We lost a lot of rock guitarists in 2022, along with many accomplished vocalists and musicians of other instruments, and some rock notables. The significance of musical contributions by persons now in their 70’s and 80’s cannot be overstated. I want to memorialize even the minor players but after editing out the fringes of rock and most Classical, Jazz, Country, Hip Hop etc., my list is still over 170 notable deaths from all age groups in 2022. Even within my narrow focus the list makes a cultural snapshot with sociological impact which requires my in-depth consideration. Take for example, those who died aged 71-80.
People who are over 70 were born 1942-1953 were 10 to 20 years old when everybody got black and white TV’s, radios, an old record player, and a lot of them already had stereo record players by the mid 1960’s. They were hopping and bopping and sharing records that their parents considered rebellious. Vinyl records were still king well into their 30’s and 40’s when many of them were at their peak of rock stardom. These early Boomers changed the world using music. By 1964 musicians were primed and ready for the explosion of music creativity that ensued after the British invasion. This was not another pop culture fad; this was counter culture affecting every generation to follow. With little in common with genuine 50’s rock and roll, this range of sounds became identified under the term Rock music.
Make some time to browse through this list of 62 names and you will find many you recognize, and many you know the music, but not the name. The other cohorts 80-102, 61-70, 41-60 and under 40 years old can be read in my subsequent posts.
They all deserve to be remembered. Please add your memories in the comments.
Bobby Rydell 79, started as a young musician in the late 1950s while Elvis Presley took a break from the stage. Rydell quickly became a loved musician with his smart looks and his hit songs everyone was singing like “Wild One”. Rydell has starred in the adaptation of the musical Bye Bye Birdie with other stars like Janet Leigh and Ann-Margret. Rydell suffered a dramatic decline in popularity after the Beatles arrived in America. His autobiography was published in 2016
Christine McVie 79, an English singer, keyboardist and songwriter, with Chicken Shack for two albums before marrying Fleetwood Mac bassist John McVie. As a member of Fleetwood Mac, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. She wrote and co-wrote major hits like “Don’t Stop,” “Say You Love Me,” “Hold Me.” You Make Loving Fun” and “Over My Head” A 2019 BBC documentary directed by Matt O’Casey titled Fleetwood Mac’s Songbird – Christine McVie chronicled her life and career.
Brett Tuggle 71, keyboardist who spent 20 years working with Fleetwood Mac and a former member of the after working with John Kay & Steppenwolf, Rick Springfield, Jimmy Page, David Coverdale, Tommy Shaw, David Lee Roth band and Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels and others.
Dame Olivia Newton-John 73, was a British-Australian singer, actress and activist. She was a four-time Grammy Award winner whose music career included five number-one hits and many other Top Ten hits on the Billboard Hot 100, and two number-one albums on the Billboard 200: If You Love Me, Let Me Know and Have You Never Been Mellow. She is best known to movie fans as Sandy in Grease, the 1978 smash that remains among the top-grossing movie musicals of all time.
Ronnie Spector 78, the rock ‘n’ roll siren who sang such 1960s hits as “Be My Baby,” “Baby I Love You” and “Walking in the Rain” as the leader of the girl group the Ronettes,. Ronnie made her comeback during the late 1980s with her recording of “Be My Baby” and for Eddie Moneys’ hit song “Take Me Home Tonight”
Dino Danelli 78, drummer and founding member of New Jersey rock and rollers The Rascals. Coming from a jazz background he got a 24″ bass drum ala Gene Krupa and set his cymbals flat like Sonny Payne. He was the dynamo behind that bass-less rock band. Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and was inducted along with The Rascals in 1997- biggest hit, Good Lovin’.
Michael Lang 77, the main driving force behind the original Woodstock, Michael was born in Brooklyn, and in 1967 moved to Coconut Grove, Florida to open a head shop. In 1968, after promoting a series of concert events in the Miami area, he met Artie Kornfeld in New York. The two developed the concept for a major festival event to celebrate the ’60s social movements on Max Yasgur’s farm in August, 1969.
Gary Brooker 76, the lead singer of the rock band Procol Harum, whose 1967 hit , “A Whiter Shade of Pale” mesmerized baby boomer fans with its psychedelic melancholy. He also toured with stars like Eric Clapton, Paul McCartney, and Ringo Starr.
