On January 20, 2026, Robert George Hirst died aged 70. He was musician (drums, percussion, guitar, keyboards), singer, song-writer and producer. Hirst was member of the bands Farm, Ghostwriters, Backsliders, the Angry Tradesmen, and the Break, but was best known as founding member and drummer of Midnight Oil.
Tag Archives: musician
Ralph Towner
On January 18, 2026, Ralph Towner died aged 85. He was musician (guitar, piano, synthesizer, percussion, trumpet, and French horn), composer, arranger and bandleader. He was member of the bands Paul Winter Consort, Atmosphere, but was best known as founding member of Oregon. Towner has performed and recorded with Azimuth, Bill Bruford, Salvatore Bonafede, Horace Arnold, Jerry Granelli, Vince Mendoza, Maria Pia De Vito, Gary Burton, Larry Coryell, Pino Daniele, Cyrus Faryar, Robben Ford, David Friesen, Jan Garbarek, Charlie Haden, Egberto Gismonti, Gerri Granger, Trilok Gurtu, Tim Hardin, Keith Jarrett, Maria Joao, Joseph LoDuca, Andy Middleton, Duke Pearson, Terry Plumeri, Michael Portal, Kenny Wheeler and Weather Report. As leader he released 27 albums.
Terry Sullivan
On January 9, 2026, Terry Sullivan died aged 87. He was musician (drums, percussion) and singer, member of the bands Dry Ice, Good ‘ol Boys, but was best known as drummer of Renaissance.
Bob Weir
On January 10, 2026, Robert Hall Weir died aged 78. He was musician (guitar), singer and songwriter, member of the bands The Other Ones, Kingfish, The Bob Weir Band, Bobby and the Midnites, Scaring the Children, RatDog, Furthur, Dead & Company, but was best known as founding member and guitarist of Grateful Dead. As leader he released four albums.
Perry Bamonte
On December 24, 2025, Perry Archangelo Bamonte died aged 65. He was musician (guitar, bass, keyboards, percussion), member of the band Love Amongst Ruin, but was best known as guitarist and keyboardist of The Cure.
Chris Rea
On December 22, 2025, Christopher Anton Rea died aged 74. He was musician (guitar, keyboards), singer-songwriter, known for his distinctive voice and his slide guitar playing. As leader Rea released 25 studio albums, and sold more than 40 million records worldwide.
Mick Abrahams
On December 19, 2025, Michael Timothy Abrahams died aged 82. He was musician (guitar), singer and song-writer, member of the band Wommett, founding member of Blodwyn Pig and Mick Abrahams Band, but was best known as the original guitarist for Jethro Tull 1967 – 1968). As leader he released 17 albums.
Joe Ely
On December 15, 2025, Joe Ely died aged 78. He was musician (guitar), singer and songwriter, considered as one of the main creators of the progressive country scene in the 1970s and 1980s. He was founding member of the band The Flatlanders, performed and recorded with Bruce Springsteen, Uncle Tupelo, Los Super Seven, The Chieftains, James McMurtry, The Clash, Lyle Lovett, John Hiatt and Guy Clark. As leader, Ely released 22 albums.
Tetsu Yamauchi
In December 2025, Tetsu Yamauchi died aged 79. He was musician (bass), member of the bands Samurai; Kossof, Kirke, Tetsu and Rabbit; Free; Faces and Creation. As leader he released five albums
Steve Cropper
On December 3, 2025, Steven Lee Cropper died aged 84. He was musician, songwriter, record producer and actor, known as “The Colonel”. He was the guitarist of the “Stax Records” house band, Booker T. & the M.G.’s, which backed artists such as Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, Sam & Dave, Carla Thomas, Rufus Thomas, and Johnnie Taylor. He was also member of the Blues Brothers Band, and recorded and performed with many other artists including Alabama, Jimmy Barnes, William Bell, Barbi Benton, Big Star, Stephen Bishop, Frank Black, Bobby and the Midnites, Booker T. & MG.’s, Ronnie Baker Brooks, Jimmy Buffett, Billy Burnette, Brian Cadd, Cate Brothers, Chicago, David Clayton Thomas, A. J. Croce, Patti Dahlstrom, Delaney & Bonnie, Ned Doheny, Yvonne Elliman, Jose Feliziano, Eddie Floyd, Peter Frampton, Richie Furay, Art Garfunkel, Cyndi Grecco, Levon Helm, Chris Hillman, Rebecca Lynn Howard, Etta James, Wynonna Judd, Albert King, B.B. King, Al Kooper, John Lennon, Ann Margret, Marilyn McCoo, Billy Davis Jr., Craig Morgan, Aaron Neville, Wayne Newton, Harry Nilsson, John Oates, Nigel Olsson, Roy Orbison, Dolly Parton, Wilson Pickett, Michel Polnareff, John Prine, Otis Redding, Bruce Roberts, Leon Russell, Sanford & Townsend, Leo Sayer, Poncho Sanchez, Guy Sebastian, Neil Sedaka, Paul Shaffer, Paul Simon, Percy Sledge, Broderick Smith, The Soul Children, The Staple Singers, Mavis Staple, Ringo Starr, Rod Stewart, Livingston Taylor, Carla Thomas, Mickey Thomas, Wendy Waldman, Tower of Power, The Manhattan Transfer, Dale Watson and Jerry Lynn Williams. Magazine “Rolling Stone” ranked him 36th on its list of the “100 Greatest Guitarists”. Cropper won two “Grammy Awards”, and as leader or co-leader Cropper released 13 albums.
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