Death list 2021

Every year at about this time I pay tribute to musicians who have died during the year. But before I do that, there are several who have passed away in the last few days that I really should mention. Most notable of these is Michael Nesmith, an accomplished singer and songwriter who also happened to be a member of the Monkees, an artificial group that produced quite a few records that have stood the test of time. Like most people my age I never missed an episode at the time, even though it was all pretty banal. It was lightweight entertainment but with a true musical core and Mike Nesmith, with his woolly hat, was probably the best musician of the four. Before he joined the Monkees he had a couple of records released and afterwards, with his country rock band the First National band and solo, he enjoyed success with albums such as 'Magnetic South', 'Loose Salute' and 'Nevada Fighter'. Songwriting credits included 'Different Drum', 'Mary Mary', 'Some of Shelly's Blues'. 'Joanne', 'Silver Moon' and his solo hit 'Rio'. He was reunited with the other Monkees occasionally in the 80s and 90s and took part in their studio album in 1995.

Another death is that of Gil Bridges who was a founder member, sax player and one of the vocalists with Rare Earth, who were the first successful white Motown group. They had success with rock versions of the Temptations' (I Know) I'm Losing You'and 'Get Ready'. Motown also chose to call their rock spin off label Rare Earth. Successful albums included 'Get Ready', 'Ecology', 'One World' and 'Back To Earth'. Gil Bridges was the only band member who stayed with them throughout their career.

A final word too for Ralph Tavares, a member of seventies soul and disco brother band Tavares.

Other musicians who have died during 2021 include Astro (Terence Wilson) - member of UB40; Chris Barber - leading UK jazz trombonist; Jo Jo Bennett - reggae composer and arranger; Jay Black - frontman of Jay and the Americans; Tim Bogert - bass player with Vanilla Fudge; Cornell Butler - lead singer recently of the Dynamics; Ray Campi - rockabilly singer and bass player; Sanford Clark - country/rockabilly singer; Willie Cobbs - blues harmonica player; Commander Cody (George Frayne IV) - leader of country rock band; Charles Connor - rock and roll drummer; Quinton Claunch - legendary Memphis record producer; Chick Corea - jazz keyboardist and bandleader; Johnny Crawford - teenage singer and actor; Sarah Dash - member of Labelle; Morris BB Dickinson - founder of War; Graeme Edge - drummer with the Moody Blues: Marc Ellington - folk/rock singer/songwriter; Pee Wee Ellis - James Brown bandleader and songwriter; Don Everly - half of famed duo; Carol Fran - Louisiana swamp pop singer; Grady Gaines - blues guitarist and saxophonist; Roy Gaines - Texas blues guitarist; Nancy Griffith - Austin based country/folk singer; Tom T Hall - country singer/songwriter; Roger Hawkins - drummer at Fame studios; Dusty Hill - bearded bass player with Z Z Top; Stonewall Jackson - singer of Waterloo; Alan Lancaster - bassist with Status Quo; John Lawton - vocalist with Uriah Heep; Gerry Marsden - lead singer of Liverpool group the Pacemakers; Philles McGuire - member of the McGuire Sisters; Les McKeown - lead singer of Bay City Rollers; John Miles - vocalist best known for 'Music'; Mike Mitchell - guitarist with the Kingsmen; Patsy Ann Noble - Australian born sixties pop singer; Dean Parrish - northern soul singer; Trevor Peacock - sixties singer and actor; Lee -Scratch' Perry - reggae producer and singer; Nolan Porter - northern soul singer and songwriter; Lloyd Price - R and B and rock and roll singer; James Purify - member of James and Bobby Purify soul duo; Danny Ray - James Brown's 'cape man'; Sonny Roberts - reggae and lovers rock producer; Sherman Robertson - Louisiana born bluesman; U Roy - Jamaican vocalist and pioneer of toasting; Barry Ryan - British pop singer; Russ Sainty - UK rock and roll singer; Gil Saunders - soul singer with Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes; Willie Schofield - R and B singer with the Falcons; Robbie Shakespeare - reggae producer one half of Sly and Robbie; Phil Spector - disgraced Wall of Sound record producer; Jim Steinman - record producer for Meat Loaf and others; Warren Storm - Cajun singer and drummer; Gene Summers - rockabilly singer and guitarist; Sylvain Sylvain - guitarist with the New York Dolls; Gene Taylor - boogie woogie pianist; B J Thomas - country singer/songwriter; Sue Thompson - American pop singer; Brian Travers - sax player with UB40; Frank Troutt - member of the Majors; Ron Tutt - drummer for Elvis and others; Hilton Valentine - guitarist with the Animals; Bunny Wailer - reggae artist and founder member of the Wailers; Charlie Watts - Rolling Stones drummer; Jim Weatherly - American singer/songwriter; Ernest Wilson - reggae singer and member of the Clarendonians; Mary Wilson - member of the Supremes; Willie Winfield - lead singer with doowop group the Harptones. The Vinyl Word raises a glass to them all and to others who have passed on during 2021.