It was another busy month for the Reaper. And what a shitty day it was when the universally loved Dolly Parton and Tim Curry die on the same day.
The Dolly
I had my say about Dolly Parton in January, when I posted the Dolly Parton Songbook to mark her 80th birthday. In my notes, I wrote: “Parton’s range is astonishing. She can write persuasively about heartbreak (I Will Always Love You), social conditions (The Grass Is Blue, Down From Dover), and humour (Applejack, The Bargain Store). Her genius lies in her clarity and economy. She once said she likes songs that ‘say a lot with a little’, and that finds expression in her lyrics.”
It’s remarkable how the appreciation of Dolly Parton, the person, crossed all ideological lines, despite her words and deeds locating her on the more liberal side of things. Even Donald Trump took time out from his usual routine of celebrating the deaths of people whose views he dislikes.
In South Africa, a mayoral candidate for Johannesburg felt moved to include in a brief social media tribute the observation that Parton “looked like a complete floozy”. The candidate, a prominent politician whose sartorial style might be called aggressively frumpy, received backlash for that misjudged attempt at levity. It turns out that even in South Africa, people love Dolly Parton.
The Sweet Transvestite
Generations of movie-goers knew Tim Curry as the sweet transvestite from transsexual Transylvania or the snooty hotel concierge in Home Alone 2. I first got to know about him in 1980 through his song I Do The Rock, which referred to John and Yoko living in the Dakota — information that would become chillingly relevant later that year. It was an eccentric record, with a glorious riff, theatrical vocal performance, and name-dropping lyrics. It would be Curry’s only solo hit outside Rocky Horror.
But British-born Curry was a serious musician, and for a few years in the late 1970s and early 1980s he tried to establish a career as a rock singer, alongside his acting.
He had received classical vocal training as a boy soprano. A prolific stage actor, he made his debut in Hair in 1968 and became well-known for portraying Dr Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Show from 1973-75, and in its 1975 film adaptation. In 1980, he was the original Mozart in the stage play Amadeus.
After The Rocky Horror Picture Show turned him into an international star, A&M Records signed him and released his first solo album, Read My Lips, in 1978. It was an eclectic record, mixing rock, reggae and standards. Curry covered material like The Beatles’ I Will, Joni Mitchell’s All I Want, and Bacharach & David’s Anyone Who Had A Heart, while also recording more theatrical material.
His second album, Fearless, followed in 1979 and was more rock-oriented, with most of the songs written by Curry, often in collaboration with guitarist and songwriter Dick Wagner. I Do the Rock was the standout, reaching #91 on the Billboard Hot 100 in November of that year. After John Lennon was murdered outside the Dakota in December 1980, Curry dropped the song’s John-and-Yoko verse from his live performances. Curry followed it with Simplicity in 1981, his third and final studio album.
Curry spent the last 13 years of his life in a wheelchair following a stroke in 2012.
The Beard
Here’s a piece if irony you probably haven’t heard before: you see, the only member of ZZ Top who… oh, you have? Anyway, with the death of occasional shaving-enthusiast Frank Beard, there is only one member of ZZ Top left, Billy Gibbons. Bassist Dusty Hill left us in 2021.
Born in Frankston, Texas, in 1949, Beard at one time was a member of a fake iteration of UK band The Zombies. He met guitarist Gibbons in the late 1960s and introduced him to Hill, with whom Beard had already played in several bands. The three became ZZ Top in 1969.
They had some success with the hits Tush and I Thank You, but the huge commercial breakthrough came with the 1983 album Eliminator. The record introduced synthesizers and even drum machines to the band’s blues-rock formula. Gimme All Your Lovin’, Sharp Dressed Man and Legs became big international hits, while their tongue-in-cheek videos turned the trio into MTV stars.
In 1976, ZZ Top took a hiatus to let Beard deal with his substance abuse problems, returning with the 1979 album Degüello. Beard kept touring with the band until 2025. A concert planned for August 5 at Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles was cancelled due to Beard’s bad health. He died 12 days later, reportedly in hospice care.
ZZ Top was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2004. At the request of Hill and Beard, Gibbins will continue the band with their replacements.
The All-Rounder
By her own admission, Jaye P. Morgan was one of music’s bawdiest voices. A husky-voiced singer, her uninhibited humour was as famous as her more conventional hit records.
