Recent music deaths - David Dee and others

It's time to catch up on some recent music deaths. The latest is that of David Dee, an East St Louis soul and blues singer who has died aged 84. Born in Greenwood, Mississippi, he moved to St Louis as a child. After army service he led a group called David and the Temptations and played bass in the bands of Howlin'Wolf and Albert King. He enjoyed solo success in 1982 with 'Going Fishing' for the Vanessa label and was renowned as a showman in clubs around St Louis. I saw him at the Blues Estafette in Utrecht in 1993 and was very impressed, and his smooth vocals and guitar work are a joy. He also played a one off gig for Gerard Homan in Peterborough.

Another recent death is that of Fuzzy Haskins, (81) who was a singer with doowop group the Parliaments and moved on to funk groups Parliament and Funkadelic. Born in West Virginia he was a founder member of the Parliaments, led by George Clinton. The group recorded for Revilot in Detroit, although in that case it was George Clinton with local group the Holidays (see recent article). When Revilot folded Clinton formed Parliament and Funkadelic and signed for Invictus. The two bands were inter-changeable and known as P-Funk with Parliament aimed at the soul audience and Funkadelic at the rock audience. Fuzzy and other former Parliament members left the band in 1977 and he recorded a solo album 'A Whole Nother Thang' with Bootsy Collins and others and this was followed by a further album 'Radio Active'. Fuzzy formed a new version of Funkadelic in 1981 and recorded an album 'Connections and Disconnections'.

Napoleon XIV, real name Jerry Samuels, who has died aged 84, was a one hit wonder with the novelty song 'They're Coming To Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa' in 1966. The follow up 'I'm In Love With My Little Red Tricycle' was less successul as was an album also based around the theme of mental illness which included 'Bats In My Belfry' and 'Split Level Head'.

A new name to me when I visited Detroit in 2019 was Ms Cubie, who did a few numbers at the St Regis Hotel, about which I wrote 'a raunchy R and B singer in a tight fitting animal print dress who tweaked and belted out a couple of low down and dirty songs that earned her a standing ovation.' Her real name was Betsy Barron and she is reported to have passed on.

Finally, sorry to hear of the death of Robin Gosden, one of the original founders of Flyright Records and Swift Distribution. RIP to them all.