The first month of the year saw the last surviving member of The Band depart from us, with Garth Hudson following Robbie Robertson, who died in August 2023. But spare a thought for Dutch band Kayak, who lost three of its former members between April 2024 and January 2025.
As previously announced, starting now I am cutting things back a little in terms of number of write-ups and music. You might not even notice it much. There are still eight write-ups, but it was that sort of nasty month, in very many ways. Before cutting back, there might have been 12 or 14 write-ups, and up to 20 more songs.
One track in this collection of music offers a little spine-chill. The 1966 song The Cheater by Bob Kuban & The In-Men, a US #11 hit, was about infidelity (it also featured on Any Major Blue-Eyed Soul). Its lead singer was Walter Scott. In 1983, Scott’s body was found floating in a cistern, hog-tied and shot in the chest. It later transpired that Scott had been murdered by his wife’s lover, with her complicity. The murderer, James H. Williams Sr., had also killed his wife. He died in jail in 2011.
Not related to music, but in itself a remarkable life, was that of Iris Cummings at the age of 104. She was the last known survivor of the 1936 Olympics, in which she represented the US in swimming (getting eliminated in the first heat). After her sporting career, she became a pilot, serving in World War II, and then a flying instructor. She also flew competitively, winning the 1957 All-Woman Transcontinental Air Race.
The Soul Man
Some soul acts are completely unimpeachable. You might criticise Aretha for over-emoting at times or Marvin Gaye for singing a lot of poor material in the 1960s (by force rather than choice), but if anybody has ever trash-talked Sam & Dave, then they were total idiots.
With Dave Prater, Sam Moore formed Sam & Dave, whose energy on stage translated effortlessly to record. The interplay between the two, with the tight harmonising and playing off each other, suggests affinity between the two. In fact, the two had a tumultuous relationship. The easy-going Moore objected to Prater’s difficult temperament and erratic behaviour, personally and professionally. While both used drugs, Prater’s struggles with addiction affected their relationship. Prater’s domestic abuse was another breaking point for Moore.
Sam & Dave’s career as a successful act was quite brief. Moore was already 30 and Prater was 29 when the duo broke through in 1966 with Hold On, I’m Comin’. By 1969, they had their last US Top 100 entry. They split up in 1970, reformed, and split again for good in 1981.
Prater died in 1988 in a car accident; Moore went on to have a respectable but commercially indifferent solo career.
The Band Survivor
With the death at 87 of Garth Hudson, all of The Band are now gone — remarkably, the oldest member, by three years and more, outlived his four bandmates. Hudson was The Band’s keyboardist, but also played the sax and other instruments, including the accordion. Keyboard magazine rated Hudson “the most brilliant organist in the rock world”.
Hudson was trained in classical music, and as a youngster in Canada he played the organ at his church and his uncle’s funeral parlour. He also played country music on the accordion. When he joined The Hawks, who’d become The Band, he was concerned that he would be wasting his classical training on rock & roll. As it turns out, he didn’t. Rather, Hudson found ways to incorporate his classical background into his rock work.
After The Band split, Hudson worked as a session musician, first for the likes of Van Morrison, Leonard Cohen, and Emmylou Harris, and in the new millennium for acts like The Lemonheads, Neko Case, John Hiatt, Teddy Thompson, and others. He also released a couple of solo albums and took part in The Band reunions.
The Survivor
When The Ballad of Lucy Jordan was a hit in early 1980, I thought Marianne Faithfull was very old, and sounded even older. I was 13, so most people seemed very old to me. Still, she was only 33 when the song was a hit. Life had marked Faithfull and her voice by then, but she was still beautiful, and her life’s experiences gave her vocals added drama.
And what a life! A singing star within the Rolling Stones orbit by the time she was 18 and a film actress by 20, she hit the skids before her 30s, struggling with anorexia, addiction to cocaine and then heroin, and homelessness, living on the streets of London for two years, before making a comeback with her crutically-acclaimed Broken English album in 1979, her voice by now altered by severe laryngitis and drug abuse. She recorded in various genres until 2021.
Those who knew her recall Faithfull as an engaging, warm and witty companion. This seems to have found expression in her three autobiographical books.
