Tag Archives: influence

Frederick Nathaniel “Toots” Hibbert

On September 11, 2020, Frederick Nathaniel “Toots” Hibbert, died aged 77. He was musician (guitar, Hammond organ), singer and songwriter, regarded as reggae pioneer, with six decades long career. He had major influence on popularizing reggae music with songs like “Monkey Man”, “Funky Kingston” and “Pressure Drop”. Even the genre’s name is credited as genesis from his 1968’s song “Do the Reggay”. With his band Toots and the Maytals, he won “Grammy Award” in 2006, for his album “True Love”.

George Harrison

On November 29, 2001, George Harrison died aged 58. He was musician (guitar), singer, songwriter, and music and movie producer, lead guitarist and occasional lead vocalist of The Beatles. His interest in folk music and especially in Indian music had serious influence on the band’s Hindu-aligned spirituality in the later years. Some of his songs composed for the band include “Here Comes the Sun”, “Something”, “Taxman”, “Within You Without You”, and “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”. After The Beatles broke-up in 1970, Harrison released the album “All Things Must Pass” which included the track “My Sweet Lord”, his most successful single, and the first solo single by any member of The Beatles that sold over million copies. In 1971, together with Ravi Shankar he organized “Concert for Bangladesh”, the first big benefit concert in the music history. In 1974, Harrison founded the music label “Dark Horse Records”, and co-founded movie label “Hand Made Films” in 1978. In 1988, with Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty, and Roy Orbison, he co-founded the supergroup The Travelling Wilburys. As a guitarist he recorded for Badfinger, Billy Preston, Bob Dylan, Duane Eddy, Randy Newman, Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, Ronnie Wood, and Tom Petty. “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked Harrison at number 11 in their list of the “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time”. In 1988, as a member of The Beatles he was inducted in the “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame”, and in 2004, posthumously for his solo career. As leader, Harrison released twelve studio and two live 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”.

Paul Bley

On January 3, 2016, Hyman Paul Bley died aged 83. He was musician   (piano) and composer, one of the most important figures of the free jazz movement of the 60s and for his innovations and influence on trio playing. He has recorded and performed with many famous musicians, including: Charles Mingus, Art Blakey, Percy Heath, Al Levitt, Dave Pike, Charlie Haden, Lennie McBrowne, Ornette Coleman, Don Cherry, Charlie Haden, Billy Higgins, Steve Swallow, Pete LaRoca, Dewey Johnson,  Marshall Allen, Eddie Gómez, Milford Graves, Kent Carter, Barry Altschul, Mark Levinson, Paul Motian, Billy Elgart, John Gilmore, Annette Peacock, Dick Youngstein, Glen Moore, Frank Tusa, Steve Hass, Bobby Moses, Han Bennink, Dave Holland, Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Pat Metheny, Jaco Pastorius, Bruce Ditmas, Jimmy Giuffre, Bill Connors, Lee Konitz, George Cross McDonald, Chet Baker, John Scofield, Jesper Lundgaard, Aage Tanggaard, John Surman, Bill Frisell, Ron McClure, John Abercrombie, Red Mitchell, Michal Urbaniak, Bob Cranshaw,  Keith Copeland, Hans Koch, Franz Koglmann, Tiziana Ghiglioni, Tony Oxley, Jane Bunnett, Herbie Spanier, Geordie McDonald, Evan Parker, Barre Phillips, Furio Di Castri, David Eyges, Bruce Ditmas, Sonny Greenwich, Rich Perry, Jay Anderson, Victor Lewis, Masahiko Togashi, Jakob Bro, Don Ellis, Sonny Rollins and Andreas Willers.

Woody Guthrie

On October 3, 1967, Woodrow Wilson “Woody” Guthrie died aged 55. He was musician (guitar), singer-songwriter, whose musical legacy includes hundreds of political, traditional, children’s songs, along with ballads and improvised works. He performed with the slogan “This machine kills fascists” displayed on his guitar. His song “This Land Is Your Land” has become one of the most popular music pieces in the history of the American popular music, and is regularly sung in American schools Big number of famous musicians and authors have acknowledged Guthrie as their major influence, including:Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Bruce Springsteen, Harry Chapin, John Mellencamp, Pete Seeger,  Joe Strummer, Billy Bragg, Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, Jeff Tweedy, and Tom Paxton.