Ricky Lawson, a world-class session drummer who worked with Michael Jackson, died at a California hospital after being on life support for several days.During his 1980's heyday, Lawson worked with artists such as Whitney Houston, Phil Collins and Steely Dan.He co-founded the jazz-fusion band the Yellowjackets and won the 1987 Grammy Award for Best R&B Instrumental Performance for "And You Know That" from their albumShades.Lawson appeared on Steely Dan's Two Against Nature tour DVD, Two Against Nature: Steely Dan's Plush TV Jazz-Rock Party.12/20/201357David Richardsrecord producer David Richards1956 - December 20, 2013David Richards was an English record producer who lived and worked in Switzerland. He was chief engineer atMountain Studios, and later bought the studio. He was the engineer on many noteworthy "Live at Montreux" recordings.Richards produced Queen's final four albums with Freddie Mercury, as well as Iggy Pop's 1986 album 'Blah Blah Blah' and David Bowie's 'Never Let Me Down' and 'Outside' albums.He also played keyboards on a number of recordings.12/16/201387Ray Pricecountry singerCancerMount Pleasant, TexasRay Price"The Cherokee Cowboy"January 12, 1926 - December 16, 2013 Ray Price was best known for his 1970 hit "For the Good Times," a song written by Kris Kristofferson. Otherwell-known recordings include "Release Me", "Crazy Arms", "Heartaches by the Number", "Night Life", and "You're the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me".He was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1996.In 2007, he joined buddies Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson on a double-CD set,Last of the Breed. The trio performed on tour with the Texas swing band Asleep at the Wheel. 11/29/201368Dick DoddStandellsCancerFountain Valley, CaliforniaDick DoddOctober 27, 1945 - November 29, 2013Dick Dodd (born Joseph Richard Dodd in Hermosa Beach, California) was the singer and drummer for the Los Angeles rock group The Standells. He was with the Standells when they recorded their best known hit song "Dirty Water."The song became an anthem for sports fans in Boston with its refrain of "Boston, you're my home."In 1955, Dick Dodd was "Dickie", a Mouseketeer on Disney's original "Mickey Mouse Club." During that time, he paid Annette Funicello $20 for a snare drum and learned to play it.Dodd joined two early and influential surf rock bands of the early 1960's - the Bel-Airs, which nabbed a hit with the 1961 instrumental "Mr. Moto," and Eddie and the Showmen, who performed on the same bill with acts including the Beach Boys, Sonny and Cher and the Righteous Brothers.In movies, he appeared in Get Yourself a College Girl and as a dancer in the 1963 film musical Bye Bye Birdie. With the Standells, he was in the 1967 film Riot on Sunset Strip, singing the title song during the opening credits. He also had television guest roles in the 1960s.He was also an early member of the noted San Diego band The Blitz Brothers. Dodd continued performing occasionally in his later years, sometimes with his oldies outfit the Dodd Squad. 11/25/201392Chico HamiltonJazz drummer New York, New YorkChico HamiltonSeptember 20, 1921 - November 25, 2013Chico Hamilton was an American jazz drummer and bandleader who rose to prominence as sideman for Lester Young, Gerry Mulligan, Count Basie, and Lena Horne.Hamilton became a bandleader, first with a quintet featuring Fred Katz on cello as a lead instrument, an unusual choice for a jazz band in the 1950s. 10/27/201371Lou ReedAmerican singer/songwriterLiver diseaseSouthampton, New YorkLou ReedMarch 2, 1942 - October 27, 2013Lou Reed, guitarist for the Velvet Underground who later had a highly successful solo career, has died of liver failure at the age of 71.Reed began a solo career in 1972, but didn't hit commercial success until the release of his second albumTransformer, produced by David Bowie