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Chris Acland: Age 30
Lush
(b. 7 September 1966, d. October 96)
Tragically, Chris committed suicide at his parents home in
Cumbria in October 1996. "The haunting Lower
Eastside Tourist is even, more or less, about the October '96 suicide of Lush
drummer Chris Acland: 'People come and people go/Drop in the ocean, drop in the flow,'
Mark Eitzel sings as a sad farewell." ~From Power Trio Peter Buck
goesWest with Eitzel...
Graham Bond:Age 36
Graham Bond
Organization
AKA: Graham John Clifton Bon
(Born: Oct 28, 1937 in Romford, Essex, England, Died:
May 8, 1974 in London
Bond never recaptured the heights of his work with the Organization. In the late '60s, he
moved to the U.S., recording albums with musicians including Harvey Brooks, Harvey Mandel,
and Hal Blaine. Moving back to Britain, he worked with Ginger Baker's Airforce, the Jack
Bruce Band, and Cream lyricist Pete Brown, as well as forming the band Holy Magick, who
recorded a couple albums. Bond's demise was more tragic than most: he developed serious
drug and alcohol problems and an obsession with the occult, and it has even been
posthumously speculated (in the British Bond biography Mighty
Shadow) that he sexually abused his stepdaughter. He committed suicide bythrowing
himself into the path of a London Underground train in 1974.
-- Richie Unterberger, All-Music Guide
(b.1957, d. 26 April 1999, London)
On April 26th. 1999 Adrian Borland died. [He] committed suicide by throwing himself in
frontof a train in London on early Monday morning. He was right in the middle
of the recording session for his new solo album. Adrian Borland leaves a great work, which
is documented on more than twenty albums . He was present as a singer, guitar player and -
especially - as a songwriter since the late 70`s, when he formed his first band THE
OUTSIDERS, his contribution to the "New Wave" whilst at the same time creating
electronic music with the band SECOND LAYER. International recognition as front man with
legendary eighties band THE SOUND was followed by a crazy affair with HONOLULU MOUNTAIN
DAFFODILS, under the pseudonym Joachim Pimento, belting out a wired STOOGES-like sound
together with a few friends from his Wimbledon local. ~In memoriam Adrian Borland
Tommy Boyce:
Age
55
(Born: September 29,1939 in Charlottesville, VA,
Died: Nov 23, 1994 Nashville,
TN)
Boyce recorded for RCA Records and had one self-written charting single, "I'll
Remember Carol" b/w "Too Late For Tears" peak at #80 Pop on Billboard's
charts in fall 1962.He began writing with Bobby Hart, with their first success being
"Come A Little Bit Closer," a 1964 #3 Pop smash for Jay and the Americans.Signed
as staff songwriters for Screen Gems Music, the music publishing arm of Columbia Pictures'
TV production arm, Screen Gems, they began to write songs for the soundtrack of the
studios' hit TV show The Monkees airing in primetime on NBC-TV; "Theme From The
Monkees," "Last Train To Clarksville," gold, #1 Pop, fall 1966, "(I'm
Not Your)Steppin' Stone"-the charting B-side of "I'm A Believer"...Boyce
& Hart toured with The Monkees in the 70s and recorded with some of the group's
members on albums as Dolenz, Jones, Boyce and Hart. Boyce wrote and produced for Iggy Pop,
UK band Darts, Del Shannon and Meat Loaf. Boyce, who appeared on TV talk
shows sharing his travails with depression, succumbed to the illness, committing suicide
at his Nashville residence in 1994. ~ Ed Hogan, All Music Guide
Herman Brood: Age 55
(b: 5 November 1946 in Zwolle, Netherlands; d: 11 July 2001, Amsterdam)
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) - Herman Brood, a well known artist and a top musician on the
Dutch rock scene for 30 years, jumped to his death from the roof of an Amsterdam
hotel on Wednesday, police said. He was 55. Brood, who spoke about the difficulty
of ending his daily drug habit, had been complaining of poor health and depression, and
had told a close friend he didn't want to fade away. Brood entered art school at 17 and
joined musical groups beginning in the 1960s. He became a sensation with his 1978 hit
single "Saturday Night," which he wrote as leader of the band Wild Romance. Over
25 years he recorded nearly 20 albums, on his own or with a variety of groups, and also
acted in Dutch movies. He briefly withdrew from recording in the early 1990s to focus on
painting and poetry. But in one year, 1994, he released a book, a new CD and a film. As
his success grew, Brood became known as much for his drug-based wild life style as for his
art. He quit drugs last summer after his doctor warned him his life was at risk, but the
television reported his mental and physical health quickly deteriorated.
Roy
Buchanan: Age 48
(b.23 September 1939, Ozark, Alabama, USA, d. August 1988).
The son of a preacher, Buchanan discovered gospel music through the influence of
traveling revivalists. LOADING ZONE was an accomplished album and contained two of his
finest (and longest) outings; the pulsating Green Onions featured shared solos with the
song's co-composer Steve Cropper and the extraordinary Ramon's Blues (again with Cropper).
His trademark was a battered Fender Telecaster guitar. Buchanan was never
comfortable with the role of virtuoso. A shy, reticent individual, he made severalunsuccessful
suicide attempts before hanging himself in a police cell in 1988,following hisarrest on a drunk-driving charge.
"Reading on your
web site the rundown of the suicide (most think) of Roy Buchanan, it
should be noted that he... was not arrested on drunk driving (he never
learned to drive!) but public intoxication. And there was only one known
prior suicide attempt, not several as your entry states. You might also
mention the recording that really shows him at his best was "Live Stock" a
1974 live recording, (that was actually recorded in 2 locations). "
~ Regards, Bob B.
Leon
Chappelear: Age 53 aka Leon Chappel
(b. Horace Leon Chappelear, 1 Aug. 1909; d. 22 Oct. 1962)
Chappelear was a gifted songwriter and guitarist who admired Jimmie Rodgers.
The Lone Star Cowboys became Chappelear's group after the Sheltons broke
away. Chappelear turned it into a popular early western swing band. On
September 13, 1935 (a Friday the 13th), Chappelear was involved in an auto
accident that affected his brain, temperament, and behavior. Tragically, his
injuries caused him to be unable to sing as well as he once did and his
career suffered greatly. He got involved in many strange and questionable
activities that landed him in jail at one point for gambling. He moved to
the west coast in the early 50s and recorded a series of sides for Capitol
as "Leon Chappel." see:Automatic Mama.
Chappelear committed suicide in 1962, despondent over a
career gone sour. He shot himself in the face with a shotgun. Leon Chappelear was only 53 years old. ~ Cary Ginell
Kurt Cobain:Age 27
Nirvana
(b. Kurt Donald Cobain, 20 February 1967, Hoquiam, Seattle, d. 5 April 1994, Seattle). His
descent into self-destruction accelerated in 1994 as he went into a coma during dates in
Italy (it was later confirmed that this had all the markings of a failed suicide attempt),
beforereturning to Seattle to shoot himself on April 5,
1994. Link to: The Suicide Note
/
Heavier Than Heaven: A Biography of Kurt Cobain
by Charles R. Cross
Darby
Crash: Age 22
Germs
Died: December 7, 1980
Los Angeles punk band the Germs was formed in April 1977 and quickly became
one of the most popular and influential
in that area of music. The group disbanded in early 1980 but reformed later that year.
