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.
Tag Archives: 2017
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”.
James Cotton
On March 16, 2017, James Henry Cotton died aged 81. He was musician (harmonica), singer and songwriter, had a successful solo career, recording albums under his own name, and recording and performing with number of great blues and rock musicians including Gregg Allman, William “Billy Boy” Arnold, Elvin Bishop, Mike Bloomfield, Joe Bonamassa, Paul Butterfield, Grateful Dead, Pat Hare, Howlin’ Wolf, Janis Joplin, B.B. King, Freddie King, Alexis Korner, Steve Miller, Charlie Musselwhite, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Keith Richards, Todd Rundgren, Santana, Willie “Big Eyes” Smith, Otis Spann, Taj Mahal, Big Mama Thornton, Jimmie Vaughan, Joe Louis Walker, Muddy Waters, Sonny Boy Williamson and Johnny Winter.
Leon Ware
On February 23, 2017, Leon Ware died aged 77. He was composer, released eleven albums as a performer, but he was best known for producing and writing music for other musicians and bands including: The Isley Brothers, Donny Hathaway, The Miracles, Teena Marie, Jeffrey Osborne, Loose Ends, James Ingram, Melissa Manchester, Krystol, Bobby Womack, Lulu, Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, Maxwell, Minnie Riperton and Marvin Gaye.
Larry Coryell
On February 19, 2017, Larry Coryell died aged 73. He was musician (guitar) and composer, known as the “Godfather of Fusion”. As a leader he has recorded 65 albums, and has performed and recorded with many world known music acts including: John McLaughlin, Miroslav Vitouš, Chick Corea, Paul Santa Maria, Lenny White, Victor Bailey, Badi Assad, John Abercrombie, John Hicks, Willie Williams, Santi Debriano, Yoron Israel, Billy Cobham, Alphonse Mouzon, The Eleventh House, The Appletree Theatre, Jim Pepper, Gary Burton, Randy Brecker, Jazz Composer’s Orchestra, Wolfgang Dauner, The 5th Dimension, The Free Spirits, Chico Hamilton, Arnie Lawrence, Herbie Mann, Michael Mantler, Steve Marcus, Charles Mingus, Bob Moses, Chico O’Farrill, The Arista All Stars, Simon & Bard Group, Dennis Haklar, Joey DeFrancesco, The Fusion Syndicate, The Wide Hive Player, Kenny Drew Jr., Michael Urbaniak and Dylan Taylor.
Clyde Stubblefield
On February 18, 2017, Clyde Stubblefield died aged 73. He was musician (drums, percussion), best known for his work with James Brown. His recordings including “Cold Sweat”, “I Got The Feelin’, “Say It Loud – I’m Black and I’m Proud”, “Ain’t It Funky Now”, “Mother Popcorn”, “Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved” and “Sex Machine”, are considered to be the standards for funk drumming. Stubblefield became one of the most sampled drummers in the modern music, and the 20-second drum break, a snippet of a Stubblefield solo on James Brown’s 1970 single “Funky Drummer,” marked his biggest impact on music.
Al Jarreau
On February 12, 2017, Alwin Lopez “Al” Jarreau died aged 76. He was musician (percussion) and singer, with successful solo career, has recorded and performed with many famous musicians and bands including: Joe Sample, Chick Corea, Kathleen Battle, Miles Davis, David Sanborn Rick Braun, George Benson, Freddie Hubbard, Sister Sledge, Bob James, Shakatak, Lee Ritenour, Benny Golson and Quincy Jones. In 1991 Jarreau was awarded the “Honorary Doctorate of Music” by “Berklee College of Music”; in 2001 he was inducted in the “Hollywood Walk of Fame”; in 2004 he was awarded “Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts” by “University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee”, and in 2012 he was inducted in the “SoulMusic Hall of Fame at SoulMusic.com”. Jarreau won seven “Grammy Awards”.
John Wetton
On January 31, 2017, John Kenneth Wetton died aged 67. He was singer, musician (bass) and songwriter, best known as founding member and bass player of King Crimson and Asia. He has recorded and performed with Mogul Thrash, Family, Roxy Music, Uriah Heep, U.K., Jack-Knife, Wishbone Ash, Phenomena, Gordon Haskell, Renaissance, Qango, Brian Eno, Ayreon,Steve Howe, Bill Bruford, Geoff Downes, Larry Norman, Alan White, Billy Sherwood, Peter Banks, Bryan Ferry, Pete Sinfield, Roger Chapman, Duncan Mackay, Atoll, District 97, Ayreon, Eddie Jobson, David Cross and Steve Hackett. As leader, Wetton released six albums.
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