Duane Allman: Age 24
Allman Brothers Band
(b. 20 November 1946, Nashville, Tennessee, USA, d. 29 October 1971).
One of rock's most inventive and respected guitarists.  On 29 October, in an effort to avoid a collision with a truck, Allman crashed his motorcycle and died following three hours of intensive surgery. This tragic accident robbed music of one of its exceptional talents whose all-too-brief legacy reveals an individual of rare skill and humility. Duane Allman Books

Jimmy Domengeaux: Age 44
Steve Riley and The Mamou Playboys
Black Dog
For the past four years as guitarist with Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys, he was featured in performances and recordings heard around the world.  His music career stretched back some 38 years, perhaps most notably with the band "Black Dog." He also performed with Warren Storm, Cajun Heat, The Gumbo Cajun Band, Cheryl Cormier, amongst others. Jimmy Domengeaux was killed  in a hit and run accident while riding his motorcycle in southwestern Louisiana.

Richard Farina: Age 28
(b. 1937, Brooklyn, New York, d. 30 April 1966)
A songwriter, novelist and political activist.  Two superb albums were released in 1965, the first of which, CELEBRATION FOR A GREY DAY, included Richard's classic song, Pack Up Your Sorrows. BEEN DOWN SO LONG was published in 1966, but its author was killed in a motorbike crash during a celebratory party. Farina's death robbed a generation of an excellent writer and gifted musician.

Prince Nico Mbarga: Age 47
Rockafil Jazz
(born: Nicholas Mbarga, 1 Jan 1950 in Abakaliki, Nigeria, died. 24 June 1997)
With his band, Rocafil Jazz, Prince Nico scored the biggest African hit ever. His 1976 triumphwas a song called "Sweet Mother" and its appeal (13 million copies sold) was largely due to Mbarga's pan-African mix of Cameroonian, Nigerian, and Zairian styles. Despite his multi-instrumental talents and ownership of his own record label, Prince Nico has not been able to sustain his success..." ~Myles Boisen, All-Music Guide.     Rounder Records has released Aki Special and Free Education as well as Sweet Mother.  Prince Nico was killed tragically in a motorcycle accident at age 47.

Kevin Mills: Age 32
White Heart,  Newsboys
(born Louisville, KY; died Dec. 3, 2000, Hollywood, CA)

LOS ANGELES -- Kevin Mills, a member of the Christian rock groups Newsboys and White Heart, died Dec. 3 after a motorcycle accident in Hollywood. He was 32. Mills, of Louisville, Ky., was a singer and bass player, his family said. White Heart started in 1982. Newsboys, an Australian band now based near Nashville, Tenn., was formed four years later. Newsboys have sold nearly 3 million records and earned three Grammy nominations on the religious rock circuit.

Berry Oakley: Age 24
Allman Brothers Band
(b. 4 April 1948, Chicago, Illinois, USA, d. 11 November 1972).
Allman Brothers Band. However, tragedy struck on 29 October 1971 Duane Allman was killed in a motorcycle accident…but just as the group recovered its momentum, Berry Oakley was killed in an accident chillingly similar to that of his former colleague on 11 November 1972.
Berry Offspring Band

Don Rich: Age 32
The Buckeroos
(b.  5 August 1941, d. 17 July 1974).
Often called the "right arm" of Buck Owens, Donald Eugene Ulrich, better known as Don Rich, was born August 15, 1941, in Olympia, Washington. He was only 3 when he started singing and playing guitar. He appeared on radio at age 5 and took up the violin at age 6. At 15, he was playing lead guitar with Tex Mitchell. A year later, he began playing part-time with Buck Owens.
Rich was killed in a motorcycle accident in California.  In a sense, it marked the end of Buck Owens’ vintage years as well,  "He was as much a part of the music as I was."  

Buzz Shearman: Age 33
Moxy
Died: June 16, 1983

Buzz Shearman retired to a life in Scarborough, Ontario with a wife (Valerie), a young son (Jesse) and a job at a large building materials store where his co-workers included Brian Maxim. (One hopes that they were kept away from paints, which both had the ability to peel from considerable distances!) Unhappily, this quiet life was not to last, as Buzz was killed in a tragic motorcycle accident. Everybody got together to put out a benefit Moxy retrospective package, with proceeds earmarked for Val and Jesse. The back cover of that most worthy package featured a nice testimonial from San Antonio disc jockey, Joe Anthony (KESI), who wrote that Buzz "had that special quality in his voice that carried a smile and a lift. He penetrated himself into the listeners and was very forceful with them. He gave a definite impression to the music. His passing was untimely, but he gave us so much in such a short span. His music is his legacy." ~Notes by Bill Munson with special thanks to Cam Atkinson, a true-blue Moxy fan.

Buddy Caine, Buzz Sherman, Bill Wade, Earl Johnson and Terry Juric founded Moxy in the mid-'70s. The hard rock band released two albums in both 1976 and 1977 (Moxy, Moxy II, Take It or Leave It and Ridin' High). After Buzz Sherman died in a motorcycle accident, the band recorded A Tribute to Buzz Sherman in 1984. ~ by John Bush

Frank Starr: Age 41
Four Horsemen
(B. 1958, Long Island, NY; D. 18 June 1999, LA, CA)

IN NOVEMBER l995, WHILE RIDING HIS MOTORCYCLE DOWN THE SUNSET STRIP, A DRUNK DRIVER SUDDENLY PULLED HER CAR OUT IN FRONT OF FRANK, WHO HAD NO TIME TO AVOID THE COLLISION. HIS BIKE STRUCK HER CAR, SENDING FRANK FLYING THROUGH THE AIR BETWEEN 50-100 FEET, LANDING ON HIS HEAD.

ALTHOUGH FRANK WAS WEARING HIS "BRAIN BUCKET" HELMET, HE SUFFERED MASSIVE HEAD TRAUMA, AND WAS TAKEN TO CEDAR-SINAI HOSPITAL, IN A COMA, WHERE HE REMAINED FOR SOME TIME.

FRANK WAS MOVED TO BAY HARBOR HOSPITAL, IN TORRANCE CA, AND EVENTUALLY CAME OUT OF HIS COMA, HOWEVER, FRANK WAS LEFT WITHOUT NEARLY ALL OF HIS MOTOR FUNCTIONS, INCLUDING WALKING, AND TALKING, AND REMAINED ON LIFE SUPPORT, AND A RESPIRATOR.

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