In Memoriam – January 2010
Having rounded up most of the deaths of musicians in 2009, I”ll start to do so monthly as of now. I won”t include everybody who has died. So jazz drummer Ed Thigpen, who died on 13 January at 79, doesn”t feature because I have no music by him. Others won”t feature because their genre is meaningless to me (death metal, for ironic example). And a few will surely slip under my radar, though probably fewer than the numbers ignored by the Grammys. I will include only musicians; songwriters, producers, managers, label bosses and so on are excluded unless they also recorded, as is the case with the man who heads this month”s list and was all these things. The Grim Reaper certainly had a productive month in January…
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Willie Mitchell, 81, soul/jazz musician, producer, boss of Hi Records, on January 5.
Willie Mitchell – Mercy Mercy Mercy
Robert “˜Squirrel” Lester, 67, second tenor in “70s soul group The Chi-Lites, on January 22
The Chi-Lites – Stoned Out Of My Mind
Sandra Wright, 61, gospel, blues and soul singer, on January 11.
Canned Soul – Unbelievable
Teddy Pendergrass, 59, soul singer, on January 13
Teddy Pendergrass – It Don’t Hurt Now
Mano Solo, 46, French singer, on January 10
Mano Solo – Je Suis Venu Vous Voir
Lhasa De Sela, 37, American-born cross-genre singer, on January 1.
Lhasa De Sela – El Desierto
Alistair Hulett, 58, Scottish-born and Australia-based socialist folk singer, on January 28.
Alistair Hulett ““ L”Internationale
Kate McGarrigle, 63, Canadian folk singer, on January 18.
Kate & Anna McGarrigle – I’m Losing You
Carl Smith, 82, country singer and songwriter and ex-husband of June Carter, on January 16.
Carl Smith – Air Mail To Heaven
Bobby Charles, 71, songwriter and country/rockabilly singer, on January 14.
Bobby Charles – Time Will Tell
Shirley Cadell, 78, country singer and ex-wife of Willie Nelson, on January January 27.
Shirley Cadell and the Aristocrats – The Big Bounce
Mick Green, 65, English guitarist with Johnny Kidd and Billy J Kramer, on January 11
Johnny Kidd and the Pirates – Shakin’ All Over
Jay Reatard, 29, American punk musician, on January 13
Jay Reatard – It Ain’t Gonna Save Me
Gregory Slay, 40, drummer of alt-rock band Remy Zero, on January 1.
Remy Zero – Save Me
Pauly Fuemana, 40, singer of New Zealand band OMC, on January 31.
OMC – How Bizarre
Young Cliff, member of rap kreyole group Barrikad Crew, in Haiti”s earthquake on January 12.
Barikad Crew – Toup pou yo
Yabby You, 63, reggae singer and producer, on January 12.
Yabby You – Zion Gate
Lyn Taitt, 75, influential reggae guitarist, on January 20
Lyn Taitt and the Jets ““ Unity
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I’ve tried with Kate McGarrigle, and I know she’s revered in folk circles, but it’s the kind of folk music that makes me reach for Ornette’s ‘Free Jazz’ and never want to turn it off. Off-topic, but I thought of you last night when I went to see Josh Rouse air his new, heavily Spanish-influenced album. It’s out in about a month, and comes with a strong recommendation based on the live version.
Don’t want to be picky but Mick Green didn’t play on Shakin’ All Over. Glad their efforts to close you down have failed (again).
Thanks for the In Memoriam series, it has opened my eyes & ears to players that I have missed out on and need to follow up on their musical footprint.
Regards
Rhod