Alan White 72, longtime drummer for prog rock band Yes. The first studio album he played on (and the band’s sixth overall), Tales from Topographic Oceans, was also Yes’s first UK No 1. Then 1977’s Going For the One was another chart-topper. White formed another new band, Cinema, with Squire, Yes keyboardist Tony Kaye and guitarist Trevor Rabin, whose demos wooed Jon Anderson back to the fold – they soon relaunched the Yes name. This began the group’s most commercially successful period in the US, with the single Owner of a Lonely Heart reaching No 1 there in 1983.
Vangelis 79, (Evángelos Odysséas Papathanassíou) a Greek musician and composer of electronic, progressive, ambient, jazz, and orchestral music in 1968 formed the prog rock quartet Aphrodite’s Child with Greek expats including Demis Roussos. Their single Rain and Tears was a hit across Europe, topping the French, Belgian and Italian charts and reaching the UK Top 30. He teamed with the band Yes’s Jon Anderson for the duo Jon and Vangelis, whose debut album went Top 5. Solo releases remained steady alongside his commissioned work, and occasionally included collaborations with vocalists such as Paul Young. His final album, 2021’s Juno to Jupiter, was inspired by the Nasa probe Juno and featured recordings of its launch and the workings of the probe itself in outer space. Died of COVID-19 complications.
Rosa Lee Hawkins 76, whose group the Dixie Cups bumped the Beatles off the No. 1 position on the charts in 1964 with their hit “Chapel of Love,”
Jim Seals, 80, of the 1970s soft rock duo Seals & Crofts, still popular on oldies radio and yacht rock playlists, including “Summer Breeze,” “Diamond Girl” and “Get Closer.”
Naomi Judd 76, and her daughter, Wynonna, made their band called The Judds and were a successful duo as they created 14 hit songs reaching number one in three decades. Some of their hits were “Mama He’s Crazy” and “Why Not Me” both in 1984. Judd’s other daughter is the actress Ashley Judd.
Judith Durham 79, an Australian folk music icon, whose voice graced several international hits, with her group The Seekers. They sold more than 50 million records off such hits as “The Carnival is Over,” “I’ll Never Find Another You,” “A World of Our Own” and my favorite “Georgy Girl.”
Meat Loaf 74, (born Michael Lee Aday) career spanned six decades that saw him sell over 100 Million albums worldwide and star in over 65 movies, including Fight Club, Focus, Rocky Horror Picture Show and Wayne’s World. Bat Out of Hell remains one of the top 10 selling albums of all time
A Mickey Rooney Jr.77, the eldest son of Hollywood actor Mickey Rooney played multiple instruments — guitar, keyboards, drums — Rooney Jr. formed a band with brother Tim in the 1960s, He later played in bands with Willie Nelson and appeared alongside him in the 1980 feature Honeysuckle Rose. He appeared in several films, including the 1967 feature Hot Rods to Hell and the 1975 TV movie Beyond the Bermuda Triangle.
Bruce Anderson 72, guitarist and co-founder of Indiana art rock greats MX-80. They developed a following after moving to San Francisco in the 80’s.Their latest release, Hougher House, came out last year, and the band have been gearing up for a new album called Better Than Life.
Rick Anderson 75, the co-founding bassist of the Tubes who was with the band for a half-century and played on “She’s a Beauty,” “Talk to Ya Later” and “White Punks on Dope,”
Shirley Macleod 72, (Re Styles) sang on the TUBESs first U.S. charting single, duetting with Fee Waybill on “Don’t Touch Me There,” She met The Tubes at an art school show and quickly fell in with the San Francisco-based troupe. By 1975, she was coordinating their clothes and wild stage maneuvers, while appearing onstage herself. In one memorable take, she appeared as heiress Patty Hearst. Styles modeled in Penthouse and Playboy. She also would dress in leather outfits and dance suggestively with lead singer Fee Waybill during the fan-favorite song “Mondo Bondage.” She married Tubes drummer Prairie Prince in 1979
Kim Simmonds 75, founder and sole constant member of British blues rock band Savoy Brown. The band released more than 40 studio albums, Although not well known as other British guitar legends, Simmonds is considered one of the architects of British blues in the late 1960s.
