In Memoriam: DMX, Charlie Watts and 30 other artists we lost in 2021
Row 1: DMX, Biz Markie, Dusty Hill, Charlie Watts, Joey Jordison, Nanci Griffith and B.J. Thomas. Row 2: Mary Wilson, George Wein, Michael Nesmith, Terence “Astro” Wilson, Tom T. Hall, Stephen Sondheim and Graeme Edge. Row 3: Chick Corea, Gift of Gab, Bunny Wailer, Shock G and Sylvain Sylvain. Row 4: Don Everly, Bruce Conte, Dennis Thomas, Lloyd Price, Ronnie Wilson, SOPHIE, Mike Mitchell and Michael Morgan. Row 5: Lee “Scratch” Perry, Hilton Valentine, Rusty Young, Paul Cotton, Pervis Staples, Zumbi and Juan Nelson.
In 2021, we lost a number of legends from across the musical spectrum. Iconic Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts, Ruff Ryder rapper DMX, jazz maestro Chick Corea, dub pioneer Lee “Scratch” Perry and reggae great Bunny Wailer all left us this year. Social media was awash in tributes last month with the passing of one of Broadway’s greatest composers of all time, Stephen Sondheim.
Although they have departed, their creative and innovative bodies of work will surely keep their memories alive for years to come.
Charlie Watts of The Rolling Stones (80) — Sam Richards
Even if Mick Jagger and Keith Richards have been the visual (and songwriting) centerpieces of the Rolling Stones since 1962, it was Charlie Watts’ drumming that anchored this band–and may have helped keep the mercurial Glimmer Twins grounded. And his disdain for the limelight was in sharp contrast to Mick, Keith and various other Stones.
Watts, who died Aug. 24 at 80, brought a jazzman’s fluidity and sense of swing to songs like “19th Nervous Breakdown” and “Rocks Off” (he also led a jazz band, after all); added a roiling quality to an already charged “Gimme Shelter,” gave slam to acoustic songs like “Sweet Virginia” and “Let it Bleed,” and brought a dash of measured chaos to a newer song like “Rough Justice.” Truth is, his flexible, assertive sound was all over the Stones’ music on every one of their albums, and with his death the Stones have perhaps lost their true musical soul.
DMX (50) – hip-hop artist — By Roman Gokhman
Rapper DMX died on April 9 after more than a week in a coma, following a massive heart attack. The New Yorker, whose name was Earl Simmons, had released seven albums over his career, as well as numerous hits like “X Gon’ Give It to Ya,” “Get At Me Dawg,” “Ruff Ryders’ Anthem” and “Party Up (Up in Here).”
His 1998 debut album, It’s Dark and Hell is Hot, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. Other chart-topping albums included … And Then There Was X, Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood, The Great Depression and Grand Champ. DMX was also an actor, starring in 1998 film “Belly” and appearing in the 2000 film “Romeo Must Die” with Jet Li and Aaliyah.
Sadly, his heart attack was drug-induced, according to investigators. DMX openly struggled with addiction. The rapper also spent stints in rehab. In 2016, he had to be revived by paramedics following an overdose. His family turned attention not to his success in hip-hop but to his success turning his life around and being a good father, brother and uncle. Fans held vigil for days outside the White Plains, New York hospital where he was hospitalized. His memorial service was extravagant, including a procession that included a monster truck.
Nanci Griffith (68) – singer-songwriter — By Sam Richards
Austin-bred, Nashville-based singer-songwriter Nanci Griffith referred to the songs she wrote and performed as “folkabilly,” combining classic quiet singer-songwriter elements with country, folk and rockabilly to form a diverse Americana stew made strong by Griffith sometimes pushing her high voice to its limits. She collaborated with many of the best-known singer-songwriters of her day, including Emmylou Harris, John Prine, Don McLean, Jimmy Buffett, Willie Nelson and the long-running Irish band The Chieftains, making both her songs and their songs better in the process.
The most popular of her 18 albums were from the late 1980s: Lone Star State of Mind and Little Love Affairs. Her best-known songs included “Love at the Five and Dime,” “Late Night Grande Hotel” and “Outbound Plane.” She died Aug. 13 in Nashville.
