Rock Star Death Notices - May 2008
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Sean Costello 1979-2008 Delta Groove recording artist Sean Costello passed away in Atlanta, GA on Tuesday, April 15th, one day before his 29th birthday.
Minani Rwema - Died March 30 in India of liver disease. He was born 1975 in Gatumba in neighboring Burundi. He was a musician and did, “Sur la terre.”
Ollie Nicholls - Died March 30 at age 41 from being hit by a car in a hit and run. He was a singer, songwriter, pianist and sound engineer. He did, “Purple Rainclouds” and “In Or Out.” He worked with Clare Teal, Herbie Flowers, Bert Jansch, Anita Dobson, Tim van Eyken, Jacqui Dankworth and Incantation.
Anders Gothberg - Died March 30 at age 32 in Stockholm, Sweden. He committed suicide. He was a rock guitarist and a member of Broder Daniel aka BD.
Jerry Kravat (Jerome Kravat) - Died March 31 at age 72 in Manhattan, NY, from complications after cancer surgery. He was a bandleader and pianist. He owned The Jerry Kravat Entertainment Services which booked or managed Barbara Cook, Steve Allen, Eartha Kitt, Joel Grey, Cab Calloway, Lena Horne, Bobby Short and Sylvia McNair.
Petar Slavov - Died April 1 at age 66. He was a jazz/rock drummer and music manager. He was also a member of FSB.
Brendan O’Brien - Died April 3 at age 67 in Blackpool in Cork city from a possible heart attack. He was a singer and guitarist and a member of The Dixies. They did, “Little Arrows.”
Adina Edwards - Died April 4 at age 83 in the West Indies. She was a gospel singer. She did, “Don’t Forget To Remember Me.”
Dr. Robert Good - Died April 4 at age 83 from a head injury from a fall. He played saxophone, piano and flute. He also worked with The Glenn Miller Orchestra. As a physician he delivered over 3,000 babies.
Lee Roy Kirksey - Died April 4 at age 86. He was a jazz musician. He worked with The Johnny Holloway orchestra.
Bob Dunnavant Sr. - Died April 5 at age 85 due to an illness. He was a broadcaster and musician. He was also a member of Chigger Dunnavant And The Dark Town Strutters.
Donald Walden - Died April 6 at age 69 in Detroit, MI, due to complications from cancer. He played saxophone and worked with Aretha Franklin, Grant Green, Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, The Four Tops, Joe Chambers, Booker Ervin and Sun Ra.
Larry Brown (Lawrence Lloyd Brown Sr.) - Died April 6 at age 63 in Philadelphia, PA, due to a respiratory condition. He was an R&B singer and a member of Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes. They did, “If You Don’t Know Me By Now” and “The Love I Lost.”
Kohan Kawauchi (Kiyoshi Kawauchi) - Died April 6 at age 88 in Hachinohe, Aomori, Japan if bronchial pneumonia. He was a composer, lyricist, novelist, scriptwriter and comic writer.
Phil Urso (Philip Anthony Urso) - Died April 7 at age 82 in Denver, Colorado, U.S. He played saxophone and was a composer. He worked with Elliot Lawrence, Chet Baker, Woody Herman, Terry Gibbs, Miles Davis, Claude Thornhill, Oscar Pettiford, Jimmy Dorsey and Bob Brookmeyer.
Cedella Marley Booker (Cedella Malcolm) - Died April 8 at age 81 in Miami, Florida, of natural causes. She was a Reggae singer and writer. She did, “Awake Zion” and “Mother Don’t Cry.” She was also the mother of singer, Bob Marley.
Michael Paul Miller - Died April 8 at age 56 in Oxnard. He was a guitarist, singer and songwriter and a member of Blue Stew.
Choubeila Rached (Aroussia Bent Ali Abbes)- Singer, Died April 9 in Tunis, Tunisia and born 1933 in Tunis, Tunisia.
Erkki Junkkarinen (Erkki Aukusti Junkkarinen) – Singer and whistler, Died April 9 at age 78 in Hameenlinna.
Flora Pereira - Died April 9 at age 79. She was a singer.
Bob Kames - The Chicken Dance King - Died April 9 of Prostate cancer. He was born in 1925. He played the organ. He did, “You Are My One True Love” and “Dance Little Bird” (The Chicken Dance.) He wrote, “High Life Polka” for the Miller High Life Beer advertising campaign. His songs have been recorded by Bobby Vinton, Frankie Yankovich and Lawrence Welk.
