So what is it about 2016 that’s spelled a death knell for so many stars? It seems there’s never been a year where so many icons have died in such record numbers, and in such rapid succession. What’s sadder still, is that the year is only half over, and this chilling roll call of lost luminaries is so lengthy already. In many cases, these are legendary figures, artists who have made an indelible impression on both out music and our culture overall. There’s no point, practical or otherwise, to hold back our homage. Here then, is a list of musicians and some of their more memorable moments, from the earliest to the last…
David Bowie (1/8/47 -1/10/16) –– Bowie’s death is still hard to process, given the indelible impact he had not only on music, but also on fashion, film, theater and the arts in general. From his early days as an androgynous seducer and his alter ego Ziggy Stardust, through to his incarnations as the Thin White Duke and the cool crooner of his later years, Bowie was always one step ahead of the competition. A master of both style and substance, he epitomized the expression “one of a kind.”
Guy Clark (11/6/41 -5/17/16) –– For a prolific musician who can boast approximately two dozen albums and a career spanning nearly four decades, Guy Clark remained remarkably unassuming. A man of few words, he knew how to express even his deepest emotions through song. As the man responsible for such classics as “Desperados Waiting for a Train,” “L.A. Freeway” and countless others, he saw his material recorded by a veritable who’s who of Americana elite — Johnny Cash, Emmylou Harris, Brad Paisley, Rodney Crowell, Ricky Skaggs, Vince Gill, John Denver and Kenny Chesney among them. Through those artists, his music lives on.
Otis Clay (2/11-42 -1/8/16)— A soul singer with roots in gospel, Clay was beloved by the blues community in particular. He achieved his greatest triumph last year when he and Johnny Rawls won the Blues Blast Award for Soul Album of the Year for the effort they recorded together, aptly entitled Soul Brothers. The album was also nominated for Blues Music Awards Soul Album of the Year and Living Blues Magazine Blues Album of the Year. It was also named Blues Album of the Year in the Downbeat Magazine Critics’ Poll, the only soul album to make their top twenty.
Keith Emerson- (11/2/44-3/10/16)-– From his early work with bands like the T Bones and the V.I.P.s, through to his spellbinding forays with the Nice, and eventual superstardom as a third of Emerson Lake and Palmer, Keith Emerson gained fame as both a masterful musician and a singular stage presence. He literally redefined the limitations of the keyboard, proving it was possible to be both a virtuoso and a showstopper. That ‘E’ in ELP could also stand for Extraordinary.
Thomas Fekete (7/1/88 – 5/30/16) Best known as the guitarist for the Florida band Surfer Blood, Thomas Fekete knew how to make an entrance and was as personable, warm and enlightening as they come. The group’s big breakout, a song called “Swim,” was kicked off with Fekete blasting his way through its opening chords. He made his final recording from his hospital bed while battling a rare form of cancer. The album, entitled Burner, was released last December, six months before ending a courageous battle with cancer.
Glenn Frey (11/6/48 -1/18/16) His every day man persona aside, Glenn Frey’s musical contributions to the Eagles helped make them one of the most successful bands in music history and a group that helped define Americana well before the term was born. And yet while his songs — “Take It Easy”, “Peaceful Easy Feeling”, “Tequila Sunrise”, “Already Gone”, “Lyin’ Eyes”, “New Kid in Town” and “Heartache Tonight” among the many — were an essential part of the band’s catalog, he was also able to establish himself as a solo star once the band broke up. Both personable and prolific, Frey never seemed to sweat even when the heat was on.
Dale “Buffin’ Griffin-(10/24/48-1/17/16)– As the man behind the drum kit for Mott the Hoople, Griffin was not only an astute timekeeper, but in later years, the keeper of their legacy. A distinctive yet softer presence in the midst of Mott’s glam rock trappings, he was their rock solid foundation in spirit and in sync.
Merle Haggard (4/6/37-4/6/16) –Although “Okie From Muskogee” may be the song for which he is best known and remembered, Merle Haggard could also claim a list of self-penned standards that established him as one of country music’s most prolific composers. His gruff appearance aside, he was idolized by millions, a true representation of what an independent spirit and uncompromising attitude is really all about.
Candye Kane (11/13/61 -5/6/16) –– Candye Kane had a varied background. A former opera singer, country crooner punk priestess and porno star, she later turned to the blues where she developed a respectful reputation and deserved recognition by being nominated as Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year in 2014. Other honors included the BB King Entertainer of the Year Award, Best Contemporary Blues CD for her album Superhero, a Best Blues Band award, and Best Contemporary Blues Female of 2010. However it was the song that was named in her honor, “Candy Kane” by the British pub rock band Help Yourself, that may have made the most indelible impression.
Paul Kantner (3/17/41 – 1/28/16) –– With his blonde Beatle-like mop top and be-speckled facade, former folkie Paul Kantner didn’t exactly look the part of a revolutionary rocker. Nevertheless, he managed to keep the anarchistic Airplane aloft, transitioning them from supple balladeers to unapologetic insurgents and eventually, to sky high space commandos via his sturdy Starship.