Gift of Gab of Blackalicious (50) – Bay Area hip-hop artist — By Roman Gokhman
Much-loved hip-hop MC Timothy J. Parker, better known as Gift of Gab, passed away June 18 of natural causes. Originally from Sacramento, Gift of Gab was the frontman for Bay Area project Blackalicious. Gab’s gift was truly something special. His intricate and articulate flow could elevate songs into thought-provoking transformative experiences. Harder-hitting than other conscious rap MCs, Gab also distinguished himself with brilliant and experimental lyricism. Much respected in every corner of the hip-hop world, he was a stunning performer as well, capable of stealing the show with uncanny freestyles.
He was a master of quick-witted and twisting rhymes, which sometimes had the added difficulty of a theme, such as on 1999’s iconic “Alphabet Aerobics” (where each word in each line started with the same letter, from A to Z). Blackalicious released several EPs in the 1990s that led up to 1999 masterpiece, A2G (with “Alphabet Aerobics”). A debut album, Nia, followed the same year. Its second album, Blazing Arrow, featured artists like Gil Scott-Heron, Rage Against the Machine’s Zack de la Rocha, Ben Harper and Cut Chemist. Gift of Gab released several solo albums as well.
Parker had kidney failure and received a transplant in January 2020. Blackalicious played their final Bay Area shows in Oakland on Jan. 9, 2020, performing a career-spanning set.
Michael Morgan (63) – long-time Oakland Symphony music director and maestro — By Roman Gokhman
Michael Morgan expounded orchestral conventions alongside experimental music operations, preached inclusivity and education and worked tirelessly to get the people of the Bay Area, and Oakland especially, to find their own connections to classical music. He died on Aug. 20 after a years-long illness.
Born in Washington, D.C., Morgan had been music director at Oakland’s symphony since 1991. The Oberlin College Conservatory of Music graduate (where he studied with Leonard Bernstein) started playing piano at age 8. In 1982, he debuted at the prestigious Vienna State Opera. The same year, he became the assistant conductor of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. He moved on to the same position with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 1986. He worked with symphonies Coast to Coast but has remained in the Bay Area after moving here. In his tenure he made the Oakland Symphony a dynamic presence, not afraid to experiment with formats and types of shows.
He was one of the most prominent Black conductors and classical music leaders in the U.S., and worked to get more People of Color involved in classical music. But he wouldn’t let that pigeonhole him. He accomplished this by getting personally involved in music education. In 2020, he partnered with the San Francisco Symphony as the first curator of its Currents online series.
Morgan was also artistic director of the Oakland Youth Orchestra, music director of the Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra and Sacramento Opera, artistic director of Festival Opera in Walnut Creek, taught at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and was music director at the Bear Valley Music Festival, south of Lake Tahoe. He’s conducted the San Francisco Symphony and San Francisco Ballet orchestra numerous times.
Morgan had been getting dialysis treatments for several years. He received a kidney transplant in May at UCSF Medical Center, but contracted an infection in August.
Mary Wilson of The Supremes (76) — By Domenic Strazzabosco
The Supremes are easily one of the most successful vocal groups in the history of American music. Mary Wilson was a founding member of the group and sang backing vocals on a whopping 10 of their 12 No. 1 hits. Known for their sophisticated image and vocal harmonies, the group helped break down racial barriers and created a cross-generational musical appeal. After the group officially disbanded in the late ’70s, Wilson penned two biographies that would go on to become highly successful and paint an unflattering depiction of Diana Ross. Whether the drama between the two is true, the group left an undeniable legacy not only for future woman-led groups and Black female performers, but within the entire music industry itself.
Zumbi (Stephen Gaines) of Zion I – Bay Area hip-hop artist — By Roman Gokhman
Stephen Gaines, better known as Baba Zumbi of East Bay hip-hop group Zion I, died on Aug. 13 after a confrontation after being admitted to a Berkeley hospital. He was reportedly recovering from COVID-19 at the time. He was reportedly involved in an altercation with hospital security, who restrained him shortly before he died. Berkeley police have declined to release the cause of his death as of late November. An investigation was ongoing.