George Butler - Died April 9 at age 76 in Castro Valley. He was a producer and talent scout. He worked with Shirley Bassey, Wynton Marsalis, Brandon Marsalis and Harry Connick Jr. He worked for Sony Music, Columbia Records, United Artists and Blue Note Records.
Ozzie Cadena (Oscar Cadena) - Died April 9 at age 83 in Torrance of pneumonia. He was a producer for Savoy Records, recording artists such as Cal Tjader, Fats Navarro, John Coltrane, Charles Mingus, McCoy Tyner, Bill Evans, Kenny Clarke, Donald Byrd, Little Jimmy Scott, Esther Phillips, John Lee Hooker, Clara Ward, James Cleveland, Cannonball Adderley and Nat Adderley. He also worked for Prestige, Blue Note and Fantasy Records.
Aunty Nona Beamer (Winona Kapuailohiamanonokalani Desha Beamer) - Died April 10 at age 84 in Maui Hawaii. She played ukulele and was a songwriter, author, chanter and dancer.
Carl Evans Jr. - Died April 10 at age 53 in San Diego due to complications from diabetes. He was a singer, songwriter and keyboardist. He was also a member of Power and Fattburger. They did, “Sizzlin” and “Bleu Cheese.” He worked with Stevie Wonder, Anita Baker, Cannonball Adderly and Ricky Lawson. He was an inductee of The African American Musicians Heritage Foundation Hall Of Fame.
Phil Gast (Phillip H. Gast) - Died April 11 at age 79 in Lakewood. He was a big band singer and played vibes and drums.
Jarvis Benoit - Died April 11 at age 83 in Halifax due to complications after an operation. He was a fiddler and led The Jarvis Benoit Quartet.
Aileen Figueroa (Aaawok Aileen Figueroa) - Died April 11 due to complications of pneumonia. She was born 1912 on the Lower Klamath River. She was a singer. She did, “Love Song” and “Brush Dance Song (Don’t Make Fun Of My Sweetheart.)”
Jack Hart (John Hart Jr.) - Died April 11 at age 67 due to heart failure. He was an organist and a member of The Volcanoes which became The Trammps. They did, “Disco Inferno” and a remake of “Zing Went The Strings Of My Heart.”
Donald Kahn - Died April 11 at age 89. He was a songwriter. He co-wrote, “A Beautiful Friendship.” His songs have been recorded by Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Margaret Whiting, Kenny G., Bobby Troup, Jack Jones, Shirley Horn, Sarah Vaughan and Rosemary Clooney. He was also son of composer, Gus Kahn.
Nani Lee Meadows (Rose Frances Naone Leinani Lese Meadows) - Died April 12 at age 76 due to cancer. She was a singer and dancer. She worked with her husband singer, Kui Lee and with Don Ho, Zulu And The Son’s Of Hawaii and Sterling Mossman’s Barefoot Bar Gang.
Mary Pearl Gorman Dodson – Died April 12 at age 80 in Poland, Ohio, due to pneumonia. She sang and played upright bass and drums. She worked with Stoney & Chuck And The Blue Sky Boys.
Jim Olivier - Died April 12 at age 57 in Lafayette. He was singer. He did, “Comme Un Cadien (Just Like A Cajun)” and “I Love My Saturday Night.”
Mel Dalton - Died April 12 at age 77 due to cancer. He was a saxophonist. He worked with Lloyd Price. He also backed Bobby Darin, The Everly Brothers and Buddy Holly.
Norm Bobrow - Died April 13 in Seattle due to lung cancer. He was born in 1917 in Brooklyn, NY. He was a promoter, actor, producer and broadcaster. He was also inducted into The Seattle Jazz Hall Of Fame.
Robert Reed (aka Syke Dyke) - Died April 13 at age 50 due to pancreatic cancer in Arlington, VA. He was a keyboardist and a member of Trouble Funk. They did, “Hey Fellas” and “Let’s Get Small.”
Marisa Sannia - Died April 14 at age 61 in Cagliari, Italy. She was a singer, songwriter and actress. She did “Casa bianca” and “La compagnia.”
Kevin Brown - Died April 14 at age 53 due to complications of injuries from a fall. He was a guitarist and sound engineer and co-owner of Brown And Brown Recording Studio.