Timmy Thomas (Timothy Earle Thomas) 77, R&B singer, keyboardist, songwriter, and record producer, best known for the 1972 hit song, “Why Can’t We Live Together” eventually selling over two million copies. He first attracted interest in his work as an accompanist with Donald Byrd and Cannonball Adderley, before working as a session musician in Memphis, Tennessee
Wilko Johnson 75, musician-actor, guitarist who played executioner Ser Ilyn Payne in Game of Thrones. He is best known as the guitarist for British band Dr Feelgood as well as Ian Drury and the Blockheads and his own material, including a 2014 album with The Who’s Roger Daltrey. Rocker Billy Bragg said that, Johnson was a “precursor of punk. His guitar playing was angry and angular, but his presence – twitchy, confrontational, out of control
Anita Pointer 74, founding member of the Pointer Sisters, known for hits including “Slow Hand” and “Jump (For My Love).” In 1969, Pointer quit her job as a secretary to join her younger sisters Bonnie and June to form the Pointer Sisters and in 1972 their sister Ruth joined. When “Fairytale” became a hit on the country music charts the Pointer Sisters to become the first black female group to perform at the Grand Ole Opry. In 2020, Pointer released the book, Fairytale: The Pointer Sisters’ Family Story.
Burke Shelley 71, lead vocalist, bassist and co-songwriter of Budgie, the pioneering Welsh proto-metal group that influenced metal musicians all over the world. Their songs have been covered over the years by Metallica, Van Halen, Iron Maiden, Soundgarden and Megadeth. In the years leading up to his death, the bassist and singer was afflicted by Stickler syndrome, a rare congenital connective tissue disorder
Garry Roberts 72, founding lead guitarist of the Irish rock band The Boomtown Rats, had hits like “Rat Trap”, “Like Clockwork” (1978) and “I Don’t Like Mondays” (1979). They disbanded in 1986, but reformed in 2013, with Roberts at the helm.
Bert Ruiter 75 bassist for Dutch Prog band Focus, famous for the high energy hit “Hocus Pocus” In 1971 he replaced Cyril Havermans and remained until the group dissolved in 1978. He then joined Earth & Fire, the group in which his wife Jerney Kaagman (whom he married in 1974) sang. The two later left Earth & Fire, and Ruiter worked with Kaagman on her solo albums, gradually assuming more of a role as producer and arranger. In 1999 Ruiter rejoined Thijs van for a reunion of Focus.
Klaus Schulze 74, one of the pioneering figures of ’70s electronic music was drummer for cosmic greats Tangerine Dream — then with his own group Ash Ra Tempel
Ian McDonald 75, was a British multi-instrumentalist who co-founded Foreigner 1975 and King Crimson 1968 (He played saxophone, flute, keyboards, and other instruments on their influential first album, 1969’s “In the Court of the Crimson King,” before leaving that band ) He co-wrote popular singles including “Feels Like the First Time,” “Hot Blooded,” and “Head Games”. As a session musician his contributions included saxophones on “Bang a Gong (Get it On)” by T. Rex. In later years, he released two solo albums and played with bands including Asia and Honey West.
Richard Gordon Price 77, an English bassist who played with various Birmingham-based rock bands, most notably Sight and Sound, the Move (1969-1971), and After splitting from the band, which morphed into the Electric Light Orchestra, Price joined his ex-Move mate Wood in the experimental glam pop collective Wizzard (1972-1975).. Price married Dianne Lee, a member of the 1970s duet Peters and Lee. The pair performed hits and new songs on tour as a duet.
Gal Costa 77, Brazilian singer was a pillar of the cultural movements ‘Tropicalista’ and Brazilian Popular Music in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Along with other notable musicians including Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil, she defined a style that combined popular song, boss nova, psychedelia and rock.
James Mtume 76, a percussionist who performed in Miles Davis’ seminal fusion band from 1971-75 and later had hits with his own eponymous group. Born, in Philadelphia, Mtume appeared on 80 albums with a wide variety of other notable musicians, including Duke Ellington, Sonny Rollins, Dizzy Gillespie, Roberta Flack and Lonnie Liston Smith. Production and songwriting career included writing “Freak Tonight” by R. Kelly from the A Thin Line Between Love and Hate soundtrack, and coproducing Mary J. Blige’s album, Share My World. He also produced Roy Ayers and the Bar-Kays, and composed the music and theme song for the 1990s television police drama New York Undercover.
Robert Gordon 75, a rockabilly devotee and singer whose band the Tuff Darts was a staple of New York City’s CBGB and Max’s Kansas City punk scene of the 1970s, Gordon teamed up with the great “Rumble” rock guitarist Link Wray in the late 1970s, and their 1978 album Fresh Fish Special included an early recording of Bruce Springsteen’s song “Fire,” with Springsteen himself on keyboards.
