On July 1 it will be 20 years since Luther Vandross died, aged only 54. His career had ended two years earlier, halted by a severe stroke soon after his final album, Dance With My Father, was recorded (it was released while Luther was still in hospital).
That final album showed that Luther was still a master of his craft, one who could even save a mediocre song by the power of his vocals.
Luther Vandross was a gifted songwriter in his own right, of course, but what set him truly apart was the artistry he brought to his covers. There were not that many of them; he was not a covers singers. His discography includes only one album of covers, the Grammy-nominated Songs (1994), from which three other tracks were also nominated. Aside from that, each album featured one cover, maybe two. On almost every album, they constituted a highlight, sometimes even the highlight.
That was certainly the case on 1982’s Forever, For Always, For Love, with the astonishing cover of The Temptations’ Since I Lost My Baby, and on 1983’s Busy Body, which closed with the nine-minute version of Superstar.
Both of these instances hint at Luther’s astute discernment in choosing songs to covers. Few of them had been over-covered, and some were quite obscure, such as Brenda Russell’s If Only For One Njght and Stevie Wonder’s deep cut Creepin’ (both on 1985’s The Night I Fell In Love). The latter featured on the Any Major Stevie Wonder Songbook Vol. 1 , which I posted last month, so the version featured here is a live recording from 2003 (just two months before that stroke), with superb backing vocals.
Talking of which, Luther Vandross had been a prolific backing singer before he became a recording artist in his own right (he features on Any Major Backing Singers, supporting David Bowie), so he knew well how to arrange his backing singers to fullest effect, sometimes letting them step into the limelight. The backing on Since I Lost My Baby and, as mentioned, Creepin’ are good examples of that.
I think Since I Lost My Baby is my favourite cover by Vandross, though many others might go for A House Is Not A Home from 1981’s Never Too Much album (and those many others may well be correct). The Bacharach/David song was originally recorded by Dionne Warwick, and Barbra Streisand created a wonderful cover of it as part of a medley with One Less Bell To Answer. Luther eclipses Babs (as he would later with her Evergreen) giving a masterclass in control, phrasing and restrained devastation.
He’d repeat these masterclasses over the next two decades. Shortly before the stroke, he recorded a cover of Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway’s The Closer I Get To You with Beyoncé. I’d not go as far as to say that their version is better than the original, which is pretty much perfect. Luther and Beyoncé honour that perfection by avoiding the pitfall of over-singing. Instead of trying too hard with the fireworks, as one might have feared, they give the song a restrained and even intimate treatment. It won a Grammy for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals; one of eight Grammy Luther won (out of 33 nominations).
So here are 20 Luther Vandross covers, listed with the performers of the song’s best-known versions in parentheses. Tracks 12-14 are timed to fit on a standard CD-R, and the lot includes home-warbled covers and the above text in an illustrated PDF. PW in comments.
1. Love The One You’re With (1994, Stephen Stills)
2. Since I Lost My Baby (1982, The Temptations)
3. A House Is Not A Home (1981, Dionne Warwick)
4. If This World Were Mine (1982, with Cheryl Lynn) (Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell)
5. If Only For One Night (1985, Brenda Russell)
6. Creepin’ (live) (2003, Stevie Wonder)
7. So Amazing (1986, Dionne Warwick)
8. Knocks Me Off My Feet (1996, Stevie Wonder)
9. Evergreen (1994, Barbra Streisand)
10. Superstar (1983, Carpenters)
11. Going Out Of My Head (1996, Little Anthony and the Imperials)
12. Anyone Who Had A Heart (1986, Dionne Warwick)
13. Always And Forever (1994, Heatwave)
14. The Closer I Get To You (2003, with Beyoncé) (Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway) BONUS TRACKS
15. Love Won’t Let Me Wait (1988, Major Harris)
16. Going In Circles (1994, Friends of Distinction)
17. I Who Have Nothing (1991, with Martha Wash) (Tom Jones; Sylvester)
18. When I Need You (1998, Leo Sayer)
19. Any Day Now (2001, Chuck Jackson)
20. The Lady Is A Tramp (1993, with Frank Sinatra) (Frank Sinatra a.o.)
EDIT: Reposted to mark Brian Wilson’s death on June 11, 2025.
