On September 3, 2017, Walter Carl Becker died aged 67. He was musician (guitar, bass), songwriter, and record producer, member of the band China Crisis, but best known as the co-founder, guitarist, bassist and co-songwriter of Steely Dan. As leader he released two albums.
Tag Archives: 2017
Glen Campbell
On August 8, 2017, Glen Travis Campbell died aged 81. He was country and rock singer, musician, songwriter, television host, and actor. Campbell released more than 70 albums; sold 45 million records and won 12 “RIAA” Gold albums, four Platinum and one double-Platinum album. In 1967 Campbell won four “Grammy Awards” in the country and pop categories. In 2000, 2004 and 2009, Campbell won “Grammy Hall of Fame Awards and in 2012, he won the “Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award”. He also won awards for “Male Vocalist of the Year” the “Country Music Association (CMA)” and the “Academy of Country Music (ACM)”, and took the “CMA’s” top award as 1968 Entertainer of the Year. In his 50 years long career, Campbell has recorded and performed with many famous musicians including Bobby Darin, Ricky Nelson, Dean Martin, Nat King Cole, The Monkees, Nancy Sinatra, Merle Haggard, Jan and Dean, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Phil Spector, Ricky Nelson and The Beach Boys.
Chuck Loeb
On July 31, 2017, Chuck Loeb died aged 61. He was musician (guitar), has performed with many famous musicians including Stan Getz, Chico Hamilton, Ray Barreto, Hubert Laws, but was best known as member of the bands Metro, Steps Ahead and Fourplay.
Chester Bennington
On July 20, 2017, Chester Charles Bennington died aged 41. He was songwriter and singer, member of Sean Dowdell and His Friends, Grey Daze, Dead by Sunrise and Stone Temple Pilots, best known as front man of Linkin Park.
Joe Felds
On July 12, 2017, Joe Fields died aged 88. He has worked for “London Records”, “MGM”, “Verve”, “Prestige”, “Sue Records”, and “Buddha Records” (started their jazz division, “Cobblestone Records”), before he started his own label “Muse Records” in 1973. The label featured artists such as Pat Martino, Houston Person, Cedar Walton, Charlie Earland, Larry Coryell and Woody Shaw. In the 80’s Fields acquired “Savoy” and “Landmark Records” labels. “Savoy” owned recordings by Charlie Parker, Miles Davis and Dexter Gordon, among others. In 1997, Joe, and his son Barney, launched “HighNote” and “Savant Records”, labels that features artists such as Kenny Burrell, Houston Person, Wallace Roney, Eric Alexander, Freddy Cole, Tom Harrell and Russell Malone.
Gregg Allman
On May 27, 2017, Gregory LeNoir “Gregg” Allman died aged 69. He was musician (guitar, keyboards), singer and songwriter, best known as member of The Allman Brothers Band. He released seven studio and two live albums, and was inducted into the “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame” and “Georgia Music Hall of Fame”. “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked him at number 70 on its list of the “100 Greatest Singers of All Time”.
Chris Cornell
On May 17, 2017, Christopher John Boyle aka Chris Cornell died aged 52. He was musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist, songwriter and rhythm guitarist of Soundgarden, lead vocalist and songwriter of Audioslave, and as founder and frontman of Temple of the Dog. Cornell is widely regarded as one of the crucial artists of the grunge movement. Readers of the “Guitar World” magazine voted him “Rock’s Greatest Singer”; “Hit Parader” ranked him at number 4 in the list of “Heavy Metal’s All-Time Top 100 Vocalists”; “MTV” ranked Cornell at number 12 in the choice of the “22 Greatest Voices in Music”; magazine “Rolling Stone” ranked him at number 9 in the list of the “Best Lead Singers of All Time”. Cornell released fie solo albums.
Allan Holdsworth
On April 16, 2017, Allan Holdsworth died aged 70. He was guitarist and composer, known as big innovator in development of the guitar playing. He was one of the most influential guitarists of the 20th Century, cited as influence by many famous guitarists such as Tom Morello, Yngwie Malmsteen, Eddie Van Halen, Joe Satriani, Greg Howe, Shawn Lane, Richie Kotzen, John Petrucci, Alex Lifeson and Kurt Rosenwinkel. In his four decades long career he released twelve albums as solo artists, and has recorded and performed with many famous musicians and bands including Igginbottom, Nucleus, Tempest, Soft Machine, The New Tony Williams Lifetime, Pierre Moerlen’s Gong, Jean-Luc Ponty, Bruford, U.K., Stanley Clarke, Chad Wackerman, Level 42 and K². According to “Guitar World” magazine he is “as influential as Chuck Berry, Jimi Hendrix and Eddie Van Halen”.
Don Hunstein
On March 18, 2017, Don Hunstein died aged 88. He was photographer, best known for his work at “Columbia Records” and for his photographs that were featured on covers of some famous albums including Thelonious Monk’s Monk’s Dream; Blood, Sweat & Tears’s Mirror Image; Miles Davis’s Nefertiti, and the famous photograph of Bob Dylan walking with Suze Rotolo, used for the cover of “Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan” album.
Chuck Berry
On March 18, 2017, Charles Edward Anderson “Chuck” Berry died aged 90. He was musician (guitar), singer and songwriter, one of the pioneers and most important figures of rock and roll music. His songs “Maybellene” (1955), “Roll Over Beethoven” (1956), “Rock and Roll Music” (1957) and “Johnny B. Goode” (1958), defined the contours of rock and roll music, and changed the face of popular music. His unique guitar solos and stage appearance made lasting influence on subsequent rock artists, including names like The Beatles or The Rolling Stones. In 1984, Berry was awarded “Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award”. He was among the first musicians to be inducted into the “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame” on its opening in 1986. In 2004, “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked him at number 5 on its list of the “100 Greatest Artists of All Time”. The same magazine ranked his compilation album “The Great Twenty-Eight” at number 21 on its list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”. His songs “Johnny B. Goode,” “Maybellene,” and “Rock and Roll Music”, are included in the “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll”. “Johnny B. Goode” is the only rock-and-roll song included on the “Voyager Golden Record”. In 2014, Berry was made a laureate of the “Polar Music Prize”.
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