, 34, drummer for Maserati
Nov. 15 Derek B., 44, British rapper
Nov. 18 Johnny Alomnd, 63, one-half of British jazz/rock group Mark-Almond
Nov. 22 Haydain Neale, 39, Canadian r&b/soul singer
Nov. 23 Robert Degen, 104, songwriter, wrote Hokey Pokey
Nov. 27 Al Alberts, 87, singer, member of The Four Aces
Dec. 2 Eric Woolfson, 64, Scottish singer/songwriter/lyricist, co-founder of Alan Parsons Project
Dec. 2 Aaron Schroeder, 83, songwriter; wrote numerous hits for Elvis including Stuck On You and Good Luck Charm
Dec. 4 Liam Clancy, 74, Irish folk singer, last surviving member of The Clancy Brothers
Dec. 13 Yvonne King Burch, 89, singer, one of The King Sisters, appeared on 1960’s variety show “The King Family”
Dec. 20 James Gurley, 69, guitarist with Big Brother & the Holding Company
Dec. 24 Tim Hart, 61, founding member of Steeleye Span
Dec. 25 Vic Chestnutt, 45, singer/songwriter
Dec. 27 James Owen "The Rev" Sullivan, 28, drummer and backup singer for Avenged Sevenfold
Dec. 30 Roland S. Howard, 50, former guitarist for The Birthday Party
Jan. 1 Ron Asheton, 60, guitarist and songwriter for The Stooges
Jan. 20 Mickey Gee, 64, British guitarist with Dave Edmunds, Shakin’ Stevens and Carl Perkins
Jan. 28 Billy Powell, 56, keyboardist for Lynyrd Skynyrd
Jan. 29 John Martyn, 60, British folk singer/songwriter/guitarist
Jan. 29 Hank Crawford, 74, jazz/r&b saxophonist
Jan. 31 Dewey Martin, 68, drummer for Buffalo Springfield
Feb. 1 Lukas Foss, 86, German-born conductor and composer of stage, orchestral, chamber, choral and piano works
Feb. 2 Sunny Skylar, 95, songwriter/composer
Feb. 3 Tom Brumley, 73, guitarist for Buck Owens’ Buckaroos
Feb. 4 Lux Interior, 62, front man for rockabilly-punkers, The Cramps
Feb. 7 Blossom Dearie, 84, jazz singer and pianist
Feb. 11 Estelle Bennett, 67, member of The Ronettes, sister of lead singer Ronnie Spector
Feb. 14 Louie Bellson, 84, jazz drummer
Feb. 18 Snooks Eaglin, 73, New Orleans R&B singer/guitarist
Feb. 19 Kelly Groucutt, 63, bass guitarist for ELO
Feb. 25 Ian Carr, 75, British jazz trumpet player
Mar. 2 Ernie Ashworth, 80, country singer, had the No. 1 C&W hit Talk Back Trembling Lips
Mar. 8 Hank Locklin, 91, country music legend, oldest surviving member of the Grand Ole Opry
Mar. 9 Willie King, 65, juke-joint blueman
Mar. 18 Kent Henry, 60, guitarist for Steppenwolf and Blues Image
Mar. 22 Reg Isidore, 59, drummer for Robin Trower
Mar. 24 Uriel Jones, 74, drummer for Motown’s studio band, the Funk Brothers
Mar. 26 Dan Seals, 61, country/pop singer, one-half of England Dan and John Ford Coley; brother of Jim Seals of Seals and Crofts
Mar. 26 John Mayhew, 61, former drummer for Genesis
Apr. 2 Bud Shank, 82, jazz sax/flute player, played flute solos on California Dreamin’ and Windy
Apr. 9 Randy Cain, 63, singer with The Delfonics
Apr. 17 Rocky Hill, 62, blues/rock guitarist, brother of Dusty Hill of ZZ Top
Apr. 29 Vern “The Voice” Gosdin, bluegrass/country-rock singer, performed with brother Rex
May 6 Ean Evans, 48, bassist for Lynyrd Skynyrd
May 18 Roderick “Dolla” Burton II, 21, rapper
May 18 Wayne Allwine, 62, actor and voice-overs, voice of Mickey Mouse since 1983
May 24 Jay Bennett, 45, guitarist, singer/songwriter with Wilco
June 3 Koko Taylor, 80, blues singer; nicknamed “Queen of the Blues”
June 3 Sam Butera, 81, jazz/r&b tenor saxophonist
June 7 Kenny Rankin, 69, singer-songwriter, played guitar on Bob Dylan’s Bringing It All Back Home LP
June 10 Huey Long, 105, guitarist for The Ink Spots
June 14 Bob Bogle, 75, guitarist for The Ventures
June 25 Michael Jackson, 50, “King of Pop,” global icon, biggest selling artist of the 80s, lead singer and youngest member of The Jackson 5, dual Hall of Fame inductee
June 25 Sky Saxon, 62, lead singer of 1960s psychedelic group The Seeds