Yesterday, on June 20, 2022, Brian Wilson turned 80, just two days after his fellow songwriting genius Paul McCartney, who was the subject of a Songbook last week, turned 80 himself. How were the stars aligned (if you subscribe to that kind of thing) that June 1942 to create two such man within two days of one another?
Wilson and McCartney (and his fellow Beatles) ran a pop music innovations race in the mid-1960s, a serious but friendly competition that spurred each other to greater heights. If a winner must be declared, then it is McCartney, who kept going with some great work while Wilson collapsed under the weight of his own ambitions, and fragile mental health. Crucially, where McCartney had the support, even if often troubled, of his fellow Beatles, who shared in the processes of artistic growth, Wilson had to contend with those, in the band and commercial departments, who still wanted fun fun fun songs about hot cars ‘n’ tanned gals.
The Beach Boys and their striped shirts. Brian Wilson is front right.
When Wilson heard The Beatles’ Rubber Soul album in 1965, he immediately wrote God Only Knows (with Tony Asher), the first track for what would become the Pet Sounds albums. That album, in turn, motivated The Beatles to up their game — from the already astonishing Revolver album — to create Sgt Pepper’s.
Four months before that album was released in June 1967, The Beatles had released Lennon’s Strawberry Fields Forever. Reportedly, when Wilson heard that song, he broke down and cried, saying: “They got there first!” That was quite a concession from the man who by then had already produced the stroke of eternal genius that is Good Vibrations.
Wilson’s attempt to top Sgt Pepper’s — and let’s cut a sad story short — ended in artistic and personal decline following the stressful production of the aborted Smile project, and the disastrous reception of what turned out to be the compromise album, Smiley Smile. Wilson completed that project in 2005 with the release of his Smile album.
In the studio during that productive mid-‘60s period, Wilson didn’t even have the Beach Boys with him. His “band” comprised various members of the Wrecking Crew, the collective of highly professional session musicians. One of them, guitarist Glenn Campbell, actually became a member of The Beach Boys in their touring formation. Carl and Dennis, Jardine and Love would come in to lay down vocal tracks — and, of course, their harmonies were integral to the Beach Boys sound. Mike Love would co-write some songs, though in many cases, the extent of his contributions is a matter of diverging memories.
Actors like De Niro and Pacino have their ways of getting into character; Wilson was a method musician, once even filling his home studio with sand to recreate a beach (as if a feature of beaches is grand pianos just standing there). By then he had already experimented with LSD — a year before that drug reached The Beatles — and other drugs. The riff for California Girls came to him after his acid trip.
The progress in Wilson’s songwriting was as spectacular as that of The Beatles. Between the plagiarised Surfin’ USA in 1963 (for which Chuck Berry rightly got a co-writing credit) and the intricate but appealing Wouldn’t It Be Nice were only three years.
So here we have the Brian Wilson Songbook. Nancy Sinatra’s version of California Girls from a 2003 album, features the backing vocals of Brian Wilson and ex-Beach Boy Jeffrey Foskett. Nancy’s version opens this set, so suitably the first voice we hear is Brian Wilson’s. And Wilson closes this collection with a cover of his own song from 2005’s Smile album, Surf’s Up. The Nancy Sinatra track was co-produced by the legendary Billy Strange, who arranged These Boots Are Made For Walking, as well as Duane Eddy and The Ventures, who in turn had influenced the Beach Boys.
Wilson originally offered Don’t Worry Baby to The Ronettes, and was profoundly inspired by their hit Be My Baby. They didn’t record it because Phil Spector declined it. Instead The Beach Boys recorded in 1964. Wilson once said he thought it was their finest moment. It later was a hit for BJ Thomas. Thirty-odd years after Spector vetoed Don’t Worry Baby, Ronnie Spector finally recorded it, co-produced by Joey Ramone, a fan of both The Ronettes and The Beach Boys. The Ramones themselves feature later in the mix with Surfin’ Safari.
Spector might have rejected Wilson’s composition, but fellow Capitol signing Sharon Marie recorded Wilson and Mike Love’s Thinkin’ ’Bout You Baby, which Wilson also produced and arranged, with another Wilson/Love composition, The Story Of My Life, on the flip-side. It was not a success, nor was the previous year’s Wilson job Run-Around Lover. The Beach Boys rejigged Thinkin’ ’Bout You Baby and recorded it as Darlin’ in 1967.