A week after their first reunion concert, however, singer Crash died of an
intentional heroin
overdose.
See: Lexicon Devil: The Fast Times and Short Life of Darby Crash and the Germs
Sonny
Criss: Age 50
(Born in Memphis, Tenn., on Oct. 23, 1927, Died on Nov. 19, 1977, LA, CA)
A talented bop altoist, Sonny Criss was influenced by Charlie Parker but had his own
heavier sound. He spent most of his life in the Los Angeles area starting in 1942. In 1946
he worked in Howard McGhee's band with Charlie Parker and Teddy Edwards and can be heard
on several jam sessions on Savoy in 1947. Criss spent periods playing with Johnny Otis,
Gerald Wilson, and Billy Eckstine (1950-51) and was with Stan Kenton in 1955. He also
worked with Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars and Buddy Rich's quartet (1958) in
addition to leading his own groups, recording three albums for Imperial in 1956. Criss
lived in Europe during 1962-65, recorded some excellent sets for Prestige during 1966-69
and in the 1970s headed sessions for Fresh Sound, Xanadu, Muse and a couple of commercial
efforts for Impulse. After European tours in 1973 and 1974, Sonny Criss' career seemed on
an upswing. But due to the pain of cancer, he chose to commit suicidein 1977.
-- Scott
Yanow, All Music Guide Criss died on Nov. 19...of a self-inflicted gunshot as he was preparing
for his initial tour of Japan. ~ Will
Smith
Ian Curtis:
Age 23
Joy Division
(b.15 July 1956, Macclesfield, Cheshire, England, d. 18 May 1980).
On 18 May 1980, the eve of Joy Division's proposed visit to America, Ian Curtiswas
found hanged. The verdict was suicide. A note was allegedly found bearing the words:
‘At this moment I wish I were dead. I just can't cope
anymore’. To read more Link to: Touching
From A Distance. Ian Curtis And Joy Division
Nick
Drake: Age 26
(b. 19 June 1948, Burma, d. 25 November 1974).
Born into an upper middle-class background, Drake was raised in Tanworth-in-Arden, near
Birmingham. FIVE LEAVES LEFT was a mature, melodic collection which invoked the mood of
Van Morrison's ASTRAL WEEKS or Tim Buckley's HAPPY SAD. By contrast BRYTER LAYTER
was altogether more worldly, and featured support from emphatic, rather than intuitive,
musicians. Indisputably Drake's most commercial album, the singer was reportedly
stunned when it failed to reap due reward. On 25 November 1974, Nick Drake was found dead
in his bedroom. Although thecoroner's verdict was suicide, relatives and
acquaintances feel that his overdoseof a prescribed drug was accidental.
Interest in this ill-fated performer has increased over the years and his
catalogue contains some of the era's most accomplished music. Drake is now
seen as a hugely influential artist.
Jim
Ellison: Age 31 Material
Issue (born:1964, died: June
20, 1996) Long before the Smashing Pumpkins became Chicago's most famous export, Material
Issue was doing its part to put the Windy City on the musical map. Signed to Mercury
Records in 1990, vocalist-guitarist-songwriter Jim Ellison, bassist Ted Ansani and drummer
Mike Zelenko seemed destined for rock stardom.~By Jae-Ha KimSadly, Ellison committed suicide on June 20, 1996, suffocating
himself in his garage with carbon monoxide fumes from his moped. — Steve Huey
Tom Evans: Age 36
BadFinger
Joey Molland and Tom Evans reformed the group, changing the subsidiary members frequently
over the next few years. Commercial success proved elusive and in November 1983, history
repeated itself in the most bizarre scenario possible when Tom Evans committed suicide
[by hanging]at his Surrey home. Like Pete Ham he had been suffering from
depression and financial worries. The Badfinger story is uniquely tragic and
among its greater ironies is the now morbid chorus of the song with which
Pete Ham and Tom Evans are best associated: ‘I can't live, I can't live
anymore’ (Without You).
Andre Dede
Fortin: Age 38
Les Colocs
(Born: 1962; died: 11 May 2000)
Quebec singer Dede Fortin's death ruled a suicide
MONTREAL - A Montreal coroner has confirmed that Quebec singer Andre Dede Fortin died
from a self-inflicted wound. Fortin, 38, was found in his Montreal home Wednesday with
stab wounds to his chest. Fortin, known as Dede to his friends and fans, was a
songwriter and the lead singer of the group Les Colocs. He was expected at a press
conference Wednesday afternoon. Friends worried after he didn't show up and went to his
apartment to look for him. Finding the door locked and no answer from inside, they went in
through an open window and discovered Fortin's body. Les Colocs won the Felix, Quebec's
equivalent to the Juno awards, for rock album of the year in 1998. Fortin's writing helped
the group earn its reputation as one of the most original voices in Quebecois song through
the 1990s. The singer-songwriter was born in St-Thomas Didyme, Que. He grew up in a family
of 11 children. Late Wednesday, the official Internet site of Les Colocs carried a black
page with a picture of Fortin and the message: "Dede has decided to leave, May 10,
2000."
--Les Annees 1992-1995 (Enhanced)~Amazon
Danny Gatton: Age
49
(Born: Sep 4 , 1945 in Washington, D.C., Died: Oct 20, 1994 in Newburg, MD)
Danny Gatton is Washington D.C.'s musical legend, described in the Washington Post
Magazine as"The Greatest Guitarist You've Never Heard." Danny is
well-known to the likes of Chet Atkins, Les Paul, and Buddy Emmons. He was once on the
cover of Guitar Player magazine as part of a feature called "Unknown Greats." ~by Brian AlpertDanny died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.There
have been many rumors, "theories", etc as to why Danny took hisown
life. I can speak very loudly for the Gatton family in sayingthat these are
all rumors and/or theories. The truth is simply thatno-one, not even Danny's
immediate family, knows why he did what hedid. ~Steve
G.
Pete Ham:Age 27
Badfinger
(b. 27 April 1947, d. 23 April 1975; vocals).
Worse was to follow the next year when Pete Ham took his own life [by hanging],
after a long period of personal and professional worries.
Donny
Hathaway: Age 33
(b. 1 October 1945, Chicago, Illinois, USA, d. 13 January 1979).
Originally schooled in the gospel tradition, this versatile artist majored in musical
theory before performing in a cocktail jazz trio. Hathaway was then employed as a producer
with Curtis Mayfield's Curtom label while a duet with June Conquest, I Thank You Baby,
became his first hit, in 1969. The following year he was signed by Atlantic for whom he
recorded several imaginative singles, including The Ghetto (1970) and Love Love Love
(1973). His crafted compositions were recorded by such acts as Aretha Franklin and Jerry
Butler, but Hathaway is best remembered for his cool duets with Roberta Flack. Their
complementary voices were honed to perfection on Where Is The Love (1972) and The Closer I
Get To You (1978), both of which reached the US Top 5. Why this gifted musician should
take his own life remains unexplained, but on 13 January 1979, Hathawaythrew
himself from the 15th floor of New York's Essex House hotel.
