Former Led Zeppelin Tour Manager Richard Cole Dead at 75
Richard Cole, Led Zeppelin‘s longtime tour manager, has died at the age of 75, reportedly after a long illness.
Zeppelin singer Robert Plant paid tribute to his former associate on Twitter, sharing a blurry photo of the two and writing, “Farewell Ricardo … sadly no more tall tales … brave to the end.”
“He was a brother and a friend to the end,” guitarist Jimmy Page added in an Instagram post. “Goodbye my dear friend. They were special times and so were you.”
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Born on Jan. 2, 1946, Cole cut his teeth in the live music business while he was still a teenager, working for the Who, the New Vaudeville Band and Vanilla Fudge in the mid-’60s. He became Led Zeppelin’s tour manager in 1968 after contacting their manager Peter Grant, whom he met when Grant was managing the New Vaudeville Band.
Cole reshaped the live-music industry for English bands touring the United States. He normalized the practice of touring bands bringing their own gear and crew overseas, rather than renting gear and hiring an American crew, as was customary at the time.
“I fucking reorganized that very sharply,” Cole said in Stephen Davis’ controversial 1985 Led Zeppelin biography, Hammer of the Gods. “I said, ‘Fuck that. Let’s take our own equipment over there, what we’re used to working on.'”
Cole’s substance abuse issues escalated throughout his tenure with Led Zeppelin, and he was dismissed as tour manager ahead of the band’s final European tour in 1980. He published his own book, Stairway to Heaven: Led Zeppelin Uncensored, in 1992. The unauthorized and salacious account drew the ire of the band members, who accused their former tour manager of exaggerating their debauched activities.
“There’s a book written by our former road manager, Richard Cole, that has made me completely ill,” guitarist Jimmy Page told Guitar World in 1993. “I’m so mad about it that I can’t even bring myself to read the whole thing. The two bits that I have read are so ridiculously false that I’m sure if I read the rest, I’d be able to sue Cole and the publishers. But it would be so painful to read that it wouldn’t be worth it.”
Despite this animosity, the surviving members of Led Zeppelin eventually made amends with Cole, and he was invited to several high-profile events, including their 2007 reunion show and the Celebration Day film premiere in 2012.
In Memoriam: 2021 Deaths
Remembering the musicians, actors, producers and others who have died in 2021.
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Gerry Marsden
Gerry Marsden, frontman of Gerry and the Pacemakers, died on Jan. 3 at age 78 due to a heart infection. He and the Pacemakers began making a name for themselves in the early ’60s alongside another prominent Liverpool group, the Beatles, and followed their lead in signing with manager Brian Epstein. The band dissolved in 1967 after earning three No. 1 singles in the U.K. Their recording of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “You’ll Never Walk Alone” is the anthem for Liverpool Football Club and several other teams worldwide.
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Mick Bolton
Known for his keyboard work with Mott the Hoople and Dexys Midnight Runners, Mick Bolton died in the early hours of New Year’s Day at age 72. Over the course of several decades, Bolton hit the stage as a supporting act for countless bands including Queen, Slade, Humble Pie and Supertramp. He also gave keyboard lessons to Linda McCartney at her home in Sussex and cowrote her song “Endless Days.”
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Tanya Roberts
After an initial false report claimed that actress Tanya Roberts died on Jan. 3, it was later confirmed that she actually passed away on Jan 4. Roberts, who began her career in her hometown of New York City, eventually moved to Hollywood, where she starred as Julie Rogers in ‘Charlie’s Angels’ and then took a turn as a Bond Girl in 1985’s ‘A View To Kill.’ Roberts also played Midge Pinciotti on ‘That ’70s Show.’ She was 65.
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Steve Brown
Steve Brown, one of the the U.K.’s most notable pop producers, died on Jan. 4 after a short illness relating to a fall at his home. After working with the Boomtown Rats on their 1977 debut self-titled album, Brown’s career took off. He produced various acts throughout the ’80s and ’90s, including the Cult and Wham! and remixed a pair of Freddie Mercury songs for a compilation.
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Marion Ramsey
Marion Ramsey spent years in show business, landing roles in original Broadway productions and touring the U.S. in the musical ‘Hello Dolly!’ She performed regularly on ‘Cos,’ the Bill Cosby sketch comedy series, but became best known for her role as Officer Laverne Hooks in six ‘Police Academy’ movies. She died on Jan. 7 at age 73.
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Marsha Zazula
“Metal Matriarch” Marsha Zazula died on Jan. 10 at age 68 due to complications from cancer. She and her husband, Jon, founded Megaforce Records in 1983, which released Metallica’s first two albums, ‘Kill ‘Em All’ (1983) and ‘Ride the Lightning’ (1984), effectively giving the band its start.
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Michael Fonfara
Canadian keyboardist Michael Fonfara’s career can be traced back to the early ’60s as a member of the Electric Flag and Rhinoceros before becoming a longtime collaborator of Lou Reed, playing on six of his albums. Toward the end of his career, he became the recipient of multiple Canadian blues awards. He died on Jan. 8 in a Toronto hospital, following a two-year battle with cancer.
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Tim Bogert
Bassist and founding member of Vanilla Fudge Tim Bogert lost his long battle with cancer on Jan. 13 at age 76. In their original formation, Vanilla Fudge released five albums in just two years. Their biggest hit came in 1967: a cover of the Supremes’ “You Keep Me Hanging On.” Though the band formally split up in 1970, Bogert formed another band, Cactus, with former bandmate and drummer Carmine Appice. The pair also teamed up with Jeff Beck in 1972. Bogert took part in several Vanilla Fudge reunions over years before retiring from touring in 2010 after a motorcycle accident.
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Sylvain Sylvain
Born in Cairo, Egypt, Sylvain Mizrahi first got hooked on rock music while living in Paris as a child. When his family moved to New York City in the early ’60s, he got his first guitar and began to learn the instrument. He attended high school in Queens with Johnny Thunders and Billy Murcia, two other young men who would eventually become Sylvain’s bandmates in the New York Dolls. After forming in 1971, the band became an early part of New York’s burgeoning punk scene. Sylvain died at age 69 from cancer, a diagnosis he had revealed in 2019.
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Phil Spector
Phil Spector’s production credits include dozens of popular artists like the Ronettes, the Crystals, the Righteous Brothers, the Beatles, Ike & Tina Turner, John Lennon, George Harrison, Leonard Cohen, Dion DiMucci, the Ramones and many more. His “Wall of Sound” approach was a major influence across genres, but his erratic and often violent behavior led many to recall his legacy bitterly. At the time of his death at 81 on Jan. 16, he was serving a life sentence for the 2003 murder of actress Lana Clarkson.
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Jerry Brandt
After working in the pop music division of the William Morris Agency, where he discovered Chubby Checker and promoted the Beach Boys and the Rolling Stones in their early days, Jerry Brandt opened several nightclubs, including Los Angeles’ Paradise Ballroom and New York’s Electric Circus and The Ritz. The latter became a storied venue, particularly through MTV’s concerts that were broadcast from there, Brandt was 82 when he died on Jan. 16 of COVID-19.