If we have ever wondered what ABBA might have sounded like if they had been The Beach Boys, Anni-Frid Lyngstad’s Swedish cover of Wouldn’t It Be Nice gives us a hint. She recorded it for her 1975 Swedish language LP Frida Ensam, which was produced by Benny Anderson, another genius of arrangement, with Björn Ulvaeus on guitar. The album also included the original version of ABBA’s Fernando (featured on Any Major Originals: 1970s).
There are some Beach Boys songs that are impossible to cover well, unless you change the whole structure of it. Good Vibrations is a good example of that. The original is one of pop music’s towering achievements; covering it straight is to punch upwards, even if you do it competent, as Todd Rundgren did in 1976. So I’ve opted for the 1975 cover by The Troggs, which deconstructs the original’s entire arrangement, and does to it what William Shatner had done a few years earlier with other hits, though The Troggs do it with greater discipline and restraint than old Cap’n Kirk. I doubt I’ll ever love what The Troggs did with it, but it’s good fun fun fun.
The same applies to I Get Around; the psychedelic version by the Andrew Oldham Orchestra — whose version of the Rolling Stone’s The Last Time (featured on the Copy Borrow Steal mix) gave the Verve’s Bitter-Sweet Symphony its hook — is joyfully mad.
As ever, the mix is timed to fit on a standard CD-R, includes home-good-vibrationed covers, and the above text in PDF format. PW in comments.
1. Nancy Sinatra – California Girls (2003)
2. The Carpenters – Fun, Fun, Fun (1973)
3. Anni-Frid Lyngstad – Skulle de’ va’ skönt (Wouldn’t It Be Nice, 1975)
4. Johnny Rivers – Help Me Rhonda (1975)
5. Ronnie Spector – Don’t Worry Baby (1999)
6. Bruce Springsteen – When I Grow Up To Be A Man (live, 1985)
7. Dave Alvin – Surfer Girl (2006)
8. Rumer – The Warmth Of The Sun (2015)
9. Linda Ronstadt – In My Room (1996)
10. Andrew Oldham Orchestra – I Get Around (1965)
11. The Troggs – Good Vibrations (1975)
12. Bobby Vee – Here Today (1966)
13. P.P. Arnold – God Only Knows (1968)
14. Carmen McRae – Don’t Talk (1967)
15. Sharon Marie – Thinkin’ ‘Bout You Baby (1964)
16. Jan & Dean – Surf City (1963)
17. The Surfaris – Be True To Your School (1964)
18. Nick DeCaro – Caroline, No (1969)
19. Nazareth – Wild Honey (1976)
20. David Garland – I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times (1993)
21. Kirsty MacColl – You Still Believe In Me (1981)
22. Wall Of Voodoo – Do It Again (1987)
23. The Rubinoos – Heroes And Villains (2002)
24. The Smithereens – Girl Don’t Tell Me (1995)
25. Ramones – Surfin’ Safari (1993)
26. Frank Black – Hang On To Your Ego (1993)
27. Brian Wilson – Surf’s Up (2005)
EDIT: Reposted to mark Sly’s death on June 9, 2025.
Last week, on 15 March 2023, it was Sly Stone’s 80th birthday. It passed me by until I saw a friend mentioning it on Facebook, expressing his surprise that the man born Sylvester Stewart was still alive. And it indeed seems to be a miracle, given Sly’s unwholesome lifestyle as a younger man.
Sly’s use of cocaine — stored in a violin case — was so prolific that it destroyed his nasal cavities. Apparently, his party trick was to insert a shoelace up one nostril and pull it out through the other. When Sly appeared at the Grammys in 2006, he looked ready for knocking on heaven’s door. But 17 years later, at 80, he’s still with us. Stand!
His body of work merits Any Major Songbook, kicking off with a collaboration of the man himself with Buddy Guy and John Mayer, from an album of collaborations with well-known names.
Some tracks here are by acts whose decision to cover Sly & The Family Stone is not surprising. But one name you might not have immediately thought of as featuring on this mix when you saw the title is that of James Last. The German bandleader was the perpetrator of much disposal easy listening fare, but it’s not well-known that the baton-swinger Last could be dangerously funky, as he is on Sing A Simple Song. Nor would you have expected venerable Big Band leader Woody Herman to cover a track called Sex Machine, his first name notwithstanding.
