Bill Withers RIP + others

With coronavirus raging, the last thing we need is more bad news about the deaths of musicians, whether as a result of the disease or not. But sadly the deaths continue, the latest being Bill Withers, at the age of 81. Bill's distinctive, hypnotic voice and almost monotone, yet soulful, style brought him great success in the 1970s with several memorable massive hits.
He came to the music industry late, having served in the US Navy and working in an aircraft factory. Indeed, the photo on his first LP, 'Just As I Am', featured a photo of him at the factory carrying his lunch box. That album featured two of his biggest hits 'Ain't No Sunshine' and 'Grandma's Hands' and was produced by Booker T Jones for the Sussex label. Later hits included 'Lean On Me', 'Use Me', and 'Lovely Day', which was his biggest hit in the UK, on two occasions. Two more studio albums for Sussex followed - 'Still Bill' and '+'Justments', along with a 'Live At Carnegie Hall' LP.  Bill signed with Columbia and recorded a further five albums, including 'Making Music' and 'Menagerie', which included 'Lovely Day'. Eventually he lost faith in Columbia, whose executives he described as 'blaxperts' when they tried to control his material, and he did a number of joint projects, with Grover Washington, the Crusaders and Ralph MacDonald. Bill's style was unlike other singers of the era and divided opinion, but his hits were truly memorable and he won no fewer than four Grammys. A great loss.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CICIOJqEb5c

Another death this week is that of Bob Andy, one of the most influential Jamaican reggae singers and songwriters. Best known in the UK for his duet with Marcia Griffiths on the Harry J produced 'Young Gifted and Black' in 1970, he began his career as a founder member of the Paragons and also recorded numerous solo numbers, including 'I've Got To Get Back Home' in 1967, 'Too Experienced' and 'The Way I Feel'. He enjoyed success as a songwriter, writing songs for Ken Boothe and Marcia Griffiths, and continued to create memorable solo records into the 1970s, as well as continuing to record with Marcia Griffiths, enjoying success with 'Pied Piper'. In 1978 he withdrew from singing and concentrated on dance and acting, appearing in 'Children of Babylon' and 'The Mighty Quinn'.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vF67IBYVPUU
The Vinyl Word raises a (solitary) glass to both Bill and Bob and also to others who have passed away recently. These include:
Ellis Marsalis, New Orleans jazz pianist who was one of the biggest jazz names in the Big Easy and father of six sons, including jazz musicians Winton and Branford. I'm sure I saw him at Jazzfest on at least one occasion but can't figure out which year it was.
Cameroonian saxophonist Manu Dibango, who died of COVID-19 aged 86. He was one of the key figures in African music from the 1950s onwards and was involved in the development of disco music.
Jazz guitarist John 'Bucky' Pizzarelli, who has died of COVID-19 aged 94. He played with many jazz greats, including Django Reinhardt and Benny Goodman, and his guitar solo on Connie Francis's 'Lipstick On Your Collar' has been described as 'the greatest pop rock and roll guitar solo of all time'.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMlALAaEwfA
Another COVID-19 victim is country singer Joe Diffie, aged just 61. Having moved to Nashville, he signed for Epic in 1990 and had 35 entries in the country chart as well as successful albums including 'A Thousand Winding Roads', 'Regular Joe' and 'Third Rock From The Sun'.
I guess I should also mention Eddie Large who, as the funnier half of the poor man's Morecambe and Wise double act, Little and Large, kept us amused on Saturday nights in the seventies and eighties. Another COVID-19 victim. Here's to more innocent days!