Born Mary Margaret Morgan in Mancos, Colorado, in 1931, she grew up in California and began singing young, joining the Frank DeVol Orchestra as its lead female singer from 1950 to 1953. That year, her recording of Life Is Just A Bowl Of Cherries for the independent Derby label reached #26 on the Billboard charts, earning her a contract with RCA Victor.
Within a year she had five hits, including That’s All I Want From You (#3), The Longest Walk (#6) and Danger! Heartbreak Ahead.
Morgan’s recording success led to television and stage work. She appeared regularly on variety shows, and in 1956 presented her own musical-variety series, The Jaye P. Morgan Show, alongside several of her brothers. She later took to musical theatre, appearing in Annie Get Your Gun, Guys And Dolls, Nunsense and Sugar Babies.
In the 1970s she found a new generation of fans as a panelist on The Gong Show, and she kept recording, even venturing into the field of soft rock with a David Foster-produced and Bill Champlin-produced LP.
The Prince Mixer
Producer and recording engineer David Z — known to his mom and the IRS as David Rivkin — is regarded as one of the key architects of the Minneapolis Sound, helping to mould the music of Prince and many other artists associated with the city’s vibrant funk and rock scene. These included The Time, featuring Morris Day and future production giants Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.
Born in 1953, he was the older brother of Bobby Z, Prince & The Revolution’s original drummer. After working as a recording engineer, David Z became one of the first people outside Prince’s inner circle to understand the young artist’s fusion of funk, rock, pop and new wave in the recording studio. The Paisley Park documentation is sketchy about what David Z contributed to Prince’s records, but his work in recording his material and things like programming drum machines is widely acknowledged.
David Z had chart success in his own right, as guitarist of Lipps Inc., who had a global hit with the disco classsic Funkytown. As a songwriter, he contributed to Gram Parson’s GP album with the song ow Much I’ve Lied, co-written with the singer.
David Z produced or engineered recordings by the likes of The Jets (including Crush On You), Fine Young Cannibals (including She Drives Me Crazy), Jody Watley (including Looking For A New Love), Janice Jackson, Surface, Neneh Cherry, a-ha, Bananarama, Johnny Lang (including Lie To Me, which he also co-wrote), John Mayall, Joe Cocker, Leo Kottke, Angélique Kidjo, Buddy Guy, and more.
The Soul Man
One of Southern soul’s great voices, singer and pianist Latimore racked up a five-decade career.
Born in Charleston, Tennessee, in 1939, Benny Latimore grew up on country radio, Baptist hymns and Delta blues, singing his first solo in church at age 13. He abandoned university studies to pursue music, eventually settling in Miami, where he first worked as a backing pianist.
Latimore began recording around 1965, but he broke through only in the early 1970s. His first big hit was a gender-flipped cover of Gladys Knight’s If You Were My Woman in 1973. Then came the career-defining song: Let’s Straighten It Out, a self-written slow-burn plea (and not a ditty about his remarkable hair) that topped the R&B chart in 1974 and crossed into the pop charts. Two more R&B Top 10 hits followed, 1975’s Keep The Home Fire Burnin’ and Somethin’ ‘Bout ‘Cha” in 1976, before the hit streak cooled.
All the while he kept backing singes like Gwen McCrae (including on her hit Rockin’ Chair) and Betty Wright on piano.
Latimore kept releasing soul and blues albums over two decades, and later launched his own label, LatStone.
The Singing Actress
Best known as an actress, Hayden Panettiere, who has died at only 36, was also a talented singer, though her recording career was largely an extension of her acting. That talent was especially showcased in the country industry-based TV series Nashville.
Panettiere began singing professionally while still a child, recording songs for films and Disney-related projects. Among her early credits were My Hero Is You for the Disney Channel film Tiger Cruise (2004), I Fly for Ice Princess (2005), Try for Bridge To Terabithia (2007), Cruella De Vil for Disneymania 5, and I Still Believe for Cinderella III: A Twist in Time.
Her first serious attempt to establish herself as a recording artist came after her breakthrough as Claire Bennet in Heroes. She released the reggae-tinged Wake Up Call in 2008, which was promoted through a major advertising campaign with Candie’s. A debut album was planned for 2009, but it was never completed or released.