The Bay Area native began making music with long-time partner Amp Live while both were students at Atlanta’s Morehouse College in the ’90s. After moving to Oakland, the duo formed Zion I. Between 2000 and 2013, Zion I released seven albums and two more with Bay Area rapper the Grouch. The duo has also collaborated with San Jose’s Bassnectar, rockers Linkin Park and Matisyahu. In 2016 Zumbi released LP The Labyrinth and became well-known after 2015 song “Tech $,” the video for which showed Gaines and his family being evicted from their Oakland home after being priced out. On Aug. 4, Zumbi and Amp Live announced a 20th anniversary Mind Over Matter reunion tour and upcoming album.
Dusty Hill (72) of ZZ Top — By Tony Hicks
Dusty Hill, the cofounding bassist of ZZ Top, died on July 28 in his sleep in Houston.
Hill, born Joseph Michael Hill on May 19, 1949 in Dallas. ZZ Top was one of the biggest bands in the world during the early MTV years, with their image of hot-rod-driving, woman-chasing rockers perfectly suited for the bourgeoning music video era. The onstage chemistry between Hill, guitarist-vocalist Billy Gibbons and drummer Frank Beard was a hallmark for the band.
ZZ Top were extremely talented musicians, blending blues with psychedelia to make something that was new at the time. As Moving Sidewalks, the band that preceded ZZ Top, they toured with the Jimi Hendrix Experience. They released their first record as ZZ Top in 1971. They would taste success for the first time with 1873’s Tres Hombres, which included single “La Grange,” and was certified Gold and reached No. 8 on U.S. charts. Each of their next eight albums would be certified Gold, Platinum or Diamond, including 1979’s Degüello, 1983’s Eliminator and 1985’s Afterburner.
The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.
Biz Markie (57) – rapper — Daniel J. Willis
Biz Markie, Clown Prince of Hip-Hop and artist behind “Just a Friend,” died on July 16. Born Marcel Hall, Markie began his career in the mid ’80s as a beatboxer with the Juice Crew in his native New York City. His first album, 1988’s Goin’ Off, was cowritten by the legendary Big Daddy Kane, his Juice Crew colleague. The fifth single, “Vapors,” became Markie’s first underground hit.
It was his second album, 1989’s The Biz Never Sleeps, that propelled Biz Markie to mainstream fame. Single “Just a Friend” became a hip-hop classic for its self-deprecating subject matter, humor and poorly-sung chorus, which only added to its charm and aesthetic. The song reached the No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Though he never reached that level of success on the charts again, he went on to tour with Chris Rock and the touring version of the children’s show “Yo Gabba Gabba,” and he had a memorable cameo as a beatboxing alien postal worker in “Men in Black II” after appearing on star Will Smith’s 1999 album Willenium.
Michael Nesmith of The Monkees (78) — By Roman Gokhman
Michael Nesmith, a guitarist, singer-songwriter and a creative force, passed away Dec. 10 at 78 years old. The Monkees received their initial success with their hit TV show, which launched them to superstardom in 1965. Nesmith and Dolenz, as well as Davy Jones (who died in 2012) and Peter Tork (who passed away in 2019) did in fact play instruments from the outset, but Nesmith was the most talented and the only one writing his own songs at the time. At the time he was cast on the show, he had been working at The Troubador in Los Angeles as a house musician. The four grew to be close friends, despite some infighting over the future of the band.
Nesmith left the Monkees in 1970 to pursue a solo career in country and folk music, with his First National Band. He also wrote the Linda Ronstadt classic “Different Drum.” He reunited with Dolenz and Tork several decades later, and has been touring with Dolenz throughout the last decade.