John Hartman 72, founding drummer of The Doobie Brothers played on all of the Doobies’ hits of the 1970s, including “Listen to the Music” (1972), “Jesus Is Just Alright” (1972) and “Takin’ It to the Streets” (1976). Hartman was a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as the Doobies were inducted in 2020.
Gregg Philbin 75, bassist who played on REO Speedwagon’s first six studio albums
David Muse 73, played flute, sax and keyboard with Firefall and later Marshall Tucker Band
Darryl Hunt 72, bassist for the Pogues and bands including Plummet Airlines and Pride of the Cross. The Pogues, If I Should Fall from Grace With God, came out in 1988 and in 1996 the band released its final studio album, Pogue Mahone, and the record includes one of Hunt’s more notable compositions, “Love You ’Till the End.”
Nicky Moore 75, Vocalist for several bands over the years including Uli Jon Roth, Hackensack, Tiger, and Mammoth, though he was best known for replacng Bruce Dickinson in Samson after Dickinson left to join Iron Maiden. Moore fronted Samson between 1981 and 1984, and then again between 2000 and 2002 up until Samson founder Paul Samson’s death.
Dan McCafferty 76, Singer for Nazareth’ who’s third album “Razamanaz” became their first hit album reaching #11 in the UK. “Love Hurts” off the 1975 “Hair of the Dog” album gave them a US Top 10. He also released three solo albums. In 1993, Axel Rose of Guns N’ Roses copied him when “Hair of the Dog” was covered for “The Spaghetti Incident”
Manny Charlton 80, the founding guitarist of Nazareth who played on the Scottish rock band’s best-known records, including “Love Hurts”, its LP Hair of the Dog, and also produced early Guns N’ Roses demos resulting in Appetite for Destruction
Jimy Sohns 75, the lead singer of The Shadows of Knight rock band and the voice of its monster 1965 hit “Gloria,”
John Till 76, guitarist member of Janis Joplin’s band
Willie Leacox 74, drummer of the band America, known for hit. “Horse With No Name” was with the folk-rock band for 41 years.
Barry Bailey 73, best-known as the founding guitarist in southern rock band Atlanta Rhythm Section, scored several Top 20 hits, including “So in to You,” “I’m Not Gonna Let It Bother Me Tonight,” “Imaginary Lover,” “Do It or Die” and “Spooky.”
Warner Joseph Williams 74, formed a local band called the Louisiana Purchase and they performed all over the United States and Canada to include opening for the Temptations. The ‘Louisiana Purchase’ cut several albums with local chart toping hits such as “For The Moment” and “Baby’s Love” and the remake of “Baby Come Back”. After having a laryngectomy in 1994, Warner couldn’t play the saxophone anymore, but refused to give up on music. He was the musical director for the incomparable Irma Thomas, for almost 30 years and was often invited to play piano with local notable artists Marva Wright and Fats Domino.
Dick Halligan 78, multi-instrumentalist and co-founder of Blood, Sweat & Tears, collected two Grammys with the band before going on in 1971, to a successful career writing scores for TV and films.
Nicky Moore 75 Vocalist for several bands over the years including Uli Jon Roth, Hackensack, Tiger, and Mammoth, though he was best known for replacng Bruce Dickinson in Samson after Dickinson left to join Iron Maiden. Moore fronted Samson between 1981 and 1984, and then again between 2000 and 2002 up until Samson founder Paul Samson’s death.
JEFF COOK 73, co-founded the successful country group Alabama and steered them up the charts with such hits as “Song of the South” and “Dixieland Delight. landed eight #1 songs on the country charts between spring 1980 and summer 1982. He stopped touring with Alabama in 2018 after disclosing his 2012 diagnosis with Parkinson’s in 2017. He also released collaborations with Charlie Daniels and “Star Trek” star William Shatner.
Patrick Haggerty 78, the visionary songwriter, dauntless activist, and irrepressible raconteur singer for the band Lavender Country. The self-titled 1973 disc is the first known gay-themed album in country music history. He was also the subject of a 2016 documentary short that showed at SXSW, These C*cksucking Tears, directed by Dan Taberski
Abdul Wadud 75, a groundbreaking cellist who expanded a realm of possibilities for his instrument in avant-garde jazz and classical music. In 1976 he toured with Stevie Wonder, conducting a 60-piece ensemble
William Hart 77, the lead singer of the hit-making Philly Soul group the Delfonics. In 1997 Quentin Tarantino featured his songs prominently in the film Jackie Brown
Thom Bell 79, Grammy-winning producer heavily influenced Philadelphia soul music, Bell, Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff worked together to create “The Sound of Philadelphia” in the late 1960s and early ‘70s. Chubby Checker. He also produced the Delfonics’ hits “La-La (Means I Love You)” and “Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time).” He also arranged the strings in the O’Jays’ 1972 hit “Back Stabbers.”