and Mick Ronson and featuring the hit song "Walk on the Wild Side."Each verse of "Walk on the Wild Side" describes a person in the Andy Warhol Factory scene of the mid-to-late 1960s:(1) Holly Woodlawn,(2) Candy Darling,(3) "Little Joe" Dallesandro,(4) "Sugar Plum Fairy" Joe Campbell and(5) Jackie Curtis.In 1998, Reed was the subject of an installment of the PBS American Masters series that chronicled his career. The program was released on DVD asRock and Roll Heart. The film received a Grammy Award for best long-form music video.After a liver transplant in May, 2013, Lou Reed died of liver disease at his home on Long Island, New York.9/17/201366Roger PopeElton John, drummer EnglandRoger PopeRoger Pope played drums on Elton John's early recordings and later toured and recorded six albums with him.Pope toured with Elton John, performing in more than 80 shows. He played on six of Elton John's albums (including 1969's debut, 'Empty Sky,' and 'Blue Moves' from 1976).He also worked with Daryl Hall and John Oates and made his own music with a band called Hookfoot.In 1974, Pope played with Kiki Dee on her big solo hit 'I've Got the Music in Me'.Pope also sat in with Buddy Guy, Al Stewart and Cliff Richard over the years and drummed on several of Harry Nilsson's great albums from the '70s.Pope died Sept. 17, 2013 at the age of 66.9/15/201369Jackie LomaxBritish singer/songwriter Jackie LomaxMay 10, 1944 - September 15, 2013Jackie Lomax was a British guitarist and singer-songwriter best known for his association with George Harrison and Eric Clapton.Lomax was signed on the Beatles' Apple record label. His debut Apple single, "Sour Milk Sea" was penned by George Harrison and featuredmembers of the Beatles with Eric Clapton and Nicky Hopkins. Despite the all-star lineup, the record was a commercial flop. "Sour Milk Sea"appears on the albumIs This What You Want?Much of the album was recorded in Los Angeles with Hal Blaine and other members of the famous Wrecking Crew.At the time of his death, Lomax had recently finished a new album titled "Against All Odds."9/12/201380Ray Dolbysound pioneerLeukemiaSan FranciscoRay DolbyJanuary 18, 1933 - September 12, 2013Ray Dolby, an American inventor, audio pioneer and founder of Dolby Laboratories, has died at his home in San Francisco. He was 80 and had been living with Alzheimer's disease, compounded by a recent diagnosis of leukemia.Dolby was born in Portland, Oregon. As a child, he became fascinated with sound when studying the vibrations of his clarinet reeds. At 16 he started work at Ampex, a videotape recording company. After studying electrical engineering at Stanford he earned a PhD in physics from Cambridge in 1961 and then consulted to the U.K.'s Atomic Energy Authority. After two years as a United Nations advisor in India he founded Dolby Laboratories in London, later moving to San Francisco.Dolby's pioneering work in noise reduction and later in surround sound led to great advancements in audio recording technologies. His Dolby systemreduced audible tape hiss of analog magnetic tape by compressing the dynamic range of the sound when recording and expanding it during playback.He was awarded an Oscar for his contributions to cinema. He also received a Grammy award in 1995 and Emmy awards in 1989 and 2005. The Dolby Theatre, the Hollywood home of the Academy Awards, is named for his company.With an estimated fortune of $2.4 billion, Dolby donated generously to philanthropic causes, including stem cell research at the University of California.Other recent deaths of sound engineers include loudspeaker innovator Amar Bose who died in July 2013 and Fritz Sennheiser who passed in 2010. 