Graeme Edge of the Moody Blues (80) — By Sam Richards
Graeme Edge will likely be best remembered as the voice of the opening and closing poems for the landmark 1967 Moody Blues album Days of Future Passed: “Cold-hearted orb that rules the night/ Removes the colors from our sight/ Red is grey and yellow white/ But we decide which is right/ … And which is an illusion… ”
Edge, who died Nov. 11, was the Moody Blues’ drummer from the group’s inception as a blues-based band in 1964, through its classical and prog-rock phases to its longest-lasting incarnation as an adult contemporary band that ended in 2018 with his retirement. His poems were part of several subsequent Moody Blues’ albums, too, though usually spoken by original keyboardist Mike Pinder after Days. Graeme Edge wrote or co-wrote several songs as well, most notably “You and Me” (1972) and “I’ll Be Level With You” (1977).
Lee “Scratch” Perry (85) – reggae producer and dub icon — By David Gill
Lee “Scratch” Perry’s use of recording techniques for reggae also made significant gains for hip-hop, dance and rock music, He died on Aug. 29 in his home country of Jamaica. He was a prolific solo artist, as well as a collaborator and producer, making more than 1,000 recordings.
Rainford Hugh “Lee” Perry pioneered the use of the studio as another instrument in his sonic array. His remix techniques laid the foundation for the Beastie Boys’ legendary sonic collages on their 1989 album, Paul’s Boutique. Perry’s vocals even graced the track “Dr. Lee, PhD” from their 1998 album, Hello Nasty.
Perry popularized Jamaican music in the ’70s, and he was a producer on records like The Heptones’ Party Time and Junior Murvin’s Police & Thieves. The latter, which Perry cowrote, was covered by the Clash on its 1977 debut album. The Clash then got him to produce “Complete Control” the same year.
Perry mystified listeners with his use of found sound and experimental recording techniques. He once buried a microphone at the base of a palm tree to capture an elusive thump, and would often blow smoke into the microphone, supposedly so the cannabis would get into the song. Jamaica honored him with its national honor, the Order of Distinction at the rank of Officer. Perry was nominated for Grammy awards five times, winning one for Best Reggae Album in 2003 for Jamaican E.T.
Shock G of Digital Underground (57) – Bay Area rapper and producer — Daniel J. Willis
Oakland hip-hop legend Greg Jacobs, known as Shock G, died April 22 in Tampa, Florida. With Digital Underground, he rapped not only as Shock G but as a variety of other characters, most notably Humpty Hump, but also MC Blowfish, Peanut Hakeem, ButtaFly and others. Each had its own unique voice and flow.
In an era when gangsta rap was becoming dominant, Jacobs took Digital Underground in the opposite direction with a joyful humor. They carried on the spirit of bands like Parliament and Sly and the Family Stone, both of which they sampled on their breakthrough hit, “The Humpty Dance,” leading to them being declared the “Sons of the P” by George Clinton, the father of P-funk.
Jacobs also had a hand in the career of Digital Underground’s most famous member, backup dancer Tupac Shakur. He produced “Words of Wisdom” and “Tha’ Lunatic” on Shakur’s debut album, 2Pacalypse Now, and appeared as a guest rapper on Shakur’s “Trapped” and “So Many Tears,” among others. Jacobs also produced for artists including Prince, KRS-One and Dr. Dre.
Joey Jordison – long-time Slipknot drummer (46) — By Mike DeWald
Former Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison’s sudden death shocked the hard rock world. Slipknot’s founding drummer, Jordison played with the band until a neurological disorder forced him to leave in 2013. The Iowa-born drummer had a style all his own, attacking his instrument with lightning-quick aggression and serving as an inspiration for plenty of hard rock and metal bands to follow.
One of Jordison’s signature moments came on tour when the stage design during his drum solo not only elevated him into the air, but also turned his drum riser sideways and spun it around. Jordison had a controlled performance behind his massive kit of toms and cymbals. He not only played with Slipknot but also joined bands like Metallica and Korn as a guest drummer. He was also a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer. The cause of Jordison’s death was never revealed, beyond that he died peacefully in his sleep at the age of 46.
Bunny Wailer (73) – cofounder of The Wailers — By David Gill
Bunny Wailer, who along with fellow Jamaicans Bob Marley (his step-brother) and Peter Tosh fathered reggae music in the 1960s, died March 2, following a stroke in 2020. Wailer, born Neville O’Riley Livingston in 1947, was a singer-songwriter and percussionist, The trio founded The Wailers in 1963. The band pioneered a heavy, stoned groove that emphasized the up-beats in a measure as opposed to rock and roll’s backbeat.