The bonus tracks include an early, pre-Family Stone track which Sly co-wrote and produced for Bobby Freeman in 1964. C’mon And Swim was a #5 pop hit in the US, and thus Sylvester’s first chart outing. He had been involved in music since he was a child, singing gospel music with his siblings Loretta, Freddie and Rose. The latter two would become members of Sly & The Family Stone, and are also survivors of their band’s militant hedonism pf the 1970s. Their solitary single as juvenile gospel singers, released in 1952, featured on Saved! Vol. 1.
Sly & The Family Stone are important as a musical act, having integrated various genres to create their funky music, using a drum machine when that was still nascent technology, and so on. And they were one of the first major multiracial act to score hits — much to the chagrin of the Black Panthers, who demanded the two white members be replaced. That wasn’t Sly’s way. His way was to advise abstention from the use of racial epithets.
This collection exceeds CD-R length, though tracks 1-19 are timed to fit on one, and so covers made be mice elf are included, as is the above text in a PDF. PW in comments.
1. Sly & The Family Stone with Buddy Guy & John Mayer – You Can Make It If You Try (2005)
2. Bettye LaVette – Thankful N’ Thoughtful (2012)
3. Manhattan Transfer with Chaka Kahn – Hot Fun In The Summertime (1995)
4. Dr John – Thank You (Falletin’ Me Be Mice Elf Again) (1994)
5. Billy Paul – Everyday People (1970)
6. The Ghana Soul Explosion – Family Affair (1973)
7. The Nineteenth Whole – You Caught Me Smilin’ Again (1972)
8. Al Jarreau – Somebody’s Watching You (1976)
9. Gladys Knight & The Pips – Everybody Is A Star (1971)
10. The Jackson 5 – Stand (1969)
11. Ike & Tina Turner – I Want To Take You Higher (1970)
12. The Three Degrees – You’re The One (1970)
13. Love Childs Afro Cuban Blues Band – Life And Death In G&A (1975)
14. James Last – Sing A Simple Song (1972)
15. Bar-Kays – Dance To The Music (1971)
16. Gene Harris – Don’t Call Me Nigger, Whitey (1974)
17. Dillard-Hartford-Dillard – The Same Thing (1980)
18. The Colourfield – Running Away (1987)
19. Maceo Parker – In Time (1990) Bonus Tracks:
20. Bobby Freeman – C’mon And Swim (1964)
21. Eric Burdon & The Animals – I’m An Animal (1975)
22. George Howard – Just Like A Baby (1998)
23. Diana Ross – Le Lo Li (1976)
24. Simply Red – Let Me Have It All (1987)
25. Mercury Rev – If You Want Me To Stay (1992)
26. Woody Herman – Sex Machine (1969)
Outside the world of music, the headline death in May was, for me, that of George Wendt — Norm from Cheers. And the best death-related story involves the geniuses of Fox & Friends who contacted Kirstie Alley’s people for comment on the passing of her co-star. Alas, Kirstie was unavailable on account of having died three year ago. Oops!
Meanwhile, it was not a good month for writers of hits by the Carpenters, and Australian band Hoodoo Voodoos lost a second ex-member in consecutive months. For me, the horrible death of the wonderful Jill Sobule and the passing of the man who made the ABBAS sound happen were particularly sad.
The Fifth ABBA
ABBA have lost their “fifth member” with the death of engineer Michael B. Tretow, whose studio contributions were a key to the distinctive ABBA sound, bringing to life those multi-layered harmonies, the layered orchestration, and the crisp yet warm productions.
Tretow released a few records in the 1960s and engineered for Björn Ulvaeus’ Hootenanny Singers as well as Agnetha Fältskog, among others. He first worked with Benny Andersson and Ulvaeus in 1970, on their outing as a duo, Lycka. By the time ABBA was formed in 1972, he was firmly part of the project.
Inspired by Phil Spector’s “Wall of Sound”, Tretow experimented with tape speed, overdubbing and other studio tricks to achieve a rich, orchestral sound — all that using relatively modest resources in ABBA’s Polar Studios in Stockholm. He remained with ABBA until 1981’s The Visitors, an integral part of the creative process on every one of those timeless hits.
