Musicians we’ve lost so far this year 2019

[IceWizard]

2 October 2019, Kim Shattuck lead singer, guitarist and songwriter of the band The Muffs and former
Pixies bassist died after a two-year-long battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis age 56.




6 October 2019, Ginger Baker, the legendary drummer and co-founder of rock band Cream died at the age of 80.
The drummer co-founded Cream in 1966 with Eric Clapton and Jack Bruce. The band released four albums
before splitting in 1968, after which he formed the short-lived band Blind Faith with Clapton, Steve Winwood and Ric Grech.
Baker, one of the most innovative and influential drummers in rock music also played with Blind Faith,
Hawkwind and Fela Kuti in a long and varied career. In 1962, joined Alexis Korner’s Blues Incorporated on
the recommendation of Charlie Watts – who was leaving to join the Rolling Stones and later gained early
fame as a member of the Graham Bond Organisation alongside bassist Jack Bruce.




6 October 2019, Larry Junstrom, a founding member of Lynyrd Skynyrd and longstanding bassist
with the band .38 Special died at the age of 70. Junstrom played bass with Lynyrd Skynyrd from
its formation in 1964 until he was replaced by Leon Wilkeson in 1971. He then joined .38 Special in
1976 with Donnie Van Zant, the younger brother of the Lynyrd Skynyrd frontman Ronnie Van Zant.




8 October 2019, Malcolm ‘Molly’ Duncan died aged 74. He was a tenor saxophonist who co-founded the
Scottish funk group The Average White Band who scored the 1974 hit ‘Pick up the Pieces’.




11 October 2019, Pedal steel legend Sonny Curtis died aged 83 after a battle with Alzheimer’s disease.
He was best known as a longtime sideman to George Jones and Tammy Wynette.
He joined Jones’ “Jones Boys” in 1964. That turned into a gig with Jones and Wynette
when the couple married in 1969. Upon their divorce in 1975,
Curtis stayed with Wynette’s band until 1980.




12 October 2019, George ‘Pops’ Chambers, singer and bassist with the Chambers Brothers,
died at the age of 88. The band is best known for the 1968 single ‘Time Has Come Today,’
which blended traditional blues and gospel influences with cutting-edge psychedelic rock.




26 October 2019, American musician Paul Barrere died age 71. He was a member of Little Feat,
which he joined in 1972. Barrere later played with Phil Lesh and Friends and also toured with Bob Dylan.




5 November 2019, American keyboardist and singer Michael Sherwood died unexpectedly at the age of 60.
He worked with Air Supply, Toto keyboardist Steve Porcaro, Yes bassist Chris Squire and Lisa Loeb.
Working with Porcaro one of their co-writes was considered for Michael Jackson’s Thriller album but was
not used at the time, but was then featured on Thriller 25.




25 November 2019, Scottish singer songwriter Iain Sutherland who helped compose Sir Rod Stewart’s
1975 hit song “Sailing” died. Sutherland and his brother Gavin recorded the song in 1972 before it
became a worldwide hit for Sir Rod. The brothers worked as a folk group, the Sutherland Brothers Band and
later combined with a local rock band, Quiver, and billed themselves as the Sutherland Brothers & Quiver.




29 November 2019, American musician and songwriter, Irving Burgie regarded as one of the greatest
composers of Caribbean music died aged 95. He composed 34 songs for Harry Belafonte,
including eight of the 11 songs on the Belafonte album Calypso (1956), the first album of any
kind to sell one million copies. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2007.




8 December 2019, American rapper, singer, and songwriter Juice Wrld best-known for his viral 2018
hit “Lucid Dreams” died age 21. He suffered a seizure at Midway International Airport in Chicago, Illinois
and was rushed to a nearby hospital where he died.




9 December 2019, Roxette singer Marie Fredriksson died aged 61 following a 17-year long battle with cancer.
The Swedish duo achieved their biggest success when their 1987 single was featured on the Pretty Woman
soundtrack in 1990. It topped the charts in more than 10 countries, and gave the band their biggest UK hit,
reaching number three.

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10 December 2019, Gershon Kingsley the German-American composer and a pioneer of
electronic music and the Moog synthesizer died age 97. His best known composition, ‘Popcorn’
has been covered by Jean Michel Jarre, Aphex Twin, Herb Alpert, Muse, Crazy Frog and The Muppets.




13 December 2019, Roy Loney, the founding lead singer of the influential San Francisco power pop band
the Flamin’ Groovies, died age 73. The Flamin’ Groovies came together in San Francisco in 1965
when guitarists Loney and childhood friend Tim Lynch began working with guitarist Cyril Jordan,
bassist George Alexander and drummer Danny Mihm. Three years later, they released the
self-financed Sneakers EP, which helped them get signed to Epic.




24 December 2019, American songwriter Allee Willis died age 72. Willis co-wrote many
hit songs including ‘September’ and ‘Boogie Wonderland’ by Earth, Wind & Fire and
‘I’ll Be There for You’ by the Rembrandts, the theme from the TV sitcom Friends.
Her compositions sold over 60 million records. She was inducted into the
Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2018.




26 December 2019, American singer, musician and actor Sleepy LaBeef died age 84.
As a rockabilly artist he was noted for his extensive repertoire, and for his live performances,
at one time undertaking some 300 performances a year and claimed to know over 6,000 songs.




29 December 2019, Neil Innes, the English writer, comedian and musician died aged 75.
He was best known for his work with the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, The Rutles and
collaborating with Monty Python.

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7 August 2019, Silver Jews singer David Berman died at the age of 52.
Berman founded Silver Jews in 1989 with future Pavement members
Stephen Malkmus and Bob Nastanovich.