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Ron Campbell
Ron Campbell had a 50-year career as an animator, during which time he drew and directed the Beatles’ Saturday morning cartoon series and created several sequences for their ‘Yellow Submarine’ movie. The Australian-born Campbell also worked on such cartoons as ‘The Flintstones,’ ‘George of the Jungle,’ ‘The Jetsons’ and ‘Darkwing Duck.’ He died on Jan. 22 at the age of 81.
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Hilton Valentine
Hilton Valentine served many stints as guitarist for the Animals, including in their early days as part of the British Invasion. He played on the band’s biggest hits, including “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood,” “We Gotta Get Out of This Place,” “Don’t Bring Me Down,” “It’s My Life” and the definitive “House of the Rising Sun.” Valentine died on Jan. 29 at age 77; no cause of death was disclosed.
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Mary Wilson
Mary Wilson was the only Supremes member to appear in all of the group’s various lineups. She was part of the vocal quartet formed as the Primettes in 1959 and sang on all 12 of their chart-topping songs between 1964 and 1969, including anthems like “Where Did Our Love Go,” “Baby Love” and “Stop! In the Name of Love.” Wilson died on Feb. 8 at age 76.
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Elliot Mazer
Elliot Mazer racked up an impressive resumé as a producer and engineer, working with artists like Janis Joplin, Gordon Lightfoot and the Band. His most famous credits came with Neil Young, contributing to albums like 1972’s ‘Harvest,’ 1973’s ‘Time Fades Away,’ 1983’s ‘Everybody’s Rockin” and 1985’s ‘Old Ways.’ He died on Feb. 7 at age 79, following a heart attack and years of dementia.
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Larry Flynt
Larry Flynt was the publisher of pornographic magazine ‘Hustler’ and rock publication ‘Rip.’ The controversial celebrity, who appeared in Motley Crue’s video for 1998 track “Afraid,” also became known for his free-speech battles, including the 1988 trial chronicled in Miloš Forman’s 1996 film, ‘The People vs. Larry Flynt.’ The publisher died on Feb. 10 from heart failure at age 78.
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Chick Corea
Chick Corea was a jazz-fusion pioneer, working as a bandleader, keyboardist and songwriter for himself, the supergroup Return to Forever and influential artists like Miles Davis. Corea’s definitive work came in the late ’60s and ’70s, but he was prolific throughout his career, releasing his final project, the live solo LP ‘Plays,’ in 2020. He died on Feb. 9 at age 79 after battling a rare form of cancer.
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Rupert Neve
Rupert Neve is best known for creating the Neve studio technology, including the iconic 8028 console, which became a staple of ’70s rock recording. Neve, who received a Lifetime Achievement Technical Grammy in 1997, died on Feb. 12 at age 94 due to non-COVID pneumonia and heart failure.
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Louis Clark
Louis Clark was a key collaborator for Jeff Lynne, arranging and conducting numerous string parts for Electric Light Orchestra in the ’70s and ’80. Outside that group, he also worked with Ozzy Osbourne, Asia, Air Supply, America, Roy Orbison, City Boy, Renaissance and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Clark died on Feb. 13 at 73; a cause of death was not given.
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Bob James
Bob James replaced Sammy Hagar as frontman in Montrose, singing on the hard rock band’s third and fourth LPs, 1975’s ‘Warner Brothers Presents…’ and 1976’s ‘Jump On It.’ Following that stint, he appeared in a series of shortly lived bands, including Magnet and Private Army. He also co-wrote a track, “Reach Out,” that was recorded by Cheap Trick for the ‘Heavy Metal’ soundtrack. James died in February 2021 at age 68.
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Michael Gudinski
Michael Gudinski was a dominant force in Australian music. He created the Mushroom Records label in 1972, later signing artists like Kylie Minogue, Split Enz and (to its U.K. offshoot) Garbage. And seven years later, he founded Frontier Touring, one of the country’s biggest concert promotion companies. Gudinski died peacefully in his sleep at age 68 in March 1.
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Bunny Wailer
Bunny Wailer, born Neville Livingston, was a crucial figure in reggae history, co-founding the Wailers with Peter Tosh and childhood friend Bob Marley. He remained part of the group’s core nucleus on classic LPs like 1973’s ‘Catch a Fire’ and ‘Burnin’,’ and he demonstrated more of his songwriting prowess as a solo artist, including his 1976 landmark ‘Blackheart Man.’ Wailer’s death at age 73 was announced on March 2; no cause was given at the time, though he suffered a stroke — his second — in 2020.
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Tony Hendra
British actor and comedian Tony Hendra died in March at the age of 79. He had been battling ALS – otherwise known as Lou Gehrig’s disease – since being diagnosed in 2019. While in college, Hendra working alongside future Monty Python members John Cleese and Graham Chapman. He’d later come to America, where he’d work on the television shows ‘Playboy After Dark’ and ABC’s ‘Music Scene.’ Still, his most recognizable role was that of Ian Faith, the bumbling band in the film ‘This Is Spinal Tap.’
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Michael Stanley
Singer-songwriter and radio host Michael Stanley died of lung cancer on March 5 at the age of 72. A mainstay of the Cleveland rock scene, the musician led the Michael Stanley Band throughout the ‘70s and ‘80s. He’d then go on to spend more than 20 years on the radio airwaves with 98.5 WNCX, starting in 1990. In total, the rocker released 23 albums over his career, both with his band and as a solo artist.
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Bhaskar Menon
A highly respected record executive with BMI and Capitol Records, Bhaskar Menon died in March at the age of 86. The music industry veteran played a role in the careers of many notable bands, including the Beatles, David Bowie, Queen, Iron Maiden and many others. Menon was also integral in helping break Pink Floyd in the States, championing their 1973 album ‘The Dark Side of the Moon.’ It was Menon who persuaded the single-averse band to release 7″ versions of “Us and Them” and “Time” to U.S. radio, leading to the album becoming the fourth best-selling title in history.
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Alan Cartwright
On March 4, former Procol Harum bassist Alan Cartwright died at the age of 75. The musician’s tenure in the band ran from 1971 to 1976 and included work on 1972’s ‘Procol Harum Live: In Concert With the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra,’ 1973’s ‘Grand Hotel,’ 1974’s ‘Exotic Birds and Fruit’ and 1975’s ‘Procol’s Ninth.’
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Lou Ottens
The Dutch engineer credited with inventing the audio cassette, Lou Ottens died at the age of 94. While working as the head of product development for Philips in 1960, he led a team that developed the initial portable tape recorder. Three years later, he introduced the first cassette tape at a Berlin electronics fair. The invention would revolutionize music consumption, as fans were soon able to listen to their favorite tapes on the go. “We expected that it would be a success, but not a revolution,” Ottens later remarked of his invention. The engineer also contributed to another popular music format. In 1979, he led a team that developed the compact disc.