The most astonishing bit of engineering, in my view, is the use of the percussive vocals by Björn and Benny in the intro of Take A Chance On Me, and recurring in the background throughout the song. Their repeated line wasn’t recorded in one take — they had to pause for breath — so it was done in sections, each layered over the last to sound continuous. Today, digital technology would allow them to record it once and loop it as needed. In 1977, the engineer had to do that manually.
After ABBA, Tretow continued to work in music, releasing his own albums (none particularly great) and contributing to various projects as a producer and engineer.
The Real McCoy
The missing link between 1960s garage rock anthem Hang On Sloopy and Bonnie Tyler’s OTT power ballad Total Eclipse Of The Heart is guitarist Rick Derringer, who has died at 77.
Born Richard Zehringer in Ohio, he first found fame as a teenager with The McCoys, whose 1965 hit Hang On Sloopy — he asked for the song’s original title My Girl Sloopy to be changed — topped the US charts.
By the early 1970s, Derringer had reinvented himself as a solo artist and session guitarist, releasing his signature track Rock And Roll, Hoochie Koo in 1973. Derringer became a frequent collaborator with Johnny and Edgar Winter, playing lead guitar on several of their albums and touring extensively.
He played on Streely Dan’s Show Biz Kids, Chain Lightning and My Rival, and on three tracks on Donald Fagen’s The Nightfly (including I.G.Y.), on several Todd Rundgren albums, and on Jim Steinman productions such as Air Supply’s Making Love Out of Nothing At All (his favourite guitar solo; it features on the Roy Bittan Collection), Barbra Streisand’s Left In The Dark, and Total Eclipse Of The Heart.
In the 1980s, he made his name as a producer, working on albums for artists like Weird Al Yankovic, notably on Eat It. In 1985 Derringer produced The Wrestling Album, an album of wrestlers’ theme songs. Among the songs he wrote was Real American, which became Hulk Hogan’s theme song. Barack Obama played it at the 2011 White House Correspondents’ Dinner as he unveiled his birth certificate. The song was also used as a campaign song by Hillary Clinton and Newt Gingrich, and was used in four campaign videos for Donald Trump.
Derringer was an outspoken supporter of Trump.
The Folk-Popster
Thirteen years before Katy Perry invented same-sex attraction in pop music, Jill Sobule had a hit with a song titled I Kissed A Girl, released in 1995. Sobule’s song was a sweet and wry number about a woman’s same-sex crush.
It was difficult to categorise Sobule’s music. Folk-pop might be the best try. In any case, the star of the show were the lyrics which told stories of uneasy romance, gender, growing up and politics, often with humour and a dose of social commentary.
Always underrated, by the mid-2000s Sobule’s commercial appeal had diminished. Still, with a loyal fan base and early adoption of crowdfunding, she continued releasing albums into the 2010s.
Sobule died tragically at the age of 66 in a house fire.
The Spinner
The classic 1972-77 line-up of The Spinners was wiped out last year; now the 1977-2000 line-up is all gone, with the death at the age of 80 of lead singer John Edwards.
Edwards had enjoyed a good career as a solo artist before joining The Spinners, releasing two well-received albums and scoring a number of soul hits, most notably Careful Man in 1974. Edwards featured on Any Major Soul 1973 Vol. 1 and Any Major Soul 1976 Vol. 2.
Having toured with The Spinners, he took up the offer to join the group in 1977 to replace Philippé Wynne. With Edwards on lead, The Spinners had a big hit in 1978 with their cover of the Four Season’s Working My Way Back To You, and in 1980 with a cover of Sam Cooke’s Cupid.
Edwards had to retire in 2000 following a debilitating stroke.
The Daredevil
A few months ago, I posted the Any Major Hits from 1975 Vol. 1 mix; within a couple of days in May we lost two artists who appeared on tracks from that collection. Larry Lee was multi-instrumentalist of The Ozark Mountain Daredevils who wrote the big hit Jackie Blue, on which he also sang lead. He also played on the great If You Wanna Get To Heaven, which recently featured on the Any Major Heaven mix.
