Steve's Dead Rock Stars
*** 2008 ***
Date |
Age |
Name |
Band |
Cause of Death |
Location |
| 06/27/2008 | 94 | Madam Marie | psychic | |
|
Madam Marie
"Madam" Marie Castello, the Asbury Park, New Jersey, boardwalk fortune teller made famous in the Bruce Springsteen song "Fouth of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)" has died.
| 06/22/2008 | 71 | George Carlin | comedian | Heart Failure | Santa Monica, California
|
| 06/13/2008 | 34 | Traci Michaelz | Peppermint Creeps, drummer | ? | Fort Worth, Texas
|
| 06/02/2008 | 79 | Bo Diddley | rock pioneer | Heart Failure | Archer, Florida
|
| 05/23/2008 | 73 | U Utah Phillips | folksinger | Heart Failure | Nevada City, California
|
Utah Phillips
Utah Phillips, a folksinger, storyteller, railfan and labor organizner considered to be an elder statesman of the folk music community, has died at age 73.
His best known song, "Moose Turd Pie," is a rollicking story about working on a railroad track gang.
John Rutsey
John Rutsey, the original drummer for the Canadian rock band Rush,
has died at age 55 due to complications from diabetes.
Rutsey played drums with Rush from 1968 to 1974.
| 05/08/2008 | 89 | Eddy Arnold | country music legend | | Franklin, Tennessee
|
Eddy Arnold
May 15, 1918 - May 8, 2008
Country music superstar Eddy Arnold has died at age 89, just days short of his 90th birthday. Eddy pioneered country's crossover into pop music, originating the "Nashville Sound", also known as "countrypolitan",
a mixture of county and pop musical styles. He also distinguished himself by working with excellent musicians such
as guitarist Chet Atkins, who appeared on many of Arnold's recordings.
Arnold was first heard on radio in 1936. By 1943 the "Tennessee Plowboy" was appearing at Nashville's Grand Olde Opry and the next year he released his first album on RCA Victor.
Early in his career, he was managed by Col. Tom Parker, who later managed Elvis Presley.
Eddy Arnold sang with his appealing barrione on the 1965 chart-topping hit "Make the World Go Away".
Arnold was inducted into the county music hall of fame in 1966.
Eddy performed his final concert on May 16, 1999 at the Hotel Orleans in Las Vegas. He released a final album,
After All These Years in 2005 at the age of 87.
His wife of 66 years, Sally, died in March 2008 following her hip replacement surgery. That same month, Arnold fell and also injured his hip.
| 04/22/2008 | 60 | Paul Davis | "I Go Crazy", singer/songwriter | Heart Failure | Meridian, Mississippi
|
| 04/21/2008 | 68 | Al Wilson | Soul singer | Kidney Failure | Fontana, California
|
Al Wilson
June 19, 1939 - April 21, 2008
Al Wilson was a soul singer best remembered for his 1973 song "Show and Tell".
Danny Federici
January 23, 1950 - April 17, 2008
Danny Federici, keyboardist and accordion player for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, has died after battling melanoma for 3 years. His signature sound appeared on Springsteen songs such as "Hungry Heart" and "Your Missing."
He toured with the E street band for many years, but left the Springsteen tour in November 2007. He rejoined the tour for one last show, performing on stage March 20, 2008 at the Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Federici, sometimes referred to as "Phantom" Dan,
also played on albums by a number of other artists including Gary "US" Bonds, Graham Parker, and John Armatrading.
Brian Davison
May 25, 1945 - April 15, 2008
Brian "Blinky" Davison was British drummer, best known for his work with Keith Emerson and The Nice.
Clifford Davies
Clifford Davies was a drummer and producer for Ted Nugent from 1975 to 1982 and played on Nugent's trademark recording "Cat Scratch Fever." In the 1980's, he recorded with Grand Funk Railroad.
Davies was chief engineer at Equametric Studio in Marietta, Georgia.
Apparently extremely distraught over medical bills, Cliff died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at his suburban Atlanta home.
Sean Levert
Sean Levert, R&B singer with the band LeVert and younger brother of the late Gerald Levert, and son of O'Jay's singer Eddie Levert, died at a Cleveland hospital after falling ill in the
Cuyahoga County Jail.
Levert was jailed after being found guilty of not paying over $85,000 in past due child support for his three children.
Mike Conley
1959 - February 28, 2008
Mike Conley was the leader singer and charismatic frontman of the 1980's punk band M.I.A.
The band's songs raged against war, racism and isolation. Songs with buzz-saw guitars and titles like "I Hate Hippies" placed the band in the center of the hardcore punk scene.
More recently, Conley was known as the owner of The Avalon Bar, 820 19th Street, Costa Mesa, California.
Mike suffered a major head wound after a slip-and-fall in an icy parking lot outside a suburban motel located near Chicago's O'Hare International Airport.