In Nashville, which premiered in 2012, Panettiere played a young, ambitious country singer, and performed all of her character’s songs herself.
Her first major country single, Telescope, was released in 2012, reaching #36 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. More singles followed, many also appearing on Nashville’s various soundtrack albums, while several were issued as singles. Panettiere also performed with the Nashville cast in live appearances and a television special Nashville.
The Keyboardist
In the 1980s, Nick Glennie-Smith was on the keyboards in a string of big hits, for acts like Tina Turner (What’s Love Got To Do With It, We Don’t Need Another Hero, Typical Male, I Don’t Wanna Lose You, Foreign Affair), Miquel Brown (So Many Men, So Little Time), Katrina & The Waves (Walking On Sunshine), Phil Collins (Separate Lives), Five Star (System Addict, Rain Or Shine), Chris de Burgh (Lady In Red), Roger Daltrey (After The Fire), Paul McCartney (Back On My Feet, Love Come Tumbling Down), and others.
He also played on Roger Waters’ The Wall – Live in Berlin and toured with Cliff Richard.
In the 1990s he moved towards composing film and television music, becoming a frequent collaborator with the great Hans Zimmer.
Glennie-Smith was the Oscar-nominated composer, producer and conductor on The Rock (1996), and subsequently wrote or co-wrote scores including Home Alone 3, The Man in the Iron Mask, The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride, We Were Soldiers and Secretariat. His film work also included orchestration, additional music and conducting on productions such as Crimson Tide, Pirates Of The Caribbean and Transformers.
The Producer
He died on July 23, but the death at 69 of William Orbit was announced only on August 7. The man born in London as William Mark Wainwright was one of the most inventive British producers, composers and electronic musicians of his generation.
Orbit emerged in the early 1980s with the electronic group Torch Song, beginning a career that would veer between underground dance music, ambient electronica, pop and classical music. His own Strange Cargo series developed a distinctive sound built from atmospheric synthesizers, samples and spacious arrangements. He also founded Guerilla Records, an influential label associated with the emerging progressive-house scene and artists including Underworld and Leftfield.
His big breakthrough came when Madonna asked him to work on what became her acclaimed 1998 album Ray Of Light. Orbit combined electronic rhythms, atmospheric textures and dance production with Madonna’s songwriting and vocals. He won Grammy Awards for his work on the album and its title track. In 1999 he produced Madonna’s hit Beautiful Stranger, which he also co-wrote with the singer.
Orbit also produced and remixed recordings for artists including Blur, U2, All Saints, Pink, Britney Spears, Robbie Williams, Prince, Beth Orton, Chris Brown, Belinda Carlisle, Mel C, Katie Melua, Ricky Martin, Sarah McLachlan, Queen, Robbie Williams, Sugababes, and others.
In 2014, Orbit re-produced an unreleased 1981 recording of a Freddie Mercury and Michael Jackson duet, There Must Be More to Life Than This, released on a Queen record.
Orbit also had a fascination with classical music. His 1995 album Pieces In A Modern Style, reimagined works by classical composers through electronic production. His version of Samuel Barber’s Adagio For Strings became particularly successful, and the album reached #2 on the UK album chart. A second volume followed in 2010.
The Soul Singer
The name Ann Bogan may be known only to soul aficionados, but the soul singer and songwriter packed quite a bit into her decade-long career.
Born in Cleveland in 1941, she was discovered by the great Harvey Fuqua after he had heard her singing in church. Bogan, who had grown up singing on the gospel circuit, first recorded for Fuqua in the early 1960s as a member of The Challengers, In 1964 she was given the lead on The Andantes’ (Like A) Nightmare, which later would become big on England’s Northern Soul scene.
In 1967, Bogan replaced Gladys Horton in The Marvelettes, and sang on the group’s late-Motown recordings. She took the lead on I’m Gonna Hold On As Long As I Can, another Northern Soul classic.
After The Marvelettes disbanded, Bogan became part of The New Birth and its subsidiary band Love, Peace & Happiness. She also appeared on New Birth records.
By the mid-1970s, Bogan chose family life, retiring from music to raise her two children.