Lee served his band as drummer, percussionist, keyboardist, guitar player and vocalist. He is the band’s fifth drummer to have died — out of six!
The other 1975 hitmaker to depart was Billy Earheart, keyboardist of The Amazing Rhythm Aces, who featured with their one-night stand anthem Third Rate Romance.
The Tunesmith
It was not a good month for people who wrote hits for the Carpenters. First Klaatu drummer Terry Draper, co-writer of Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft, died. A few days later it was Roger Nichols, who co-wrote their big hits Rainy Days And Mondays, We’ve Only Just Begun and I Won’t Last A Day Without You. Previous to that, Nichols and regular collaborator Paul Williams had written the Three Dog Night hit Out In The Country. In 1975, he wrote the tune of the Paul Anka hit Times Of Your Life. Nichols also wrote the theme of the TV series Hart To Hart.
Nichols first tried his hand as a recording artist. In 1968 released a debut album as Roger Nichols and The Small Circle of Friends, produced by Tommy LiPuma and featuring session musicians such as Van Dyke Parks, Randy Newman and Lenny Waronker. The album failed to achieve commercial success, but A&M co-owner Herb Alpert recognised Nichols’ potential and recommended him for a position as a staff songwriter. It was during this time that Nichols was introduced to lyricist Paul Williams.
With Williams, Nichols wrote advertising jingles. One of them was for the Crocker Bank, titled “Wedding”, commissioned by an exec who had heard Nichols’ 1968 album. Richard Carpenter heard the commercial one day, recognised the voice of A&M colleague Williams, and asked if there was a full version of the song. There was — it had been recorded in 1970 by Nichols’ friend Smokey Roberds under the name Freddie Allen — and the Carpenters had a mega hit with it. For the original, see The Originals: Carpenters Edition. Watch the Crocker Bank ad below
Incidentally, Anka’s Time Of Your Life also started out as a commercial jingle.
Between 19957 and 2012, Nichols released three more Roger Nichols and The Small Circle of Friends albums.
The Jazz Drummer
In the story of Miles Davis, drummer Al Foster takes a special place as the only musician who could straddle the mid-1970s electric fusion sound of On The Corner and Agharta, as well as more traditional acoustic jazz. His close relationship with Davis covered decades. During Davis’ five-year retirement from 19750-80, Foster remained in close touch.
Foster first gained attention in his early twenties, recording with trumpeter Blue Mitchell and saxophonist Sonny Rollins. He went on to swing the sticks for jazz greats such as Joe Henderson, McCoy Tyner, Hugh Masekela, Art Pepper, Yusef Lateef, Herbie Hancock, Stan Getz, Dexter Gordon, Horace Silver, and Lonnie Liston Smith.
He also released albums under his own name.
The Musicals Legend
With the death at 96 of Charles Strouse, the world of musicals has lost one of its greats. Strouse was the composer of the songs in musicals such as 1960’s Bye Bye Birdie (with songs like Put On a Happy Face, A Lot Of Livin’ To Do and One Last Kiss), 1977’s Annie (Tomorrow, It’s the Hard Knock Life, You’re Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile, Maybe), and 1970’s Applause, the title number of which has become a Broadway anthem.
Strouse wrote the tunes for 30 musicals, and the scores for several films, most notably Bonnie and Clyde (1967). He also wrote the theme song for the 1970s sitcom All In The Family, titled Those Were The Days. And thanks to sampling, he scored a big hip hop hit in 1999 with Jay-Z’s Hard Knock Life.
He won three Tony Awards, and an Emmy.
The French Rapper
On May 16, an audience of hip hop fans were preparing for a concert by rapper Werenoi. He didn’t pitch at the venue — he was found dead, apparently from cardiac arrest.
Born Jérémy Bana Owona in Melun, northern France, to Cameroonian parents, he broke big in 2021.
In 2023 and 2024, Werenoi was France’s best-selling artist. His new album, Diamant Noir, had just been released, and his latest song, Piano — a collaboration with Gims, released on May 1 — was among the most-played songs in France.
The Third Reich Survivor
Some singers are included here not for the greatness of their music but for their quite amazing stories. Leila Negra, who has died at the age of 95, had one such story. Born Marie Nejar to a white mother and a Ghanaian father, she grew up in Nazi Germany after her father’s murder by racists in Lithuania. There, she suffered racial discrimination but, with the help of a kind teacher, a Jewish doctor, and sympathetic local police, managed to avoid the very worst of Nazi repression.