Ian Fraser Kilmister (AKA Lemmy) (12/24/45 – 2/28/16)- Image is often inseparable from the music, and in Lemmy’s case, that was certainly true. An enduring synthesis of punk attitude and metal mayhem, Lemmy and Motorhead never compromised for the sake of commercial success. His sinister sneer and dauntless bravado singled him out and made him a hero amongst rebellious rockers everywhere. Lemmy died in late 2015 (12/24 to be exact) but seems to have fit into the cluster of all the 2016 deaths…
George Martin (1/3/26-3/8/16) – Many pretenders claimed they were the fifth Beatle, and while Stu Sutcliffe and Billy Preston might have had legitimate rights to that title, there were certainly no shortage of pretenders as well. Nevertheless, George Martin could best them all. The Fabs had the vision, but Sir George had the ability and imagination which provided them the means to make that magic happen.
Henry McCullough (7/21/43 -6/14/16)–– McCullough was assured he’d remain a footnote in rock history for his role in Joe Cocker’s Grease Band and his performance with the group at Woodstock. However, his recruitment by Paul McCartney to play a role in Wings elevated him to a higher calling. His guitar solo in the song “My Love” cut through that dreamy ballad and gave the track an indelible edge.
Nick Menza (2/23/64 -5/21/16) Son of jazz drummer Don Menza, Nick Menza first began playing drums at age two and later went on to join Megadeth where he played on such iconic albums as Rust in Peace (1990), Countdown to Extinction (1992), Youthanasia (1994) and Cryptic Writings (1997). Even so, he had his share of misfortune. He was sidelined when a tumor was diagnosed in his knee, and while recovering in the hospital, he was unceremoniously dumped from the band. In 2007, he nearly severed his arm as the result of an unfortunate encounter with a chainsaw. He died this past May from heart failure during a live performance with his band OHM.
Andy Newman (11/21/42- 3/30/16) Thunderclap Newman, an unassuming outfit that hit its heights with the song “Something in the Air,” may have been a one hit wonder, but it was enough to encourage Pete Townshend to produce their album and see to their signing. Newman himself looked like anything but a rock star, what with his stuffy business man’s attire and jilted piano man personality. Still, that one song remains a staple on oldies rock radio, its clunky piano solo and wistful refrain an enduring example of idealistic optimism at its best.
Prince Rogers Nelson (6/7/58 – 4/21/16)– Another death that came as a shock, unexpected and out of the blue. It’s now been revealed that it was Prince’s addiction to pain pills that caused his demise, but given his larger than life presence, his passing is still difficult to fathom. His brilliance, prowess, influence and sheer charisma place him on the same pedestal that’s occupied by the greatest artists of all time. And if that sounds like hyperbole, be assured it’s not an overstatement either.
Clarence Reid (AKA Blowfly) (2/14/39 -1/17/16)–– Both a rapper and a renegade, Blowfly set the standard for today’s current crop of urban upstarts half a decade before the form came to fruition. Dressing in garish costumes, he adapted a super hero persona, albeit one with a decided penchant for sexual innuendo and decidedly non PG exploitation. Yet he also had his serious side, and as a writer and producer for such stars as Sam & Dave, Betty Wright, Gwen McCrae, Jimmy “Bo” Horne, Bobby Byrd, and other stars of the Miami-based TK Records stable, he was also a visionary and a role model for those in search of an individual identity.
Malik Izaak Taylor (AKA Phife Dawg) (11/20/70 -3/22/16) — Aside from his stage name, Taylor was also dubbed The Five Foot Assassin due to the fact he stood only 5’3’’ tall. A founder of the hugely influential rap group A Tribe Called Quest and an avowed sports fanatic, he was diagnosed with diabetes mellitus type 2 in May 1990. In the song “Oh My God, included on the group’s third album Midnight Marauders, he refers to himself as a “funky diabetic.” He succumbed to complications from the disease this past March.
Maurice White (12/19/41- 2/3/16)–– White was the foundation of Earth, Wind & Fire A superb singer and songwriter, he helped steer their course towards mega-million selling success and ensured the group ‘s disparate elements added up to more than the sum of its parts. A seven time Grammy winner, inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and continual collaborator with other artists outside his band’s sphere of associates, he had a talent that could not be contained. White has been sidelined from performing with the band the past two decades, but his spirit helped rejuvenate a newfound interest in the band in recent years.
Ralph Stanley (2/25/27 – 6/23/16) – Bluegrass legend Ralph Stanley who experienced a huge resurgence in popularity following the success of the the 2000 movie “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” for which he helped score certainly oulived most. He was part of the first generation of bluegrass musicians and was inducted into both the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor and the Grand Ole Opry. Stanley was a virtuoso clawhammer banjoist and founder of the groundbreaking band the Clinch Mountain Boys.
Bernie Worrell (4/19/44 – 6/24/16)– Bernie Worrell is best know for helping shape the sound of Parliament-Funkadelic and his pioneering sythnesizer work. Later on Worrell would always stay creatively relevant including his work with Talking Heads, helping to transform the new-wave band into a full on funk orchestra in the early 80’s. Later on in the 90’s and beyond he found himself collaborating with the jam scene and helped solidify himself as “The Wizard of Woo.”
Rob Wasserman (4/1/52-6/29/16)
Wasserman brought a unique upright approach to bass playing that won admirers from legions of his contemporaries. He is best known for his own work on the trilogy of albums, Solo, Duets, and Trios along with being a founding member of RatDog with Bob Weir, of whom he was a collaborator with off and on for the better part of three decades.