He was in Chicago for several days to work on a building construction project. Conley was taken to Gottlieb Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
A memorial fund has been set up to assist his family. Please visit
Mike Conley Family Fund for more information.
A tribute concert is planned for April 28th 2008 at the
House of Blues in Anaheim, California. The concert will feature, among other acts, Jello Biafra and an acoustic performance by Social Distortion.
| 02/26/2008 | 60 | Buddy Miles
| Hendrix, drummer | Heart Failure | Austin, Texas
|
Buddy Miles
September 5, 1947 - February 26, 2008
Buddy Miles was born George Allen Miles, Jr in Omaha, Nebraska. He was a child musical prodigy, playing drums in his father's jazz band, the Behops.
He was nicknamed "Buddy" by his aunt after his idol, jazz drummer Buddy Rich.
Buddy found fame as a member of the 60's blues-soul outfit, the Electric Flag, which he formed in Chicago with the late guitarist Mike Bloomfield.
Buddy Miles met Jimi Hendrix in 1964 when both were sidemen for other acts. Their friendship grew and Miles and Hendrix jammed together at various events in 1967 and 1968.
Hendrix produced the first two albums by the Buddy Miles express, "Expressway to your Soul" and "Electric Church". Buddy Miles, in turn, played drums on the songs "Rainy Day, Dream Away" and "Still Raining, Still Dreaming"
on Hendrix's "Electric Ladyland" album. Later, Billy Cox joined Miles and Hendrix to form the short-lived Band of Gypsys. The group performed notable shows at the Fillmore East on New Year's eve 1969/1970 and a month later at Madison Square Garden.
After Hendrix died in 1970, Miles pursued a solo career. He had success with "Them Changes", a song he had written and performed with the Band of Gypsys.
He also recorded with Carlos Santana.
In 1986, after spending several years in prison for auto theft, Miles' voice was used for the California Raisins claymation ad campaign, singing "I Heard it Through the Grapevine."
Buddy continued to be active musically until heart problems sidelined him in 2007. He died of congestive heart failure on February 26, 2008 at this home in Austin, Texas.
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
January 12, 1917 (uncertain) - February 5, 2008
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, a guru to the Beatles who helped introduce the West to transcendental meditation, has died at his Dutch home. He was believed to be 91 years old.
He began teaching transcendental meditation in 1955, and the movement, once dismissed as hippie mysticism, took off after the Beatles attended one of his lectures in August 1967
and agreed to stay at the Maharisi's compound in India. The Beatles left the guru after rumors that he made inappropriate advances to
Mia Farrow, one of the guests. John Lennon was so angry that he wrote a song "Sexy Sadie" in which he said "what have you done? You made a fool of everyone."
The allegations could not be confirmed. Maharishi insisted he had done nothing wrong and years later Paul McCartney agreed with him.
| 01/19/2008 | 68 | John Stewart
| Kingston Trio | Stroke | San Diego, California
|
John Stewart
September 5, 1939 - January 19, 2008
John Stewart joined folk revival group The Kingston Trio in 1961, replacing founding member Dave Guard.
He recorded a dozen albums with the group before they disbanded in 1967.
After the Kingston Trio, John went on to a very successful solo career, recording more than 40 albums of material. Without a doubt, his best known composition was the song "Daydream Believer", a huge #1 hit for the Monkees in 1967.
He tasted commercial success again in 1979 when he teamed up with Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham (of Fleetwood Mac) on the hit single "Gold" found on his remarkable LP
"Bombs Away Dream Babies".
His other work, largely sensitive singer-songwriter compositions, was covered by Joan Baez, Nanci Griffith, Rosanne Cash, and Mary Chapin Carpenter, among others.
His last album was
"The Day the River Sang", released in 2006. He had just completed work on another new album which includes the song
"I Will Never Drive Again", a reference to his recent diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.
He collapsed in his room at the Hotel del Coronado, apparently suffering a massive stroke or brain aneurysm, and died the next morning at San Diego's Scripps Mercy hospital -- the same hospital in which he was born.
Stewart's wife (folksinger Buffy Ford) and children were at his bedside when he died.
| 01/09/2008 | 84 | Johnny Grant
| honorary mayor of Hollywood | ? | Hollywood, California
|
Johnny Grant
Born: May 9, 1923, Goldsboro, North Carolina
Died: January 9, 2008, Hollywood, California
Johnny Grant was a radio broadcast personality and television producer best known for his role as the honorary mayor of Hollywood.
As mayor since 1980, Johnny proceeded over Hollywood Walk-of-Fame induction ceremonies for over 500 stars, including some of music's greatest talents.
He also served as the Grand Marshall of Hollywood's annual Christmas parade. Grant was the only person to ever receive an Order of California, the state's highest honor.
He was found dead in his apartment at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, where he occupied a 14th floor suite.
The official website for Johnny, JohnnyGrant.com, contains an extensive biography and many photos.
© Steve Covault, all rights reserved.
2007