And the famous Mars bar that was the subject of many rumours? Faithfull described the gossip as “a dirty old man’s fantasy.” That drug bust and its misogynistic media fallout cost Faithfull, whose film career was damaged by the public “slut-shaming”, aside from the psychological trauma suffered.
The Osmond
The Osmonds got a rather harsh rap, presumably because of their toothy Mormon vibe, perhaps also because of Donny’s teenybopper stardom. I was a bit too young to really experience them in their prime, but I certainly inherited those prejudices.
Defending The Osmonds’ musical reputation is not a hill on which I am willing to die, and I know too little of their music to do so. But it is evident that the boys took their music seriously, had talent, and even the skills to innovate things like the whinnying keyboard sound in the superb Crazy Horses. As rock musicians, these guys deserved to be taken more seriously than their teen idol fame allowed for.
Wayne Osmond, who has died at 73, was a skilled instrumentalist, especially on guitar and drums, as well as a singer and songwriter. Blessed with perfect pitch, he arranged the band’s vocal harmonies. The second-oldest of the band members, he even had a stint as a solo artist before the siblings’ band took off.
But The Osmonds started long before they blew up in the 1970s. Wayne and brothers Alan, Merrill and Jay formed a barbershop quartet in 1958. Discovered in 1961, they became fixtures on American TV throughout the 1960s, but chart success eluded them until they were groomed (in the decent sense of the word) to become a white Jackson 5. Their 1970 hit single One Bad Apple was a carbon copy of the Motown-based brothers’ sound. To their credit, The Osmonds laced the poppy stuff with some serious rock.
In the end, they had greater chart success in the UK than they did in the US.
The Folk Pioneer
The legacy of Peter Yarrow, a third of the folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary, is significant as the trio were crucial in making folk music a commercial proposition — even if their easy-listening folk isn’t my jam — while retaining its social and political themes, helping to give (a sometimes rather naive) voice to the civil rights and peace movements. Peter, Paul and Mary marched with Martin Luther King Jr. in Washington in 1963 and in Selma in 1965, and took part in anti-Vietnam War protests. For their activism, they faced constant death threats.
Yarrow was known for his lifelong social justice activism, including introducing anti-bullying programmes in schools in his later years, and mentorship of younger folk musicians.
It’s all admirable, but in 1970, Yarrow was convicted of “taking immoral and improper liberties” — code for a hand-job — with a 14-year-old girl and was sentenced to three months in prison (he was later pardoned by Jimmy Carter). Yarrow later became involved in various charitable and advocacy efforts, including work with children’s causes. He clearly was repentant and apologised.
This raises the old question of whether the sexual offenses of musicians can be separated from their art. I must admit, I have no clear line. I will not listen to Gary Glitter or R. Kelly or Lostprophets on principle, but I still play Michael Jackson’s music and even the occasional Led Zep track, despite those allegations and those stories about the brutalisation of groupies. I don’t suppose that most of us have a clear line.
As for Yarrow, I’m not a huge fan of his brand of folk and I am not prone to randomly play their music, though the trio’s 1967 song I Dig Rock And Roll Music is a superb time capsule, parodying more or less affectionately the Mamas & the Papas in the first verse, Donovan in the second, and The Beatles in the third.
The Afro Funkster
Osibisa was a pioneering Afrobeat and fusion band that was formed in London in the late 1960s by four expatriate West African and three Caribbean musicians. The group fused traditional African rhythms with jazz, rock, and funk, and were one of the first African bands to achieve global success, especially with their 1975 hit Sunshine Day.
Their name Osibisa was derived from the term osibisaaba in the Akan language of Ghana, and apparently means “criss-cross rhythms that blow your mind”. Now the chief mind-blower, bandleader and saxophonist Teddy Osei, has died at the age of 87. Although the band’s fortunes declined after the 1970s peak, Osei kept it going with various line-ups until recently.
The Director
David Lynch is obviously best known as a filmmaker (Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet, Mulholland Drive), but he also had a musical side, even aside from producing and writing lyrics for the first two albums of Twin Peaks theme singer Julee Cruise. He collaborated a lot with film composer Angelo Badalamenti and produced or otherwise supported various artists.
