Death list 2023 - RIP

It's around this time of year that The Vinyl Word pays tribute to those musicians and those associated with the music industry who have passed on during the year. The list is a long one, as ever, and includes quite a few that I either didn't become aware of or omitted to mention at the time. To them all, I thank them for their contribution to the music we love and wish them RIP.

Stephen Ackles - Norwegian singer and pianist; Peggy Scott-Adams - soul singer with Jo Jo Benson and solo (pictured top) Katherine Anderson - long standing member of the Marvelettes; Vicki Anderson - member of James Brown Revue and widow of Bobby Byrd; Clarence Avant - record executive and Sussex record label owner; Burt Bacharach - influential songwriter, record producer and pianist; Tim Bachman - guitarist and singer with Bachman Turner Overdrive; Chuck Badie - New Orleans bass player; Russell Batiste Jr - drummer with the Meters; Rose Battiste - Detroit based soul singer; Nidra Beard - member of disco band Dynasty; Keith Beaton - member of Blue Magic; Jeff Beck - English guitarist with the Yardbirds and solo; Harry Belafonte - US calypso/folk singer, actor and civil rights activist; Tony Bennett - singer whose career spanned over 70 years (pictured above); R L Boyce - Mississippi bluesman; Victor Brox - UK blues singer with Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation; Jimmy Buffett - US rock singer and restaurant chain owner; Bobby Caldwell - jazz and R and B singer; Steve Calloway - member of soul group the Professionals; Brian Cassar - Liverpool singer aka Casey Jones; Larry Chance - singer with doowop group the Earls; Lawrence Cohn - producer of Robert Johnson box set; David Crosby - singer/songwriter, member of the Byrds and Crosby, Stills and Nash (pictured below);

Ms Cubie - Detroit R and B singer; Lee Curtis - Liverpool born singer with the All Stars; David Dee - East St Louis blues singer; Lola Dee - fifties singer; Errol Dixon - Jamaican born blues singer and pianist; Jack Earls - Tennessee born rockabilly singer; Bobby Eli - founder member of Philadelphia band MFSP; Billy 'The Kid' Emerson - fifties R and b and rock and roll singer; Junior English - Jamaican reggae singer; Raymond Froggatt - English songwriter and singer; Astrud Gilberto - Brazilian bossa nova singer; Otis Grand - UK based R&B guitarist and bandleader; Dickie Harrell - drummer with Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps; Rolf Harris - disgraced Australian artist and singer; Wee Willie Harris - British rock & roll pioneer; Fuzzy Haskins - singer with Parliament and Funkadelic; Ray Hildebrand - Paul of Paul and Paula; James Holland - Chicago based soul singer; Redd Holt - drummer with Ramsey Lewis and Young-Holt Unlimited; Rudolph Isley - founder member of the Isley Brothers; Chuck Jackson - R and b and soul singer who recorded for Wand and Motown; Ahmad Jamal - jazz pianist and composer; Fanita James - member of the Blossoms; Stu James - singer with the Mojos; James 'Tail Dragger' Jones - Chicago bluesman; Howie Kane - member of Jay and the Americans; Bill Kenwright - actor, theatre producer, singer and Everton chairman; Terry Kirkman - member of the Association; Jean Knight - New Orleans singer best known for 'Mr Big Stuff' (pictured below);

Linda Lewis - English singer/songwriter; Denny Laine - musician, singer and founder member of the Moody Blues and Wings; Gordon Lightfoot - Canadian singer/songwriter; Toussaint McCall - Louisiana R and B singer and organist; David McCallum - star of 'The Man From Uncle' and recording artist; Shane McGowan - Irish singer/songwriter with the Pogues; Tony McPhee - British singer and guitarist with the Groundhogs; Randy Meisner - founder member of the Eagles; Jerry Moss - record executive co-founder of A & M Records; Napoleon XIV (Jerrold Samuels) - novelty hit maker and songwriter; Arlie Neaville - gospel, soul and rockabilly singer, AKA Dean Carter; Sinead O'Connor - Irish singer/songwriter and activist; Kendrick Patrick - Trinidad born calypso and ska singer aka Lord Creator; Berman Patterson - founder member of the Cleftones; Bill 'Howl'n'Madd' Perry - bluesman; Johnny Powers - rockabilly singer and guitarist; Lisa Marie Presley - singer songwriter daughter of Elvis; Otis Redding III - soul singer son of famous father; Robbie Robertson - Canadian guitarist and songwriter who worked with Bob Dylan and the Band; Sixto Rodriguez - Detroit musician made famous by movie 'Searching For Sugar Man'; Richard Roundtree - US actor, star of 'Shaft'; Ritchie Routledge - singer with the Cryin' Shames; Peter Shelley - seventies pop singer, originator of Alvin Stardust persona; Robb Shenton - UK rock and roll singer; Don Shinn - keyboard player with the Soul Agents; Wayne Shorter - jazz saxophonist and bandleader; Huey 'Piano' Smith - New Orleans rock and roll pioneer (pictured below);

Seymour Stein - music executive, co-founder of Sire records; Lester Sterling - Jamaican trumpet and saxophone player; April Stevens - vocalist sister of Nino Tempo; Chris Strachwitz - record producer, founder of Arhoolie Records; Barrett Strong - Motown singer and songwriter; Ted 'Kingsize' Taylor - Liverpool rock and roll singer and band leader of the Dominoes; Charlie Thomas - member of and later lead singer of the Drifters; Nick Todd - fifties pop singer, brother of Pat Boone; Top Topham - blues guitarist with the Yardbirds and Duster Bennett; Tina Turner - former wife of Ike and global superstar; Conny Van Dyke - Motown recording artist; Lillian Walker-Moss - member of the Exciters; Cynthia Weil - songwriting partner of Barry Mann; Fred White - member of Earth Wind and Fire; Roger Whittaker - British folk singer/songwriter; Spencer Wiggins - Memphis deep soul singer who recorded for Goldwax; Reuben Wilson - soul jazz organist; Gary Wright - singer and keyboard player with Spooky Tooth; Benjamin Zephaniah - British dub poet (pictured below).