Farewell to some music greats



Time to catch up on a number of music deaths over the last couple of weeks.

Baton Rouge bluesman Rudy Richard (pictured above with C C Adcock) has died aged 75. Originally from Church Point, Louisiana, he played with Slim Harpo and his guitar licks can be heard on such classics as Rainin' In My Heart, I'm A King Bee and Baby Scratch My Back, but he never recorded under his own name. I first saw Rudy at Teddy's Juke Joint in Zachary, near Baton Rouge, in 2010 and the following year he played at the Ponderosa Stomp alongside Lazy Lester. A few days later I saw him again at a swamp blues show at the Rice Theatre in Crowley, La, which also featured Warren Storm, Carol Fran, Guitar Gable and C C Adcock.
From the world of rocksteady we have lost Jackie Bernard, founder member of the Kingstonians, aged 66. He recorded with Derrick Harriott in the late sixties and had great success with Sufferer and Singer Man, before the band broke up in the early seventies. Their only LP, Sufferer, was released in the UK on Trojan.
One of the architects of some of the greatest pop music to come out of the States, Bob Crewe, has died aged 83. Together with partner Frank Slay, he wrote and produced the Rays' double sider
Silhouettes and Daddy Cool and, with Swan Records of Philadelphia, had further success with Billy and Lillie's La De Da and Freddy Cannon's Tallahassee Lassie and Ofefonokee. In the early sixties he joined with Bob Gaudio and guided the career of the Four Seasons, who had huge success with Sherry, Big Girls Don't Cry, Rag Doll, Walk Like A Man and many others. In 1965 he formed Dynovoice Records and had hits with Eddie Rambeau (Concrete and Clay), the Toys (Lovers Concerto and Attack), Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels (Devil With A Blue Dress On and Jenny Take A Ride) and Norma Tanega (Walking My Cat Named Dog). Bob enjoyed success under his own name (the Bob Crewe Generation), with Music To Watch Girls By, which became a hit for Andy Williams, as did another Crewe song, first recorded by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, Can't Take My Eyes Off You. In the seventies he was involved in forming Disco Tex and the Sex O Lettes and recorded Labelle's Lady Marmalade, as well as recording as a solo artist. Truly one of pop music's greats.
From the world of country music we have lost George Hamilton IV at the age of 77. A recording
artist since 1956, when he recorded A Rose And A Baby Ruth, George's many other hits included Why Don't They Understand, Fort Worth Dallas and Houston, Abilene, Canadian Pacific and Carolina In My Mind.
Finally we say goodbye to jazz keyboard player Joe Sample, a founder member of the Crusaders, who recorded with them until the early nineties.