He also released albums in his own right, which fall on the experimental side of things.
The Blacklisted
The world of folk music is full of forgotten and widely unknown stories. One of those is that of singer Hope Foye, an African American soprano who used her music to speak out on political and social issues, which brought her into conflict with the music industry — in ways black women might experience more than white men. When she was blacklisted by the witch-hunting McCarran Committee — cracking down on people seeking social justice and general decency is not a new thing in US politics — she left the US and built a career in Mexico and Europe, also recording in East Germany.
Foye went on to have a long life, dying on January 6 at the age of 103.
As always, this post is reproduced in illustrated PDF format in the package, which also includes my personal playlist of the featured tracks. PW in comments.
Sweet Daddy Siki, 91, US-Canadian wrestler and singer, on Dec. 31
Wayne Osmond, 73, member of The Osmonds and songwriter, on Jan. 1
The Osmonds – One Bad Apple (1970)
The Osmonds – Hold Her Tight (1972, also as co-writer)
The Osmonds – One Way Ticket To Anywhere (1973, also as co-writer and on guitar solo)
Chad Morgan, 91, Australian country singer and guitarist, on Jan. 1
Leo Dan, 82, Argentine singer, composer and actor, on Jan. 2
Bernie Constantin, 77, Swiss rock singer and songwriter, on Jan. 2
Russ North, 59, singer of English heavy metal band Cloven Hoof, on Jan. 2
Brenton Wood, 83, soul singer and songwriter, on Jan. 3
Brenton Wood – The Oogum Boogum Song (1967, also as writer)
Brenton Wood – Just Like The First Time (1977)
Peter Schaap, 78, Dutch singer and writer, on Jan. 3
Ed Askew, 84, folk singer-songwriter and painter, on Jan. 4
Ed Askew – Peter And David (1968)
Dylan Thomas More, member of industrial rock band Chemlab, on Jan. 4
Futuregrapher, 41, Icelandic electronic musician, on Jan. 4
Beej Chaney, 68, singer and guitarist of new wave band The Suburbs, on Jan. 5
The Suburbs – Love Is The Law (1984)
Fredrik Lindgren, 53, guitarist with Swedish metal bands Unleashed, Terra Firma, on Jan. 5
Sèmèvo Orisha Oké, 48, Beninese singer, on Jan. 5
Hope Foye, 103, American folk singer, on Jan. 6
Hope Foye – Strange Fruit (date unknown)
Hope Foye – Hold On (rel. 2008)
Owen Leahy, 28, member of emo-rock band This Is Pointless, on Jan. 6
Peter Yarrow, 86, member of folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary, on Jan. 7
Peter, Paul & Mary – If I Had A Hammer (1962)
Peter, Paul & Mary – I Dig Rock And Roll Music (1969)
Peter Yarrow – Weave Me The Sunshine (1972)
Winnie Khumalo, 51, South African singer and actress, on Jan. 7
Doc Shebeleza, 51, South African kwaito musician, on Dec. 9
Doc Shebeleza – Ghets Ghetsa (1995)
Laurie Holloway, 86, English pianist, composer, musical director (Strictly, Parkinson), on Jan. 9
Linda Lewis – It Seemed Like A Good Idea At The Time (1979, on piano)
Sam Moore, 89, half of soul duo Sam & Dave, on Jan. 10
Sam & Dave – No More Pain (1962)
Sam & Dave – When Something Is Wrong With My Baby (1967)
Sam & Dave – Don’t Turn Your Heater On (1968)
Colin Carter, 76, singer of British prog-rock band Flash, on Jan. 10
Flash – Monday Morning Eyes (1972)
Mark Izu, 70, jazz double bass player and composer, on Jan. 12
Peter ‘P. Fluid’ Forrest, 64, singer of metal band 24-7 Spyz, on Jan 13
24-7 Spyz – I Must Go On (1989, also as writer)
Anthony Marcas Passarell, 68, saxophonist and pianist, on Jan. 13