9/7/201394Fred Katzjazz cellist Santa Monica, CaliforniaFred KatzFebruary 25, 1919 - September 7, 2013Fred Katz was a jazz cellist who helped establish the cello as a viable solo instrument.Katz is best known as a member of drummer Chico Hamilton's quintet, one of the most important West Coast jazz groups of the 1950s. The Chico Hamilton Quintet, including Katz, appears in the 1957 film The Sweet Smell of Success, starring Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis.He also scored films for horror director Roger Corman, most notably A Bucket of Blood (1959). The same music also appears in several other Corman films, including The Wasp Woman (1959) and Creature from the Haunted Sea (1961).Later in his career, Katz became a professor of ethnic music in the Anthropology Department at California State University, Fullerton and California State University, Northridge, where he taught world music, anthropology and religion for over 30 years.One of his students was John Densmore, drummer of The Doors. 8/21/201395Sid Bernsteinmusic producer and promoter New York, New YorkSid BernsteinAugust 12, 1918 - August 21, 2013Sid Bernstein brought the Beatles to America, booking them to play a show at Carnegie Hall. The show occurred just three days after the Beatles' appearance on the Ed Sullivan show.He booked the Beatles for their 1965 show at Shea Stadium - Rock's first major stadium show. He also help bring The Rolling Stones, Herman's Hermits, The Moody Blues, and The Kinks to America.He booked such top acts as Jimi Hendrix, Judy Garland, The Rolling Stones, Herman's Hermits, The Moody Blues, and The Kinks. He brought the Swedish group ABBA to America for their first tour. He was the first promoter to stage a rock show at Madison Square Garden.Bernstein died on August 21, 2013 in Manhattan, nine days after his 95th birthday.8/5/201367George Dukejazz keyboardistLeukemiaLos Angeles, CaliforniaGeorge DukeJanuary 12, 1946 - August 5, 2013George Duke, a Grammy Award-winning jazz keyboardist and composer, has died after suffering from chronic lymphocytic leukemia.He began playing with Jean-Luc Ponty in 1969. He produced and collaborated with artists such as Frank Zappa, Miles Davis, Jill Scott and Michael Jackson during his career of more than four decades. His music was also sampled by Kanye West, Daft Punk and others.Duke appeared on a number of Frank Zappa's albums in the early and mid-1970s, including Chunga's Revenge, 200 Motels, Waka/Jawaka, The Grand Wazoo, Apostrophe,Over-Nite Sensation,One Size Fits All, Bongo Fury and Roxy & Elsewhere. 7/25/201374JJ CalesongwriterHeart FailureLa Jolla, CaliforniaJJ CaleDecember 5, 1938 - July 26, 2013Musician and songwriter JJ Cale, writer of such classic rock songs as "They Call Me the Breeze" (Lynyrd Skynyrd), and "Cocaine" and "After Midnight" (both hits for Eric Clapton), hasdied at age 74 after suffering a sudden heart attack.He won a Grammy for the 2006 albumThe Road to Escondido, a collaboration with Eric Clapton.He passed away at Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, California. 7/16/201374T Model Fordblues guitaristRespiratory FailureGreenville, Mississippi 7/11/201376Charles PopeThe TamsAlzheimer's DiseaseAtlanta, GeorgiaCharles Walter "Speedy" PopeAugust 7, 1936 - July 11, 2013Charles Walter Pope, founding member of the Atlanta-based R&B group the Tams, has died at age 76 of complications from Alzheimer's disease. Charles Pope started The Tams with his brother Joe in 1959. When Joe Pope died in 1996, Charles took over the role as lead singer.The Tams had their greatest commercial success in the mid-1960s, with their biggest national hits being "What Kind of Fool (Do You Think I Am)" and "Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy."The Tams were featured performers with Jimmy Buffett on his CD, Beach House on the Moon, and also toured with him around the country in 1999. 6/24/201358Alan MyersDevo, drummerCancerLos Angeles, CaliforniaAlan Myers1955 - June 24, 2013Alan Myers, longtime drummer for the punk rock band Devo, has died after a long battle with stomach cancer.Myers was Devo's third drummer, joining in 1976 before the band released its groundbreaking debut, "Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!"He remained with the band until 1985. 