Libby Holman: (Born... Died: Jun 18, 1971) Cause of death: Suicide (carbon monoxide poisoning). "I always
have to break a song over my back. I just can't sing a song; it has to be
part of my marrow and bones and everything," Libby Holman explained in a
1966 interview. A musical and sexual revolutionary, Libby Holman succeeded
at two different musical careers spanning the prohibition era of the 1920s,
the second World War, and the advent of the political and social ferment of
the 1960s. Strong, daring, "dark" and impetuous, this feisty Jewish woman
led a rich public life touching a dizzying array of people, from Montgomery Clift, to Alice B. Toklas, to close friends Jane and Paul Bowles. From a
deep sense of personal commitment to racial justice, she later made
contributions to the civil rights movement as both an artist and a wealthy
benefactor, helping to finance Martin Luther King Jr.'s visit to India to
meet Mahatma Gandhi. Known as the "Statue of Libby," she carried one of the
smokiest torches of American music-hall society in the twenties and thirties
and was the inventor of the strapless evening dress. Murder, millionaires,
death and suicide were morbid recurrent themes in Libby Holman's life,
reaching tabloid proportions. Scandal, however, was not only the operative
mode of Holman's personal life; she also produced scandal on the stage,
combining race, sound, and sexuality to create an aural form of "passing"
which, I will argue, sought to destabilize culturally fixated notions of
black and white. ~ Jeanne
Scheper
--- In July 1932, Zachary Smith Reynolds, the younger son of tobacco magnate R.J. Reynolds Sr., was killed by a gunshot to
the head. His wife, Broadway torch singer Libby Holman, and his close friend Ab Walker were charged with murder, though they said he committed suicide.
The charges were later dropped at the request of the family, reportedly to
prevent unpleasant details of Smith Reynolds' life from becoming public.
Douglas
Hopkins: Age 32 Gin Blossoms
b. 1961 d. 5 Dec 1993, Tempe, AZ
After struggling for years against depression and alcoholism, chief songwriter Hopkins'
behaviour had became so unstable that it was necessary to eject him from the band.
His departure came in April 1992, soon after recording sessions for the album were
completed. A bitter wrangle ensued, with the band reportedly forcing him to sign over half
his publishing royalties in return for a one-off payment of $15,000 owed to him. As
Hey Jealousy and Found Out About You, two excellent songs he had written for the Gin
Blossoms, became major hits, his personal problems increased. On December 3, 1993
he left a detox unit in Phoenix, Arizona, and shot himself. He had been
replaced in the band by Scott Johnson, but of more concern was how the Gin Blossoms would
replace him as a songwriter. Although both Wilson and Valenzuela had written songs on the
group's debut album, critics were in no doubt as to who the author of the more compelling
tracks was.
Michael Hutchence: Age 37
INXS
(b. 22 January 1960, Australia, d. November 20?, 1997, Sydney, Australia). Hutchence hanged himself in Ritz-Carlton Hotel room with his leather belt.
The body was discovered around noon by a hotel employee. INXS had been rehearsing
for their 20th anniversary tour. All those close to the singer report that he had
been in high spirits in the days prior to his suicide, although he had been linked with a
notorious reputation of cocaine and opium use. He was also planning to marry his
girlfriend, Paula Yates, the mother of his 18 month old daughter, Heavenly Hiraani Tiger
Lily. To read more Link to:
Michael Hutchence Memorial Site or The Final Days of Michael Hutchence
Phyllis
Hyman: Age 45
Singer
(b: July 6, 1941 in Philadelphia, PA, d: June 30, 1995 in New York, NY)
Phyllis Hyman began her career as a silky-voiced, jazz-influenced singer, and gradually
moved into slick, heavily produced Urban Contemporary ballads and light dance
numbers. Norman Connors made her his featured vocalist in the mid-'70s, and she was
highlighted on a cover of The Stylistics' "Betcha By Golly Wow," which appeared
on Connors' You Are My Starship LP. Hyman also sang with Pharaoh Sanders and the
Fatback Band while cutting two singles as a lead artist. Hyman got her lone Top 10 hit in
1981 with "Can't We Fall In Love Again," but her albums did consistently well
through the '80s. She also sang on fusion and light jazz dates by Joe Sample, Ronnie
Foster, and Grover Washington, Jr., a more conventional jazz session for McCoy
Tyner, and a pop date with The Four Tops. Tragically, Hyman took her ownlife on
June 30, 1995; Forever with You was issued posthumously. -- Ron
Wynn, All-Music Guide ...Phyllis was diagnosed as being "bi-polar", a
medical term for someone who suffers from the disease of manic-depression. As she got
older, her dis-ease became more and more difficult for her to manage. She elected
not to use pharmaceutical medication. She elected to self medicate. Her self medication
distorted her disease more and more, until she felt helpless about ever being able to
recover from it.~ PH WWW.Pages
J.J.
Johnson: Age 77
Born: Jan. 22, 1924.
Died: February 3, 2001
James Louis "J.J." Johnson, an Indianapolis native who gained worldwide
fame as one of the greatest trombonists and arrangers in jazz history, died February 3,
2001. He was 77. Considered as much a revelation on slide trombone as Charlie Parker was
on the saxophone, Johnson also was a top arranger and composer and was a perennial winner
of Down Beat magazine reader's poll as best trombonist...According
to a report from the Marion County Sheriff's Department, Johnson, who had been ill in
recent months, committed suicide at his Northside home on Sunday morning. ~Kevin
O'Neal at (317) 327-7928 or via e-mail at [email protected]
Johannes
Kerkorrel: Age 42 Born:
Ralph John Rabie:
1960. Died 12 November 2002
Cape Town - South African music icon Johannes Kerkorrel is dead. He hanged
himself. Provincial police spokesperson William Reid confirmed that
"Ralph John Rabie, aged 42, was found hanging from a tree in the Kleinmond
area, about 3km outside Kleinmond at around 12:40 on Tuesday".
According to friends close to the Rabie family (who wished not to be named)
this was exactly the way a former lover of the music icon took his life some
years ago. Cape Town - "I hope you can forgive me, Mom, I really do not have the
strength to carry on. I pray that the Lord will forgive me and that you will
be able to understand and accept as time goes by." This was the last
wish of Ralph Rabie, better known as Johannes Kerkorrel, expressed in a
letter written to his mother before he committed suicide in a forested area,
5km outside Kleimond, on Tuesday. He told her there was no other
way. Rabie wrote the letter on Saturday, three days before his
death. He also left letters for his partner and the police. To his
partner Demetrios Demetriou he wrote: "I do not have any other option. I am
in such a deep state of depression that I see no future for myself."
In a letter to the police, Kerkorrel admitted that he could no longer pay
his bills and that he had no work for the next two months. ~Jacob
Rooi
Philip Taylor Kramer: Age 42 Iron Butterfly
Born: 1952, Died: February 12, 1995
Kramer, born in 1952, joined the second coming of Iron Butterfly in 1974. He played
on its album Sun and Steel. The bassist disappeared without a trace in 1995.
Four years later hikers in LAfound his remains in a car at the bottom of a 200
foot ravine. Kramer was also working on guidance systems for the MX
missile for the US government. Prior to his discovery, many theories abounded
regarding his sudden and unexplained disappearance.