June 27 Gale Storm, 87, 1950s pop singer, starred in “My Little Margie” and “The Gale Storm Show”
June 27 Fayette Pinkney, 61, lead singer of The Three Degrees
June 28 Tom Wilkes, 69, Grammy-winning art director and album cover designer for Rolling Stones, Neil Young, Janis Joplin and others
July 4 Drake Levin, 62, guitarist for Paul Revere and the Raiders, Lee Michaels, Emitt Rhodes and others
July 4 Allen Klein, 77, business manager for many artists including Bobby Darin, Sam Cooke, Beatles and Rolling Stones
July 17 Gordon Waller, 64, one-half of British pop duo Peter and Gordon
July 21 John “Marmaduke” Dawson, 64, guitarist, singer/songwriter with New Riders of the Purple Sage and Grateful Dead
July 27 George Russell, 86, jazz composer
Aug. 2 Billy Lee Riley, 75, rockabilly singer/guitarist, sessions musician for Sun Records
Aug. 7 Willie DeVille, 58, founder of 1970s New York punk group Mink DeVille
Aug. 13 Les Paul, 94, guitar legend, technical innovator, key figure in advent of rock ‘n roll, invented solid-body electric guitar and multi-track recording
Aug. 15 Jim Dickinson, 67, producer with North Mississippi Allstars and session player for Bob Dylan and Rolling Stones
Aug. 26 Ellie Greenwich, 68, prolific 1960’s songwriter, arranger, singer, member of Songwriters Hall of Fame, wrote Chapel of Love, Leader of the Pack, Da Do Ron Ron, Be My Baby and many other Top 10 hits
Aug. 28 DJ AM, 36 celebrity disc jockey
Aug. 29 Chris Connor, 81, 1950s “cool jazz” singer
Sept. 11 Jim Carroll, 59, punk-rock poet and musician, wrote “The Basketball Diaries”
Sept. 16 Mary Travers, 72, member of 1960s folk group Peter, Paul & Mary, member of Songwriters Hall of Fame
Sept. 20 Arthur Ferrante, 88, one-half of the 1960s piano duo Ferrante and Teicher, recorded 150 albums, best known for movie themes including “Exodus”
Sept. 28 Lucy Vodden, 46, classmate of Julian Lennon whose drawing of her inspired the song Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds
Oct. 4 Mercedes Sosa, 74, Argentinian singer
Oct. 7 Steve Ferguson, 60, guitarist with 1960’s r&b/rock band NRBQ (New Rhythm and Blues Quartet)
Oct. 10 Stephen Gately, 33, member of Irish boy band Boyzone
Oct. 12 Dickie Peterson, 61, bass player for Blue Cheer
Oct. 13 Al Martino, 82, 1960’s crooner, hits include Volare, played Johnny Fontane in "The Godfather" and sang the film’s title score
Oct. 18 Vic Mizzy, 93, wrote theme songs to “The Addams Family” and “Green Acres,” sang Addams Family theme, also wrote hits for Dean Martin, Doris Day, Perry Como and Billie Holiday.
Oct. 28 Taylor Mitchell, 19, Canadian folk singer/songwriter
Nov. 2 Mark Smith, 49, British bass player for Leo Sayer, Van Morrison, Percy Sledge, Waterboys and others
Nov. 8 Jerry Fuchs, 34, drummer for Maserati
Nov. 15 Derek B., 44, British rapper
Nov. 18 Johnny Alomnd, 63, one-half of British jazz/rock group Mark-Almond
Nov. 22 Haydain Neale, 39, Canadian r&b/soul singer
Nov. 23 Robert Degen, 104, songwriter, wrote Hokey Pokey
Nov. 27 Al Alberts, 87, singer, member of The Four Aces
Dec. 2 Eric Woolfson, 64, Scottish singer/songwriter/lyricist, co-founder of Alan Parsons Project
Dec. 2 Aaron Schroeder, 83, songwriter; wrote numerous hits for Elvis including Stuck On You and Good Luck Charm
Dec. 4 Liam Clancy, 74, Irish folk singer, last surviving member of The Clancy Brothers
Dec. 13 Yvonne King Burch, 89, singer, one of The King Sisters, appeared on 1960’s variety show “The King Family”
Dec. 20 James Gurley, 69, guitarist with Big Brother & the Holding Company
Dec. 24 Tim Hart, 61, founding member of Steeleye Span
Dec. 25 Vic Chestnutt, 45, singer/songwriter
Dec. 27 James Owen "The Rev" Sullivan, 28, drummer and backup singer for Avenged Sevenfold
Dec. 30 Roland S. Howard, 50, former guitarist for The Birthday Party
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