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Sally Grossman
The wife of Bob Dylan’s one-time manager, Sally Grossman became a familiar face to music fans after posing for the cover photo of Dylan’s 1965 LP ‘Bringing It All Back Home.’ “I was around and Bob just asked me to do it,” Sally explained decades later, adding that Dylan “thought we looked dynamic, like Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton” in the image. Sally would later take over Bearsville Records, a recording studio and record label based in Woodstock, N.Y.. She was 81 when she died.
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Yaphet Kotto
Yaphet Kotto, best known for playing villain Kananga/Mr. Big in the 1973 movie ‘Live and Let Die,’ passed away in March at age 81. Though the Bond flick gave Kotto arguably his biggest role, the actor worked steadily in Hollywood across several decades. Further film credits included ‘The Thomas Crown Affair,’ ‘Truck Turner,’ ‘Blue Collar’, ‘The Running Man’ and ‘Alien.’ He was also a main cast member on the TV drama ‘Homicide: Life on the Street,’ and appeared on a wide array of television shows, including ‘The A-Team,’ ‘Murder She Wrote,’ ‘The Wire’ and ‘Law & Order.’
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Don Heffington
Drummer Don Heffington died in March at the age of 70. The musician spent much of the ‘80s in Lone Justice, the country-rock back that released two studio albums during the era. Heffington was also known for his session work, performing on releases by Bob Dylan (‘Empire Burlesque,’ ‘Knocked Out Loaded’), Emmylou Harris (‘White Shoes’), Jackson Browne (‘Standing in the Breach’) and the Wallflowers (‘Bringing Down the Horse’).
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Malcolm Cecil
Synthesizer pioneer Malcolm Cecil invented “The Original New Timbral Orchestra,” known as TONTO. The giant instrument was the largest multitimbral polyphonic analog synthesizer in the world. Stevie Wonder was so enamored with the divide that he hired Cecil to work on the albums ‘Music of My Mind’ (1972), ‘Talking Book’ (1972), ‘Innervisions’ (1973) and ‘Fulfillingness’ First Finale’ (1974). Cecil would be a co-producer on all four LPs, as well as Wonder’s 1991 soundtrack to the Spike Lee film ‘Jungle Fever.’ His further credits included work with a long list of artists, including the Isley Brothers, Billy Preston, Quincy Jones, Randy Newman, the Doobie Brothers, James Taylor, Gil Scott-Heron, Little Feat and Stephen Stills.
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Brian Rohan
Brian Rohan, the lawyer who represented celebrity clients such as the Grateful Dead, Santana, Janis Joplin and Jefferson Airplane, died in March at the age of 84. The attorney helped negotiate the Dead’s first record contract with Warner Bros., and, years later, got drug charges against the band dropped following a police raid of their house during the Summer of Love. Rohan would later represent such notable acts as Aerosmith, Kris Kristofferson, Motorhead and Boston.
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Cleve Hall
Acclaimed special effects artist Cleve Hall died in April at the age of 61. His work included such classic ‘80s movies as ‘Ghoulies,’ ‘Re-Animator,’ ‘Zone Troopers,’ ‘Troll’ and ‘Eliminators.’ Hall also created props for musicians such as Kiss and Alice Cooper. The 2012 SyFy reality series ‘Monster Man’ followed Hall as he worked to create various special effects for clients throughout music and entertainment.
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Morris “B.B.” Dickerson
As the band’s bassist and co-founding member, Morris “B.B.” Dickerson enjoyed a 10 year tenure in War. The musician co-wrote several of the group’s biggest hits, including “Spill the Wine,” “The Cisco Kid,” “Why Can’t We Be Friends” and “Low Rider.” Meanwhile, his distinctive bass lines became a calling card of the band’s genre-fusing funk rock sound. He also occasionally sang for the band, including the group’s 1972 hit “The World Is a Ghetto.” War released 12 studio albums during Dickerson’s tenure, with seven of them achieving gold sales status or better. He died in April at the age of 71.
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Ralph Schuckett
Ralph Schuckett, the former keyboardist for Todd Rundgren’s Utopia, died in April at the age of 73. Schuckett played on the band’s 1974 self-titled debut LP and the 1975 live album, ‘Another Live.’ He also played on several of Rundgren’s solo works, including ‘A Wizard, a True Star’ (1973), ‘Todd’ (1974), ‘Initiation’ (1975) and the live double LP ‘Back to the Bars’ (1978). Schuckett’s further session work included material by Carole King, Bette Midler, James Taylor and Hall & Oates. He later went on the have a successful career composing for television.
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Anne Beatts
One of the original writers for ‘Saturday Night Live,’ Anne Beatts died on April 7 at the age of 74. Beatts was the first female editor of the ‘National Lampoon’ magazine. It was there that she met Michael O’Donoghue, with whom she would closely collaborate in the development of ‘SNL,’ along with show creator Lorne Michaels. Beatts stayed at ‘SNL’ from 1975 to 1979, contributing to the sketch show’s early, formative years. The writer would later create the 1982 sitcom ‘Square Pegs,’ a series remembered for its innovative integration of popular rock music. Further projects over her career included work on ‘A Different World,’ ‘Murphy Brown’ and the TV movie ‘The Elvira Show.’
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Rusty Young
Rusty Young, a cofounder of Poco and the band’s only constant member since its formation in 1968, died of a heart attack on April 14 at the age of 75. Young contributed to Buffalo Springfield’s last album before joining with some of the band’s members to form Poco. Their debut album, ‘Pickin’ Up the Pieces,’ was released in 1969 and marked one of the first records in the growing country-rock movement. Over the next four decades, Poco released close to 20 albums throughout its existence, placing 17 singles in the Top 100. Their 1979 “Crazy Love,” which peaked at No. 17 and was the band’s biggest hit.
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Felix Silla
Felix Silla, the actor behind TV’s Cousin Itt on ‘The Addams Family,’ died in April at the age of 84. The 3’ 11” actor spent his early years in the circus before transitioning to film and television roles. Cousin Itt would become his first recurring role, though he never spoke in the role. The character actor would appear on other series throughout the ‘60s and ‘70s, including ‘Bewitched,’ ‘The Monkees’ and ‘H.R. PufnStuf.’ Later, Silla had recurring parts on ‘Battlestar Galactica’ and ‘Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.’ Roles in ‘Return of the Jedi,’ ‘Spaceballs’ and ‘Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom’ were among his film credits.
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Mike Mitchell
Co-founding member of the Kingsmen, Mike Mitchell died in April at the age of 77. The band is best remembered for its hugely successful hit “Louie Louie.” Mitchell, the Kingsmen’s sole remaining original member, played with various lineups of the band for more than 60 years. After hearing about Mitchell’s death, Joe Walsh said: “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.”