Phil Agins (aka Phil Royale) - Died April 14 at age 25. He played guitar, bass, piano, banjo and drums. He was member of The Royale Brothers Band. They did, “Dudleytown” and “Holy Smoke.” He worked with The Joe Richardson Express.
Mahinarangi Tocker - Died April 15 at age 52 after her life support was turned off; she had suffered an asthma attack a week earlier. She was a singer, songwriter and guitarist. She did, “Kei Hea Koe.”
Clifford Davies - Found dead April 15 in Atlanta, GA. He shot himself. He was a drummer, singer and producer. He worked with Ted Nugent (“Cat Scratch Fever”), Grand Funk Railroad and If (“Pick Me Up (And Put Me Back On The Road)” and “Another Time Around (Is Not For Me).”
Sean Costello - Died April 15 at age 28 in Atlanta, Georgia. He was a guitarist and singer. He worked with Susan Tedeschi, Levon Helm, Steve Jordan, Willie Weeks, B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Bo Diddley, Pinetop Perkins and James Cotton.
Brian Davison (aka Blinky) - Died April 15 at age 65 in Horns Cross, Devon from a brain tumour. He was a drummer and a member of The Mark Leeman Five, The Nice, (They did, “Dawn” and a remake of Tim Hardin’s, “Hang On To A Dream”), Every Which Way and Refugee (They did “Papillion” and “Someday.”) He worked with Gong and Jackson Heights.
Michael Raven - Died April 15 at age 70 in North Staffordshire from pneumonia. He was a guitarist and a member of The Black Country Three. He was also author of over 80 music books.
Robert Mackey - Died April 15 at age 19 due to a car accident. He was a guitarist and a member of Area 15 and The Vicky Bodman Guitar Orchestra.
Dick Charlesworth (Richard Anthony Charlesworth) - Died April 15 at age 76. He was a clarinettist and saxophonist. He led Dick Charlesworth & His City Gents. He also worked with Jim Wheeler’s Jazzmen, Alan Littlejohn, Keith Smith and Rod Mason.
Thomas Humphrey - Died April 16 at age 59 from a heart attack in Gardiner, NY. He was a guitar designer and maker. His best known model is the Millennium used by David Starobin, Eliot Fisk, Sergio Assad, Odair Assad and Sharon Isbin.
Joe Feeney - Died April 16 at age 76 in San Diego. He was a singer and appeared on TV’s, The Lawrence Welk Show for 25 years. He sang for five U.S. Presidents and for Pope Paul VI.
Danny Federici (aka Phantom and Miami Dan) (Daniel Paul Federici) - Died April 17 at age 58 from melanoma in New York City. He was a keyboardist and a member of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band. They did, “Hungry Heart” and “The Rising.”
Bigg Jake (Jrozzney D. Morrison) - Died April 17 at age 21 in Texas. He was a rap musician. He did, “Show Me How You Move” and “Stay Ready.” He worked with Corey Clark.
Chris Gaffney (Christopher F. Gaffney) - Died April 17 at age 57 in Newport Beach, CA, of liver cancer. He played accordion and guitar and was a singer and songwriter. He did, “Artesia” and “The Gardens.” He was a member of The Hacienda Brothers. They did, “Uncle Sam’s Jail” and “I Still Believe.” He was also a member of Dave Alvin’s backing band, The Guilty Men. They did, “Six Nights A Week.”
Mildred A. Pinter (nee Duer) (aka Goby) - Died April 18 at age 96 in Kingston of Vermilion due to illness. She was a singer and pianist and worked with The Artie Shaw Orchestra.
Bobby Bush (Robert Alexander Bush) - Died April 18 at age 61 due to a lung sickness. He was a singer and a member of The John Marshall Guardenias and PlayBack. He worked with The Monicos, Bubba Boyd’s Rock ‘n Roll Kings, The Ron Norwood Revue and The East Coast Players.
Peter Howard (Howard Weiss) - Died April 18 at age 80 of pneumonia. He was a music director, arranger, vocal coach, dance supervisor, composer and conductor. He worked on the Broadway musicals The Tap Dance Kid, Annie, Barnum, 1776, Minnie’s Boys, Chicago, Crazy For You and Swinging On A Star.
Gerald Cook - Died April 19 of illness. He was born 1935 in Queen’s Road. He played banjo and was a member of The Geoff Elliston Band.
Jose Simon - Died April 19 at age 63 in San Francisco, CA, due to lung cancer. He was a bassist and comedian. He was a member of Sapo and worked with The Four Of A Kind.