The Dutch Star
The Dutch group Earth and Fire was absolutely huge in the Netherlands in the 1970s, but remained unknown in the UK and US. The band’s frontwoman was Jerney Kaagman, who has died aged 79.
She joined Earth and Fire in 1969, when she was 22, when the band was a prog rock outfit. That sound progressively became more pop-oriented, culminating in the disco-inflected European hit Weekend in 1979.
Before that international success, Earth and Fire had accumulated a remarkable run of Dutch Top 5 hits with songs like Seasons, Ruby Is The One, Memories, and Maybe Tomorrow Maybe Tonight.
Earth and Fire broke up in 1983, after which Kaagman embarked on a solo career. She also returned for Earth and Fire’s reunion from 1987 to 1990.
Kaagman subsequently became an important figure behind the scenes in Dutch music, including a stint as president of the musicians’ union BV Pop. She was also a judge on the Dutch version of Idols.
In 2012, Kaagman announced that she had Parkinson’s disease and gradually withdrew from the public eye.
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.
William Orbit, 69, English musician, songwriter and producer, on July 23
Madonna – Beautiful Stranger (1999, as co-producer and co-writer)
Finley Quaye & William Orbit – Dice (2003)
Queen & Michael Jackson – There Must Be More To Life Than This (2014, as producer)
Terry Slater, 85, songwriter, bassist, producer, manager (a-ha), announced July 29
Everly Brothers – Bowling Green (1967, as co-writer)
Jerney Kaagman, 79, lead singer of Dutch rock-pop band Earth and Fire, on July 31
Earth And Fire – Ruby Is The One (1970)
Earth And Fire – Weekend (1979)
David Z, 78, record producer, engineer and musician, on Aug. 2
Gram Parsons – How Much I’ve Lied (1974, as co-writer)
Lipps, Inc – Funkytown (1979, as member on guitar, and as mixer)
Prince And The Revolution – Kiss (1976, as engineer)
Fine Young Cannibals – She Drives Me Crazy (1989, as producer)
Luis Gasca, 86, jazz trumpeter and flugelhornist, composer, on Aug. 2
Van Morrison – Wild Night (1971, on trumpet)
John Douglas, 63, guitarist, songwriter with Scottish indie band Trashcan Sinatras, on Aug. 3
Trashcan Sinatras – Even The Odd (1990)
Pepe Habichuela, 82, Spanish flamenco guitarist, on Aug. 4
Tristam Nada, 68, French punk singer and painter, on Aug. 4
Jean-Paul Dréau, 73, French songwriter and composer, on Aug. 4
Richard Cocciante – Le Coup de Soleil (1979, as writer)
Terry Trotter, 85, jazz pianist, singer and composer, on Aug. 4
Larry Carlton – Sleepwalk (1982, on electric piano)
Rick Marotta – Theme of ‘Everybody Loves Raymond’ (1996)
Terry Buffalo Ware, 76, country/folk guitarist, singer and songwriter, on Aug. 5
Terry Buffalo Ware – Fine, Fine Day (2017)
Nathan Smith, 45, bassist of English rock group MFK, in traffic accident on Aug. 5
Ann Bogan, 85, soul singer (Andantes, Marvelettes, New Birth), on Aug. 6
The Andantes – (Like A) Nightmare (1964)
Love Peace & Happiness – (Only You) Message To The Establishment (1971, also as co-writer)
Tony Scott, 54, Surinamese-born Dutch rapper and musician, on Aug. 6
Francesco Guccini, 86, Italian folk singer-songwriter and author, on Aug. 6
Francesco Guccini – La Locomotiva (1972)
Bill Armstrong, 97, Australian jazz producer, on Aug. 7
Cat Dowling, 54, Irish singer-songwriter, on Aug. 7
Cat Dowling – Freedom (2021)
Randy Burns, 78, folk singer-songwriter, on Aug. 8
Randy Burns – I’m A Lover, Not A Fool (1972, also as writer)
Mike Milford, singer of metal group Scars of Tomorrow, announced Aug. 8
Gary Dwyer, drummer of UK post-punk and The Teardrop Explodes, on Aug. 9