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Jim Steinman
Known for writing some of the biggest rock ballads in music history, Jim Steinman died in April at the age of 73. Steinman worked closely with Meat Loaf, penning the entirety of 1977’s ‘Bat Out of Hell.’ The collaboration would continue on several more albums, with Steinman writing the hugely successful 1993 hit “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That).” Steinman’s further credits included work alongside Celine Dion and Air Supply. He also penned the 1983 Bonnie Tyler hit “Total Eclipse of the Heart.”
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Les McKeown
Bay City Rollers frontman Les McKeown died in April at the age of 65. The singer, who joined the band in 1973 while still a teenager, led the Scottish pop-rockers through their most successful years. Singles “Bye, Bye, Baby” and “Give a Little Love” were chart topping hits in the U.K., while “Saturday Night” raced to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in America. After departing the group in 1978, McKeown released eight solo albums over the next 15 years. He returned to his old group in 2015 for a series of reunion shows, and continued touring as part of Les McKeown’s Bay City Rollers through 2020.
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Al Schmitt
Al Schmitt, a 23-time Grammy-winning producer and recording engineer, died in April at age 91. Across his seven-decade career, Schmitt worked alongside some of the biggest stars in music, including Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, Paul McCartney, Elvis Presley, Brian Wilson, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Rod Stewart, Neil Young, Steely Dan, Jackson Browne, Toto, Quincy Jones, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Jefferson Airplane and many more. All told, Schmitt won more Grammy Awards than any other engineer or mixer – including a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006 – and recorded and mixed more than 150 gold and platinum albums.
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John Hinch
John Hinch, the former Judas Priest drummer who played on the band’s debut album, ‘Rocka Rolla,’ died in April at the age of 73. News of Hinch’s passing was confirmed by Judas Priest singer Rob Halford. “His style was strong, direct and unique,” the legendary frontman recalled to Loudwire. Hinch wore many hats in the Judas Priest’s early years, driving the band’s van and handling their finances in addition to drumming. Ultimately, his jazz technique didn’t mesh with the group’s harder aspirations. Hinch was dismissed from the group prior to their second LP.
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Phil Naro
Best known as the singer in Billy Sheehan’s early band Talas, Phil Naro died in May at the age of 63. The rocker’s death followed an extended battle with tongue cancer. Naro joined the band prior to their third album, 1984’s ‘Live Speed on Ice.’ After Talas disbanded, the singer collaborated with a long list of rockers, including Peter Criss (Kiss), the Rascals, Vanilla Fudge, Whitesnake, Yes, Asia and Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal.
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Tommy West
A music producer, songwriter and recording artist, best known for his work alongside Jim Croce, Tommy West died in May at the age of 78. West’s long career included a stint as a session singer, during which he’d contribute to tracks recorded by Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, Sammy Davis, Jr. and more. West would co-produce three Croce albums in the early ‘70s: ‘You Don’t Mess Around With Jim’ (1972), ‘Life and Times’ (1973) and ‘I Got a Name’ (1973), the latter of which was released after Croce tragically died in a plane crash. All three LPs achieved gold status.
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Tawny Kitaen
Known to ’80s rock fans as the star of Whitesnake videos and Ratt album covers, Julie E. “Tawny” Kitaen died in May at the age of 59. Kitaen met and started dating Ratt guitarist Robbin Crosby while the pair were still in high school, and later served as the cover model for the band’s 1984 debut studio album, ‘Out of the Cellar.’ Kitaen later appeared in various music videos for Whitesnake, including “Here I Go Again”, “Still of the Night”, “Is This Love” and “The Deeper the Love.” In 1989, she married lead singer David Coverdale but the pair divorced in 1991. Kitaen also had a healthy acting career outside of the music world, appearing in such movies ‘Bachelor Party’ and ‘Witchboard.’
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Lloyd Price
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame singer Lloyd Price died in May at the age of 88. Price scored his first No. 1 R&B hit in 1952 with the song “Lawdy Miss Clawdy.” The single, which featured Fats Domino on piano, sold more than 1 million copies and was later covered by such rock icons as Elvis Presley and Little Richard. After taking a hiatus to serve in the army, he returned with the 1957 single “Just Because” and the 1958 crossover hit “Stagger Lee.” He’d go on to have a string of Top 20 hits in the late ‘50s and early ‘60s, before musical tastes shifted. In the ‘70s, Price worked with Don King to promote two of boxing’s biggest bouts: 1973’s Thrilla in Manila between Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali, and 1974’s Rumble in the Jungle between Ali and George Foreman.
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Roger Hawkins
Drummer for the legendary Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, Roger Hawkins died in May at the age of 75. The musician played on some of the most iconic releases in rock and R&B history, including “Respect,” “Chain of Fools” and “Think” by Aretha Franklin, “Old Time Rock and Roll” and “We’ve Got Tonight” by Bob Seger, “Mustang Sally” by Wilson Pickett, “Kodachrome” and “Loves Me Like a Rock” by Paul Simon, “When a Man Loves a Woman” by Percy Sledge and “I’ll Take You There” by the Staple Singers. In addition to these timeless tracks, Hawkins worked alongside such notable artists as Glenn Frey, Rod Stewart, Eric Clapton, Art Garfunkel, Levon Helm, Linda Ronstadt, Cher, Leon Russell and Mavis Staples.
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B.J. Thomas
Grammy-winning pop, country and gospel singer B.J. Thomas died in May at age 78 following a bout with lung cancer. In 1966, he earned his first gold record with a cover of Hank Williams’ “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry,” which sold over 1 million copies and peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100. Thomas’ star continued to rise with his 1968 album, On My Way, which featured the hit single “Hooked on a Feeling.” Next came “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head,” a Burt Bacharach/Hal David composition that highlighted the 1969 film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. The song won an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1969 and soared to No. 1 on the Hot 100 the following January. Further hits included “I Just Can’t Help Believing” (1970) and “(Hey Won’t You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song” (1975) and Thomas’ last Top 40 hit, a cover of the Beach Boys’ “Don’t Worry Baby” (1977).
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David Cutler Lewis
Former Ambrosia keyboardist David Cutler Lewis died in June after a battle with brain cancer. He first appeared on an Ambrosia album in 1978 on Life Beyond L.A., which included one of the band’s biggest hits, “How Much I Feel.” Lewis also contributed to 1980’s One Eighty and 1982’s Road Island. In addition to his work with Ambrosia, Lewis also played with the new-age/electronic group Shadowfax and could be heard on their Grammy-winning 1988 album Folksongs for a Nuclear Village.
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Frank Bonner
Actor Frank Bonner, best known for his role as sales manager Herb Tarlek in the TV sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati, died in June at age 79 as a result of complications from Lewy body dementia. Bonner appeared in the show for four seasons until its end in 1982, and then reprised his role in the spinoff series The New WKRP in Cincinnati from 1991 to 1993. He also directed episodes of The Van Dyke Show, Who’s theBoss? and Saved by the Bell: The New Class.