Charged with possession of cannabis in 1967, Wailer spent much of the time of The Wailers’ early success in jail. Later, when the press and fans began to focus on Bob Marley, Wailer adopted the name “Bunny” and struck out on his own, releasing his debut solo album, Blackheart Man, in 1976. Wailer reinterpreted early songs from the Wailers on Bunny Wailer Sings the Wailers with the help of Jamaican duo Sly and Robbie. A three-time Grammy winner, Bunny Wailer was awarded the Order of Merit by the Jamaican government in 1991.
Pervis Staples (85) – vocalist and cofounder of the Staples Singers — By Domenic Strazzabosco
A “true Chicago statement” is what Mavis Staples wrote of her brother when he died on May 6 at the age of 85. The Staples Singers, consisting of their father Roebuck “Pops” Staples and siblings Pervis, Mavis and Cleotha, saw much success throughout the Civil Rights Movement and into the ’70s. Originally a group that clung to gospel sounds, Pervis introduced his father to Bob Dylan and helped the group find a more culturally relevant sound and style. After being replaced twice in the band by his sister Yvonne, first after he was drafted in the military and again in 1970, Pervis Staples went on to open his own Chicago nightclub and was later inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Don Everly of the Everly Brothers (84) — By Sam Richards
The Everly Brothers’ best-known songs–“Wake Up Little Susie,” “All I Have to Do is Dream,” “Bye Bye Love,” “When Will I Be Loved,” “Poor Jenny” and many others–were early (and excellent) examples of close-harmony singing in pop music. And while changing public tastes in the early 1960s ended their most popular era, musicians who came after them–power-pop harmonizers, in particular–acknowledged a debt to them.
The brothers, in the first group of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees, recorded an album with the Hollies in 1966. With Rockpile’s “Seconds of Pleasure” album came a bonus EP of four Everlys songs; and Paul McCartney wrote a song for them, 1984’s “On the Wings of a Nightingale.”It was the brothers’ last Top 100 hit in the U.S.
Isaac Donald “Don” Everly, 84, died Aug 21, seven and a half years after younger brother Phil.
Stephen Sondheim (91) Broadway theatrical composer — By theater critic Chad Jones
One thing we can say for sure about Stephen Sondheim is that he died knowing just how loved and admired he was. It seems like the legendary Broadway composer received lifetime tributes for at least the last 40 years, and it also seems like he was there for all of it. Always humbled, slightly embarrassed but pleased and moved. From the genius of “Company,” to the beauty and pain of “Merrily,” or even the humor of “Sweeney Todd,” it’s all a piece of a giant slice of creative brilliance.
And it’s been there since Sondheim’s lyricist-only days on “West Side Story” and “Gypsy.” In the wake of his death on Nov. 26, what has been most striking is the gratitude expressed for his colossal contribution to the arts. I don’t think we can even begin to wrap our heads around just how great his impact has been or will continue to be.
SOPHIE (34) – Singer-songwriter and producer — By Red Dziri
SOPHIE, artist and producer extraordinaire, was only beginning to get a name out in the mainstream when they passed away on Jan. 30 due to a tragic accident while in Greece. SOPHIE didn’t see the pop mainstream and queer underground culture as antitheses of one another. The artist was working with both at the same time, living in a world where glossy pop and dark techno exist in the same space.
SOPHIE was a voice for the idea that presumed binaries are little more than the synthesis of a multitude of layers. They saw a void in the cultural space that needed filling and invited others to join in in this effort. The work the artist started has already rippled through the industry and the legacy left is one of unbridled creativity and immense generosity.