James Lawrence, Age 26
Hope of the States
Died 15 January, 2004 Musician found hanged at studio
The guitarist of rock band Hope of the States has been found hanging at a
recording studio.
Police were called to the Real World Studios - owned by singer Peter Gabriel
- at Box, near Bath, at 0430 GMT on Thursday after the body of James
Lawrence, 26, was discovered. The six-piece band, from Chichester, had
been recording their debut album. Wiltshire Police say the death is
not being treated as suspicious. Hope of the States reached number 26
in the singles chart with Enemies Friends in October 2003, earning them an
appearance on the BBC's Top of the Pops programme. A Wiltshire Police
spokesman said: "I can confirm that we were called to the Real World studios
in Box shortly after 4am today where the body of James Lawrence was found by
other members of the band hanging from the rafters. "He was taken down
and efforts made to revive him but to no avail." He confirmed Mr
Lawrence's body was found in one of the studios. The six-piece had
recently signed a deal with Sony and were putting the finishing touches to
their debut album, which they had recorded in Russia and Ireland, at Real
World. They were due to play at the Astoria in London next month as
part of the NME Awards series of gigs. Real World is one of the music
industry's most popular studios, with Kylie Minogue and Stereophonics among
recent visitors. A spokesman for the complex said Mr Lawrence's family
were too upset to comment. ~Story from BBC NEWS:
HOPE OF THE STATES are in the studio for the first time since the death of
guitarist JIMMI LAWRENCE. The band had almost completed work on their
debut album when they found the body of Lawrence hanged in Real World
studios near Bath last month. A spokesperson for the group confirmed
to NME.COM the band are back working on the record, but said no more details
were available at present. Hope Of The States were due to release their
anticipated debut album in late spring after months spent recording in
Russia and then Ireland. The finishing touches were being put on the album
at Real World when the guitarist died of an apparent suicide. The
Chichester six-piece, who signed to Sony imprint Seeker following an intense
bidding war, have been working with Sigur Ros producer Ken Thomas. ~http://www.nme.com/news/107408.htm
"We have lost our friend in a tragic and
heartbreaking way. His sense of humour, sensitivity, talent, intelligence
and above all genuinely caring nature will be sadly missed. Our last days
with Jimmi were the happiest we have ever shared together.
He was immensely proud and happy with his work on the record and could not
wait for others to hear it. We are devastated that he will never hear it
with us, never play guitar, have a drink, a laugh or a conversation with us
again. We are all forever grateful for the many messages of support and
condolences we have received not just from friends and family but from
people who had fleetingly met Jimmi or heard him play. The
depth of feeling shown by you all means so much, not only to the band and
his friends, but also to Jimmi's family. ~
http://www.nme.com/news/107264.htm
Jon Lee: Age 33 Feeder
Died: January 7, 2002
Miami - Jon Lee, the drummer for the Welsh rock band Feeder, which had a hit
in England last year with the single "Buck Rogers," killed himself in his
home, officials said. He was 33. Lee, who was from Newport, Wales,
hanged himself in his Miami home on Monday, said Veronica Lamar of the
Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner's Office. Fellow band members Grant
Nicholas and Taka Hirose gave a short statement on the band's official Web
site: "We will miss you more than melody - friends always." Feeder formed in
1992, but the trio of Lee on drums, Nicholas on vocals and guitar, and
Japanese-born Hirose on bass came together in London in 1995. The
group's biggest hit single was the 2001 single "Buck Rogers," which reached
No. 5 on the British charts. Feeder released its first full- length album,
"Polythene," in England in 1997; it was released in the United States in
early 1998. The second album was followed by "Yesterday Went Too Soon"
in 1999. The band released its third album, "Echo Park," last year, which
debuted at No. 5 in Britain and sold more than 100,000 copies. Lee was
married to a Brazilian model, Tatiana Englehart, and had a son, Cameron.
Oupa Mafokate
"Makhendlas": Age 27
(Died: 7 November 1998) South African musician dies ~November 2, 1998,
http://news.bbc.co.uk
Music fans in South Africa are mourning the death of a young musician, Oupa Mafokate, who apparently
shot himself in the head. Mafokate -- known as Makhendlas -- was a rising
star of kwaito -- a rap-derived music seen as a symbol of black empowerment. His manager
said he may have been upset about an incident at a concert on Saturday when he wounded a
backstage intruder."
///// Makhendlas - township slang for “fun lover”
- is reported to have committed suicide in the aftermath of a fatal brawl. The young star
was billed as the top attraction at Saturday night’s concert in Tonga, Nelspruit. But
before he could perform, he got involved in a deadly fracas with a nuisance fan who had
reportedly been harassing him and his musical crew before their Mpumalanga show. At some
point Makhendlas’s emotions replaced his brains and he whipped out his gun and pumped
three bullets into the troublesome man. ~http://www.mg.co.za/mg/art/music/9811/981105-makhendlas.html
Richard Manuel:Age 42 The Band
(b. 3 April 1943, Stratford, Canada, d. 7 March 1986; piano/drums/vocals).
A tour ended in tragedy when, on 7 March 1986, Richard Manuel hanged himself in amotel room. His death inspired Fallen Angel on Robertson's outstanding
‘comeback’ album, but despite the presence of Hudson and Danko elsewhere on the
record, the guitarist refused to join his colleagues when they regrouped again in 1991.
Their first studio album in 17 years was released in 1993.
NEW =
An as yet
unsubstantiated rumor claims that
"
Manuel
apparently had been threatening suicide for quite some time. Robertson's
exit from The Band left them all down, Manuel was depressed the worst. He
was also living with a woman for some time. His 'suicide attempts' were
viewed by all as cries for help, nothing more. This went on for a long
period of time. He would threaten to hang himself, only to be stopped right
before he did so by his loving girlfriend. Unbeknownst to him, his live-in
girlfriend was having an affair. As the story goes, the final time he
threatened suicide, she simply didn't stop him, but rather watched him do
it, then left (I have no idea whether she was seen leaving). When she
returned, it was as though she discovered the body. There was suspicion but
no charges were ever filed."
Susannah
McCorkle: Age 55 (b: 1 January 1946 Berkeley, CA ;d: 19 May 2001, New York)
Susannah McCorkle, the sultry voiced pop-jazz singer who brought a rare literary
refinement to popular standards, was found dead outside her apartment at 41 West 86th
Street early yesterday morning. She was 55. She had apparently jumped to her
death, the police said. She had left a suicide note, but the police would not
reveal its contents. In her apartment, the singer had left a will, along with detailed
instructions about disposition of her estate. With a smoky, often kittenish pop-
jazz voice and phrasing that lingered stealthily behind the beat, Ms. McCorkle was a
direct stylistic descendant of Billie Holiday, who was her primary influence. A student of
lyrics and a prolific writer herself, she liked to find new ways of interpreting familiar
standards. Her pensive, slowed-up rendition of "There's No Business Like Show
Business," for instance, found an underlying sadness in Irving Berlin's razzle-dazzle
anthem. She also had special and continuing love for Brazilian pop, to which she devoted
an album, "Sabia" (Concord Jazz), whose lyrics included her own translations
from Portuguese. Many of her later albums included at least one standard composed by
Antonio Carlos Jobim. ~By STEPHEN HOLDEN..More..