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Johnny Solinger
Former Skid Row singer Johnny Solinger died in June at age 55 after a battle with liver failure. Solinger had joined Skid Row in 1999, three years after the band’s breakup, replacing Sebastian Bach. Solinger sang on two albums and two EPs: 2003’s Thickskin, 2006’s Revolutions Per Minute, 2013’s United World Rebellion: Chapter One and 2014’s Rise of the Damnation Army — United World Rebellion.
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John Lawton
Former Uriah Heep frontman John Lawton died in July aged 74. No cause was reported. Lawton was a member of Lucifer’s Friend and the Les Humphries Singers before joining Uriah Heep in 1976, replacing original lead singer David Byron. He left in 1979, but remained on good terms with his former bandmates as he released multiple solo albums.
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Jeff LaBar
Cinderella guitarist Jeff LaBar died at age 58 in July. His cause of death is unknown, though he noted in 2016 that he had a substance abuse problem with alcohol for years. LaBar joined Cinderella in 1985, a few years after their inception, and played on all four of their studio albums. He released one solo album in 2014, One for the Road.
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Gary Corbett
Keyboardist Gary Corbett, best known for his touring work with Kiss and Cinderella, died in July after a battle with lung cancer. Corbett first toured in 1976 with acts like Cherry Vanilla and Ian Hunter, and quickly became a well-respected session player. In 1984, he co-wrote Cyndi Lauper’s hit song “She Bop” and also collaborated with Debbie Gibson and Martika. Corbett first toured with Kiss for their 1987 Crazy Nights tour, and then linked up with Cinderella in the early ’90s, playing on their Heartbreak Station tour.
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Robby Steinhardt
Founding member and violinist of Kansas Robby Steinhardt died in July at age 74 following a brief illness, according to his family. Steinhardt was with the band for nearly a decade until his departure in 1982, but he rejoined in 1997 and toured with the group for another several years. He retired from Kansas in 2006. At the time of his death, Steinhardt had been at work on a new solo album.
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Martin Kahan
Martin Kahan, a music video director who collaborated with numerous rock acts of the ’80s and ’90s died at age 74 in July after battling cancer. Kahan began his career working with Rush, Ian Hunter and Eddie Money, and made rock history in 1983 when he directed Kiss’ “Lick It Up” video, their first without makeup. He created more videos for Bon Jovi, Scorpions and the Firm with Jimmy Page and Paul Rodgers. In more recent years, Kahan produced films for several country artists, including Ricky Skaggs, Alan Jackson and Kenny Chesney.
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John Hutchinson
John Hutchinson, a former collaborator of David Bowie’s, died in July following a “long illness.” The jazz guitarist first appeared on the original demo of “Space Oddity” in 1969 and then later joined the Aladdin Sane tour in 1973. In his memoir, published two years before Bowie’s death in 2016, Hutchinson wrote that he and Bowie remained friends “at a distance.”
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Joey Jordison
Founding member for the heavy metal band Slipknot Joey Jordison died at age 46 in July. According to a statement from his family, the drummer “passed peacefully in his sleep.” Jordison formed Slipknot in 1995 with percussionist Shawn Crahan and bassist Paul Gray, playing on the band’s first four studio albums, before his complicated departure from the band in 2013. Three years later, Jordison noted that he was suffering from transverse myelitis, a rare neurological disease, making it difficult for him to play and perform.
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Dusty Hill
ZZ Top founding member, bassist and vocalist Dusty Hill died in July at age 72. Hill had dealt with various health issues over the years, at times affecting the band’s touring schedule. “He loved his fans and always remembered that without fans music is not heard,” his widow said following his death. In line with his wishes, he was replaced by guitar tech Elwood Francis.
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Charles Connor
Charles Connor, who served as Little Richard’s drummer in the ’50s, died in August while under hospice care at age 88. Connor also played with acts like Jackie Wilson, Sam Cooke and the Coasters, as well as James Brown, who called him “the first [drummer] to put funk into the rhythm.” Connor’s most recent EP, Still Knockin’, was released in 2013. At the time of his death, the drummer was working on an autobiographical documentary.
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Paul Cotton
Former guitarist and singer of the country-rock band Poco Paul Cotton died at age 78 in August. He joined Poco in 1970, replacing Jim Messina, and first appeared on their third album, 1971’s From the Inside. In 1978, the Cotton-penned song “Heart of the Night” was released, which became one of the group’s best-known hits. Cotton briefly left the band in 1987 but rejoined in the early ‘90s, staying until 2010 and releasing multiple solo albums along the way.
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Dennis Thomas
Kool & the Gang co-founder and alto saxophone player Dennis “Dee Tee” Thomas died in August at the age of 70. A message to the band’s official Facebook page remembered the musician as “the quintessential cool cat in the group, loved for his hip clothes and hats, and his laid-back demeanor.” Thomas was one of seven friends — along with Spike Mickens, Ricky Westfield, George Brown, Charles Smith, and brothers Ronald and Robert Bell — who came together in high school to form what would eventually become Kool & the Gang. The group went on to earn its place among the great funk and R&B acts of all time, selling more than 70 million albums and winning two Grammy awards. Thomas would remain in constant presence in the band for more than 50 years, staying in the lineup until his death. His last performance with the group took place during a 4th of July celebration at the Hollywood Bowl.
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Walter Yetnikoff
Former CBS Records President died in August at age 87. Throughout his tenure at CBS, Yetnikoff played a role in the careers of Billy Joel, Earth, Wind & Fire, James Taylor, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan and many more. He is also credited with signing Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney to the label, which led to several successful Jackson-McCartney collaborations: 1982’s “The Girl Is Mine” and 1983’s “Say Say Say.” “In my years with CBS,” Jackson once said of Yetnikoff, “he’s encouraged me to be my own man and to do the things that had to be done the way I had to do them.” After an unsuccessful attempt at his own label, Velvel Records, Yetnikoff focused on his sobriety and, at the behest of former First Lady and editor at Doubleday, Jacqueline Kennedy, published a memoir in 2004.
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Don Everly
Don Everly, the eldest and last surviving member of the early folk-rock duo Everly Brothers, died in August at age 84. The Everly Brothers released dozens of hit songs in the late ’50s into the ’60s, including “Wake Up Little Susie,” “All I Have to Do is Dream” and “Cathy’s Clown,” and the group was inducted in the inaugural Rock and Roll Hall of Fame class in 1986. Their tightly-knit vocal harmonies inspired a number of subsequent rock groups, including the Beatles, the Byrds and Simon & Garfunkel. The duo split up in 1973, engaging in respective solo careers, but reunited in 1983. Don’s brother, Phil, died in January 2014. “Our love was and will always be deeper than any earthly differences we might have had,” Don said of Phil. “I loved my brother very much… I always thought I’d be the one to go first.”