Buck White, 94, mandolin player of country band The Whites, on Jan. 13
The Whites – Give Me Back That Old Familiar Feeling (1983)
Fernanda Maria, 87, Portuguese fado singer, on Jan. 13
Teddy Osei, 87, Ghanaian leader Afro-jazz band Osibisa, on Jan. 14
Osibisa – Fire (1973)
Osibisa – Sunshine Day (1975)
Osibisa – Dance The Body Music (1976)
Linda Nolan, 65, singer with Irish pop band The Nolans, TV actress, on Jan. 15
The Nolans – I’m In the Mood For Dancing (1979)
The Nolans – Who’s Gonna Rock You (1980)
David Lynch, 78, film director, musician and record producer, on Jan. 15
David Lynch – Walkin’ On The Sky (2007)
David Lynch – Good Day Today (2010)
Wayne ‘Doobie Fabra, 58, ex-drummer of rock band Graveyard Rodeo, on January 15
Melba Montgomery, 86, country singer and songwriter, on Jan. 15
George Jones & Melba Montgomery – We Must Have Been Out Of Our Minds (1963, also as writer)
Abdoulaye Diabaté, 65, pianist of Senegal’s Kora Jazz Trio, on Jan. 16
Toby Myers, 75, bass player (John Cougar Mellencamp), on Jan. 16
John Mellencamp – Let It All Hang Out (1989, on bass, backing vocals)
Stéphane Venne, 83, Canadian singer-songwriter, arranger and producer, on Jan. 17
Manuëla Kemp, 61, Dutch singer and TV personality, on Jan. 17
Luizinho Andanças, 61, Brazilian samba singer, on Jan. 18
Kaiti Grey, 100, Greek singer, on Jan. 19
Kaity Grey – Thelo Na ’Ne Kiriaki
Lobo, 69, Dutch calypso-disco singer, on Jan. 19
John Sykes, 65, English rock guitarist (Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy) and songwriter, announced Jan. 20
Thin Lizzy – Cold Sweat (1983, as member and co-writer)
Whitesnake – Is This Love (1987, as member and co-writer)
Bob Kuban, 84, leader and drummer of pop band The In-Men, on Jan 20
Bob Kuban & The In-Men – The Cheater (1966)
Elliott ‘Winged Eel Fingerling’ Ingber, 83, guitarist (Zappa, Captain Beefheart), on Jan. 21
Fraternity Of Man – Don’t Bogart Me (1968, as founding member)
Ken Wydro, 81, playwright and musical lyricist, on Jan. 21
Garth Hudson, 87, keyboardist and saxophonist of The Band, on Jan. 22
The Band – Chest Fever (1968, on organ)
The Band – It Makes No Difference (live) (1978, sax solo)
Garth Hudson – Dark Star (2001)
Barry Goldberg, 83, keyboardist of blues-rock band The Electric Flag, songwriter, on Jan. 22
The Electric Flag – Sittin’ In Circles (1968, also as writer)
Johan Slager, 78, guitarist with Dutch rock band Kayak, announced Jan. 22
Kayak – Want You To Be Mine (1978)
Paddy Cole, 85, Irish showband saxophonist, on Jan. 22
Gabriel Yacoub, 72, singer with French Celtic music band Malicorne, on Jan. 22
Malicorne – Voici La Saint Jean (1976)
Buddy Brock, 72, country songwriter, on Jan. 24
Gianfranco Manfredi, 76, Italian singer, on Jan. 24
Anthony ‘Unk’ Platt, 42, American rapper, on Jan. 24
Edweena Banger, singer of punk band The Nosebleeds, announced Jan. 25
Olga James, 95, musicals singer and actress, on Jan. 25
Gary Grier, singer with soul band The Contours (1993-2010), on Jan. 26
Ryan Whyte Maloney, 44, country singer, The Voice (US) contestant, on Jan. 27
Bruce Howe, 77, bass player of Australian rock band Fraternity, on Jan. 29
Fraternity – Summerville (1971, with Bon Scott on lead vocals)
Marianne Faithfull, 78, English singer, songwriter and actress, on Jan. 30
Marianne Faithfull – Something Better (1969)
Marianne Faithfull – The Ballad Of Lucy Jordan (1979)
Marianne Faithfull – Going Home (2014)
Susan Alcorn, 71, pedal steel guitarist and composer, announced on Jan. 31
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