Steve MacDonald:
Age 31 Gorguts
Drummer Commits Suicide - Oct. 21, 2002
Steve MacDonald, drummer for the long-running Canadian death metal act
GORGUTS, reportedly hanged himself a couple of days ago after battling
depression for the last few years. An official statement from the rest
of the group is expected by the end of the week.
Joe
Meek: Age 35
(b. 1929, d. 3 Feb 1967)
No one made weirder space recordings or more heartfelt death discs than Joe Meek, so it's
no surprise that his own demise was dramatic and more than a little spaced out. On
February 3, 1967--eight years to the day that Meek's idol Buddy Holly perished in an
airplane crash--a crazed Joe took his shotgun and opened fire on his landlady.
Aftersending her lifeless body spiraling down a flight of stairs (without last
month's rent), heturned the weapon around and, blasting his own face off,
he became the only rock 'n' roll suicide ever to take a hostage. Prior to his untidy
demise, Meek was a hotly contested suspect in another grisly murder, this one involving a
dismembered youth found in several suitcases left strewn about the British countryside. ~From Earth Reinherits Joe Meek
by Serene Dominic
Phil Ochs:Age
35
(b. 19 December 1940, El Paso, Texas, d. 7 April 1976).
A superior singer/songwriter, particularly adept at the topical song, He was attacked
during a tour of Africa and an attempted strangulation permanently impaired his singing
voice. Beset by a chronic songwriting block, Phil sought solace in alcohol and although a
rally/concert in aid of Chile, AN EVENING WITH SALVADOR ALLENDE, succeeded through his
considerable entreaties, he later succumbed to schizophrenia. Phil Ochs’ was found
hanged at hissister'shome on 7 April 1976. To read more
Link to: Phil
Ochs: A Bio-Bibliography
Phil as Elvis at
Carnegie Hall
Brian O'Hara: Age 58 Fourmost
(b. Liverpool, Mar. 12, 1942, d. June 27,1999)
Brian O'Hara, former singer and guitarist with the Fourmost, a 1960s Liverpool group that
shared a manager with the Beatles and had hits with songs written by John Lennon and
Paul McCartney, was found hanging at his home...He was 58. Liverpool policefound O'Hara in the Wavertree area of the northern English port city.
The group had half a dozen hit singles from 1963-65, including ``Hello Little Girl''
and ``I'm In Love'' by Lennon and McCartney.
Jason Raize, Age 28
Broadway singer
Died February 3, 2004
Jason Raize in Broadway's 'Lion King' Dies
February 10,
2004, 3:18 PM EST
NEW YORK -- Jason Raize, who played the older Simba in the original
Broadway company of "The Lion King," has died at 28. Raize died Feb. 3 in
Yass, Australia, southwest of Sydney, according to Chris Boneau, a spokesman
for the Disney musical. The cause was suicide, Boneau said. Raize was chosen
for the role of Simba, who changes from a callow young lion to the aware
adult played by Raize, after a series of grueling auditions for "Lion King"
director Julie Taymor and choreographer Garth Fagan. The musical, based on
Disney's successful animated film, opened at the New Amsterdam Theatre in
November 1997 and is still running in New York and around the world. Raize
played the part for nearly three years. The competition for the role of
Simba was fierce because the musical required "triple-threat work --
singing, dancing and acting -- that you don't get to such an extent in other
shows," Raize recalled in a 1997 interview with The Associated Press. "It
was more the sense of who can take the challenge and not be daunted by the
task." Asked to compare the stage and film versions, Raize said he took a
look at the film "to see the gaps that Julie has filled in. She has done a
terrific job of creating a richer, even more rewarding work." In 2003, Raize
was the voice of an Ice Age boy in the Disney animated movie "Brother Bear."
Raize, from Oneonta, N.Y., worked there while in high school at the Orpheus
Theater, a semiprofessional troupe. Raize performed in a variety of shows
including a "Jesus Christ Superstar" tour with Ted Neeley and later a "King
and I" tour starring Hayley Mills. Raize is survived by his father and
stepmother, Robert and Monet Rothenberg, of Oneonta, N.Y.; and his mother,
Sarah MacArthur of Wrentham, Mass. ~Copyright (c) 2004, The Associated Press
Danny
Rapp:Age 41
Danny & The Juniors
(b. 10 May 1941, d. 4 April 1983).
Formed in 1955 as the Juvenairs, their song Do The Bop came to the attention of Dick Clark
who suggested it be changed to At The Hop. In 1976 a re-issue of their classic At
The Hop returned them to the UK Top 40. After a few quiet years, leader Rapp was found
deadin Arizonain 1983—he had apparently committed suicide by gunshot.
Frank
Rosolino:Age 52
(BORN: August 20, 1926, Detroit, MI; DIED: November 26, 1978, LA,
CA)
The horrible way that Frank Rosolino's life ended (despondent
over his wife's suicide, he killed
himself after shooting his two young sons) has largely
overshadowed his earlier musical accomplishments. One of the top trombonists of the 1950s, Rosolino's fluid and often-humorous style put him near the
top of his field for awhile. He was a guitarist when he
was ten but switched to trombone as a teenager. After serving
in the military, Rosolino played with the big bands of Bob Chester, Glen Gray, Gene
Krupa (1948-49), Tony Pastor, Herbie Fields and Georgie Auld.
However all of those experiences were just preludes to his
high profile association with Stan Kenton (1952-54) which
gave him fame. Rosolino recorded frequently in Los Angeles as a member of the Lighthouse All-Stars (1954-60), a freelancer and as a studio musician. His
song "Blue Daniel" became a jazz standard and
Rosolino was a popular attraction as a brilliant trombonist and a comical singer. He was with Supersax for a period in the 1970s.
Rosolino's shocking ending was a surprise to even his closest
associates. ~ Scott Yanow,
All-Music Guide
Del
Shannon:Age 55
(born: Charles Westover, 30 Dec. 1934, Coopersville, Michigan; died: 8 Feb. 1990,
LA, CA).
From the plethora of clean, American, post doo-wop male vocalists to find enormous success
in the early '60s, only a small handful retained musical credibility. Shannon was
undoubtedly from this pedigree... Ultimately however, he was branded to rock ‘n’
roll revival tours which finally took their toll on 8 February 1990, when a severely
depressed Shannon pointed a .22 calibre rifle to his head and pulled the trigger,
ending the misery echoed in his catalogue of hits. A Fuller Up: First Hand Account:
I was working the desk at the Medical Examiner's when Deputy Roger Hom from
the Sheriff's Info Bureau called to verify that we had received a "call" on
one "Charles Weedon Westover". I immediately recognized the name and said,
"you mean Del Shannon" to which he replied "that's why we are checking, a
patrol unit is already on the scene". About the time I hung up the phone,
Investigator Gary Kellerman walked by and handed me a standard call sheet
and indicated he would call later with directions as it was in far north
L.A. County. When Gary did call, he asked me if I knew who it was (why
everyone asks me is anyone's guess). I said I did and headed out.