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Connie Hamzy
Connie Hamzy, one of rock’s most well-known groupies, died in August at age 66 after reportedly entered into hospice care a few weeks prior. In 1973, Hamzy was immortalized in the Grand Frunk Railroad song, “We’re an American Band:” “Out on the road for forty days / Last night in Little Rock put me in a haze / Sweet, sweet Connie, doin’ her act / She had the whole show and that’s a natural fact.” Among her rock relations, Hamzy claimed to have been intimate with Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of Kiss, the Who’s Keith Moon, Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham, Alice Cooper, all three members of ZZ Top and others. “Not everybody can be a cheerleader or on the drill team or in the honor society,” she once said, “so I found my niche going to concerts.”
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Charlie Watts
Charlie Watts, the drummer for the Rolling Stones since their inception in 1962, died in August at age 80. Watts had previously confirmed he would not participate in the Stones’ fall 2021 tour while he recovered from an unspecified operation. Watts began his drumming career playing with various local jazz groups as a teenager, before joining the fledgling Stones in early 1963. He appeared on every single Stones album, single and tour until 2021 and also contributed to various outside jazz projects and records. “To have a drummer from the beginning who could play with the sensibility of Charlie Watts is one of the best hidden assets I’ve had, bandmate Keith Richards said of Watts. “I just say, ‘Charlie, it goes like this,’ and we’ll kick it around a bit and it’s done. I can throw him ideas and I never have to worry about the beat. … It’s a blessing.”
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Ron Bushy
Drummer Ron Bushy, who died at age 79 in August, was the only member of Iron Butterfly to appear on all six of the band’s studio albums. Bushy originally studied biology and psychology in college, before picking up the drums casually. “I got side tracked into music part time,” he said in 2021. “I rented a drum set and learned to play drums to Booker T. & the MG’s, ‘Green Onions.’” Bushy then joined Iron Butterfly in 1966 and contributed one of rock’s most legendary drum solos in the band’s 1968 song, “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida.”
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Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry
Lee “Scratch” Perry, a pioneering songwriter and producer in reggae music, died in August at age 85. Perry began his career in Kingston, Jamaica, working in a variety of roles and also releasing his own solo music. In 1973, he founded Black Ark Studios where he furthered his musical experimentation, working with and inspiring both reggae artists like Bob Marley and the Wailers, as well as musicians from other genres like the Clash, Paul and Linda McCartney and the Rolling Stones. “He’s a mystery,” guitarist Keith Richards said of Perry. “The world is his instrument. You just have to listen. More than a producer, he knows how to inspire the artist’s soul.”
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Rickie Lee Reynolds
Black Oak Arkansas guitarist Ricki Lee Reynolds died in September at age 72, following a series of health issues. “Please take a moment of silence today to remember all of the love he gave to the world,” his daughter, Amber Lee wrote in announcing his death, “and take some time to give back some of those wonderful feelings that he gave us all in our times of need.” Reynolds was one of the founding members of Black Oak Arkansas in 1963, though the group would not release their debut self-titled album until 1971, which included well-known tracks like “Hot and Nasty”, “Lord Have Mercy On My Soul” and “When Electricity Came To Arkansas.” Reynolds left the band in 1976, but rejoined in 1984 and had been performing and recording with the group up until his death.
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Roger Newell
Roger Newell, best known as the bassist for Yes keyboardist Rick Wakeman, died in September following a battle with cardiac illness. Newell performed on several of Wakeman’s solo albums as a member of the English Rock Ensemble, including 1974’s Journey to the Centre of the Earth, 1975’s The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table and 1976’s No Earthly Connection. “Roger was such an important founder member of the English Rock Ensemble,” Wakeman wrote in a tribute to his bandmate, “and his love and understanding of prog rock and orchestral/symphonic rock was second to none.”
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Norm Macdonald
Norm Macdonald, best known for his role as a Saturday Night Live “Weekend Update” anchor, died in September at age 61 after a quiet battle with cancer. Macdonald began his career in comedy as a writer for Roseanne, before joining the cast of SNL in 1993. He then began appearing in the role of “Weekend Update” anchor, where he offered memorable impressions of personalities, including David Letterman, Larry King and Quentin Tarantino, among others. “Norm was a pure comic,” said his producing partner and friend Lori Jo Hoekstra. “He once wrote that ‘a joke should catch someone by surprise, it should never pander.’ He certainly never pandered. Norm will be missed terribly.”
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Sarah Dash
Singer Sarah Dash, known for her work alongside Patti Labelle, Keith Richards and the Rolling Stones, died at the age of 76 in September. “She was a true giver…always serving,” Labelle said of Dash, “always sharing her talent and her time.” Dash began singing with Labelle in 1962, releasing mutliple hits and later opening for the Rolling Stones. In 1988, Dash appeared on a duet with Richards, “Make No Mistake,” which was included on his Talk is Cheap LP. Dash then joined Richards’ backing band, the X-Pensive Winos, and also contributed to the Rolling Stones 1989 album Steel Wheels.
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Alfred ‘Pee Wee’ Ellis
Saxophonist Alfred “Pee Wee” Ellis died in September at age 80. He was best known for his work as bandleader for James Brown, co-writing several hit songs with Brown like “Cold Sweat” and “Say It Loud – I’m Black and I’m Proud.” “I really wasn’t that aware of James Brown when I joined the band,” Ellis said later, “but my first night in the wings watching the show, which all new band members had to do, took my breath away. … I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.” Ellis, who had first studied under the legendary sax player Sonny Rollins, also worked alongside rock acts like Ginger Baker and Van Morrison.
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Alan Lancaster
Alan Lancaster, bassist and co-founder of the English rock band Status Quo, died in September aged 72. Lancaster, who contributed lead vocals to a number of the group’s songs, had reportedly been suffering from multiple sclerosis for some time.“Alan had a wonderful wit and a fabulously dry sense of humour,” Lancaster’s wife said following his death. “He was a devoted and adoring husband, father and grandfather. Family was always his focus.”
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George Frayne
George Frayne, best known under his alias as Commander Cody and leader of the group Commander Cody and His Planet Lost Airmen, died September at age 77 following a battle with cancer. Frayne, who adopted his stage named from a ’50s science-fiction character, formed the band in Ann Arbor, Mich., in 1967. Incorporating elements of country, rock ‘n’ roll, Western swing, rockabilly, jazz and boogie-woogie, the Lost Planet Airmen set themselves apart from traditional country rockers of the era, and opened for several notable rock acts like the Grateful Dead, Alice Cooper and the Beach Boys. Apart from his musical career, Frayne was also an accomplished painter.
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Everett Morton
Ska drummer Everett Morton, who was best known for his work with the Beat — the English Beat, as known to American fans —died at age 71 in October. Morton joined the band in 1978 and, a year later, they signed a record deal. It was Morton’s unique style of drumming, a mix of rock, reggae, ska, punk, and Latin music (Morton had been born in St. Kitts), that set the Beat apart from many English bands of the era.