Then Goebbels came to her rescue. He needed dark-skinned extras for the extravagant 1942 film Münchhausen, and Leila survived the war by playing stereotyped roles such as servants.
After the war, she was discovered singing informally at a seaside venue, where she worked as a cigarette seller, and launched into a music career. Marketed as a teenage star despite being in her 20s — her childish voice helped — she recorded several hits in the early 1950s, including a duet with the legendary Peter Alexander.
Dissatisfied with her infantilised public image and disconnected from the material written for her, she retired from entertainment in 1957, at the age of 27. She retrained as a nurse and worked in healthcare until retirement. 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.
Jill Sobule, 66, indie singer-songwriter, in a housefire on May 1 Jill Sobule – Too Cool To Fall In Love (1990) Jill Sobule – I Kissed A Girl (1995) Jill Sobule – Rainy Day Parade (2000)
Nana Caymmi, 84, Brazilian singer, on May 1
Rémi Charmasson, 63, French jazz guitarist, on May 2
Jack Lancaster, British jazz-fusion and blues rock musician, composer, producer, on May 4 Jack Lancaster feat. Phil Collins – The Whale’s Song (2016)
Squire Parsons, 77, Gospel singer and songwriter, on May 4
James Baker, 71, Australian drummer (Scientists, Hoodoo Gurus, Beasts of Bourbon), on May 5 Hoodoo Gurus – I Want You Back (1984)
Michi Kraus, 39, drummer of German rock band Cat Ballou, announced May 5
Joan O’Brien, 89, actress and country singer, on May 5
Nathan Jerde, drummer of indie rock band The Ponys, on May 5 The Ponys – Fall Inn (2003)
Iñaki Fernández, 66, Spanish rock singer, on May 5
Luigi Lopez, 77, Italian songwriter, singer and producer, on May 6 Riccardo Fogli – Mondo (1976, as writer)
DJ Hazel, 44, Polish DJ and music producer, on May 7
Xatar, 43, Iranian-born German rapper, on May 8
Johnny Rodriguez, 73, country singer and songwriter, on May 9 Johnny Rodriguez – You Always Come Back (To Hurting Me) (1973, also as co-writer)
Nadja Abd el Farrag, 60, German singer and TV personality, on May 9
Stewart Francke, 66, singer-songwriter, on May 8 Stewart Francke feat. Bruce Springsteen – Summer Soldier (Holler If Ya Hear Me)
Manfred Tauchen, 77, Austrian singer and actor, on May 10
Larry Lee, 78, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter with Ozark Mountain Daredevils, on May 10 Ozark Mountain Daredevils – If I Only Knew (1975, also as co-writer) Ozark Mountain Daredevils – Oh, Darlin’ (1980, also as writer)
Kafon, 42, Tunisian rapper, on May 10
John Edwards, 80, soul singer (The Spinners), on May 11 John Edwards – Careful Man (1973) John Edwards – Nobody But You (1976) The Spinners – Working My Way Back To You (1978)
Al Scramuzza, 97, soul/funk songwriter and label owner, on May 11 Eddie Bo – Hook And Sling (1969, as writer)
Leila Negra, 95, German singer and actress, on May 11 Leila Negra – Toxi Lied (1952)
LGP Qua, c.30, rapper, shot dead on May 11
Ronnie Sessions, 76, country singer, on May 13 Ronnie Sessions – I Bought The Shoes That Just Walked Out On Me (1987)
Billy Earheart, 71, keyboardist of country-rock band Amazing Rhythm Aces, on May 13 Amazing Rhythm Aces – Dancing The Night Away (1976)
Dale Henderson, 59, singer of trash metal band Beowülf, announced May 14
Dharío Primero, 72, Dominican singer, on May 14
Martha Miyake, 92, Japanese jazz singer, on May 14 Martha Miyake – Wave (Vou Te Contar) (1976)
Zeca do Rolete, 80, Brazilian singer and composer, on May 14
Charles Strouse, 96, musicals composer (Bye Bye Birdie, Annie), on May 15 The Poni-Tails – Born Too Late (1958, as co-writer) Tony Bennett – Put On A Happy Face (1962, as composer) Andrea McArdle & Orphans – The Hard-Knock Life (1977, as composer)
