Any Major Dude With Half A Heart

Two soul deaths bookend this month”s In Memoriam: that of R.B. Greaves, who had a big hit with Take A Letter Maria in 1972, and that of Terry Collier, who the same year released one of the great underappreciated soul anthems of the “70s, Ordinary Joe.

Big Jim Sullivan is not a name many of us know, and yet we have heard his guitar on countless pop hits  ““on 55 UK #1s alone, including Sandie Shaw”s Puppet On A String, Georgie Fame”s Yeh Yeh, Peter & Gordon”s World Without Love, Dave Dee Dozy etc”s The Legend of Xanadu, Peter & Gordon”s World Without Love, Gilbert O”Sullivan”s Clair and, my favourite of the lot, Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg’s Je t”aime… moi non plus. He was guitar teacher to Pete Townsend and Richie Blackmore, and reportedly encouraged Jim Marshall to make his famous amplifiers.

R.B. Greaves, 68, soul singer, on September 27
R.B. Greaves – Take A Letter Maria (1972)

Big Jim Sullivan, 71, English session guitarist and producer, on October 2
Esther & Abi Ofarim – Cinderella Rockafella (1968, as guitarist)
Serge Gainsbourg ““ Melody (1971, as guitarist)
Labi Siffre ““ I Got The”¦ (1974, as producer)

Kathi McDonald, 64, blues and rock singer and former Ikette, on October 3
The Rolling Stones ““ Tumbling Dice (1972, as backing singer)

Nick Curran, 35, blues and rock musician, on October 6
Nick Curran & The Lowlifes – Kill My Baby (2010)

Wiley Reed, 68, Australian-based blues musician, on October 7

Steve “˜Stumbletown” Adams, 57, country-rock singer and guitarist, on October 8

John Tchicai, 76, Danish jazz saxophonist and composer, on October 8

Nils Koppruch, 47, German singer-songwriter, on October 10

Erik Moseholm, 82, Danish jazz bandleader and composer, on October 11

Frank Alamo, 70, French singer, on October 11
Frank Alamo – Biche O Ma Biche (1964)

B. B. Cunningham, 70, singer of The Hombres, studio engineer and owner, shot dead on October 14
The Hombres – Let It Out (Let It All Hang Out) (1967)

Rick Chadock, guitarist of “80s rock group White Sister, on October 15

David S. Ware, 62, jazz saxophonist, on October 18
David S. Ware ““ Yesterdays (1992)

Michael Marra, 60, Scottish musician and songwriter, on October 23
Michael Marra – Niel Gow’s Apprentice (2010)

Bill Dees, 73, musician and songwriter (e.g. Pretty Woman), on October 24
Roy Orbison ““ It”s Over (1964)

Louis Nunley, 81, member of RCA Nashville backing groups Anita Kerr Singers and The Jordanaires, on October 26
The Anita Kerr Quartet – Baby Elephant Walk (1965)

Jo Dunne, 43, guitarist of British “80s band We”ve Got A Fuzzbox And We”re Gonna Use It, on October 26
Fuzzbox – Do I Want To (1986)
Fuzzbox – Bohemian Rhapsody (1987)

Natina Reed, 32, rapper and member of R&B group Blaque and actress, in a car crash on October 26
Blaque – Bring It All To Me (1999)

Terry Callier, 67, soul singer and songwriter, on October 28
Terry Callier – Ordinary Joe (1972)
Terry Callier – Just As Long As We’re In Love (1973)

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