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Deon Estus
Deon Estus, a bassist who worked closely with Wham! and George Michael, died in
October at age 65. Over the course of his career, Estus, who first began learning bass under James Jamerson of Motown’s Funk Brothers, collaborated with a slew of stars such as Marvin Gaye, Tina Turner, Frank Zappa, George Clinton, Annie Lennox, Edgar Winter and Elton John. Estus released his own solo album in 1988, Spell, which included several tracks produced by Michael and the hit single, “Heaven Help Me,” which featured cowriter Michael on backing vocals.
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Ronnie Tutt
Drummer Ronnie Tutt died of natural causes Oct. 16 in his home in Franklin, Tenn.
An in-demand session drummer and member of Elvis Presley’s legendary TCB (Takin’ Care of Business) Band, Tutt enjoyed a long career spanning more than 40 years. Beyond his involvement with the King, the drummer worked with such famed acts as Jerry Garcia, Neil Diamond, the Carpenters, Roy Orbison and Billy Joel. Tutt played on the latter’s rocker’s second and third studio albums, Piano Man (1973) and Streetlife Serenade (1974).
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Jay Black
Jay Black – real name David Blatt – fronted pop-rock group Jay and the Americans from 1963 to 1973. During his tenure, the group released a string of hits, including “Come A Little Bit Closer,” “Cara Mia” and “This Magic Moment.” He was also front and center when Jay and the Americans opened the Beatles first U.S. show in 1964. Nicknamed “The Voice” thanks to his impressive range, Black would continue touring as a solo artist under the Jay and the Americans moniker following the group’s disbandment. He died at the age of 82.
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Herbie Herbert
Walter James “Herbie” Herbert II died of natural causes on Oct. 25 at the age of 73. He was best known as Journey’s longtime manager, a role he held for 20 years. Herbert originally began his career as a roadie with Santana, where he’d first meet future Journey members Neal Schon and Gregg Rolie. When Santana disbanded in 1973, Herbert initiated the original Journey lineup and stayed on as their full-time manager. “I’ll cherish all the incredible times and trials and tribulations we experienced together,” Schon stated after Herbert’s death. “Herbie was an incredible hands-on manager and fought like a motherfucker for all of us every step of the way. I can easily say that without his vision there would have never been many of the innovative things that we shared. I hold the greatest times in my heart forever.”
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Ronnie Wilson
Ronnie Wilson, cofounder of the R&B group the Gap Band, died in November at the age of 73. Wilson formed the Gap Band in Tulsa with his two brothers, Charlie and Robert. After spending their early years working as the backing band for Leon Russell, the group released their debut album in 1974. It wouldn’t be until 1979 that the Gap Band scored their first top 10 single, “Shake.” Further hits would follow, including “I Don’t Believe You Want to Get Up and Dance (Oops Up Side Your Head),” “Yearning for Your Love,” “Burn Rubber on Me (Why You Wanna Hurt Me),” “Humpin” and “You Dropped the Bomb on Me.” By the end of the ‘80s, the band’s popularity had waned, but they continued releasing albums through 1999, and stayed on the road for more than a decade after that.
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Dean Stockwell
Character actor Dean Stockwell was a familiar face in TV and movies for the better part of 70 years. He broke into the business as a child actor, appearing in films starring such Hollywood heavyweights as Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra and Errol Flynn. In adulthood, Stockwell would be cast in a wide array of film projects, including Paris, Texas, David Lynch’s Dune and Blue Velvet, Married to the Mob (for which he earned a supporting actor Oscar nomination), The Rainmaker and The Player. He was also a beloved character on the hi sci-fi TV series Quantum Leap, playing the role of Admiral Al Calavicci.
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Graeme Edge
Co-founding drummer of the Moody Blues, Graeme Edge died in November at age 80. Edge was part of the band’s original lineup and a key cog in their distinctive, proto-prog style. Edge played on all of the band’s albums, at various times drumming, singing and delivering poetry. The rocker also penned various tracks (as sole writer or co-writer) throughout the band’s long catalog. In 2018, he was inducted as a member of Moody Blues into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. During his speech, Edge displayed the humor that endeared him to so many fellow musicians over the years. “I’m not gonna make a long speech — I’m 77 years old; I haven’t got time,” the drummer joked onstage. “The first thing I wanna do — I want to thank Justin [Hayward] and John [Lodge] for putting up with me for 50 years and counting. I want to thank me for putting up with Justin and John for 50 years and counting. I want to thank everyone in the world that’s ever helped me — you know who you are. Thank you. And all the people in the world that haven’t helped me: Screw you.”
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Mick Rock
Legendary music photographer Mick Rock, known as “The Man Who Shot the ’70s,” died at age 72 in November. Rock captured numerous iconic images of David Bowie, (for whom he also directed the music videos for “John, I’m Only Dancing,” “Jean Genie,” “Space Oddity” and “Life on Mars), Syd Barrett, the Sex Pistols, Motley Crue, T.Rex, Blondie, Thin Lizzy and more. The cover photos of Lou Reed’s Transformer and Queen’s Queen II were also taken by Rock.
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Keith Allison
Keith Allison, who died in November, played bass guitar with Paul Revere and the Raiders from 1968 to 1975. “We all here in the Raider family are terribly heartbroken,” read a statement posted by the band following his passing. “Keith will always be a Raider.” Allison also worked with Ringo Starr, the Monkees and the Beach Boys. “I’ve had a great time,” he said of his career in music. “I’ve enjoyed the highs and lows. It’s like a roller coaster. But it’s always been that way, up and down and up and down and up and down.”
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Billy Hinsche
A longtime touring member of the Beach Boys — and one-third of ‘60s pop-rock trio Dino, Desi and Billy – Billy Hinsche died at age 70 due to an aggressive tour that was diagnosed only a few weeks before his death. Hinsch was credited on several Beach Boys albums, including 1973’s Holland, 1976’s 15 Big Ones and 1978’s M.I.U. Album, and he also worked as a studio musician with artists like American, Warren Zevon, Elton John and Joan Jet. “We lost a great friend, family member, and forever member of The Beach Boys band on Saturday,” Beach Boys member Mike Love said of Hinsche. “All of us who had the pleasure of knowing him will miss his jovial nature and immense talent and sense of humor.”
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Richard Cole
Richard Cole began his career in the music industry while he was still a teenager — in the mid ’60s, he worked for the Who, Vanilla Fudge and the New Vaudeville Band. While he was managing the latter most group, he met Peter Grant, Led Zeppelin’s general manager, who asked Cole to come on as the band’s tour manager, a position he held until 1980. “He was a brother and a friend to the end,” guitarist Jimmy Page said of Cole in an Instagram post. “Goodbye my dear friend. They were special times and so were you.” Cole reshaped the traditions of touring for English bands in normalizing of bands bringing their own gear and crew overseas, instead of the usual system of renting gear and hiring an American crew. Cole was 75 at the time of his death.
