News & Recent Deaths

Nov 12, 2008 Mitch Mitchell, drummer and last surviving member of the Jimi Hendrix Experience, has died at age 61.

Nov 1, 2008 Jimmy Carl Black, the Indian in Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention, has died in Germany.

Oct 24, 2008 Merl Saunders, legendary keyboardist who performed with Jerry Garcia in a number of Grateful Dead side projects, has died in San Francisco.

Oct 17, 2008 Levi Stubbs, founding member and frontman of the Motown group The Four Tops, has died in Detroit at age 72.

Oct 5, 2008 Lloyd Thaxton, the zany host of TV's "The Lloyd Thaxton Show" in the 1960s, has died at age 81.

Oct 1, 2008 Nick Reynolds, a founding member of the The Kingston Trio, has died in San Diego at age 75.

Sept 16, 2008 Norman Whitfield, Motown producer and co-writer of "I Heard it Through the Grapevine", has died in Los Angeles at age 67.

Sept 15, 2008 Richard Wright, a founding member and keyboardist for Pink Floyd, has died of cancer at age 65.

Sept 12, 2008 Charlie Walker was a Grand Ole Opry superstar and honky-tonker singer, who started his career as a country music DJ in San Antonio, Texas.

Sept 1, 2008 Jerry Reed, singer, songwriter and actor, famous for the "Smokey and Bandit" movie theme "East Bound and Down", has died of emphysema at age 71.

Aug 21, 2008 Buddy Harman, a legendary Nashville drummer who appeared on over 18,000 recordings, has died at age 79.

Aug 20, 2008 Phil Guy, younger brother of blues great Buddy Guy, has died of prostrate cancer at age 68.

Aug 19, 2008 LeRoi Moore, saxophonist for the Dave Matthews Band, has died from injuries he suffered in an all-terrain vehicle accident. He was 46.

Aug 18, 2008 Pervis Jackson, an original member and bass singer for The Platters, has died in Detroit at age 70.

Aug 15, 2008 Jerry Wexler, music journalist and partner at Atlantic Records. Coined the term "Rhythm and Blues".

Aug 10, 2008 Isaac Hayes, musician, songwriter, film score composer ("Shaft") and actor has died. He was 65.

July 25, 2008 Hiram Bullock, a gifted and multi-talented jazz and rock musician who gained public fame as the barefoot guitar player on "Late Night with David Letterman", as died after a fight with throat cancer.

July 16, 2008 Jo Stafford, singer of pop and jazz standards and active from the late 1930s through the early 1960s, has died at age 90.

July 3, 2008 Colin Cooper, founding member of the Climax Blues band ("Couldn't Get it Right") has died of cancer at age 68.

July 1, 2008 Mel Galley, English guitarist and member of the bands Whitesnake, Trapeze, Finders Keepers and Phenonena, has died of cancer.

Bo Diddley, Rock pioneer famous for the "Bo Diddley Beat", has died at his home in Archer, Florida.

Utah Phillips, a folksinger, storyteller, railfan and labor organizer considered to be an elder statesman of the folk music community, has died at age 73.

John Rutsey, original drummer for the rock group "Rush", has died at age 55.

Eddy Arnold, country superstar and pioneer of the "Nashville Sound" has died at age 89.

Paul Davis, singer/songwriter of the 1977 pop hit "I Go Crazy", has died in Mississippi.

Al Wilson, soul singer best remembered for his 1973 song "Show and Tell", has died from renal failure.

Chris Gaffney, accordion and guitar player for the Hacienda Brothers and Dave Alvin, has lost his battle with liver cancer.

Danny Federici, keyboardist for Bruce Springsteen's E-Street Band, has died from melanoma.

Brian "Blinky" Davison was British drummer, best known for his work with Keith Emerson and The Nice.

Clifford Davies, drummer for Ted Nugent, has died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Sean Levert, R & B singer with the band LeVert and younger brother of the late Gerald Levert, has died in Cleveland.

Neil Aspinall, longtime Beatles friend and head of Apple Corps, has passed at age 66.

Jason Bruce Rae, musician husband of singer Corrine Bailey Rae, has died in London due to a drug overdose.

Ola Brunkert, longtime ABBA drummer, has died after a freak accident at his home in Spain.

Daniel MacMaster, of the rock group Bonham, has died at a Canadian hospital.

"Normal" Norman Smith, (AKA Hurricane Smith), Beatles Engineer and recording artist, has died.

Jeff Healey, blind blues and jazz guitarist, has died after a life-long battle with cancer.

Mike Smith, singer and keyboardist the British Invasion band the Dave Clark Five, has died just 11 days before induction into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame.

Mike Conley, singer for punk rockers M.I.A. has died after falling near Chicago.

Buddy Miles, drummer with Jimi Hndrix's Band of Gypsys, has died of heart failure.

Maharisi Mahesh Yogi, guru to the Beatles who helped introduce the West to transcendental meditation, has died.

John Stewart, member of the Kingston Trio and author of "Daydream Believier," has died in San Diego.

Johnny Grant, honorary mayor of Hollywood, has died at age 84.

Other Recent Deaths.