Rusty Young (75) and Paul Cotton (78) of Poco — By Sam Richards
Rusty Young, who died April 14 at age 75, was one of the founders of the groundbreaking country rock band Poco, and was the sole member of that band to appear on all 19 studio albums and live sets. A pedal steel virtuoso and proficient on myriad stringed instruments, he played on Buffalo Springfield’s “Kind Woman” and then formed Poco in 1968 with Springfield’s Richie Furay and Jim Messina. Poco was active in one form or another until 2014, having moved gradually away from country influences to a more pop sound.
Paul Cotton, who died July 31 at 78, joined Poco in 1970 as lead guitarist (replacing Messina), and he brought a harder rock edge to the band. Aside from a 1989 one-off featuring the five original Poco members, Cotton and Young led the band from the early ’70s until Cotton left in 2010. The pair were at the helm for Poco’s most popular album, 1978’s Legend, which featured the band’s two biggest hits, “Crazy Love,” written and sung by Young, and Cotton’s “Heart of the Night.”
Chick Corea (79) – pianist, 25-time Grammy winner — By Roman Gokhman
Jazz great Chick Corea, who died of cancer on Feb. 9 of cancer, won 25 Grammy Awards over 50 years in the music industry, including two posthumously. That’s more than any other artist. He was not only influential, but prolific, releasing more than 100 albums. He won his first Grammy in 1968 with Now He sings, Now He Sobs. That year, Corea replaced Herbie Hancock in Miles Davis’ group, playing on In a Silent Way and Bitches Brew. He also played on several of Davis’ live albums.
He formed his own groups, Circle and Return to Forever. Corea frequently played with Hancock and vibraphonist Gary Burton. He was also constantly exploring music outside of jazz, including classical and Latin. He won four Latin Grammys in addition to the others. Corea regularly appeared at SFJAZZ performances and festivals. “This man changed my life thru his music and we were able to play together many times. I was very fortunate to call him my family,” the Bay Area’s Sheila E. wrote. Q-Tip called Corea “one of the coldest pianist/keyboardist/songwriters of all time.”
Sylvain Sylvain (69) – New York Dolls guitarist — By Jason Hill of Louis XIV
Guitarist Sylvain Sylvain co-founded seminal punk band New York Dolls in 1971. He died Jan. 13 after a battle with cancer. Born in Egypt, Syl was sensitive, slightly crazy and loved being Sylvain Sylvain. He was excited about getting into little adventures, turned on by a kernel of an idea that he had come up in his basement in Georgia, now being turned into a full-fledged song. Watching it come alive is always the exciting part and Syl had that love. That never went away. Watching the Frankenstein come alive is what guys like Syl and me have so much in common. It’s the common bond of musician lifers.
It’s been said that it wasn’t the visionary who made the money and achieved the fame, but the second act copying the first. I think Syl always saw that in countless bands copying the New York Dolls. The Dolls’ legacy of influence reached so far—from the Sex Pistols to Guns N’ Roses and to Lady Gaga. But like most originators, the New York Dolls’ interests were far more divergent and sophisticated than those who would go on to follow in their footsteps.
Terence “Astro” Wilson (64) – cofounder of UB40 — By David Gill
Terence Wilson, known as Astro, one of the founding members of the reggae band UB40, died Nov. 6. A cause of death was not announced. In 1983, the band scored a No. 1 song in the U.K. with its cover of Neil Diamond’s 1967 song “Red, Red Wine.” It eventually reached No. 1 in America when it was re-released in 1988. Wilson’s rap-like toasting during the song included the memorable lines, “Red red wine, you make me feel so fine/ You keep me rockin’ all of the time.” Wilson left the band in 2008 and has since teamed up with two other original members of the band, which also performed as UB40.
B.J. Thomas (78) – Singer-songwriter (“Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” and “Hooked on a Feeling”) — Roman Gokhman
Five-time Grammy-winner B.J. Thomas died on May 29 at home in Arlington, Texas from complications of stage four lung cancer. Thomas enjoyed success in both country, pop and gospel music, but is best known for his hits, which include “Hooked on a Feeling,” “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head,” a cover of Hank Williams’ “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” and “(Hey Won’t You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song.” He sold more than 70 million albums worldwide, scoring eight No. 1 hits and 26 Top 10 singles.