6/23/201361Darryl Read Motorcycle AccidentPattaya, ThailandDarryl ReadSeptember 19, 1951 - June 23, 2013Darryl Michael Roy Read, a pioneer in the British punk rock movement, has died after a motorcycle accident in Thailand.Darryl Read was a British poet, singer, guitarist, drummer and writer. He was also an accomplished actor starring in a 1964 film "Daylight Robbery."Mr. Read published a book of poems called "Set" in 1999, and in 2004 authored a novel entitled "Stardom Road."Also in 1999, Read and Ray Manzarek released a poetry album with music titledFreshly Dug. Another collaboration with Manzarek,Bleeding Paradise, followed in 2007.6/23/201383Bobby BlandR & B vocalist Germantown, TennesseeBobby BlandJanuary 27, 1930 - June 23, 2013Bobby "Blue" Bland, a legendary R&B singer and 1992 inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, has died at age 83.He is best known for hits like "Turn on Your Love Light", "That's the Way Love Is" and "I Pity the Fool". His crowning achievement might be 1961'sTwo Steps From the Blues.He was granted the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997.6/12/201390Slim Whitmancountry singerHeart FailureOrange Park, FloridaSlim WhitmanJanuary 20, 1923 - June 12, 2013 6/4/201367Joey CovingtonJefferson Airplane/Hot Tuna, drummerCar CrashPalm Springs, CaliforniaJoey CovingtonJune 27, 1945 - June 4, 2013Joey Covington, who was the drummer for the San Francisco rock band Jefferson Airplane and their spinoff Hot Tuna, has died at age 67 after crashing his car into a retaining wall in Palm Springs.Joey played Congas on 1969'sVolunteers album, and officially joined Jefferson Airplane in 1970 when Spencer Dryden quit the group. With them, he co-wrote "Pretty as You Feel" which appears on theBark album.In 1976, he co-wrote Jefferson Starship's "With Your Love."5/25/201362Marshall LytleBill Haley and the Comets, bassistLung CancerNew Port Richey, FloridaMarshall LytleSeptember 1, 1933 - May 25, 2013Marshall Lytle was a rock 'n' Roll bassist, best known for his work with the groups Bill Haley & His Comets and The Jodimars in the 1950s. He played on the original 1954 recording ofRock Around the Clock. 5/21/201362Trevor BolderUriah Heep, bassistPancreatic CancerYorkshire, EnglandTrevor BolderJune 9, 1950 - May 21, 2013Trevor Bolder, longtime bassist for Uriah Heep and former member of David Bowie's Spiders from Mars band, has died in England at age 62. 5/20/201374Ray ManzarekThe Doors, keyboardistCancerRosenheim, GermanyRay ManzarekFebruary 12, 1939 - May 20, 2013Raymond Daniel Manczarek Jr., keyboardist with The Doors, died in Germany at age 74. 5/17/201372Alan O'Daysinger/songwriter Los Angeles, CaliforniaAlan O'DayOctober 3, 1940 - May 17, 2013Alan O'Day was a singer/songwriter best remembered for his song "Undercover Angel" which hit #1 in 1977.Other notable compositions include "Angel Baby" (a #1 hit for Helen Reddy in 1974) and "Rock and Roll Heaven" (a #3 hit for the Righteous Brothers). 5/2/201349Jeff HannemanSlayer, vocalistLiver FailureLos Angeles?Jeff HannemanJanuary 31, 1964 - May 2, 2013Jeff Hanneman was a heavy metal guitarist and founding member of Slayer. 