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Rosalie Trombley
Rosalie Trombley, a prominent radio executive whose knack for identifying hit songs earned her the nickname “girl with the golden ear,” died at the beginning of December. One such hit was Bob Seger’s 1973 track, “Rosalie,” which was named after her specifically and was later covered by Thin Lizzy. “Through her hard work and incredible instincts, she achieved a rare level of influence and power in music,” Seger said in a statement following her death. “When she got behind your record, other stations would follow suit.” Trombley was also responsible for encouraging Elton John to make “Bennie and the Jets” his next single, due to the support it had garnered amongst her local listeners — John conceded and the song reached No. 1 in the U.S. in 1974.
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John Miles
After a “short illness,” John Miles, a vocalist and songwriter who collaborated with Jimmy Page and Alan Parsons, passed away at the age of 72. Miles appeared on multiple Parson’s albums, including Parson’s first LP, 1976’s Tales of Mystery and Imagination, 1978’s Pyramid, 1985’s Stereotomy and 1987’s Gaudi. He also co-wrote two songs on Page’s solo debut, Outrider, and his vocals were featured on both “Wasting My Time” and “Wanna Make Love.” Miles then joined Page’s touring band for international dates in support of the album.
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Melvin Parker
James Brown once called Melvin Parker “the greatest drummer I ever had in my life.” After becoming a member of Brown’s band in the early ’60s, his brother, saxophonist Maceo, joined too. Parker performed on several of Brown’s hits in the ’60s and ’70’s, including “Out of Sight,” “Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag,” “I Got You (I Feel Good)” and “Get Up Offa That Thing.” “We lost one of the greatest [drummers] that flew under the radar,” Bootsy Collins, who played with Brown before he joined Parliament-Funkadelic, wrote of Parker after his death. “Thx u my brother Melvin for ur Gifts to the World & our time in the studio. R.I.P.” Parker was 77.
Robbie Shakespeare
Bassist Robbie Shakespeare — one half of the Sly and Robbie rhythm section alongside Sly Dunbar — died in December at age 68. Shakespeare began his career in his native Jamaica, where he met Dunbar in 1973. The pair went on to become key members of the Revolutionaries, the house band for the country’s Channel One studio, as well as founders of their own record label, Taxi. Shakespeare’s accolades stretched far and wide in the rock industry — he appeared on Grace Jones’ 1981 album Nightclubbing, Bob Dylan’s Infidels, Empire Burlesque and Down in the Groove, Mick Jagger’s She’s the Boss and many more productions.
In the early ’70s, American attorney Denis O’Brien, who died at age 80, worked with Peter Sellers, helping the Pink Panther star manage his finances. It was Sellers who introduced O’Brien to George Harrison, who was dealing with tax issues at the time. O’Brien became Harrison’s manager in 1973, a position he remained in for much of Harrison’s solo career. Five years later, in 1978, Harrison and O’Brien founded HandMade films — their debut production: Monty Python’s Life of Brian. Several more releases followed, including the 1980 crime drama The Long Good Friday, starring Bob Hoskins and Helen Mirren; 1981’s Time Bandits, directed by Monty Python member Terry Gilliam and starring Sean Connery and the 1987’s Withnail and I. O’Brien died following an admission to a British hospital for severe abdominal pains.
Michael Nesmith
Monkees co-founder Michael Nesmith passed away in December of natural causes. Just a month prior, he and Monkees bandmate Micky Dolenz concluded an official farewell tour. “I’m heartbroken. I’ve lost a dear friend and partner,” Dolenz wrote in tribute to Nesmith. “I’m so grateful that we could spend the last couple of months together doing what we loved best – singing, laughing, and doing shtick. I’ll miss it all so much.” In addition to his work with the Monkees, an endeavor in which he fought for more creative control for the made-for-TV pop band, Nesmith also enjoyed his own successful solo career with the First National Band, a group that helped to pioneer the genre of country rock. Nesmith was 78 at the time of his death.
Les Emmerson
Les Emmerson, the singer and guitarist of Canadian rock group Five Man Electrical Band, died at age 77 due to complications from COVID-19. (Emmerson was reportedly double vaccinated, but had underlying medical conditions, according to his wife.) Five Man Electrical Band released just one international hit, “Signs,” which served as the opening track from their second album, 1970’s Good-byes and Butterflies. The song reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was later covered by Tesla in 1990, whose live rendition also hit the top of the charts.
Phil Chen
Jamaican-born bassist Phil Chen died in December after a long battle with cancer. He was 75. Chen launched his career in the late ’60s when he moved to England and began working with a variety of high profile musicians, including Jeff Beck, who enlisted him for his definitive 1975 album, Blow by Blow, Donovan (Cosmic Wheels) and Rod Stewart (Blondes Have More Fun). Chen also collaborated with three members of the Doors (Robby Krieger, John Densmore and Ray Manzarek), Brian May, Pete Townshend, Eric Clapton and Bob Marley.
Wanda Young
One fifth of the Motown R&B group, the Marvelettes, Wanda Young joined the band in 1961 when classmate and co-founder of the group, Gladys Horton, invited her to replace original member Georgia Dobbins. That same year, the Marvelettes delivered a smash hit in “Please, Mr. Postman,” which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was later covered acts like the Beatles and the Carpenters. Young sang lead vocals on songs such as “I’ll Keep Holding On,” “Don’t Mess With Bill” and “The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game,” and was, by the time the group disbanded in 1970, considered the group’s primary lead vocalist. Young died in December at age 78.
Ron Anderson
Ron Anderson was once described as “voice trainer to the stars,” and his resume proved it — Anderson coached the likes of Axl Rose, Tom Keifer, Chris Cornell, Myles Kennedy and Ozzy Osbourne, but also worked with younger metal vocalists like Avenged Sevenfold’s M. Shadows and Trivium’s Matt Heafy, plus pop stars like the Weeknd, Alicia Keys and Adele. “He was always there when I needed him. To say Ron really knew his craft is a huge understatement,” Rose wrote in tribute. “However good God’s choir might be, I know you’ll make it a hell of a lot better!!!” Anderson died aged 75.
Robin Le Mesrier
Guitarist Robin Le Mesurier, best known for his frequent collaborations with Rod Stewart, died at age 68. He first joined the Rod Stewart Group in 1980 and performed on seven of his albums: Tonight I’m Yours (1981), Body Wishes (1983), Camouflage (1984), Absolutely Live (1982), Every Beat of My Heart (1986), Vagabond Heart (1991) and A Spanner in the Works (1995). Le Mesurier also appeared on Ron Wood’s 1981 solo album 1234. When former Faces bandmates Wood, Stewart and drummer Kenney Jones reunited for a 2015 reunion tour, Le Mesurier joined the group for the trek. “Rest in peace Robin,” Wood said on Twitter. “I have so much respect for you ~ you will be missed.”