Billy Joe Thomas grew up listening to Hank Williams and Ernest Tubb, as well as soul artists like Little Richard and Jackie Wilson. His first success came in 1966, with “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry,” which reached No. 8 on the pop charts and became his first million-selling single. “Hooked on a Feeling” followed in 1968. Labelmate Dionne Warwick introduced him to Burt Bacharach. In January 1970, Thomas topped the charts with “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head,” which Bacharach co-wrote with Hal David. The song was featured in the Paul Newman and Robert Redford film “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” and won the Oscar for best original song.
Thomas turned to gospel music in the mid-’70s, and won a Grammy in that category in 1976. Home Where I Belong became the first gospel record to sell a million copies. His country hits in the 1980s included “New Looks from an Old Lover Again,” “The Whole World’s in Love When You’re Lonely” and “Two Car Garage.”
Tom T. Hall (85) – country music singer-songwriter — Sam Richards
Tom T. Hall, who died Aug. 20, was a country music singer-songwriter and author. For Hall, those elements often blended together in his music, including “Harper Valley PTA,” made famous in 1968 by Jeannie C. Riley. It was his own voice heard on 1973’s “I Love,” his only Top-40 hit, on which he sang, “I love winners when they cry, losers when they try, music when it’s good … and life.” He wasn’t afraid to take an unpopular stand; his song “Hello Vietnam” praised that war when most musicians were lining up against it. But he was a true chronicler of the world as he saw it. Long before “citizen journalism” was a thing, his 1971 album In Search of a Song, drawn from his experiences on a road trip across the U.S. made specifically to chronicle rural life as he found it and write songs about it. Fifty years later, it’s still regarded as the prototype for that form.
Mike Mitchell of The Kingsmen (77) – guitarist — Daniel J. Willis
You may not know Mike Mitchell, who died on his April 16 birthday, by name. You may not even recognize his band of 65 years, The Kingsmen. But you recognize his most famous work.
Mitchell played the guitar on the Kingsmen’s 1963 cover of “Louie Louie,” one of the most famous and timeless songs ever recorded. Despite being an utterly benign song about a sailor trying to get home to a woman, the famously unintelligible vocals paired with the then-revolutionary rock and roll sound made authorities assume it must be profane. When the record was banned in the state of Indiana it sold out nationwide.
In a statement, legendary guitarist Joe Walsh said of Mitchell, “My sincere condolences. I learned to play the guitar because of Mike Mitchell. I know every one of his solos, mistakes and all. We’re losing the good guys.”
Lloyd Price (88) — early rock and roll pioneer — Tony Hicks
Lloyd Price was right there at the beginning of rock and roll and may have been as big a household name as Little Richard or other pioneers if not for being drafted into the Army. Price, who died May 3 at the age of 88, came up singing gospel in New Orleans. He hit No. 1 on the R&B charts in 1952 with “Lawdy Mass Clawdy,” and was just beginning to cross over to the new rock and roll audience with a handful of top-10 R&B singles when he was drafted in 1953.
By the time he got out, rock and roll was in full swing. But his impact was already being felt; Elvis Presley covered “Lawdy Miss Clawdy” during his second recording session for RCA in 1956. Price went on to found KRC Records and struck gold with hits like “Just Because.” He finally landed atop the rock and roll charts with “Stagger Lee,” in 1958, a cover of an obscure folk song about a murder during a 1895 dice game in St. Louis. Price’s nickname “Mr. Personality” came from his 1959 pop crossover “Personality.”
Price kept making music and launching other ventures. He eventually helped Don King promote boxing and organized the Zaire ’74 music festival associated with Muhammad Ali’s “Rumble in the Jungle” match with George Foreman. The concert featured James like James Brown, Bill Withers, B.B. King, and The Spinners. Price was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.
Bruce Conte – Tower of Power guitarist (71) — Daniel J. Willis
Shortly after Oakland band Tower of Power began recording its eponymous third album, their leaders decided to change some members. Two of the invites were to members of a band called The Loading Zone that shared the same rehearsal space, saxophonist Lenny Pickett and Bruce Conte.