VL Mike (Michael Allen) - Died April 20 at age 30 in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was shot. He was a rap musician and did, “Money In Here.” He was also a member of The Chopper City Boyz.
Bebe Barron (Charlotte Wind) - Died April 20 at age 82 of natural causes. She was a composer. She and her husband Louis created the score for the film, Forbidden Planet. She also worked with John Cage.
Orish Grinstead - Died April 20 at age 27 in Las Vegas of kidney failure’ singer and was a member of Sweeta Than Suga who became 702. Also worked with Subway (“This Lil’ Game We Play”).
Al Wilson (Allen LaMar Wilson) - Died April 21 at age 68 in Fontana, California. He was a singer. He did, “Show And Tell” and “The Snake.” He worked with Johnny Harris And The Statesmen, The Jewels, The Rollers and The Souls. He recorded for Soul City Records, Wand Record, Bell Records, Carousel Records and Rocky Road Records.
Monna Bell (Nora Bell) - Died April 21 at age 70 in Tijuana, Mexico of a stroke, She was a singer. She did, “Un Telegrama” and “Envidia.” She worked with Roberto Inglez.
Dr. Aaron Shearer - Died April 21 at age 88. He was a director of the guitar program at Peabody Conservatory and The North Carolina School Of The Arts and was a professor of classical guitar at Duquesne University. He wrote many guitar technique and instructional books.
Bruce Kapp - Died April 21 at age 57 in Los Angeles, CA, of a heart attack. He was a concert promoter. He promoted The Super Bowl Of Rock series which included Pink Floyd, ELP, Ted Nugent and Peter Frampton. He worked with NWA, The Who, Fleetwood Mac, Aerosmith, Van Halen, Jimmy Buffett, Def Leppard and Jonas Brothers. He formed Celebration Concerts and worked for Live Nation, Celebration Concerts and PACE Concerts.
Paul Davis (Paul Lavon Davis) - Died April 22 at age 60. He was a singer. He did, “I Go Crazy” and “Cool Night.” He was a member of Six Soul Survivors and Endless Chain. He worked with Marie Osmond, Tanya Tucker and Paul Overstreet.
Bob Childers - Died April 22 at age 61 in Stillwater of emphysema and lung disease. He was a singer and songwriter. He did, “I Ain’t No Jukebox” and “Woody’s Road.”
Keith Witham - Died April of 2008 of cancer. He was a bassist and a member of Mojo Walks.
Ruth Bernz (Ruth Levine) - Died April of 2008 in Westchester County. She was born in 1922. She was a singer, writer and activist. She co-wrote, “The War Is Over” with Lee Hays. She was wife of musician, Harold Bernz, and mother of singer, David Bernz.
Kenneth Keith Kallenbach - Died April 23 at age 39 in Chester County due to complications from pneumonia. He was a singer, guitarist and comedian. He did, “Psycho Chicks” and “I Got Beers.”
Tristram Cary (Tristram Ogilvie Cary) - Died April 23 at age 82. He wrote music for films (Quatermass And The Pit and The Ladykillers) and television, including several episodes of Doctor Who.
Don Carter (Donald Harry Carter) (aka “Sticks”) - Died April 23 at age 81 due to illness. He was a drummer and singer and a member of The Rockets and Flo Carter & The Sounds Of Joy.
Canhoto da Paraiba (Francisco Soares de Araujo) - Died April 24 in Recife, Brazil of a heart attack. He was born in 1927 in Princesa Isabel. He was a guitarist. He wrote, “Com Mais de Mil” and “Visitando o Recife.” He worked with Rossini Ferreira, Luperce Miranda.
Jimmy Giuffre (James Peter Giuffre) - Died April 24 at age 86 in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, of pneumonia and Parkinson’s Disease. He played saxophone and clarinet and was a composer and arranger. He wrote, “The Train And The River” and “Four Brothers.” He worked with Woody Herman and Shorty Rogers (“Martians Go Home”).
Humphrey Lyttelton (Humphrey Richard Adeane Lyttelton) (aka Humph) - Died April 25 at age 86 after sugery to repair an aortic aneurysm. He played trumpet and was a cartoonist. He did, “Bad Penny Blues.” He ed The Humphrey Lyttelton Band. He also worked with with Sidney Bechet, Buck Clayton, Tony Coe and Alan Barnes.