When I arrived at the scene some 30-45 min later and entered the house, Mr.
Shannon was found, deceased for some time, in a wooden rocking chair. He was
minus his hairpiece. Yep, that wavy hair that used to hang down in front was
a rug. Both eyes were black and blue from the trauma that close contact gun
shot wounds will cause and he was slumped slightly sideways, wearing only a
bathrobe. He had been dead for several hours. I observed several
ceremonial record awards and a lot of obviously expensive musical
instruments. Gary and I removed Shannon from the chair, laid him on a
sheet of plastic and wrapped him further for transport to the Coroners
Office. Along with him was the .22 rifle that had been used. I had
vehicle 603 0r 892 as they were the few that had AM/FM radios. After awhile
the local station played a few of his songs and the hair on my neck was
straight up and stayed there a long time. I brought Shannon in,
weighed, measured and fingerprinted him for processing subsequent to his
post mortem exam later in the morning. I looked at him the next day,
after he had be "done" and observed that the bullet had left several scars
inside the skull as it will when it bounced around the inside of his
head. His remains were claimed almost 2 weeks later; and he was cremated by
The Neptune Society on Burbank Blvd. I understand his cremains were buried
in a business partner’s back yard, location unknown. ~Bob
Kline # 233760
Los Angeles Coroner-Medical Examiners Office
Investigations/Processing/Transportation 1987-1990.
Elliott
Smith: Age 34 (Steven Paul (Elliott) Smith.
B: August 6, 1969, Omaha, Nebraska - Died: October 21, 2003)
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Elliott Smith, a
singer-songwriter whose dark, introspective songs won him critical acclaim
and an Academy Award nomination, has apparently committed suicide, his
publicist and coroner's officials said Wednesday. He was 34.
Smith's body was found by his live-in girlfriend Tuesday, Los Angeles County
Coroner Records Supervisor Marsha Grigsby told AP Radio. He
sustained a single stab wound to the chest that appeared to be
self-inflicted, she said. His New York-based publicist, who
spoke on condition of anonymity, also confirmed his death. Smith
released five solo albums that received widespread acclaim from rock critics
and garnered modest commercial success. ``Miss Misery,'' recorded for Gus
Van Sant's ``Good Will Hunting,'' was nominated for an Oscar in 1998.
Smith's songs often were compared with those of Alex Chilton, Nick Drake and
the Beatles, his favorite band. Lyrically, they addressed dark
subject matter such as drug and alcohol addiction, troubled relationships and loneliness
-- though Smith tried to distance himself from the label of confessional
songwriter. ``I don't feel like my songs are particularly
fragile or revealing,'' he said in a 1998 interview in the Los Angeles
Times. ``It's not like a diary, and they're not intended to be any sort of superintimate confessional singer-songwriterish thing.''
However, Smith had recently spoken in interviews about his struggles with alcoholism. ``When I lived in New York I was really a bad alcoholic for a
few years,'' he told Under the Radar magazine in an interview published in
June 2003. In an effort to quit drinking, Smith said he
had undergone treatment which administers an intravenous solution meant to
clear the bloodstream of toxins. Smith was born Steven Paul
Smith in Nebraska; his mother was a singer and his father was a
psychiatrist. He spent most of his childhood with his mother in the suburbs
of Dallas and then moved to Portland, Ore., while in high school to live
with his father. He studied piano and guitar as a youth
and began composing songs when he was 13. He began calling himself Elliott
in middle school, he later explained to a reporter, because Steve sounded
too ``jockish.'' A graduate of Hampshire College in Amherst,
Mass., he later joined a Portland punk band called Heatmiser. On the side,
he recorded several solo albums -- "Roman Candle'' (1994), "Elliott
Smith'' (1995) and ``Either/Or'' (1997), all on independent labels -- that
won him a devoted underground following. In 1997, he moved to
New York, where Van Sant approached him with an offer to use several of his
songs on the soundtrack to "Good Will Hunting.'' The movie was a hit,
bringing Smith's music to a mainstream audience. Smith
subsequently signed with DreamWorks Records and recorded two albums; "XO''
(1998) and "Figure 8'' (2000) continued his critical winning streak, and
took him to the middle reaches of Billboard's Top 200 albums chart.
"I don't really have any goals as a songwriter,'' he once said, "other
than to show what it's like to be a person -- just like everybody else who's
ever played music does.'' ~Associated Press writer Justin
Glanville in New York contributed to this report.
Tests on Musician Elliott Smith's Death Inconclusive
Tests on Musician's Death Inconclusive ~ By Associated Press
December 30, 2003, 11:30 PM EST
LOS ANGELES -- Tests to determine whether an Oscar-nominated
singer-songwriter was murdered or committed suicide were inconclusive, a
coroner's spokesman said Tuesday. Elliott Smith, 34, died in a hospital on
Oct. 21 after his live-in girlfriend found him in their apartment with a
stab wound to the chest. Initial reports indicated the reclusive Smith had
stabbed himself, said coroner's spokesman David Campbell. But an
investigation into his death and an examination of his body were unable to
determine if the wound was self-inflicted or if Smith was the victim of an
attack. "The coroner's examination determined either scenario was possible,"
Campbell said. The Los Angeles Police Department continues to investigate
Smith's death, said Officer Jason Lee, a police spokesman. Smith, who earned
a 1998 Academy Award nomination for his song "Miss Misery" from the film
"Good Will Hunting," performed it at that year's awards show. The song lost
to "My Heart Will Go On" from the film "Titanic." Campbell said tests showed
no illegal drugs in Smith's body at the time of his death. Friends said
Smith had become reclusive in recent years, and the singer-songwriter
himself said he never sought fame and had at one time struggled with alcoholism. Smith was a favorite of rock music critics who admired his often
dark, seemingly confessional songs, but he enjoyed only modest commercial
success.
Gary Stewart: Age 58 (Born: May 28, 1945, Letcher
County, Kentucky; Died: December 16, 2003, Fort Pierce, Florida)
One of country music's greatest honky-tonk singers was found dead Tuesday in
Florida. Gary Stewart's death was an apparent suicide, according to
authorities. He was 58 years old. Stewart was found in his home in
Fort Pierce, Florida. Police are investigating the cause of death,
although an initial police report said it appeared to be a self-inflicted
gunshot wound. Police said his wife of 43 years died last month.
Throughout the 1970s, Stewart was a country hitmaker, both as a songwriter
and as an artist with a compelling vibrato voice and a high-energy live
show. He was born May 28, 1945, in Letcher County, Kentucky. After his coal
miner father was maimed in a mining accident, the family moved to Fort
Pierce, which became Stewart's base for life. As a teenager he played both
rock and country in bars and was discovered and encouraged by Mel Tillis.
Stewart headed for Nashville, where he recorded for the Cory and Kapp labels
and wrote songs for the likes of Jim Ed Brown. After a return to Florida,
where he honed his fusion of honky-tonk and Southern rock, he went back to
Nashville and recorded a cover version of "Ramblin' Man," the song by his
idols the Allman Brothers. It charted only to #63 but his follow-up, the
rowdy "Drinkin' Thing," became a top-10 hit, and he was on his way.