That album would be the band’s most successful, and Conte would play guitar and provide backup vocals and occasionally songwriting for the band through their most successful period, playing on “What Is Hip?” and “So Very Hard to Go.” Upon leaving the band in 1979, Conte released four solo albums and played with a variety of Bay Area bands. He later rejoined the band for just over a year 2006.
Juan Nelson – long-time bassist in Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals (62) — Mike DeWald
In the day’s following Innocent Criminals’ bassist Juan Nelson’s death, Ben Harper called him one of the finest men he’d ever known. Nelson played alongside Harper for nearly three decades, co-writing a number of tracks over that time. An accomplished composer and songwriter, the Cincinnati-born Nelson also performed alongside plenty of legendary artists including Al Wilson and Freddy Jackson. Nelson was a fixture of Harper’s live shows, vibing and soloing along on funky extended improvisational jams, playing back and forth with Harper. The technically gifted musician would often lean back to deliver impassioned bass lines and the occasional backing vocal. Nelson was also said to be very spiritual, taking his time off of the road to perform in church.
Hilton Valentine (77) — The Animals guitarist — Daniel J. Willis
The most-heard riff that Hilton Valentine, who died on Jan. 29, ever played is probably the opening notes of The Animals’ cover of “House of the Rising Sun.” That song became the signature of the British Invasion band, which also had hits with “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” and “We Gotta Get Out of This Place,” among others.
Unfortunately, even by the standards of the era, the band was mismanaged. Despite their transatlantic success, they made little to no money and broke up, accusing their management of theft. The Animals reformed without Valentine and others, though he did rejoin the band for reunions in 1975, 1983 and 1992. He also released two solo albums in 1969 and 2004, plus an album with his band Skiffledog in 2011.
Dennis Thomas (70) — Kool and the Gang cofounder — Daniel J. Willis
Dennis “Dee Tee” Thomas, who formed with brothers Ronald and Robert “Kool” Bell and others, died Aug. 8. In addition to playing a variety of instruments, he served as the band’s informal creative director and the master of ceremonies at live shows.
Formed in 1964, Kool and the Gang bills itself as the world’s longest-performing R&B group. Known for “Ladies’ Night,” “Jungle Boogie” and “Celebration,” Thomas was one of three members who had been with the band continuously since its founding, along with Kool Bell and drummer George Brown. His final performance with the band was at the Hollywood Bowl on the 4th of July, opening their season for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
Ronnie Wilson (73) — Gap Band cofounder — Daniel J. Willis
Ronnie Wilson, who died Nov. 2, founded the Gap Band—named after Greenwood, Archer and Pine streets that were the center of the 1921 race massacre in their native Tulsa—with his brothers Charlie and Robert. Through the peak of their fame in the late ’70s and ’80s, they had 14 top-10 hits on the R&B charts.
Beginning as a more traditional funk band, the Wilson brothers pivoted to the sound for which they’d become known with their third album in 1979. That sound carried them through a decade of success with 1989’s “All of my Love” as their last No. 1 single. Even after they fell from the charts, their legacy continued, with their song “Outstanding” being sampled in NWA’s “Straight Outta Compton” and the band’s sound inspiring the drum intro to Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit.”
The surviving brothers retired the band after Robert Wilson’s death in 2010.
George Wein (95) — creator of the modern day music festival — Tony Hicks
Some of modern music lovers’ best summer memories can be traced back to George Wein, who died at age 95 on Sept. 13. Originally from Boston, the musician and club owner–and World War II veteran–was hired in 1954 to book the initial Newport Jazz Festival. From there, the annual event grew in stature, attracting names like Louis Armstrong, Thelonious Monk and Mahalia Jackson.
Wein expanded his vision and changed with the times in 1959, founding the Newport Folk Festival, which helped launch the careers of Bob Dylan and Joan Baez. He then took that model south, founding the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in a city where, only a few years before, he was banned from producing a festival because of his mixed-race marriage. Wein saw his efforts as cultural unifiers, and he wasn’t wrong. His vision has brought scores of people together across barriers once thought unbridgeable. There might not be a Coachella, Bonnaroo or Outside Lands without him.