The Teardrop Explodes – Reward (1981)
Sensational (Colin Julius Bobb), 51, Guyana-born rapper, announced Aug. 11
Gary ‘Gazza’ Johnson, 68, bassist of China Crisis, on Aug. 12
China Crisis – Wishful Thinking (1983)
Derry Brownson, 55, keyboardist of English alt.rock and EMF, on Aug. 13
EMF – Unbelievable (1990, also as co-writer)
Ruby Andrews, 79, American soul singer, on Aug. 13
Ruby Andrews – Just Loving You (1972)
Ruby Andrews – My Imaginary Eye (1977)
Johnny Young, 79, Dutch-born Australian singer, songwriter, TV producer, ann. Aug. 14
Russell Morris – The Real Thing (1969, as writer)
Nikki Ross, 54, gospel singer, on Aug. 14
Claude Antonini, 80, French chanson singer-songwriter, on Aug. 15
Thelma Stubbs-Mitchell, singer with soul band The Stubbs Girls, announced Aug. 16
The Stubbs – All Is Well (2009)
Nick Glennie-Smith, 74, English film composer and keyboardist, on Aug. 16
Katrina & the Waves – Walking On Sunshine (1985, on organ)
Phil Collins & Marilyn Martin – Separate Lives (1985, on keyboard)
Hayden Panettiere, 36, actress and singer, on Aug. 16
Hayden Panettiere – Hypnotizing (2013)
Martin Paul, 71, German keyboardist and songwriter, on Aug. 17
Frank Beard, 77, drummer of ZZ Top, on Aug. 17
ZZ Top – La Grange (1973, also as co-writer)
ZZ Top – I Thank You (1979)
ZZ Top – Sharp Dressed Man (1983, also as co-writer)
Barry Mitchell, 76, bassist of Queen (1970-71), on Aug. 17
Curt-T-T, guitarist of funk band Full Force, on Aug. 17
Full Force – Alice, I Want You Just For Me (1986)
Dean Stylette, member of Mexican punk band Size, on Aug. 17
Keith Keith, 64, rapper with pioneering hip hop group Funky 4 + 1, on Aug. 21
Funky 4+1 – That’s The Joint (1980, also as co-writer)
Janie Bradford, 87, Motown songwriter, on Aug. 21
Barrett Strong – Money (That’s What I Want) (1959, as co-writer)
Marvin Gaye – Too Busy Thinking About My Baby (1969, as co-writer)
Latimore, 86, American soul singer, on Aug. 22
Latimore – Let’s Straighten It Out (1974, also as writer)
Latimore – Something ‘Bout ‘Cha (1977, also as writer)
Denise LaSalle & Latimore – Right Place Right Time (1984)
Jaye P. Morgan, 94, singer, actress, TV personality, on Aug. 24
Jaye P. Morgan – That’s All I Want From You (1954)
Eddy Arnold And Jaye P. Morgan – Mutual Admiration Society (1956)
Jaye P. Morgan – Keepin’ It To Myself (1976)
Dolly Parton, 80, country singer-songwriter and actress, on Aug. 25
Dolly Parton & Porter Wagoner – The Last Thing On My Mind (1967)
Dolly Parton – Touch Your Woman (1972, also as writer)
Dolly Parton – Do I Ever Cross Your Mind (1982, also as writer and producer)
Dolly Parton – Shine (2001)
Tim Curry, 80, English singer and actor, on Aug. 25
Tim Curry – Sweet Transvestite (1974; stage soundtrack version)
Tim Curry – Anyone Who Had A Heart (1978)
Tim Curry – I Do The Rock (1979, also as co-writer)
James Fairs, guitarist and songwriter with pop band The Cryan’ Shames, on Aug. 25
The Cryan’ Shames – I Wanna Meet You (1966, also as writer)
Rubén Rada, 83, Uruguayan singer-songwriter, on Aug. 26
Granville Straker, 86, calypso producer and label owner, on Aug. 27
Wacko, 52, rapper with hip hop group UTP, on Aug. 28
David Fair, 74, member of art-punk band Half Japanese, artist, on Aug. 29
Half Japanese – Said And Done (1988)
Frankie Miller, 95, country singer, on Aug. 29
Gene Bertoncini, 89, American jazz guitarist, on Aug. 29
Miguel Zavaleta, 71, singer of Argentine rock group Sueter, songwriter, on Aug. 30
Sueter – Amanece en la Ruta (1984)
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