On May 19, 2018, Reginald Grant Lucas aka Reggie Lucas died aged 65. He was songwriter, musician (guitar) and record producer. As musician he has recorded and performed with Miles Davis, Carlos Garnett, Babatunde Olatunji, Norman Connors, Flora Purim, Lonnie Liston Smith, Hubert Eaves, Roberta Flack, Urszula Dudziak, James Mtume, Gary Bartz, Zbigniew Seifert, John Lee, Gerry Brown and Masabumi Kikuchi. As producer Lucas worked with Madonna, Mtume, Models, Randy Crawford, Rebbie Jackson, Bunny DeBarge, The Four Tops, John Adams, The Weather Girls, Elisa Fiorillo and Nick Scotti. In 1981, Lucas and James Mtume won a “Grammy Award” for “Best R&B Song” for their composition “Never Knew Love Like This Before”, which was performed by Stephanie Mills. As leader, Lucas has recorded two albums.
Tag Archives: musician
Little Richard
On May 9, 2020, Richard Wayne Penniman aka Little Richard died aged 87. He was singer, songwriter and musician (piano), one of the most important and influential persons in the popular music. His charismatic showmanship and dynamic music, characterized by frenetic piano playing, pounding back beat and raspy shouted vocals, laid the foundation for rock and roll, but also had important role in formation of other music genres such as soul and funk. For his work Little Richard received numerous awards and was honored by many institutions. In 1986, he was inducted into the “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame”; in 1993 he received “Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award”, he was inducted into the “Songwriters Hall of Fame”, received “Lifetime Achievement Award” from the “Recording Academy”; “Lifetime Achievement Award” from the “Rhythm and Blues Foundation”, and received a “Rhapsody & Rhythm Award” from the “National Museum of African American Music”. In 2012, his song “Tutti Frutti” was included in the “National Recording Registry” of the “Library of Congress”, stated that his “unique vocalizing over the irresistible beat announced a new era in music”. Three of his songs “Tutti Frutti,” “Lucille” and “Long Tall Sally” are inducted into the “Grammy Hall of Fame”.
Richie Cole
On May 2, 2020, Richie Cole died aged 72. He was composer, arranger and musician (saxophone), began to play alto saxophone when he was ten years old, encouraged by his father, who owned a jazz club in New Jersey. In the 70’ he created his own “alto madness” bebop style. In the 90’s he formed The Alto Madness Orchestra. Cole recorded and performed with many musicians such as Buddy Rich, Lionel Hampton, Doc Severinsen, Eddie Jefferson, Nancy Wilson, Tom Waits, The Manhattan Transfer, Hank Crawford, Freddie Hubbard, Eric Kloss, Bobby Enriquez, Phil Woods, Sonny Stitt, Art Pepper, Greg Abate, Les DeMerle, Allan Harris, Jim Holman, Vic Juris, Peter Lauffer, Oliver Nelson, Anita O’Day, Red Rodney, Janine Santana, Mark Murphy, Sonny Stitt and Boots Randolph. In 2005, Cole was awarded the “State of California Congressional Certificate of Lifetime Achievement in Jazz” on behalf of the “Temecula Jazz Society”.
David Greenfield
On May 3, 2020, David Paul Greenfield died aged 71. He was singer – songwriter and musician (keyboards), member of the band Rusty Butler, best known as member of The Stranglers.
Bobby Gregg
On May 3, 2014, Robert Grego aka Bobby Gregg, died aged 78. He was musician (drums) and record producer, he was member of the band The Hawks, which later become known as The Band. Gregg was best known for his work with Bob Dylan (Like a Rolling Stone), Simon & Garfunkel (The Sound of Silence), Peter, Paul & Mary and John Cale.
Leslie Harvey
On May 3, 1972, Leslie Cameron Harvey died aged 27. He was musician (guitar) member of the bands Alex Harvey Soul Band, The Blues Council and Cartoone, but he was best known as the guitarist of the band Stone the Crows. He was the brother of Alex Harvey.
Hideto Matsumoto
On May 2, 1998, Hideto Matsumoto, died aged 33. He was singer-songwriter, musician (guitar) and record producer. He was the lead guitarist of the rock band X Japan, founding member of the band Zilch, and had a successful solo career. X Japan rose to prominence in the late 80s and early 90s, credited as founders of the Japanese visual kei movement. Hide was seen as an icon of the Japanese youth rebelling against the country’s conformist society, and his death was labeled “the end of an era”. More than 70,000 people attended his funeral on May 7th, with security of 100 police officers, 170 security guards, police boats and helicopters. 21 people were hospitalized for injuries caused by the massive crowd at the funeral.
Tony Allen
On April 30, 2020, Tony Oladipo Allen died aged 80. He was composer, songwriter and musician (drums), regarded as one of the primary co-founders of the genre of Afrobeat music. He has recorded and performed with Fela Kuti, Roy Ayers, Ernest Raanglin, Zap Mama, Sébastien Tellier, Chicago Afrobeat Project, Moritz Von Oswald Trio, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Jimi Tenor, Rocket Juice & The Moon, Gonjasufi and Hugh Masekela. Brian Eno described Allen as “perhaps the greatest drummer who has ever lived”.
Chis Ethridge
On April 23, 2012, John Christopher “Chris” Ethridge died aged 65. He was musician (bass, piano), member of International Submarine Band and The Flying Burrito Brothers. He has worked with Gram Parsons, Nancy Sinatra, Judy Collins, Leon Russell, Delaney Bramlett, Bill Withers, Johnny Winter, Randy Newman, Ry Cooder, Linda Ronstadt, Gene Clark, The Byrds, John Prine, Johnny Rivers, Jackson Browne, Arlo Guthrie, The Doors, Graham Nash and Willie Nelson.
Douglass Rauch
On April 23, 1979, Douglass Haywood Rauch died aged 28. He was musician (bass), known for his unique and pioneering use of thumb in a downward and upward motion, technique now commonly referred to as “double thumbing”. Rauch performed and recorded with Buzzy Linhart, Voices of East Harlem, Bunky and Jake, Carly Simon, Loading Zone, Gábor Szabó, Tony Williams, David Bowie, Lenny White, Billy Cobham, Papa John Creach, Betty Davis, John McLaughlin, the George Duke Band and Jan Hammer, but was best known as member of Santana.
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