Terry Draper, 73, Canadian drummer of Klaatu and songwriter, on May 16 Klaatu – Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft (1976, also as co-writer. co-lead vocals) Klaatu – December Dream (1981, also as co-writer)
Teo Ciavarella, 65, Italian jazz pianist, on May 15
Junior Byles, 77, Jamaican reggae singer and songwriter, on May 15 Junior Byles & The Righteous Upsetters – Rub Up Festival ’71 (1971, also as writer)
Dada KD, 56, Ghanaian highlife musician, on May 16
Werenoi, 31, French rapper, on May 16 Werenoi – Guadalajara (2021)
Tony Haseldon, 79, singer and guitarist of soft rock band Le Roux, on May 16 Le Roux – Nobody Said It Was Easy (1982)
Roger Nichols, 84, songwriter, composer and multi-instrumentalist, on May 17 Roger Nichols & the Small Circle of Friends – Snow Queen (1968) Three Dog Night – Out In The Country (1970, as co-writer) Carpenters – I Won’t Last A Day Without You (1972, as co-writer)
Chris Hager, 67, guitarist of metal band Rough Cutt, announced May 19 Rough Cutt – Don’t Settle For Less (1986, also as co-writer)
Adam Ramey, 31, singer with rap-metal band Dropout Kings, by suicide on May 19
Colton Ford, 62, singer and gay porn actor, on May 19
Roger Beck, 79, guitarist and singer with bluegrass band Harmony Hollow, on May 19
Michael B. Tretow, 80, Swedish engineer, producer and musician, on May 20 Agnetha Fältskog – Sången föder dig tillbaka (1971, as engineer) Abba – Take A Chance On Me (1977, as engineer) Abba – One Of Us (1981, as engineer)
Dre Love, 55, US-born Italian singer and rapper, on May 20
Mark Greene, singer with soul group The Moments, announced May 20 The Moments – Not On The Outside (1968, on lead vocals)
David ‘El Guadaña’ Lerma, 61, singer of Mexican rock group Banda Bostik, announced May 20
Frank Gibson Jr, 79, New Zealand jazz drummer, on May 21
James Lowe, 82, singer of The Electric Prunes, producer, on May 22 The Electric Prunes – Get Me To The World On Time (1967)
Daniel Williams, 39, drummer of metalcore band The Devil Wears Prada, plane crash on May 22
Lillian Boutté, 75, jazz singer, on May 23 Lillian Boutté – Am I Blue (1989)
Kenny Marco, 78, Canadian guitarist, on May 24 Motherlode – When I Die (1969, as member on lead guitar)
Foday Musa Suso, 75, Gambian musician and composer, on May 25
Simon House, 76, English multi-instrumentalist, on May 25 Hawkwind – Spiral Galaxy 24968 (1975, as member and writer, on mellotron)
Michael Sumler, 71, hypeman and choreographer of Kool & the Gang, car crash on May 25
Gaston, 93, member of French vocal group Les Compagnons de la Chanson, on May 25
Rick Derringer, 77, musician, songwriter and producer, on May 26 The McCoys – Hang On Sloopy (1965, as member) Rick Derringer – Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo (1973, also as writer) Donald Fagen – The Nightfly (1982, on guitar)
Sherry Bryce, 78, country singer, on May 26
Gigi Canu, 66, guitarist of Italian electronic band Planet Funk, on May 26 Planet Funk – Chase The Sun (2001, also as co-writer)
Brian Kellock, 63, Scottish jazz pianist, on May 27
Freddie Aguilar, 72, Filipino musician and singer-songwriter, on May 27 Freddie Aguilar – Anak (1978)
Jah Fabio, 43, Mexican reggae singer, on May 27
Al Foster, 82, jazz drummer, on May 28 Blue Mitchell – Perception (1965, on drums) Al Foster Band – The Night Of The Wolf (1976) Miles Davis – Amandla (1989, on drums)
Alf Clausen, 84, TV and film composer (The Simpsons), on May 29 Alf Clausen – Theme of ‘Alf’ (1986)
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