Barbara Thompson 77, saxophone player, composer, band leader and appeared on Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s 1978 classical fusion album Variations and also worked with him on musicals such as Cats and Starlight Express. Thompson married drummer Jon Hiseman in 1967 and was in his band Colosseum. She also played with Manfred Mann’s Earth Band (she featured on 1976’s The Roaring Silence and 1980’s Chance) and the Keef Hartley Band
Jon Lind 73, songwriter, started as a folk singer, sharing stages with Judy Collins, Harry Chapin, Tom Paxton and others. His songs were recorded by Cher, Cheap Trick, Madonna, Jennifer Holliday, Rick Astley and Pete Townshend. Lind received a Grammy nomination for song of the year in 1992 for “Save the Best for Last,” which topped the Billboard Hot 100 for five weeks and was ASCAP’s song of the year. As a label executive he was head of A&R at Hollywood Records
Andrew Woolfolk 71, legendary saxophonist. Woolfolk was a longtime member of the band called Earth, Wind & Fire from 1973 to 1985 and from 1987 to 1993. Putting that experience aside, he also collaborated with artists such as Deniece Williams, Level 42, and so many others
Steve Broughton 72, blues-based rock drummer with Roy Harper, Mike Oldfield and his brother’s Edgar Broughton Band. The band’s live performances were frequently eventful and on occasion attracted police intervention, such as a show at Keele University where the band gave paint out to the audience who promptly vandalized the venue
Ricky Gardiner 73, Scottish guitarist, composer, and co-founder of Beggars Opera. Guitarist on David Bowie’s Low album and Iggy pop’s Lust for Life and went on tour with him for his album The Idiot.
Betty Davis 77, a funk singer and the ex-wife of singer Miles Davis, Famous for her raspy purr, Davis was known for singing hits such as “Get Ready for Betty,” “It’s My Life,” “If I’m in Luck I Might Get Picked Up” and many more. Davis also wrote the Chambers Brothers song “Uptown (to Harlem).”
Timmy Thomas 77, singer, songwriter and keyboardist whose minimalist yet urgent 1970s hit anti-war anthem “Why Can’t We Live Together” eventually would sell more than 2 million copies, and covered by numerous artists, most notably Sade in 1984, Joan Osborne in 2002 Steve Winwood in 2003 and Drake in 2015 .The song has lived on as a staple of ’70s-era oldies radio and, along with Freda Payne’s “Bring the Boys Home,” Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On,” Edwin Starr’s “War” and Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Fortunate Son,” remains a foundation of the era’s anti-war sentiment
Michael Henderson 71, bassist singer/songwriter in the mid-’70s after touring with Stevie Wonder, Henderson played for many of the biggest Motown acts in the late ‘60s, including the Four Tops, Martha Reeves & the Vandellas and Gladys Knight & the Pips — as well as Aretha Franklin and the Dramatics
Charles Edward McCormick 75, founding member, bassist, and lead singer of the R&B/Soul and funk band Bloodstone with such 70’s hits as “Natural High,” and “We Go A Long Way Back.”
Vittorio De Scalzi 71, musician and founder of New Trolls, one of the great Italian progressive Rock bands of the early 1970s, first became known for his now-classic work on several Spaghetti Westerns movies including the 1966 soundtrack for Django, years later used by Quentin Tarantino in the movies Kill Bill and Django Unchained.
Cynthia Albritton 74, better known as Cynthia Plaster Caster, was not a musician, but loved rock stars. She was known for creating plaster casts of rock star’s erect penises. The 1977 KISS song “Plaster Caster” was written about her, who from the late ’60s made penis casts of rockers including Jimi Hendrix, Wayne Kramer of MC5, Jello Biafra of Dead Kennedys and Buzzcocks‘ Pete Shelley. (the members of KISS reportedly never did her penis cast process.) Later in her career, Albritton made casts of female rock stars’ breasts, with Suzi Gardner of L7 and Karen O of Yeah Yeah Yeahs among them
Obituaries compiled from many sources including IMDB loudwire.com Guitar.com NYpost.com Billboard Wikipedia rollingstone.com ihopeidiebeforeigetold.com Gregg Davidson’s MusicHistory101
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