5/1/201334Chris KellyKris KrossDrug OverdoseAtlanta, Georgia 4/30/201350Tim HensleyCountry session musicianLiver FailureNashville, Tennessee 4/28/201375Barry FeyColorado rock music concert promoterSuicideColorado 4/26/201381George JonesCountry superstar Nashville, Tennessee 4/22/201372Ritchie HavensfolksingerHeart FailureJersey City, New Jersey 4/21/2013 Dani CrivelliKrokus, drummerFell from bridgeSolothurn, Switzerland4/21/201353Chrissy AmphlettDivinyls, singerBreast CancerNew York, New York 4/14/201368George Jacksonsinger/songwriterCancerRidgeland, Mississippi 4/11/201387Jonathan Winterscomedian Montecito, California4/11/201359Don Blackmanjazz-funk pianistCancerNew York, New York 4/10/201376Jimmy Dawkinsblues musician Chicago, Illinois4/8/201370Annette Funicelloactress/singerMultiple sclerosisBakersfield, California4/7/2013 Neil SmithAC/DC, bassistCancerAustralia 4/7/201362Andy Johnssound engineer and record producer Los Angeles, California 3/30/201372Phil RamoneMusic Producer New York, New York3/28/201370Hugh C. McCrackensession musicianLeukemiaNew York, New York3/27/201388Gordon StokerJordanaires, singer 3/27/201364Paul WilliamsCrawdaddy!, writer San Diego, California 3/24/201368Deke RichardsMotown songwriterEsophageal CancerBellingham, Washington 3/20/201392Jack Stokesdirector England1/26/201369Leroy BonnerOhio Players, vocalistCancerTrotwood, OhioLeroy BonnerMarch 14, 1943 - January 26, 2013Leroy Bonner, better known as Sugarfoot, the frontman of the funk band the Ohio Players, has died in Trotwood, Ohio (near Dayton). He was 69.The Ohio Players had a string of hits in the mid-1970s, including the classic funk songs "Love Rollercoaster," "Fire," "Skin Tight" and "Funky Worm.""Love Rollercoaster" appears on the 1975 albumHoney. The album is noted for its racy cover depicting a nude Playboy Playmate dripping honey on herself.An urban legend surrounds the song "Love Rollercoaster", claiming that the girl on the album cover was stabbed in the studio when she threatened to sue in connection with supposed skin damages caused by the fake honey used - and that her screams are heard on the song. However, the scream is actually that of keyboardist Billy Beck."Love Rollercoaster" was covered by the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 1996. 1/19/201377Steve KnightMountain, keyboardistParkinson's diseaseRiverdale, New YorkSteve KnightMay 12, 1935 - January 19, 2013Steve Knight was best known for being the keyboard player in the rock band Mountain. He played on their albums "Climbing!", "Nantucket Sleighride", "Flowers Of Evil", and "The Road Goes Ever On".Mountain also included members Felix Pappalardi (bass), Leslie West (guitar/vocals) and Corky Laing (drums).After Mountain disbanded in 1972, Steve played in jazz bands and worked in the construction industry. He also was a councilman in Woodstock, New York for several years. 1/12/201371Precious Bryantblues musician Columbus, Georgia 1/11/201367John Wilkinsonrhythm guitarist for Elvis PresleyCancerMissouriJohn WilkinsonJuly 3, 1945 - January 11, 2013John Wilkinson, longtime rhythm guitarist for Elvis Presley, has died at his home in southwest Missouri. He was 67. Wilkinson also played with the Kingston Trio and the New Christy Minstrels.Wilkinson liked to tell the story of meeting Elvis in 1955. At age 10, he snuck into Presley's dressing room before a concert and told him "You can't play guitar worth a damn."Wilkinson joined Elvis Presley's backup group, the TCB band, in 1968 and continued to play with Elvis until the singer's death in 1977.In 2006, he authored a bookMy Life Before, During and After Elvis Presley documenting his experiences working with Elvis. 01/11/201373Jimmy O'NeillDJ, host of Shindig! West Hollywood, CaliforniaJimmy O'NeillJanuary 8, 1940 - January 11, 2013Jimmy O'Neill was a Los Angeles disc jockey who, with his wife, Sharon K. "Shari" Sheeley, created the ABC-TV musical variety series Shindig! which aired from 1964 - 1966.O'Neill was owner of Pandora's Box, an influential Sunset Strip music venue in West Hollywood, California that was the center of the 1966 Sunset Strip curfew riots. 