Stewart's peak came with his acclaimed 1975 RCA album, Out of Hand, which
climbed to #6 on the Billboard country albums chart. That album also yielded
the #1 hit "She's Actin' Single (I'm Drinkin' Doubles)." His work
continued to be acclaimed throughout the '70s, particularly the 1976 album
Steppin' Out and 1977's Your Place or Mine. Cactus and a Rose (1980) also
featured Southern rockers Bonnie Bramlett, Gregg Allman and Dickey Betts.
But Stewart never established a firm audience — he was often labeled as too
country for rock audiences and too rock for the country listeners. He
also lived his private life on a grand honky-tonk scale, and his heavy
drugging and drinking were no secret. For a time, he and songwriter Dean
Dillon teamed up to record and perform as rowdy good old boys, but those
records did not match his earlier work, either in quality or in sales.
Stewart faded away in Florida, quit recording, went back to playing the
bars, and little more was heard from him. Then he popped up clean and sober
in late 1988 on the California label HighTone. He had a new album, Brand
New, that was released on HighTone in early 1989. Three singles from the
album charted briefly, but those were to be his last appearances on the
charts. He released two more HighTone albums, Battleground in 1990 and I'm a
Texan in 1993. Stewart had canceled his last scheduled concert date —
November 29 at Billy Bob's Texas in Fort Worth — after his wife died. ~ This
report is provided by MTV News
Mel
Street:Age 45
(b. King Malachi Street, 21 October 1933, near Grundy, West Virginia, d. 12 October 1978).
Street began performing on local radio in the '50s and then he moved to Niagara Falls and
New York, making his living on building sites. He later wrote and recorded the song, The
High Line Man, about working on radio station masts. He returned to West Virginia,
played clubs and honky tonks, and he recorded his song, Borrowed Angel, for a small label
in 1970. Two years later it was reissued and became a US country hit. Street became an alcoholic and, beset by personal problems, he shothimself on his 45th birthday
in Hendersonville, Tennessee. His US single at the time was Just Hangin' On. George Jones
sang Amazing Grace at his funeral.
Screaming Lord
Sutch: Age 58
(b. David Edward Sutch 10 Nov 1940, d. 16 June 1999, UK) Hanged himself. Born... West Hampstead, England. - Was the leader
of The Savages (They did, "Till The Following Night" and "She's Fallen In
Love With A Monster Man") - Worked with Keith Moon, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Ritchie
Blackmore, Charlie Watts & Nicky Hopkins - Holds the record for running for public
office in the UK (Lost all 40 elections) - Founder of The Monster Raving Loony Party.
Jason Thirsk:
Age 28 Pennywise
(b. Jason Matthew Thirsk, 25 Dec. 1967; died 29 July 1996)
Jason Matthew Thirsk, the former bassist and co-founder of the California punk band
Pennywise died 7/29/96 of a gunshot wound/suicide. Here's something his
brother wrote about the great bassist: Jason...was born on Christmas Day 1967. He
lived in Hermosa Beach his entire life...In his 8th grade year some of his older friends
had him listen to some punk and Oi! records including bands like BLACK FLAG, BAD BRAINS,
THE DAMNED, COCKNEY REJECTS ... He started his first band with three of his friends
a few months later. They called themselves the JUVENILE DELINQUENTS, or JD's. They were
straight ahead three-chord sloppy punk rock with such songs as "Fuck You
Teacher" and "Turtle Back Graw." After the JD's, Jason formed the SYNDICATE
and then went on to form the really popular local band P.M.A...[who] played mostly punk
covers, but Jason soon grew tired of playing other peoples songs. So he quit and in 1988
he teamed up with his friend Fletcher to start a band who was later to be named PENNYWISE.
From the start of PENNYWISE Jason wanted to make it a positive band with positive,
uplifting lyrics and more melodic music...From 1988 to 1996 Jason...used his music and
writing as a form of therapy to help him get over his own problems and
addictions...Through 1995 and 1996, his addictions were getting the best of him and
eventually they took his life... --Justin Thirsk
Nick Traina: Age 19
Link 80, Knowledge
Died 1997
He was the subject of his mother Danielle Steel's book, His Bright Light.
"When Nick Traina died, he was 19 years old, just starting up a new band, and
dealing with the ills of manic depression. Best known for his membership in
Link 80, Traina had just formed a new band called Knowledge and had recorded
a promising new demo. Signed to Asian Man Records at the time, the president
of the label was to receive the tapes after Traina's death."~
http://members.tripod.com/kmon666/index-7.html "Now, the bad news =
Nick Traina, the insane vocalist on this CD, sadly succumbed to a heroin
addiction, and died of suicide. He was manic depressive, and the lyrics show
much of it, especially on “Slap”, with 'When I was a child, my castle was my
home, now I walk down empty streets, memories and me alone, it's easier to
burn a bridge than to cross it, to slip, give in, give up, move on, and try
to forget. More has been said in silence than could ever be spoken in words,
secret's shared, and promises kept, and feelings that will never be cured.'
"~
http://www.punknews.org/reviews.php?op=albumreview&id=2966
Born:
Nov 29, 1951 in Hamilton, OH
Died: Apr 25, 1999 in Dayton, OH
Zapp's
Roger and Larry Troutman Found Dead In
Apparent Murder-Suicide
Brothers Roger and Larry Troutman, founding members of seminal '80s funk
outfit Zapp, were found dead Sunday (April 25) morning near their Dayton,
Ohio recording studio in an apparent murder-suicide.
Roger Troutman, 47, was found just outside the studio with several gunshots
to his torso, according to the Associated Press. He died while in surgery at
the Good Samaritan Hospital and Health Center.
Roger's brother Larry was found dead in a car a few blocks away with a
single gunshot wound to the head. Investigators believe the wound was
self-inflicted, but won't know for a few days whether a handgun found in the
vehicle was the same as that responsible for Roger's death.
Roger and Larry Troutman founded Zapp in 1975, along with their brothers
Lester and Terry Troutman. The group became an important part of the funk
scene in the early '80s with such hit records as "More Bounce to the Ounce,"
"Dance Floor," and "Doo Wa Ditty."
Roger, lead singer and guitarist for the group, frequently used a vocoder
voice- distortion box for his lead vocals. The group's future-funk vibe
provided the transition between the sloppy grooves of Parliament in the late
'70s and the early electro foundations of hip-hop in the early '80s. Later
in the decade, Roger went solo and earned a crossover hit with the record "I
Want To Be Your Man." He later rejoined the family group under the moniker
Zapp & Roger.
After depleting a finite reserve of James Brown and George Clinton samples,
hip-hop artists also took a liking to Zapp. Most recently, Roger Troutman
was used by 2Pac and Dr. Dre for their 1996 award-winning collaboration
"California Love." ~Jazzbo
E. William
Tucker: Age 38
Ministry, Pigface,
(Died: May 14, 1999)
Longtime Ministry sideman and prolific industrial guitarist E. William Tucker killed
himself at his apartment in Chicago this past Friday (May 14). He was 38. Initial
reports indicate that he had taken pills and afterwards slit his own throat. His
body was discovered by his roommate, along with a 10-page suicide note... ~AllStar
Carlos Vega:
Age 41 James Taylor
d. April 7, 1998
Besides his drum work with Taylor over the past decade -- which included the studio
releases "Never Die Young," "New Moon Shine," and
"Hourglass," plus Taylor's "(Live)" album -- Vega had recorded and/or
performed with Freddy Hubbard, Boz Scaggs, Lee Ritenour, Vince Gill, Reba McIntire, Olivia
Newton-John (including the "Grease" soundtrack), Larry Carlton, Linda Ronstadt,
Joni Mitchell, and Randy Newman, according to sources. Vega was also a member of
keyboardist David Garfield's fusion band Karizma...Vega, 41, died at home of an
apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound on the eve of a scheduled April 8
appearance with Taylor on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," according to a published
report.