1/10/201376Claude Nobsfounder of the Montreux Jazz Festivalskiing accidentLausanne, SwitzerlandClaude NobsFebruary 4, 1936 - January 10, 2013Claude Nobs was the founder and general manager of the Montreux Jazz Festival. He is the "Funky Claude" mentioned in the Deep Purple Song "Smoke on the Water."The first Montreux Jazz Festival was held in 1967. The annual event when on to attract the greatest names in jazz and later diversified to include other forms of music. During the 1990s, Nobs shared the directorship of the festival with Quincy Jones, and made Miles Davis an honorary host.In 1973, Nobs became the director of the Swiss branch of Warner, Elektra and Atlantic. On the live Jethro Tull album Bursting Out (recorded on 28 May 1978 in Bern), Nobs can be heard announcing "Gueten Abig mitenand, und herzlich willkommen in der Festhalle Bern!" (Good evening everybody and welcome to the Festhall of Bern).Nobs played harmonica on the opening track of the 1983 Chris Rea album Water Sign.Claude was involved in a skiing accident on Christmas Eve, 2012. He fell into a coma and died January 20, 2013. Other notable personalities who died while skiing include musician/congressman Sonny Bono, Michael Kennedy, son of Robert F. Kennedy and Michel Trudeau, son of the Canadian prime minister Pierre Trudeau. 1/8/201370Tandyn Almersongwriter McLean, VirginiaTandyn AlmerJuly 30, 1942 - January 8, 2013Tandyn Almer was a songwriter, musician and record producer. His most notable composition, "Along Comes Mary," was a 1966 hit for The Association.After the success of "Along Comes Mary" Almer was featured alongside Frank Zappa, Graham Nash, Roger McGuinn, and Brian Wilson on Inside Pop: The Rock Revolution,a 1967 CBS TV News feature presented by Leonard Bernstein.He became good friends with Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys. The two collaborated in the early 1970s on several projects. He co-wrote the Beach Boys singles "Marcella" and "Sail On, Sailor".Almer is also credited with inventing a waterpipe called the Slave-Master. A member of Mensa International, he moved to the Washington, D.C. area in 1977, and lived there for the remainder of his life. After his death, a collection of vintage recordings of his songs,Along Comes Tandyn, was released on Sundazed Records.1/4/201366Sammy Johnssinger/songwriter Gastonia, North CarolinaSammy JohnsFebruary 7, 1946 - January 4, 2013Sammy Johns was an American country singer-songwriter, best known for his million-selling 1975 hit single, "Chevy Van"."Chevy Van" (1975) reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and remained in the chart for 17 weeks.The song had been recorded in 1973, but was initially shelved and only released after 18 months with the album. The song sold about three million copies, and is credited for an increase in van sales the following year.The song and an album (also titled "Chevy Van") led to a contract with Warner Curb Records to produce a soundtrack for the 1977 film The Van.Johns died on January 4, 2013, at Gaston Memorial Hospital in Gastonia, North Carolina, at the age of 66. 1/1/201385Patti Pagepop singer Encinitas, CaliforniaPatti PageNovember 8, 1927 - January 1, 2013Patti Page, a popular singer whose 1950 recording of "Tennessee Waltz" is one of the best-selling recordings ever, has died. She was 85.Page, born Clara Ann Fowler, is remembered for singing "How Much is That Doggie in the Window", "Old Cape Cod" and other hits. In all, she had 24 records in the top 10.On television, she was the first singer to have shows on all three major networks, including "The Patti Page Show" on ABC TV.Patti was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2013 Grammys. She has stars on both the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Country Music Walk of Fame.Patti Page died on January 1, 2013 at the Seacrest Village Retirement Community in Encinitas, California. Page had been suffering from heart and lung disease. She is buried at El Camino Memorial Park in San Diego. 2014 HOME 2012 Steve Covault, all rights reserved.E-MAIL for information.
Joey Covington Dead: Jefferson Airplane Drummer Dies In Car Crash
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