Chuck Wagon, Age 24
The Dickies Died 1981 - He shot himself. He was a multi-instrumentalist.
The Dickies formed after the initial punk explosion of 1977. The band
comprised vocalist Leonard Graves Phillips, guitarist Stan Lee, bassist
Billy Club, keyboardist Chuck Wagon, and drummer Karlos Kaballero — all of
the names were assumed, of course. Two years later, the group released their
debut album, The Incredible Shrinking Dickies, on A&M Records. Throughout
their career, the Dickies only deviated slightly from the fast and catchy
punk of their debut; their earlier records leaned toward the Californian
hardcore punk that was popular at the time
Paul Williams: Age 34 The Temptations
(b. 1939, Birmingham, Alabama, USA, d. 17 August 1973).
Paul Williams left the group in 1971, to be replaced by another former Distant member,
Richard Street; Paul Williams shot himself in 1973, after years of depression and
drug abuse.
Rozz Williams:
34
Christian Death
Shadow Project
(b.1963, CA, d. 1 April 1998, CA)
CHRISTIAN DEATH's former singer Rozz Williams has committed suicide at the age of 34. Williams
who wasseemingly enjoying a successful solo career hanged himself in hisWest Hollywood appartment. His body was discovered by his room mate Ryan
Gaumer. Bruce Duff of Williams' label, Triple X Records, said that the singer hadn't
seemed depressed in recent days. "I saw him a week ago, I was hanging out in a
club with him and he was partying and everything was fine. Most people I know were caught
off guard: he didn't leave a note, I don't think there was any real warning, and you can
only speculate as to why."
Wendy O. Williams:
Age 48
Plasmatics
(b. 1949, d. April 7, 1998, CT, USA)
Formed in 1979 in New York City, the Plasmatics were a theatrical hardcore band which
incorporated such violent acts as blowing up Cadillacs and chain sawing guitars in half
into its performances. Assembled by and masterminded by former pornography entrepreneur
Rod Swenson, the original personnel of the group included vocalist Wendy O. Williams, a
former star of sex shows, who wore see-through lingerie, but for the most part, appeared
topless with strategically-placed masking tape. After releasing two EPs on the independent
Vice Squad label in 1979, the Plasmatics signed with Stiff Records in the USA and the UK,
releasing NEW HOPE FOR THE WRETCHED in 1980. Williams recorded solo albums
following the Plasmatics’ mid-80s break-up. Wendy shot herself in the woods by her
home.
Kevin Wilkinson: Age 41
(Died. 17 July 1999) Squeeze / Waterboys
The former Squeeze and Waterboys drummer, Kevin Wilkinson, has tragically beenfound
hanged at his home in Wiltshire. The 41 year old musician was found at his home in
Baydon, near Swindon, by his wife, Marilyn Fitzgerald, early on Sunday morning just three
weeks before he was due to fly to America to play on an eight date 'comeback' tour
with '80's pop star, Howard Jones. Wilkinson was also due to appear at London's
Embassy Rooms on the 25th August with Jones, on their return from the States. ~ www.bigmouth.co.uk
Alan Wilson: Age 27 Canned Heat
(b. 4 July 1943, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; vocals/harmonica/guitar).
Wilson was an extraordinary harmonica player, with a fat tone and great vibrato. His work
on guitar, especially in open tunings (he played on Son House's rediscovery
recordings of the mid-'60s, incidentally) gave the band a depth and texture that
most other rhythm players could only aspire to. The bandmembers were
rocked by the suicide of Wilson, whose body was foundin Hite's backyard on 3
September 1970. Hite carried on with various reconstituted versions of the
band until his death just before a show in 1981, from a heart seizure. ~AMG
Faron Young:
Age 64
(Born: Feb 25, 1932 in Shreveport, LA; Died: Dec 10, 1996)
Originally known as the "Hillbilly Heartthrob" and the "Singing Sheriff,"
Faron Young had one of the longest-running and most popular careers in
country music history. Emerging in the early '50s, Young was one of the most
popular honky tonkers to appear in the wake of Hank Williams' death,
partially because he was able to smooth out some of the grittiest elements
his music. At first, he balanced honky tonk with pop vocal phrasing and
flourishes. This combination of grit and polish resulted in a streak of Top
10 hits — including "If You Ain't Lovin'," "Live Fast, Love Hard, Die
Young," "Sweet Dreams" "Alone With You" and "Country Girl" — that ran
throughout the '50s. During the '60s, Young gave himself over to
country-pop, and while the hits weren't quite as big, they didn't stop
coming until the early '80s. Through that time, he was a staple at the Grand
Ole Opry and various television shows, including Nashville Now, and he also
founded the major country music magazine, Music City News. Most importantly,
he continued to seek out new songwriters — including Don Gibson, Willie
Nelson, and Kris Kristofferson — thereby cultivating a new generation of
talent. Faron Young was born and raised outside of Shreveport, Louisiana.
While he was growing up on his father's dairy farm, he was given a guitar,
and by the time he entered high school, he had begun singing in a country
band. Following high school, he briefly attended college, before he left
school to join the Louisiana Hayride as a regular performer. While on the
Hayride, he met Webb Pierce and in a short time, the pair were touring
throughout the south, singing as a duo in various nightclubs and honky tonks.
In 1951, he recorded "Have I Waited Too Long" "Tattle Tale Tears" for the
independent label Gotham. After hearing the singles, Capitol Records decided
to buy Young's contract away from Gotham in 1952. That same year, he was
invited to perform regularly on the Grand Ole Opry. Just as his career was
taking off, Young was drafted into the Army to serve in the Korean War.
Assigned to the Special Service division, he sang for the troops in Asia and
appeared on recruitment shows; while on leave, he recorded his debut
Capitol, "Goin' Steady." Upon its early 1953 release, it climbed to number
two on the country charts and it was followed in the summer by "I Can't Wait
(For the Sun to Go Down)," which hit number five. Young was discharged from
the Army in November of 1954, releasing "If You Ain't Lovin," his biggest
hit to date, shortly after he returned. The single was quickly followed in
the spring of 1955 by "Live Fast, Love Hard, Die Young," which became his
first number one hit, and the number two single, "All Right..."
During the '90s, Young was stricken with a debilitating emphysema. Depressed
by his poor health, he shot himself on December 9, 1996 and passed away the
next day. Though he was under-appreciated toward the end of his career,
Faron Young was a ground-breaking vocalist during the '50s, and he remains
one of the finest honky tonkers of his time. — Stephen Thomas Erlewine
